Andy Hayward, Bartender at Vetch Restaurant and has a rich background in hospitality, especially focusing on rum and educating others in the industry. His fascination with the lively atmosphere of pubs and bars prompted him to start bartending after finishing university. Andy gained experience at places like New World Trading Company, where he learned hands-on from mentors who ignited his passion for mixology. He is known for being friendly and has a wide knowledge of spirits, wines, and cocktails. His current role in a fine dining restaurant with Japanese influences has sparked his interest in exploring new cocktail techniques and ingredients. Learn more about Andy's journey and insights in the exclusive interview for the "Know Your Bartenders" series at the London Spirits Competition.

Here’s the full interview with Andy Hayward.

Your current place of work / Last place of work.

Vetch Restaurant

Can you tell us about your journey into bartending? What inspired you to become a bartender? 

My story is a fairly traditional bartending one I suppose, I left university and needed a job. I'd always enjoyed being in pubs & bars, even before I was 18 they felt like they were full of interesting characters where you could just be yourself. I was extremely fortunate that my first bar manager took a chance on me, the GM & her were both incredibly enthusiastic about the industry which influenced me greatly.

What training or education did you receive to become a professional bartender?

The vast majority of my training has happened on the job, as is the case with most bartenders in my experience. I was lucky enough for my second job to be at New World Trading Company, which was still within Living Ventures. They operated with a 2 week, hands-on training process, providing a good basis to start with. After that, I think I've always tried to take the best parts of people who I've worked with & people who have managed me. 

What are the essential skills every bartender should possess?

Being personable is by far the most important thing. I think it's something that has been lost in between lockdowns, table service & being socially distanced. It feels like a lot of bartenders now seem unable to read people or a room. A fun game I play whilst training people in to try to guess what drink a guest is going to order, certainly gets you thinking! A passion for learning is the second most important for me, if you don't know find out. I had a manager once who always used to say "When you are cleaning bottles you should be able to say one fact about each one". Reading is very important, there are so many books & the whole internet. If you don't know how to do something, how to make a drink, or how to make an ingredient use the internet or a book, if that fails, then ask a chef.

What do you look for when you plan to buy new products for your business? 

The most important thing for me is whether or not the product will sell, the last thing anybody wants is for something to just be sat in a fridge or on the back bar gathering dust. If it is something I'm only going to use in cocktails, I like to make sure it's as versatile as possible so I can use it in multiple things.

Source: Andy Hayward

How do you stay updated with the latest trends and techniques in mixology?

Social media is a huge factor these days, and it does make it easier to see what's going on on a more global scale. However, I'm extremely lucky too; firstly live in a city with a great bartender culture & secondly have a lot of contacts within the rum industry to keep me informed of what is going on. I'd say the easiest thing to do is just talk to other people within the industry, and challenge yourself to find somebody who has a very different opinion to yours.

Can you describe your process for creating a new cocktail? What inspires your creations?

I don't think I have a set process, most things tend to come quite organically. My ideas can come from food, music, my childhood even just seeing a weird ingredient I haven't seen before. I'm always writing ideas down on my phone as soon as I have them, otherwise they are very easily lost. 99% of them end up getting tweaked over time and can often end up being quite different from the original idea.

Can you discuss any innovative techniques or ingredients you’re currently experimenting with?

I have recently moved job to a fine dining restaurant with some Japanese influence so I'm currently really enjoying researching some interesting Japanese ingredients & techniques. I've also been working on some new ways of developing milk punches further than what people are widely doing at the moment.

What are some current trends in the UK drinks industry that you find exciting?

For me,, the most exciting thing is the continued interest and expansion of the rum category. I think a lot of people who work in rum are excited to see the category grow as a whole & are rather less selfish than people who work in some other categories. I think the success is well deserved, as long as it doesn't stray into gin territory, where the market is very saturated. I'm also really enjoying the continued development of really advanced cocktail & ingredient making techniques throughout the UK.

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How has the cocktail scene in the UK evolved over the past few years?

There certainly seems to have developed a trend for a lot cleaner looking & tasting drinks. A lot of clarification & some interesting garnishes. 

What are your thoughts on the growing popularity of non-alcoholic spirits and low-ABV cocktails?

I think there is a market for everybody to have an offering. However, I do think they are something almost exclusively consumed by younger people. I've especially noticed this during my time in fine dining, which tends to be a slightly older consumer. It's very rare for me to get asked for a non-alcoholic or low-ABV drink unless somebody is driving.

How do you handle difficult or unruly customers?

It's always a tricky thing to try to handle. The most important thing I've learned is to try to stay as calm and kind as possible. You can always moan swear or cry about it later. The phrase "kill them with kindness" springs to mind, the last thing you want to do is escalate the situation.

How does sustainability influence your work behind the bar? Are there any eco-friendly practices you implement?

I always think it's better to use a more sustainable product than a less sustainable one. It can sometimes be hard to implement eco-friendly practices working in an independent with a small budget. We always try and do what we can, even simple things like using waste citrus to make cordials or limoncello.

Any good customer story that you recall that comes to mind?

I particularly enjoyed a woman very early in my bartending career who said she had always wanted to juice limes on a centrifuge juicer. She ended up coming around the bar and juicing a whole weekend's worth of lime juice for me.

What are your biggest challenges in managing a bar, and how do you overcome them?

There are so many challenges to overcome whilst managing a bar. I think one that gets overlooked the most is utilizing your space properly to make it as efficient as possible. No bar is perfectly designed, there will always be something that just has to be in the wrong place for one reason or another. If you can minimize things in the wrong place it can improve workflow and make everybody happier.

How do you see the role of bartenders evolving in the next five years?

Hopefully, we won't be affected too much by AI. On a serious note, I think everything is quite cyclical, I can see traditional bartending coming back, with people sitting at the bar and you actively managing/engaging with everybody in your space. I truly think this has become a lost art during COVID.

If you could only use five ingredients behind the bar, what would they be and why?

I would have limes, 1:1 sugar syrup, Veritas, Overproof Jamaican Rum & Rhum Agricole. Infinite combinations of Daiquiris for everybody!

What advice would you give to someone looking to start a career in bartending?

Make sure you learn from the right people, it's pointless learning how to do something the wrong way. Work hard, you are never too experienced to bar back, I still do it every shift. Do your core exercises, nobody wants a bad back at 26. Always try and start in the best bar you can, it'll help you greatly in your career. Practice talking to guests & understanding them as much as possible, it's the only way to get good at it. Read books, get in the weeds & drink rum!