Chris Lincoln, head of learning and development at Be At One, has told Propel the business expects to take on 500 new bartenders during 2019. The cocktail bar brand, which became part of the Stonegate Pub Company business in July, has won numerous awards and its drive to stay ahead of the game as other operators increasingly add cocktails to their offer has led it to become an accredited training company with its own academy issuing bartending qualifications.
Lincoln said: “We have set the bar high. If you see GCSE maths on someone’s CV, you know what that is. It will be the same with our qualification. It’s to a certain standard that cannot slip. Many of our bartenders have gone on to great things so we’ve got a real legacy. This is giving them something back, an accredited certification they have on their CV to boost their employability. Anyone coming into Be At One will do this certificate off the bat. It’s our business standard now so it’s essential to pass this accreditation, and you then go on to further training.”
Be At One has increased its focus on guest interaction as well as cocktail creation. Lincoln said: “We have added a little bit of flair and extra interaction in terms of recognising people’s body language to make sure they are really enjoying themselves. With cocktails, people don’t always know what they want or want to try new things, and we’ve got to be able to steer them towards something they’re going to really enjoy.”
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