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Stuart Bale opens creative bartender hub Crucible

Bar consultant Stuart Bale has opened a creative hub for bartenders where they will be able to use high-tech bar equipment, a photo studio and more – thought to be a first for the industry.

Stuart Bale is offering use of Crucible for free throughout August 2017

Crucible, located in Haggerston, London, is designed to be a co-working space and lab for bartenders to meet and collaborate, featuring gadgets including a centrifuge, rotavap, homogeniser, ice-cream maker, water bath and dehydrator, to name just a few.

The venue also provides hot desks, a fully kitted bar, tasting room, a photo studio and access to a kitchen.

As well as offering a collaborative space, the notion behind Crucible is that bartenders will be able to access these high-tech – and often expensive – pieces of equipment, which they may not have been able to otherwise.

“The example I always give is that if you wanted to record an album, you wouldn’t buy a whole music studio – you would go to a music studio and rent the space,” says Bale, Crucible director.

Crucible officially opened on Wednesday and will be free to trial until the end of August, when access will be granted via a membership service – but without any fixed-term contracts.

The first 100 members will pay £50 a month, after which membership will cost £69 per person. Brand ambassador memberships will cost £135 per month, while bars can sign up for £135, which will be transferable across all staff members with access granted for up to two employees at a time.

“It’s been a pretty mad response so far from the industry – it’s really exciting,” added Bale. “It’s something that’s been done in a lot of other industries, like metal work or art studios, they’ll get the equipment and then you pay to use it. But it’s not something that seems to have been done in the food and drinks industry before.

“I’m hoping we’ll see lots of collaborations come out of it; it’s a great space, lots of natural light, so hopefully it’ll inspire people to be creative.”

Crucible will also be hosting social and professional events on a weekly basis, as well as offering consultancy from leading bartenders, chefs, designers and business managers in the industry.

More details on the new site can be found at www.crucible-london.com.

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