UK Bartender of the Year joins Liquid & Larder

By Madeline Woolway, Hospitality Magazine

Sydney’s expanding hospitality group, Liquid & Larder, has signed award-winning British barman, Calum Lawrie, as their first group bar manager.

Lawrie will oversee the group’s string of venues Grandma’s, The Wild Rover, Wilhelmina’s, Burgerhood, and specialist steak restaurant, Bistecca.

Lawrie will oversee the bar programme for each of these venues, focussing on improving guest experiences — beverage program development and venue theatrics — and event management.

Lawrie’s experience in hospitality and marketing spans global positions in Sydney, London and Edinburgh. In 2003 he was awarded UK Bartender of the Year.

In Australia, Lawrie helped open Darlinghurst’s Eau-de-Vie before pursuing an ambassadorial role with Diageo. Most recently he launched a joint venture brand with Diageo called Copper Dog Blended Malt Whisky, globally heading up both sales and marketing teams. Lawries has also set up his own drinks agencies, Barnomadics and Panch.

Liquid & Larder, founded by James Bradey and Warren Burns 10 years ago, rebranded from 8 Hospitality Group in May to reflect the group’s broader focus on bars, restaurants and soon, retail.

“We wanted a broader, more transferable brand identity before we moved into the new territories of restaurants and retail with Bistecca, which opened in July,” says Bradey.