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From bar back to champion: Danilo Frigulti on World Class GB

Danilo Frigulti shares how his journey through World Class GB shaped him – and why he believes anyone in the industry should take on the competition.

Danilo Frigulti Diageo World Class
Danilo Frigulti entered World Class GB in 2023 and 2024 – and intends to do so again in 2026

Danilo Frigulti began his career in southern Italy, working as a barista at 18. Hoping to make the move into mixology, as well as getting to travel, he headed to London. However he didn’t speak English fluently, something he thought would hold him back in a new industry. “I always wanted to be a bartender, but I thought that starting as a barista would have helped me a little bit more to find a job in the UK, since my English wasn’t great,” he explains.

Luckily, his coffee talents bagged him a job at The London Edition, a luxury hotel in Soho. As well as being a great place to work regardless, being in a hotel gave him the opportunity to transition into bar work. “I asked the restaurant manager to move to the bar, and luckily enough – and I’m still very thankful for that – he said yes.”

Not many in the industry can boast that their first role behind the bar was in a venue as prestigious as the Punch Room, but this was just the start of Frigulti’s impressive credentials. But it wasn’t instant success from recruitment – he worked as a bar back there for three years, until the pandemic hit.

“It was a lot of learning and a slow process,” he explains, adding that it’s more usual for staff to bar back for a few months before being promoted to bartender. He sees this extended period as a boon for his development.

“Before you step into a bar to make drinks, there is a process that everyone should go through. If a bartender doesn’t know how to make something on the menu, and if a guest asks, everyone should be ready to explain the process. Mastering the back of house involves ordering fresh fruits, squeezing limes and lemons and organising. In three years, I mastered that.

“But, for me, it was the best way to arrive at being a bartender – being ready to become a bartender instead of rushing the process.”

When lockdown was lifted, he went back to the Punch Room, until one of his mentors headed to the newly opened NoMad London hotel in Covent Garden and recommended Frigulti join him. Another four months as bar back followed, until Frigulti was finally ready for his first role as a bartender. He was promoted to head bartender in just over a year and thrived in the position for three years.

It was during his time at NoMad that the competition bug first bit him, and he entered World Class for the first time in 2023. It was his first mixology-based competition, but he had previously won the UK final of Altos’ Tahona Society, which focuses on sustainability initiatives.

Adam Jamie Hussein, a Diageo brand ambassador and former head bartender at NoMad, encouraged Frigulti to apply for World Class. “He was working with us at NoMad, and he really wanted someone to join World Class. But I was like: it’s definitely not for me, I’ve never done a cocktail competition, and I don’t know if I’m ready.” Luckily, Hussein managed to talk him into it.

It turns out he was definitely ready – he made it into the top 10. Given a taste of success, Frigulti was hungry for more, and aimed to re-enter in 2024 – and win.

But first, another job change was on the horizon. NoMad’s beverage director Pietro Collina left the hotel to relaunch Viajante87, and asked Frigulti to join him. “I’d been in hotel bars for six years,” he explains. “It’s a crazy ride, and they teach you a lot but, at the same time, it is quite hard. In a hotel, you have more things to worry about than in a cocktail bar with a small team.

“My amazing team at Viajante87 really helped me. I had a lot more time to be focused on World Class. They knew my goal. They knew I was going full on it. And I kept saying: ‘I’m going to try to win this year.’”

This year Frigulti will be on the judging panel at World Class GB
Frigulti will be one of the judges at World Class GB

He entered World Class GB again in 2024 – and this time he did win. He credits advice from his mentors as making all the difference between his two entries. “I’ve been very lucky to have a lot of very good mentors in different things – for example, in storytelling and presentation,” he explains, crediting Giorgio Bargiani from the Connaught Bar as a particular influence, as well as his colleagues.

While the accolade was a dream come true, for Frigulti the best part was the people he met along the way, both in the GB final and during the global competition. “I got to spend time with brand ambassadors, who are real professionals. They really know the job and the brands they work for.

“I’m very lucky to be in London, where the bar community comes together all the time. There are 44 bartenders I can go and see all over the world – they’re my friends now.”

Significant impact

Winning World Class GB has had a significant impact on his career, leading to new opportunities such as collaborations, travel, and mentorship. He’s also received training through the World Class programme, including visits to distilleries.

In 2025, he will serve as a judge for World Class GB and is encouraging the entire Viajante87 team to enter the competition. He sees judging as another opportunity to learn and gain new insights – which will no doubt help him when he returns to compete in 2026, this time with the aim of winning the global final. “After so many times being judged, I’ll be on the other side. I’m very curious to see what I notice.”

For those considering entering World Class, Frigulti advises that anyone – regardless of experience level or background – can take part and succeed. “Anyone can do it! World Class is not about how long you’ve been in the industry. You can be a bartender for a year, or for 20 years.

“You can come from wherever in the world. You don’t have to be British. Don’t stop yourself because of these things. I hope that me winning last year – an Italian bartender of three years in London – shows that anyone can do it.”

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