The series, which visits a different city in each episode, features open and honest conversations with industry legends and local drinks businesses, spanning several topics from developing careers within hospitality, cocktail concepts and methods, mental wellbeing, to challenges facing these fiercely independent businesses.
The 45-minute episodes produced by the pioneering & independent tonic and mixer creators Franklin & Sons, launched on YouTube, and the franklinandsons.co.uk Drinks Collective trade hub. This bi-monthly series will be hosted by seasoned drinks consultant Tim Garratt (owner of S.O.AK cocktail co bar and consultancy), who has lived and breathed the hospitality industry over the past two decades.
Split into three key segments, each episode begins by visiting the industry legend’s establishment, where Garratt explores their career, achievements, inspirations and concept exploration, and how they stepped into the hospitality industry. Garratt then heads back to the Franklin & Sons bar for the meet the distiller segment and finishes off with a creative serve, using recipes and flavours explored throughout the segments, paired with the outstanding spirit explored in the episode
Pioneering techniques
For the first episode, the team heads to Leeds, with industry legend Tom Kirk at the award-winning bar, Below Stairs (listed in 2022’s Top 50 Cocktail Bars), and Ben Peel, co-founder of John Robert’s Botanic Request, previously NPD and innovation manager at Sipsmith. Peel champions liquid innovation, using pioneering techniques and approaches to flavour extraction, such as ultra-sonic sound waves to effectively extract flavour during their distilling process.
This first episode of Drinks In Trade is available to watch on Franklin & Sons’ YouTube channel and the Franklin & Sons Drinks Collective Hub. Click here to see the video.
Tom Singleton, brand director at Franklin & Sons: “Franklin & Sons is thrilled to support the UK’s exciting hospitality scene, by showcasing industry legends, experts and friends, and sharing their expertise through our new Drinks In Trade vodcast.
“We’re truly honoured to have a great network that elevates, supports and celebrates ‘best-in-class’ within the drinks industry. As an independent business focused on innovation, we enjoy talking to fellow industry pioneers about their inspirations, approach, and vision – and can’t wait to share this with the wider community.
“Regardless of whether you’re just entering the hospitality industry, or are an experienced bar operator or business owner, there’s plenty in this series that will apply to your craft that you’ll find interesting.”
Huge range of resources
Alongside the series, Franklin & Sons is adding a huge range of resources to its Drinks Collective Hub, designed to help anyone from fledgling bar staff through to bar owners and operators. These include:
- Drinks Training series
- Management features Hub (How to calculate ABV/units of a drink, how do I calculate GP and target margins)
- The Franklin & Sons interactive pairing guide & Flavour Chain
- Franklin & Sons Bespoke Menu builder
The second episode is set in Manchester and will be released in January.
If you have an expert in mind to feature in the series, or would like to get involved yourself, email charlotte.hutton@globalbrands.co.uk
