Ask the Collective
The questions independent drinks founders ask most — answered. Distilled from years of community knowledge so the good stuff never disappears in the feed again.
What are the best bars and venues in London to take industry contacts to experience current drinks scene trends?
Members consistently recommend several venues as top choices for entertaining industry contacts. For cutting-edge, newer venues: Kwant (recently won best bar food at CLASS awards), Coupette in Soho (known for small plates and interesting tasting-size cocktails), Cavita's downstairs bar concept (consulted by Mr Lyan, features DJ, small mezcal den vibe), and Dram are popular. For established classics with strong credentials: Three Sheets Soho, Swift Soho, Satan's Whiskers, Thin White Duke, Chiltern Firehouse, Connaught, and Claridges. Members also mention Mr Foggs Apothecary, Murder Inc (central), Soma, Duke's, and Scarfes. Swift Soho requires booking and has a strict door policy even with reservations; walk-ins are typically not accepted. Three Sheets is described as worth the trek despite being slightly out of the way. Coupette allows you to work through the menu with tasting-size cocktails but note the cost. For food, Swift has minimal options but Murder Inc's nachos are noted as outstanding, and Kwant is specifically recognised for bar food quality.
Which card payment reader systems work best for events and festivals?
Members strongly favour dedicated hardware card readers over phone-only systems for event and festival use. A recent poll showed **Square** and **iZettle** as the most popular choices, with **Dojo** emerging as a strong alternative that performs well on cost per transaction and technical support. **Specific recommendations:** - **Square** — 12 votes in the poll; successfully deployed at large-scale events (60,000+ capacity) with Starlink connectivity; reliable handheld terminals. - **iZettle** — 11 votes; long track record (users report 10+ years of reliable event use); PayPal now remits takings next-day (previously 3 working days). - **Dojo** — Recommended strongly by members; won competitive tenders for major hospitality operators on cost per transaction, tech support, and kit quality; works with phone plus handheld hardware. - **Stripe** — 0 votes; not favoured for events despite broad awareness. - **SumUp** — 6 votes; less popular than top choices. **Key caveat:** Members strongly advise against asking staff to use their personal mobile devices as the sole payment system—devices can be dropped, lost, or stolen. Dedicated hardware is safer and more professional. For connectivity-dependent systems, consider redundancy with a data-only eSIM (e.g. **Airalo**) to cover signal failures.
What recruitment agencies and strategies do Kindred members recommend for hiring drinks industry roles, and what are typical salary expectations?
## Recruitment Agencies & Contacts Members recommend several agencies with drinks industry experience: - **Marvel** — Jake Merrick-Wren recommended for recruitment - **Young Foodies** — praised for mid-level recruitment services - **CORE** — recommended for on-trade recruitment - **New Chapter** — Emma Forster (emma.forster@newchapter.co.uk) highly rated for on-trade hospitality experience - **Seven** — Lucy McMullan recommended - **The Advocate Group** — Kayleigh works with them ## Sales & Event Staff For on-trade sales roles at mid-level, members suggest: - **Fusion** and **VinoKelly** — both supply on-trade sales staff; contact Gareth or Elizabeth on +447789915197 (VinoKelly) - **Poaching ex wine or spirits sales people** — suggested as a direct sourcing strategy - For event-based sales staff (e.g., promotional events), members noted they have direct connections and recommended reaching out to the community via DM ## Salary Expectations For an operations manager with drinks industry experience (managing whisky cask, bottling planning, inventory), members suggested **£60k as a starting point**, though this varies significantly by location and operation size. Members recommended checking job listing sites like Grocer for current market rates specific to your region. ## Caveat Members noted that recruitment agencies in the drinks industry are "costly and in need of serious disruption," so budget accordingly.
What are the legal rules for using CCTV to monitor staff in bars and hospitality venues?
