This week we we’re proud to host another event for the Jersey Hospitality Employees Club (JHEC) and include in it a cocktail competition between Jersey’s top bartenders.
The JHEC was formed last year to give staff within the hospitality industry a monthly event dedicated solely to them. It’s a chance for professionals across the island to come together, whether over a dinner, some drinks, or as last night was, a drinks and canape networking event at Jersey’s premium Parisian themed cocktail bar, Ce Soir. While the event took place, 10 of Jersey’s top cocktail specialists hit the side bar to compete in the Wild Ace Vodka Cocktail Competition. The bartenders picked a mystery ingredient out of a hat and had to make a drink that included both that and the Wild Aces Vodka. They also had to produce a Vodka Martini at the same time, with 5 minutes thinking/prep time, and 5 minutes to make the drinks.
As with the competition during Zest, the level of the bartenders was extremely high, and really showcased just how good our cocktail scene is. There were some challenging mystery ingredients in the bag, including balsamic vinegar, cranberry sauce, amaro and absinthe just to name a few.
Not only were the competitors something to note for the evening, but the level of support too. We had over 40 people on site enjoying both the evening and the spectacle and getting to embrace everything the JHEC stands for.
A lot of companies on island have sports and social clubs etc to encourage the staff to enjoy some downtime together. The JHEC is our way of providing this for our staff. Its sometimes hard to find people to socialise with if you have a day off on a Monday or Tuesday, so the club mainly gets together on those days.
So far we have enjoyed some truly sensational meals, some great networking events in some of our drinking establishments, and we have a lot of other ideas coming together for future meetings. We also aim to go for some of the evenings where we can air any concerns or ideas for the industry with each other. Already we have seen people volunteering to assist one another with problems they have found solutions to, or even willing to lend a hand on a day off.
Quickly the club is building a solid foundation. We welcome any workers in the industry to come along to these events and ask that they keep an eye on our Facebook page for event updates. Individually we have some incredible staff achieving amazing things, but we really are Stronger as One.