Sarath Nair – Beverage Manager Four Seasons Hotel Sydney
In this interview, Sarath Nair, Beverage Manager at Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, shares his journey in the industry and some upcoming changes.
What do you do?
I am a part-time creator, full-time narrator, and beverage manager at Four Seasons Hotel Sydney.
How did you get into the industry?
I got into this industry because I love seeing people’s smiles, especially if it’s because of me. I like exploring new places, meeting new people, eating tasty food, listening to stories, learning languages, and much more, and for this, I learned this industry is the best. It’s not just an industry but a lifestyle.
Share a story from behind the scenes.
One of many funny scenes is a guest sharing amazing feedback about my martini to another guest after having a generous round of drinks, not realising it was just iced water kept for chilling the martini glass.
What food memory from your childhood or travels stands out?
From my childhood memory, it’s a syrup called Nannari or Sarpasarilla, an Ayurvedic root, and Jeeraka soda (Cumin soda). I love to use them in my cocktails.
From the travel diaries – All the dishes at Seefah Restaurant in Mumbai, especially their dessert called Honey Toast with Black Sesame & Vanilla Ice Cream. I also love the Spicy Chicken Wings in Jungle Bird bar in Kuala Lumpur.
What’s the best/ worst part of your job?
The best part is travelling, learning the concept of skills that pay bills, and creating a positive vibe. Every day is new and different. You get to meet a lot of personalities and celebrities, see luxury and understand how luxury is sold.
The worst part is the late nights, needing to stand for long periods, and sometimes being unable to celebrate events with family.
What’s one of your favourite food and beverage pairings?
It depends on my mood, but I like pairing cocktails and desserts or sometimes just trying out weird things to see what works.
What’s one of the craziest things you’ve seen behind the scenes?
A wedding with 4000 guests expected with six bars and realising that the alcohol serving license was taken for next year leading to no service of alcohol in the venue.
Sarath Nair’s perfect day off would be …
spending time with my wife on a road trip or by the beach, late-night movies and good sleep. Just relaxing.
A day in the life of Sarath Nair is …
Consistently changing, learning new flavours and techniques, making more connections in the market, updating the new trends, marking the to-do list, looking out for new talents and ensuring guests and the team are having a good time.
What do you do for fun?
I think what would make me happy at that moment in time and do it.
What’s something you’d like guests to know about Grain Bar?
Grain Bar is a fun and comfy place to come over and meet an amazing bunch of people who create magic not just by their drinks but also by passing on their energetic vibe to you.
How have you grown in your profession?
The journey has been fruitful so far, with lots of memories and connections to cherish throughout my lifetime. Eventually, you understand during the phase that nothing can be done alone. You need a bunch of people who believe in you and trust your vision. Freedom is important to cultivate more leaders.
What are your key learnings from your start in the industry until now? Any misconceptions?
Learnings: One of my biggest learnings is always to be consistent. Communication is the key. You should not worry about the things which are not under your control. Have a mentor. Be visionary. Enjoy everything around you.
Misconceptions: I used to think things would happen quickly, but I later realised that it’s not the time but the journey that matters.
What do you want people to know about being a Beverage Manager / Bartender as a profession?
It’s more than just making drinks all the time. As a bartender, there are many things behind the scenes that go into delivering the right experience in front of the bar EG: cleanliness, beverage costing, staffing, briefing, creating concepts and over-executing them, budgets, constant learning, etc.…
What’s your view on the beverage industry scene in Australia?
It’s booming, evolving and attracting many talents to settle down here. With its vibrant lifestyle, there will be much more interest in opening global bar groups in Australia.
What practices do you currently implement or hope to implement to work towards social responsibility and sustainability in the future?
We are working on a new menu to work closely with arts and attractions in Sydney. The seasonal menu will have fresh ingredients. We are looking for eco-friendly straws and have a few things to reveal soon.
What can guests look forward to in the upcoming months?
We’ll soon have a new cocktail menu at Grain Bar. There will be an upgrade in the overall offerings. We also have a few amazing guest shifts and master classes planned.
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