The Project.

After a wild 2017 regional final themed around Pop Art! pop-up bars where contestants created their dream bar (there was a pilot, Mario Brothers, Day of the Dead, a mad scientist) and a break in 2018, we were approached to do the revived 2019 finals ‘ the lead up to it. The semi-finals took the contestants down from 12 to 6 who were then treated to a 2-day bootcamp. First up was a series of masterclasses (relaxation yoga included!) in a desert oasis followed by a Mexican themed party with a BBQ cooked by Mark Moriarty, San Pellegrino’s Young Chef of the Year 2015 and Diageo’s Chef in Residence. The next day took the competitors to the desert for more masterclasses followed by cocktail making on the dunes.

The final was another 2-day affair with a series of competitions around the different World Class brands in 3 different venues. Masterclasses were given by Lauren Mote, World Class Global Cocktailian and Simone Carporale, known for his Art of Bartending plus more. The 6 became 3 before it came down to the wire in the evening in Toy Room crowning Claudiu Mnerau of Coya the winner, taking him to Glasgow to compete in the global final.