Stories
Maria Surgucheva
My Story
Elective Affinities
- Nationality: Russian – Italian
- Occupation: Head Bartender
- Workplace: Cahoots, London UK
- Favorite Cocktail: Toronto
- Favorite Spirit: Mezcal
What inspired you to become a bartender?
Driven by my curiosity about the unknown and by my crazy love for art, I found out the way to communicate through the bar. With a cocktail you are able to communicate everything; a sensation, a song or a painting.
Tell me about your bartending journey and how you got to where you are now:
As many of us, I met the hospitality when I was fourteen helping my mum in her bar. After that it becomes the way for paying my Art Academy. The essential moment in my career was when I had finished the academy. I received two proposal : one was from an important Graphic design agency and the other one was from Jerry Thomas Speakeasy in Rome. I chose to work behind the bar again. In this way I officially and definitely declared my love with the bar. In that place I met a lot of amazing people that teached me a lot about the concept of hospitality and bartending. After I left Jerry Thomas I had the crazy idea to move to the UK. Since the first day I arrived in London I started to work in Cahoots. I’m still sure that it was the rightest and luckiest decision of my life. There I met an amazing team who made me feel part of the family and under the guide of the best bar manager and person I ever met, Michele Venturini. Two years later when our bar manger decided to return to Italy, I took his place and every day I try to make sure it is deserved and up to the level of those who preceded me.
What stamp would you like to leave on the industry?
The same that the industry has left me, curiosity and hope. No matter what our style is, the important thing is to never stop aspiring to improve yourself and what surrounds us and not being afraid of changes, at the same time understanding that the old has not always to be thrown away.
Can you explain your personal process for creating a cocktail?
I imagine the feeling I would like to have while drinking the drink and what I would like to convey. From there the search for taste and the best way to express it starts.
What is the most important part of what you do and what does it mean to you:
Now the key thing for me is to stay close to my team, to convey to them the curiosity to experiment and learn. What is important is to have the ability to always question yourself, to be self-critical, open to change and above all not to be afraid of being wrong. We have a relationship with the bar team that can be defined as a kind of mutual symbiosis, I try to help and they do the same for me, they give me every day the incentive to be a better person and bartender
What do you think will be the future of the F&B industry:
For me the future of our sector is centered around continuous research and improvement. Respect for nature and for everything that surrounds us in general. it is important to try not to waste what is not necessary to waste. we know we did a good job when we go to bed with a smile.
Anything that would you like to add?
I think I have already said to much =)
Most bizarre client request:
Recite a poem.
