Nottingham bartender Tom Payne is in the running for a prestigious award after reaching the finals of a competition looking for the finest talent in the industry. He is one of three shortlisted for the honour in the category 'emerging talent' after impressing judges on the lookout for individuals who are leading the way in creativity and trendsetting in the bar world.
The winner, announced in London on Tuesday, February 21, will receive a £2,500 bursary. If Tom wins the prize he would spend it on doing work experience at one of the world's top ten bars in either Mexico City, Barcelona or Melbourne.
He's currently managing the bar at one of the Nottingham's newest spots, Six Richmond House, in Hurt's Yard. The upmarket fine dining cocktail bar serves signature drinks including Parsnip Rosher made with cognac, hazelnut and parsnip caramel and Pear Tree with pine oil vodka, pickled pear and sake, as well as all the classics.
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The 24-year-old, who lives in Mapperley Park, faces some stiff competition from two talented and well-established bartenders in the category.
Tom, who previous worked behind the bar at Michelin-starred Nottingham restaurant Alchemilla, said: "It means so much to be a finalist. The other two candidates are well known and established in the industry and work for some of the best, most influential bars in the world, never mind in the UK so just to be named amongst them is something I'm incredibly proud of.
"I'm very aware that the team at Richmond House have all contributed to this, so it's an achievement for us all. I've been bartending for six years, but would say I only saw it as a career when I moved to Alchemilla in early 2020, where working with the likes of Alex Bond really helped me to refine my drinks and see where the industry can take you."
His favourite cocktail is a pina colada. "It's simple, creamy and always tasty." He puts a Thai spin on the classic drink on Six Richmond House's menu, using coconut rum, clarified colada, lemongrass and Thai basil.
Tom's ethos is to push the boundaries - and lot let anything go to waste. He said: "The idea of behind our drinks are to use every element of the ingredients we buy in, so the citrus peels, leftover coffee grounds and tomato vines are all used to minimise waste and extract every ounce of flavour we can. We try to push boundaries on what you expect to put in a cocktail, like butter, parsnips, Thai curry aromatics and combinations like tomato and elderflower."
He is up against Katie Rouse, of Birmingham, and Mia Kumari, in London in the final of the International Wine and Spirit Competition, an annual competition founded in 1969. Both are previous winners of other coveted bar competitions.
Each year the IWSC receives entries from over 90 countries worldwide and the awards are considered high honours in the industry.
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