Campari Academy opens UK education hub

Aperol owner Campari Group has opened its first state-of-the-art education hub in the UK, located in its central London-based regional headquarters.

The Campari Academy is a first-of-its-kind educational platform for the international bartending community, and the new UK hub marks its largest global expansion to date.

Monica Berg, Campari Academy creative director, said: “Being part of the Campari Academy as creative director is hugely important to me. The industry needs educational platforms which can impart knowledge, inspire creativity, and prompt discussions which the bartending community can really engage with.

“By working directly with bartenders as well as leading voices from varied disciplines, we can provide the community with a network and platform which currently doesn’t exist.”

The Campari Academy UK has launched with a series of events.

Loris Contro, Campari Group UK’s Italian Icons brand ambassador, will host an event that will explore the art of hospitality, while the team behind the the bar at The Connaught will delve into the rich centuries-long histories of invention, tradition and evolution in the rum and whisky categories, alongside UK brand ambassador Chris Dennis.

Ensuring that the bartender is at the heart of all Academy activities, these events will be interactive, creative, and continually pushing the boundaries of each theme.

Jono Mayes, national trade and bartender advocacy manager for Campari Group UK, added: “I am thrilled to be welcoming the Campari Academy to the UK, and for it to have such a cutting-edge physical hub in Campari House.

“From the space itself to the programme of content we have curated, the Academy is on course to become the place to be for our industry’s luminaries, which fills me with great pride and excitement.

“Bartenders are the beating heart of the industry we love, and the Academy gives us a platform to champion them and their talent, whilst also pushing forward and putting the UK on the map as a leading light in the global drinks industry.

“The Campari Academy is an established success story around the world, which is an ideal platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing and creativity.

“With the talent of the bartending community in the UK, Campari Group’s investment in the Campari Academy here, and the world-renowned voices and collaborators we have involved, this can only be the start of an impactful – and important – movement for the drinks and hospitality industries in the UK.”

The Campari Academy in Campari House, London, opened on 20 February with an exclusive event and preview screening of Perspectives, the Campari Academy flagship docuseries, exploring themes of global resonance in the drinks and hospitality industries.