Celebrate Her After almost 15 years heading up London’s most iconic bars, Anna Sebastian is using her experience to help others as an F&B consultant. Words: Eleanor Howard
PROFILE Anna Sebastian F&B Hospitality Consultant Founder, Celebrate Her
From management and marketing to mixology
continues. With a taste for luxury hotel bars, she
and cheffing, the variety of roles in the hospitality
then set her sights on The Langham’s Artesian,
industry is growing at a rapid rate, and the routes
where she played a pivotal role in resurrecting
As a hospitality consultant for luxury hotels, restaurants and bars, Anna Sebastian programmes F&B spaces from a creative and strategic angle. Her experience as Bar Manager at The Savoy’s Beaufort Bar and Artesian at The Langham, both in London, stand her in good stead to advise on menu development, service training and recruitment whilst helping to create a healthy workplace culture by focusing on equality, diversity, sustainability and education.
to get there are just as diverse. No one knows
the bar’s profile, resulting in a listing in The
this better than bar manager-turned-consultant
World’s 50 Best Bars.
Current Clients: Raffles London at The Old War Office; The Savoy, a Fairmont Hotel; and Adam Handling Restaurant Group
Anna Sebastian.
MILITARY TO MIXOLOGY
the profession. “Every job and the people you
“As with a lot of people, it wasn’t something
work with are going to shape you in some way.
I planned to do,” she begins. “When I was at
The Savoy and Artesian made me aware that
school, it wasn’t even a conversation or a viable
hospitality is so much more than just putting
career option. So I actually completed my military
a drink on the table or a place to sleep for the
training and joined the army, but was medically
night, especially at these iconic hotels,” reveals
discharged and ended up handing out flyers for
Sebastian. “We’re not saving lives, but we get the
a nightclub in Leicester Square.”
opportunity to make a difference to someone’s
From there, she took various jobs in nightclubs
day. We’re there for the celebrations, the break-
across London, taking on a range of different
ups, the make-ups, you see families grow and
roles from working the door and managing guest
develop over generations. To be part of something
lists to eventually working behind the bar. After
like that, it’s so much more than the drink or the
a brief stint working in food and beverage PR,
plate of food – its the overall package.”
she began to feel the irresistible pull back to the
036
Though proud of the accolade, Sebastian is a firm believer that it’s the people that make
trenches and so took her chances applying for a
GET WITH THE PROGRAMME
host position at The Savoy’s American Bar ahead
But all good things must come to an end and after
of its grand reopening in 2010. The risk paid off,
almost 20 years working in service, Sebastian
and Sebastian ended up spending the next seven
made the tough decision to call time on her life
years leading the front-of-house teams at both
in the comfort of a major group and go it alone.
The American Bar and Beaufort Bar, as well as
“I loved Artesian and I loved The Langham, but I
in the F&B communications department. “That
was at the point where I’d given everything to the
was when my perception changed and I really
role and taken everything from it,” she concedes.
started to understand what hospitality is,” she
“It was also a really challenging time coming