1954 Practical Bar Management by Eddie Clarke

PRACTICAL BAR MANAGEMENT

to changing accommodation and personal cleanliness, the most essential thing that follows is uniformity of dress, as there is no more unsightly scene than all the bartenders running around like an assortment disembarking from Noah's Ark. Thank goodness the white coat and apron is rapidly going out of fashion, and the smarter tailored type jackets are replacing them. I believe, that as one of the early pioneers of this cause, I first introduced this type of coat to the Albany Club Bar just after the War, when the laundering of white coats became so difficult. Be that as it may, for cleanliness, of course,the white coat has all the medals, but against that it is generally ill-fitting, sometimes it is washed well, other times it is not so good,and then again towards the end of the day it tends to appear very creased and grubby. The additional adornment of the white apron has always been a mystery, the probable reason is to disguise the fact that, beneath this camouflage, the man is wearing trousers which could hardly be considered in keeping with his surroundings. It could even be that the bartender is in the establishment's soccer eleven, and he already dressed in football togs making certain of a quick get-away for the afternoon game. Champions of the "white apron"claim that it is worn for cleanliness—cleanliness to what ? The wearer's trousers ? If so, it is a grievous thought, because if a bartender cannot work without spilling ingredients down himself,then he should never be behind a good cocktail bar. After all, the bar profits should be shown on the till, and not on his trousers. The present-day vogue, as to what the well-dressed bartender should wear, is a smart tailored jacket in a colour which will harmonize with the decor of the bar. These coats need not be expensive as there are many types of material from which they can be made, and they will look as clean and fresh at the end of the evening as they were at the beginning of the day. Dress trousers should be worn, and the feet shod with neat black shoes. Favourite shirtwear is white or cream in colour, with soft collars attached. Stiff collars are not necessary for bar work, as they are uncomfortable (especially during the hot weather), for unlike the waiter—whose main bodily movement is the concern of the feet—the bartender is a little more static, and he uses his arms and shoulders to a very high degree when shaking the numerous 42