How to go from high-end hospitality to whiskey brand ambassadorship
Knowledge is power, as the saying goes, and Ilaria Carone has no intention to stop educating herself about the wonderful world of spirits. In this week’s podcast episode, she shares her journey from Italy to the UK, and from members’ clubs to brand ambassadorship, with many tips for aspiring hospitality professionals along the way.
Spend just a few minutes in the company of Ilaria Carone and it’s hard to believe that someone so vivacious and chatty moved from Italy to London seven years ago speaking next to no English.
Equipped with as much experience as she could gather, Ilaria left her home country for London to pursue her dream hospitality career.
Not afraid to rise to the challenge, she secured her first position a few days in at a private members’ club – and her success has only grown from there.
Her experience includes working at renowned London venues such as Mr Fogg’s and private members’ club Annabel’s.
“The first time I stepped into Anabel’s, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh,’ – I was never going to forget it,” Carone recalled. “It was something so interesting. Of course, the luxury vibe was bleeding around the sides of the venues – because there are nine venues inside of it, each one better than the other. I fell in love with the décor, I fell in love with the colleagues, the vibe, the music.”
The importance of cocktail competitions
What key skills, though, are needed to bag a role in a venue regarded as highly as Annabel’s?
“First of all, be patient. Be strong, mentally and physically,” Carone said. “You need to have passion. You need to have the desire to study and to improve your skills, adding different courses, following different masterclasses, always keeping an eye on what is happening around you, what the other bar is doing, what the bartender is creating.
“I found cocktail competitions very useful to improve your skills. Why? Because, first of all, you can create more connections with other bartenders, and then you can communicate with them, change ideas and create something even cooler.
“You improve your confidence. And confidence is something you need to have behind the bar, because if I arrive in a bar – any kind of bar – you need to feel, when you walk in as a guest, that the bartender knows what he’s doing.”
Carone shares myriad pieces of advice throughout the episode on how to build knowledge, how to upskill, and how to be more confident.
For insights like this – plus how Carone transferred her hospitality skills to land a dream brand ambassador role – listen to the latest episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Amazon Music.
The latest episode of The Spirits Business Podcast with Carone is also available to listen to on Acast, or via the link below.
Last week, we spoke to Diageo’s Claire Warner about building brand-bartender relationships, health and wellness, finding balance, community and career success (including job satisfaction).
Recent guests have also included the first female master blender for Mount Gay Rum, Trudiann Branker, and Dan Szor, founder of English spirits producer the Cotswolds Distillery.
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