20
BusinessEast Monthly
East Anglian Daily Times Tuesday, February 18, 2014
www.eadt.co.uk
Anyone for a cocktail?
Lee Hawes is bar manager at Seckford Hall and as such is in charge of the new Champagne and Cocktail Bar
Tell us a bit about yourself Lee
Well I have to say that I am a rather
entertaining and personable person, so the
ideal person to work in a Champagne and
cocktail bar! I was born and raised in South
Africa, as a family we moved to England when
I was 15, where I attended Kesgrave High
School whilst working for Milsoms at
Kesgrave Hall. I worked for the Milsoms
Group for five years. It was here I gained all of
my fine dining, banqueting, restaurant, silver
service, private function and management
knowledge. In December 2012 I moved to
Aurora Bar and Restaurant in Ipswich.
Two of our favourites are Taittinger Comtes
de Champagne Blanc de Blancs and
Taittinger Nocturne Sec NV.
What cocktails are on the menu?
The cocktail list is rather extensive varying
from champagne cocktails to classic cocktails
and of course who can forget… signature
cocktails.
What is your favourite cocktail and why?
My favourite cocktail would have to be an Old
Fashioned; it is a fairly basic cocktail with
not many ingredients. It is an acquired taste
due to the high volume of Woodford Reserve,
a Bourbon Whiskey. It is a very easy drink to
make but it is even easier to get wrong, the
secret is patience.
Where did you learn your craft?
I was very lucky that at the age of 18 I
completed my intermediate wine and spirit
education training through our supplier
Bibedum. After completing this I went on to
complete the advanced course, this is where
my real passion for wine and spirits was
introduced. Jon Harrison, a qualified and
respected mixologist, then trained and passed
on his extensive knowledge to me.
You manage the new Great Hall Cocktail
and Champagne Bar – Tell us what we
might expect?
This is a very easy question to answer; my aim
is to exceed expectations. Every person who
comes to the bars for any drink will be highly
impressed with the attentiveness, knowledge
and characteristics of the entire bar staff
team. The drinks will only be made and
served to a premium quality and dependant on
taste, the customer will have no choice but to
Any tips on how to make a great cocktail?
Do not rush; if a cocktail is rushed the
quality will drop significantly.
Lee Lawes, bar manager at Seckford Hall, in the Champagne Bar Photo: Lighttrapper Photography
love them! We also have plans to start to some
special mixology night’s ideal for corporate
entertaining and for getting a group of friends
together.
The Champagne House of Taittinger is
Seckford Hall’s chosen Champagne. What
is so special about Taittinger?
Pierre-Charles Taittinger acquired Chateau
de la Marquetterie in 1934, which was the
birth of Taittinger. We as a company have
chosen several champagnes from this
company as it one of the very few champagne
houses that is still family run, this will ensure
the quality, support and a fantastic
relationship between us and them.
What are the opening hours at the Great
Hall Champagne and Cocktail Bar?
The bar will be opened at 10am every day and
will close at midnight for any non-residential
guests.
For those who are residents, GREAT NEWS…
how long can you stay awake?
■ To find out more www.seckford.co.uk
01394 385678
Historic concert hall an inspiring venue for your corporate event