018 Cheers to a simple business!
Stuart Rhys Thomas
The Other Way to do Internal Communication | Ex-Masgroves | Former HRD | Ex-host of Thursday Brunch | #TOWTDIC
"When things go wrong and will not come right, though you do the best you can. When life looks black as the hour of night – a pint of plain is your only man." [Flann O'Brien]
"What do you do to relax, Stuart?"
Erm... I drink!
Not a fashionable answer I know but I'm OBSESSED with drinking! Specifically, one particular drink...
Guinness.
There's no finer sight than a pint of freshly poured Guinness, with that perfect contrast between the creamy white head and the ruby black body. It's a work of art! And when I'm not drinking the stuff, I love to watch videos of other people drinking it! Like the Guinness Guru. Or I'll "research" the best pint on my next visit to somewhere.
"What's the link with Guinness and your love of simple, Stuart?"
Great question! Let me explain.
Heaven in Glasnevin!
In the north of Dublin is a pub.
A rather ordinary looking pub ??
There's no music.
No TV.
No WiFi.
You can't book.
It's had no update. No refresh. No modernisation.
In short, it is the most ordinary looking pub.
Yet John Kavanagh's in Glasnevin - aka "The Gravediggers" - is world famous. For doing one thing well.
Serving the best pint of Guinness on the planet.
"On the planet? Really?!"
The late Anthony Bourdain said "heaven looks just like this" after visiting in 2012, and had it in his top five places to drink in the world! Resulting in #HeaveninGlasnevin becoming the hashtag for this most ordinary pub.
But scratch the surface, and this place is anything but ordinary. The care they have for creating the perfect pint is extraordinary. It's not one particular thing. It's everything.
>>> How they store the product (tapping, temperature, drawing, etc.)
>>> How they clean the lines
>>> How they wash the glasses (incredible... watch this from 08:30)
>>> How they serve the product
>>> How they think about the product
If this were a 5*Star hotel or a Michelin starred restaurant, the world would be falling over itself to learn more. Why? Because the Gravediggers are obsessed with doing one thing well (like Hiut Denim, another of my favourite brands!) This ordinary pub is another example of the power of simple, with its clear focus on creating perfection every pour.
Sláinte!
Picture: Anthony Bourdain (c) with members of the Kavanagh family
FOOTNOTE:
Next week, I'm visiting the Gravediggers for the first time! Excited? Hell, yeah! I mean, how often do you get the chance to experience something truly world-class for under a fiver?!
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