You can use CCTV in bars and beer gardens for legitimate business purposes, but there are important legal limits on how you can use the footage. **Lawful monitoring reasons:** - Monitor and improve productivity in public/shared areas (e.g. spotting missed glass collection in the bar or beer garden) - Keep employees safe and prevent violence or theft - Ensure health and safety procedures are being followed (e.g. occasional monitoring of door staff interactions) **Key restrictions:** - You cannot use CCTV to assess individual work performance in detail or micromanage staff activity - You must not install CCTV in private areas such as toilets, changing rooms, or break rooms - Remote monitoring (e.g. watching live feeds while away to direct staff on specific tasks) may fall into problematic micromanagement territory Members advised being cautious about the purpose and scope of monitoring—legitimate safety and security reasons are defensible, but using cameras primarily to track productivity or give real-time instructions to staff on minor tasks may breach employment law.
Which business energy suppliers do members recommend for hospitality and on-trade premises?
Finding an energy supplier willing to work with hospitality venues can be challenging, though the market has improved. Members recommend: - **Octopus Energy** — praised as the go-to choice for several members. Easy to deal with, offers a solid back-of-house system to check readings, bills, and tariffs. - **YU** — used by members at bar premises. Caveats: **Avoid Valda** — one member reported a severe experience, describing it as a "Kafkaesque nightmare" where the supplier attempted to overcharge by £10,000. When last renewing, supplier availability for hospitality businesses was limited, though members expect this to have improved.
What booking management software do members recommend for tour-focused businesses and hospitality venues?
Members recommend different solutions depending on venue type. For tour-focused businesses, **Fare Harbour** is highly praised for onboarding ease, intuitive interface, and flexible pricing (members have negotiated deals with no charges, just a small percentage per booking). For hospitality venues, **Stampede** is recommended as an all-in-one fee solution—priced similarly to competitors but without per-cover charges. One member noted they moved to Stampede from a per-cover model and found it better value. Note: Fare Harbour users specifically mentioned it works well for distillery tours and similar experiences, though one member cautioned they couldn't comment on its usefulness in traditional hospitality venues.
What platforms and approaches do members use for accessing and bidding on retail and hospitality procurement tenders?
Members actively use dedicated tender platforms to access procurement opportunities from restaurant groups and hospitality venues. The community has direct experience winning accounts through these channels. **Platforms:** - **EzTenda** (www.EzTenda.com) — Members have successfully bid on and won accounts through this platform. It's been used to host significant tender campaigns (e.g. a 700 × 9-litre case spirit tender for a restaurant group), and members report winning new hospitality accounts through the site. **Approach:** Members actively monitor tenders posted on these platforms, bid competitively, and share opportunities with the wider community to alert others to upcoming campaigns.
What booking systems do hospitality venues use and how do they integrate with websites?
Members recommend **Design My Night (Collins)** for restaurant and bar bookings, which integrates to websites via a widget. This appears to be the primary solution mentioned by the community for venues looking to add booking functionality to their sites.
What is the current state of the on-premise/hospitality market and how reliable are the published statistics?
The on-premise sector is showing mixed and contradictory signals, making it difficult to assess true performance. Published statistics appear unreliable and often lack proper context. **Statistical concerns:** - Published data (e.g. Restaurant Online reporting 5.2% growth in March 2024) is "not comparing apples with apples" according to members—Easter timing distortions and other methodological issues make year-on-year comparisons questionable - Anecdotal reports from the ground contradict headline figures; members heard claims of March being down 25% year-on-year, but this lacked supporting context - Marketing narratives from platforms and aggregators contain "a lot of hot air"—companies like Bemakers make broad claims about pan-European delivery capability, but investigation reveals they operate in only 4–5 key markets with manual fulfillment behind the scenes **Reality on the ground:** - Major operators are in visible distress: Rev's and Stonegate reported to be "in serious trouble" - Regional disparities are significant (e.g. Belfast coverage gaps noted as "painful" to navigate) - Hospitality groups are difficult to reach and engage with directly **Takeaway:** Treat published growth figures with significant skepticism. Verify claims through direct conversations with operators and regional players rather than relying on aggregated statistics or vendor marketing.
Where can members find low-key event venues in central London for casual drinks parties with live music?
Members have recommended a few central London venues that work well for informal drinks events with live music: - **SAMA Bankside** — used successfully for a launch party - **The Ministry in Borough** — described as "pretty sick" for this type of event One member also noted they have available space in Brighton if a splinter event appeals. For sourcing venues more broadly, members recommend contacting **Piers**, a serviced office broker in central London who can help identify suitable spaces (07877727267).