Managed pub and bar operator TCG is shaking up its cocktail offer with a new manual designed to upskill its bar staff, and a refresh of its list with new flavours for the summer.
Sales uplift
Two sites trialed the Cocktail Manual earlier this year and saw a combined sales uplift on cocktails worth £80,000 annually.
The manual, which is now being rolled out to TCG’s key cocktail sites, is far more than a guide to making drinks. It devotes pages to the history of alcohol, the origins of the most popular cocktails and a glossary of bar equipment, as well as, importantly, guidance on how bartenders can interact with customers while preparing their cocktails.
The manual is used during training sessions delivered by ‘cocktail champions’ in each site, while staff also receive a key fob containing details of the most popular cocktails for quick reference while working behind the bar. Staff are assessed on their knowledge regularly and, when they master the ingredients and method for 30, 50 and then 100 cocktails, receive a certificate and items to build their own cocktail kit.
New cocktails
At the same time, TCG is adding a number of new cocktails to refresh its offer for the summer, including a Rhubarb Martini, frozen Strawberry Margarita, and Fruit Explosion combining strawberry and pina colada ingredients with rum and vodka.
Ben Levick, TCG director of operations, said, “As an on-trade only drink, cocktails have been an area of focus for us and we have invested heavily in developing our range of drinks and innovative serves, such as jam jars and milk bottles.
“Now we’re focusing on staff training with the aim of turning our team members into the best bartenders in their area, with technical proficiency, encyclopedic knowledge and outstanding customer interaction.
“We believe this is the most detailed cocktail training guide any mainstream pub and bar operator has developed, and it’s a game-changer in terms of the bottom line. The two trial sites for the manual and training, Sailors in Newquay and the Greenhouse in Bristol, generated incremental cocktail sales worth £80,000 a year.”
The manual was developed by Levick and Dave Ruddick, general manager at Sailors in Newquay, who said, “Since we started training with the manual, staff have become much more knowledgeable and confident, which means they can interact better with customers while they’re making cocktails. It’s been a great success and we can’t roll it out quickly enough to the rest of the team.”
Pictured: Josh Priest and Faith Wren making cocktails at Sailors, Newquay