On Tuesday February 21st, CLASS magazine announced its highly anticipated CLASS Bar Awards 2017.
The awards, which debuted in 2003 have returned under new owners Agile Media – founders of The World’s 50 Best Bars – reassuming their place as the premiere UK bar industry celebration.
Representatives from the UK’s leading bars attended the Awards yesterday (February 21st) at One Marylebone in London, along with internationally renowned personalities. Judged by industry experts from across the country, the CLASS Bar Awards recognises the talent, achievements and diversity of the UK bar scene.
Dandelyan at Mondrian London, by Iain Griffiths and Ryan Chetiyawardana, was the overwhelming choice of the CLASS collective (the 85 expert judges that voted), with the bar picking up gongs for Best Bar in the UK, Best Hotel Bar and Best Drinks Menu.
Offering innovative drinks centred on the theme of Modern Botany, immaculate service and views of the Thames, Dandelyan won four of the five categories it was shortlisted for.
Aidan Bowie, Head Bartender at Dandelyan and a past winner of Diageo World Class, topped the Bartender of the Year vote, ahead of James Bowker of The Edgbaston in Birmingham and Marcis Dzelzainis of Sager + Wilde, Bethnal Green, London.
Edmund Weil and Rosie Stimpson, owners of London music and cocktail venues Nightjar and Oriole, also saw a number of their team win supporting awards. Oriole’s Ivana Popovic was named Front of House Star of the Year and the bar’s Ivano Filippi took Bar Back Star. A third award for Oriole came in the form of Bar Food Menu of the Year, with its South American-Asian inspired menu edging ahead of that of Liverpool’s Filter + Fox and Oskar’s Bar of London. While Nightjar won Best Social Media Initiative.
Weil and Stimpson also celebrated with their partners at Swift, Bobby Hiddleston and Mia Johansson, after the venue took New Bar of the Year, ahead of Bath’s The Dark Horse and London’s Black Rock. Bobby Hiddleston too won an individual award, taking home Bar Manager of the Year for his work with Callooh Callay in 2016 and latterly as a co-creator of Swift.
The Emerging Bartender of the Year category was won by Dominic Whisson of the American Bar, London, ahead of Joe Wild from El Bandito in Liverpool and Daniele Bresciani of The Churchill Bar & Terrace, London.
Cocktail of the Year, also contended by Dandelyan’s Concrete Sazerac, was won by Robusto Negroni at Bar Termini. Devised by Tony Conligiaro’s Drink Factory for the Soho bar, the Robusto Negroni uses the sous-vide technique to achieve a mellow and elegant Negroni.
Specialist Bar of the Year went to whisky venue Black Rock, owned by Tom Aske and Tristan Stephenson, taking the gong ahead of Manchester’s tequila and pizza venue Crazy Pedro’s and, Italian station-themed coffee and cocktail spot, Bar Termini.
Restaurant Bar of the Year was awarded to London’s Hawksmoor Spitalfields, beating off capital competition in the form of The Blind Pig and Edinburgh’s Bon Vivant.
Ending the night was the Lifetime Achievement award, which went to Jake Burger from bars The Distillery and Portobello Road. With venues in Leeds and London, a gin museum and gin brand, Jake Burger has spent 20 years at the forefront of the drinks business.
CLASS Bar Awards 2017 shortlists and winners
Awards voted for by the CLASS Collective (85 nationwide industry experts):
Bartender of the Year
– Aidan Bowie, Dandelyan, London
– James Bowker, The Edgbaston, Birmingham
– Marcis Dzelzainis, Sager + Wilde, Bethnal Green, London
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Bar of the Year
– Dandelyan, London
– Bramble, Edinburgh
– Satan’s Whiskers, London
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New Bar of the Year
– Swift, London
– Black Rock, London
– The Dark Horse, Bath
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Hotel Bar of the Year
– Dandelyan at Mondrian London
– Connaught Bar at The Connaught, London
– American Bar at The Savoy Hotel, London
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Drinks Menu of the Year
– Dandelyan, Modern Botany 3rd Edition London
– Callooh Callay, Street Art Tour, London
– American Bar, London Menu, London
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Specialist Bar of the Year
– Black Rock, London
– Crazy Pedro’s, Manchester
– Bar Termini, London
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Bar Food Menu of the Year
– Oriole, London
– Filter + Fox, Liverpool
– Oskar’s Bar, London.
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Restaurant Bar of the Year
– Hawksmoor Spitalfields, London
– Bon Vivant, Edinburgh
– The Blind Pig at the Social Eating House, London
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Cocktail of the Year
– Negroni Robusto, Bar Termini, London
– Pickering Place, American Bar, London
– Concrete Sazerac, Dandelyan, London
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Lifetime Achievement
Jake Burger
Special Recognition Awards (entered on application and judged by a panel of 10 industry experts):
Bar Manager of the Year
– Bobby Hiddleston, Callooh Callay / Swift, London
– Declan McGurk, American Bar, London
– Eve Vasileiadou, The Churchill Bar & Terrace, London
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Emerging Bartender of the Year
– Dominic Whisson, American Bar, London
– Joe Wild, El Bandito, Liverpool
– Daniele Bresciani, The Churchill Bar & Terrace, London
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Bar Back Star of the Year
– Ivano Filippi, Oriole, London
– Habtom Temesgem, The Churchill Bar & Terrace, London
– Timoteo Martao, Oblix, London
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Front of House Star of the Year
– Ivana Popovic, Oriole, London
– Harry Kladis, The Churchill Bar & Terrace, London
– Emily Shuttleworth, London Cocktail Club, Bethnal Green, London
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Social Media Initiative of the Year
– Nightjar, London
– Bar Termini, London
– Aqua Shard, London
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DRINKS ENTHUSIAST 