First ever Global Bartender’s Certificate rolls out in Greater Manchester

In September 2022, The Drinks Trust’s Develop programme will offer the first-ever Bartending Certificate in Greater Manchester provided by Mixology School and in partnership with United Kingdom Bartenders’ Guild.

In light of the challenges faced by the drinks and hospitality industry over the past two years, such as Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic, The Drinks Trust has identified two key geographic areas to focus on for the inaugural year of the Develop program: Manchester & Birmingham.

Manchester is at the heart of a thriving hospitality scene, showing the greatest growth in Q1 & 2 2022 and set to boom even further with at least 50,000 more hotel beds forecast for the area, staffed by some of the most talented and enthusiastic individuals in our sector.

Yet, there is currently nowhere for professionals to achieve formal qualifications. For this reason, The Drinks Trust chose Manchester as the first city to host the first Global Bartending Certificate, delivered by the International renowned Mixology School.

Ross Carter, CEO of The Drinks Trust, explains: “The rationale behind the choice of the city is that currently, despite the growing need for skilled bartenders, there’s no access to formal bartending qualifications in the North-West.

“With Develop, we aim to reach everyone in the country interested in entering our great industry or looking to formalise their experience with an internationally recognised qualification and this has informed our strategy of bringing opportunity to key regions”.

Zoe Cunliffe, director of Mixology School, comments: “We feel honoured to be part of this programme and to have the opportunity to bring our courses to Manchester for the first time. We look to help our students begin their journey into the hospitality industry and to help venues fill more roles with skilled staff in place.”

Claudia Carrozzi, UKBG President, comments: “The UKBG are very proud to not only be able to deliver such a great opportunity by offering a globally recognised qualification but to also assist more people to embrace this wonderful profession.”

The Drinks Trust’s Develop aim is to train and educate 550 people in its first year of operation, the next generation of our drinks and hospitality industry professionals.

Two rounds of the Global Bartending Certificate will be held at The Dirty Old Town Distillery, Salford. The first course will be held on the week commencing with Monday 26th September, and a second course will be held on the week commencing with Monday 3rd October.