Meet Sonia - Bar Manager at Brasserie Zédel

Sonia, tell us about your role and how long have you worked for the company?

I am the Bar Manager at Brasserie Zédel (I was promoted 2 months ago to Manager) but I have been with the company for nearly 5 years – firstly at The Wolseley, then I moved to Bellanger before taking up a bar role at Brasserie Zédel where I am today. It’s been such a wonderful journey within the group. I have always worked in the bar in all of my job roles at The Wolseley Hospitality Group.

What drew you to working in bars?

All my life I have worked in bars – it’s what I most passionate about. Growing up in Portugal, my parents owned a restaurant so hospitality has always been part of my life. I can remember from the age of 13, myself and my sister helped out in the family restaurant. It’s just a culture or way of life.

After school I studied languages and communication at University, but after some time I decided it really wasn’t for me. I left and took up a role as a Bartender – and the rest as they say, is history.

Your journey into the bar industry is inspiring - why do you think there aren’t more women in senior bar roles?

Woman always tell me that they think it’s a man’s job – but that’s definitely not true – there’s a place for both men and women in this sector. As a woman you can do as good a job as any man when it comes to working the bar – you just have to be prepared to work hard and keep learning and developing. When we hire in this company, we hire for attitude mostly (although some experience is essential because this restaurant serves around 800 guests a day so it’s super busy). I really want to encourage more women to join me working in the bar – you will love it! There are a lot of opportunities in the UK for women to work in hospitality – just give it a try.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Well I manage a team of 7 bartenders so it’s always making sure that the team are supported. I do stock takes, orders, rota’s, some training and then I work the bar. I believe that real leadership comes from doing, so it’s my job to lead by example and inspire my team by working alongside them and supporting them.

What drew you to The Wolseley Hospitality Group?

I arrived in the UK 5 years ago and I decided to work in a small pub close to my home so that I could improve my English – and that really helped boost my confidence. My sister was working at Brasserie Zédel at the time and she referred me through the company’s Refer a Friend Scheme which was really great for both of us. I wasn’t sure I had the right skills to work in one of the Wolseley Groups restaurants but she encouraged me to go for it - and I got the job. It was a bit of a shock to start with because I had to learn a lot very quickly, but my team supported and helped me to develop all the important skills and techniques to be a success – I’m very grateful to them for that.

What development opportunities are there at The Wolseley Hospitality Group?

There’s plenty of on the job training on offer – which I feel is the most helpful way to learn a bar skill. We also have some online courses we can take, but mostly everyone takes an extra hour in their day when the training is offered so that they can learn something new, and that’s how we continuously learn. That hour is paid so most of the team are happy to join in the training – although no one is ever forced to. If you want to learn something here, you have the access to it. It’s your career, your choice and the company will support whatever your choice is.

What do you love most about what you do?

I love everything about my job. I love creating the drinks, I love serving guests, I love being able to serve and support my team. It’s both mentally and physically stimulating to work in the bar. It’s quite magical.

What is your favourite cocktail to make?

I’m a big fan of the old school cocktails – because they are classic and they were invented to be exceptional, and they are. I love to make a Manhattan or the Old Fashioned.

What drink or trend do you hope makes a comeback?

I like to take old or classic cocktails and add a twist to them. That’s what we do when we create our seasonal cocktail menus at Brasserie Zédel. It’s a very creative process.

What’s the most popular drink that your guests tend to order?

We change our cocktail menus every 6 months so it depends on the season. At the moment, the Hibiscus Margarita is the most popular drink on our summer menu. It’s one that I created so I’m particularly proud that it’s doing so well.

Tell us about the creative process of creating your drinks.

We have our own lab here at Bar Américain so we are fortunate to be able to create our own infusions and syrups. And it gives me a chance to teach my team how to create and experiment with flavours and tastes. I spend lots of time buried in books learning about various ingredients, techniques and styles – and this space gives me the opportunity to refine my skills. It’s such a wonderful space to be creative.