Thoughts

Chelsie Bailey: London Calling? You don’t have to answer

Chelsie Bailey, a top-3 finalist in World Class GB, says London isn't the no-brainer opportunity it used to be.

—
12 October, 2026

Thoughts

Edmund Weil: how to stop more closures

As he continues to make the case for why the government should take steps to stop even more hospitality closures, Edmund Weil highlights some of the campaigns that have been very visibly ruffling feathers of late

—
03 September, 2026

Thoughts

Kevin Armstrong: It’s not what you do, it’s the way that you do it

More than anything else, drinks making is about execution, says Satan’s Whiskers’ Kevin Armstrong.

—
03 September, 2026

Thoughts

Andy Loudon: talking is not storytelling

Stop dropping knowledge and start telling stories, says Andy Loudon from Scarfes Bar at Rosewood London.

—
01 September, 2026

Thoughts

Stuart Bale: balance is not just sweet and sour

Stuart Bale delves into the structure of taste and suggests ways in which it can be levered to improve the quality of a drink.

—
24 August, 2026

Thoughts

Oscar Perry: How inactive yeast can mature your cocktail

Murder Inc's Oscar Perry unveiled the first drink of his inactive yeast experiments at World Class GB 2026 - he talks us through his complexity-adding technique.

—
20 August, 2026

Thoughts

Laurie Howells: 'Great, another Milk Punch. Now what about your non-alcoholic offering?'

In the latest of our guest columns from World Class GB Top 10 bartenders, Laurie Howells asks bartenders to use a little more of their creative energy on non-alc options.

—
17 August, 2026

Thoughts

David Riera: People come back for people

Up next in our series of columns by World Class GB Top 10 bartenders, David Riera urges the industry to remember the real reason for repeat custom - and it's not the drinks.

—
06 August, 2026

Thoughts

Carrie Smith: Want more women working in bars? Stop ignoring their health

As part of our series of comment pieces from World Class GB Top 10 bartenders, Carrie Smith issues a stirring statement on a much neglected conversation.

—
05 August, 2026

Thoughts

Monica Berg: I miss my bar

Tayer + Elementary was forced into closure. However temporary, Monica Berg laments her loss.

—
04 August, 2026

Thoughts

Alex Goacher: The shift from want to need

In the first in a series of pieces by World Class Top 10 bartenders, Alex Goacher tells us how the Manchester bar scene is changing. In this current economic climate, only the strongest - and most memorable - will survive, he says.

—
16 July, 2026

Thoughts

Edmund Weil: All hail ‘the fun’

There’s been a structural shift in consumer spending habits but Edmund Weil reckons that with it comes an opportunity for bars to create a broader spirit of enjoyment.

—
08 July, 2026

Thoughts

Elliot Ball: Critiquing the criticism

Elliot Ball welcomes honesty in a review – even a negative one – but he questions what motivates some people to damage ratings seemingly for the sake of it.

—
28 May, 2026

Thoughts

Comment: Bars 'are' where they're from

There is nothing more special about your bar than where it’s from, says Dereece Gardner of Desire cocktail bar in Stoke-on-Trent.

—
11 May, 2026

Thoughts

Is retention the new recruitment?

Hospitality is synonymous with a transient workforce, but an increased focus on culture and retention can be a rewarding strategy, says Kevin Armstrong.

—
02 April, 2026

Thoughts

Chewing the fat: How weight loss drugs impact drinking

Three months into her GLP-1 weight loss journey, Lucy Britner shares how her drinking habits have changed and what that could mean for the industry

—
02 April, 2026

Thoughts

Merly Kammerling: Finding the perfect match

It’s spring, which means you may be on the lookout for a new job – or are about to start one as Merly Kammerling has. She comes with advice.

—
10 March, 2026

Thoughts

Katie Rouse: Taking over the takeover

Couch’s Katie Rouse says it's time takeovers evolved to more meaningful inter-bar collaborations.

—
28 January, 2026

Thoughts

Last chance saloon - Kevin Armstrong on bars' remaining source of foreign talent

The Brexit-induced shrinkage of our talent pool has left hospitality in dire straits. But there is one last recruitment avenue for international talent, says Kevin Armstrong of Satan’s Whiskers.

—
13 January, 2026

Thoughts

Merly Kammerling: Is this January blues or a dopamine hangover?

It’s not necessarily as easy to distinguish between the two as you might expect. Merly Kammerling explains why the post-festive slump is a complex phenomenon.

—
07 January, 2026

Thoughts

The Kate Nicholls Column: Our fight to survive

Despite innumerable calls for the government to support hospitality, its latest Budget fell far short in what it could have done, says UK Hospitality chair Kate Nicholls.

—
16 December, 2025

Thoughts

Has the service charge system ruined tipping?

Modern tipping is more democratic but less meritocratic - and I'm not sure that's progress, says Graffiti Spirits Group's John Ennis.

—
03 December, 2025

Thoughts

Bartenders' mental health: are you tired or emotionally dysregulated?

Merly Kammerling explains how you can recognise and manage the stresses of emotional exhaustion and dysregulation.

—
27 November, 2025

Thoughts

Nick Gillett: It's now time to get political

Guest writing for CLASS, Nick Gillett, MD at Mangrove Global, urges the UK hospitality industry to stand up to punative taxation.

—
04 November, 2025

Thoughts

Opinion: why this hybrid approach could be the answer to bar-brand relations

Could a hybrid US-UK brand relationship revolutionise the spirits industry, asks Nate Sorby, director of brands & hospitality at Elementary Trade Marketing.

—
27 October, 2025

Thoughts

The worst cocktails in the world

Jake Patrick (formerly Jake O'Brien Murphy) doesn’t hold back when it comes to his feelings around certain flavour combinations. Here are his 10 least favourite concoctions to have crossed the bar.

—
27 October, 2025

Thoughts

Listless - why we need to rethink the spirits list

Mark Low from Mr Lyan Studio says the spirits list is mostly a thing of the past – but shouldn't be.

—
23 October, 2025

Thoughts

Money matters - Kevin Armstrong on why bartenders need to know their worth

Satan’s Whiskers’ Kevin Armstrong explores the commercials of working for your bar, but outside of your venue.

—
23 October, 2025

Thoughts

Iain McPherson on how to market bars

Iain McPherson speaks from experience when he offers some pointers on how to maximise your bar’s exposure.

—
15 October, 2025

Thoughts

How batching can help upskill our workforce

Nathan Larkin of Manchester’s Speak in Code in is an advocate of batched cocktails, but less as a drinks-making ideology, more a facilitator of the guest experience.

—
08 October, 2025