We explore how investing in education can empower teams, strengthen guest experiences and deliver tangible commercial benefits for operators.
In today’s competitive on-trade, exceptional drinks alone are no longer enough. The knowledge, confidence and passion of the people serving them can be what truly elevates the guest experience. From understanding spirits categories and production methods to mastering storytelling, recommendations and responsible service, ongoing training has become an essential investment for bars and pubs looking to stand out.
But education is about more than knowing what is in the bottle. For today’s hospitality teams, it is about being able to turn that knowledge into meaningful conversations, confident recommendations and memorable experiences. And for operators, the benefits can reach far beyond the guest experience, supporting sales, retention, engagement and the long-term development of their teams.
As Chris Welham, CEO at Licensed Trade Charity, puts it, “Training and education should be viewed as an investment in people, and ultimately in business performance.” In his view, great service is about much more than taking an order or serving a drink. It is about “creating memorable moments, building guest confidence and bringing experiences to life.”
That could be the story behind a spirit, the confidence of a recommendation or the theatre of a particular serve. Whatever the interaction, knowledgeable employees have the ability to transform what could have been a simple transaction into a genuine experience.
This is where category-specific education has an important role to play. With consumers increasingly interested in what they are drinking, bartenders need to be able to talk about more than individual brands. Billy Abbott, Brand Ambassador at The Whisky Exchange, believes understanding the wider category can help introduce consumers to drinks they may not otherwise have considered.
“Consumers are looking beyond simple recommendations,” he says, adding that understanding “the whole category” can help bring new people into different styles and categories, while helping existing drinks fans discover something new.
That wider knowledge also gives bartenders more context when talking to guests. Production methods, flavour profiles, heritage and provenance can all become part of the conversation, helping to turn a drink into a story.
At The Whisky Exchange, one of the core commandments is: “The more you know, the better it tastes.” For Billy, understanding how spirits are produced helps bring “the stories of the people and places behind the drinks” to life, making the serve more than just a drink.
Patrick Keogh, Head Bar Trainer at Barfection, takes a similar view. “Being a bartender is all about storytelling,” he says. Understanding the origins of spirits and cocktails allows bartenders to share the heritage and craftsmanship behind what is being served, while knowledge of production, flavour and serves enables them to answer questions with greater confidence.
The result is a more personalised experience. Rather than simply suggesting the most expensive drink on the menu, a knowledgeable bartender can understand what the guest enjoys and explain why something else might be worth trying.
That distinction is important when it comes to the commercial argument for training. Education can help increase sales and encourage premiumisation, but the recommendation needs to feel authentic.
Billy believes that being able to explain why a particular drink might suit a guest is “a surefire way of getting them to try it without feeling they’ve been upsold”. His own experience of hospitality reinforces the point. He recalls becoming loyal to bars where he could speak to staff and learn about what he was drinking – experiences that encouraged him to return and explore deeper into different categories and styles.
For operators, that creates a powerful combination: a guest who feels looked after, a bartender who feels confident and a business with an opportunity to increase spend.
Patrick also sees the commercial value of investing in staff development. “Staff feel valued when time and resources are invested in their development,” he says, something that can contribute to greater job satisfaction, stronger loyalty and better guest experiences. Ultimately, he argues, this can “help increase sales, encourage repeat visits and strengthen a venue’s reputation.”
Cocktail education provides another clear example of how knowledge can translate into sales. Samantha Beer, Marketing Manager at FUNKIN COCKTAILS, believes confidence is fundamental to helping bartenders make recommendations naturally.
“Good training gives bartenders the confidence to know their cocktails inside out,” she says. When teams know their menus well, they can make suggestions that feel natural and help guests find a drink they will genuinely enjoy – whether that is a familiar Passion Fruit Martini or something more adventurous such as a Spicy Margarita.
That ability to guide rather than simply sell is increasingly valuable as consumers become more adventurous. According to Samantha, “Understanding flavour is key as more people look for twists on familiar favourites.”
While the classics remain important, she points to the opportunity for bartenders to use flavour knowledge to introduce guests to different garnishes, seasonal serves and fresh combinations without taking them too far outside their comfort zone.
It is an approach that can also help operators make their menus work harder. A guest who arrives knowing they like a particular style of cocktail may be more willing to experiment if a bartender can explain how another serve builds on those familiar flavours.
But one of the biggest challenges for the industry is finding the time to deliver that education consistently.
Hospitality is fast-paced, and taking staff away from the floor for lengthy training sessions can be difficult. The answer, therefore, may not be about doing more training, but making training easier to access and more relevant to the realities of service.
“Time is always going to be a challenge in hospitality,” says Samantha Beer, “and training needs to fit around service, rather than becoming another task on the list.”
Shorter sessions, digital resources, pre-shift briefings and informal coaching can all help make learning part of the working day rather than something that happens only during occasional masterclasses.
Chris agrees that the most effective training is often embedded into everyday operations. “Short learning sessions, pre-shift briefings and check-ins, evergreen digital resources and peer-to-peer coaching can all help build knowledge without taking employees away from customers for extended periods.”
Patrick also advocates a consistent approach. Rather than attempting to cover everything in one session, he recommends regular training on quieter days, supported by online resources that allow staff to learn at their own pace.
“Short, consistent sessions are often more effective than trying to cover everything in one day,” he says, particularly in an industry where staff turnover can make long-term knowledge retention difficult.
Suppliers and brands can play an important role in making this possible by giving teams access to practical education that can be used when it is needed. FUNKIN, for example, provides bartenders with resources through its FUNKIN Pro Trade Hub and @funkinprofessional Instagram, designed to offer ideas, recipes and behind-the-bar inspiration without making training feel complicated.
For busy venues, education can also be closely linked to consistency and efficiency. Training a bartender to make a cocktail is one thing; ensuring they can reproduce that serve consistently when the bar is under pressure is another.
“Training and the right products go hand in hand,” says Samantha. “Bartenders need to understand not just how to make a cocktail, but how to deliver it consistently when the bar is busy.”
That means understanding the tools and products available to them and knowing when different approaches are appropriate. For FUNKIN, its Pro Cocktail Mixers can simplify popular serves, while its real fruit Purées and Syrups give bartenders more scope for creativity when service allows.
The wider development of staff, however, cannot stop at drinks knowledge. For the LTC, training also needs to encompass wellbeing, resilience, communication and leadership.
Chris points to the connection between development and retention, with the LTC’s 2025 Wellbeing at Work research with KAM finding that 73% of employers and employees believe improving team wellbeing would have a significant positive impact on retention.
“When people feel supported to grow their skills and careers, they’re more likely to stay with a business and contribute positively to its culture,” he says.
That is particularly important in hospitality, where recruitment and retention remain ongoing challenges. Training can provide employees with a sense of progression while giving operators the opportunity to develop talent from within.
There are also knowledge gaps around wellbeing itself. Chris believes some of the biggest gaps in hospitality today are “around wellbeing, resilience, stress management and giving managers the confidence to support their teams effectively.”
The LTC’s 2026 Wellbeing at Work research with KAM Insight found that absenteeism costs the hospitality sector £306 million annually, while presenteeism accounts for almost seven million lost workdays every year. It also found that 48% of employees say work-related stress has negatively affected their sleep in the last three months.
For operators, these are not simply wellbeing statistics. They have a direct impact on productivity, service and retention. As Chris says, “These aren’t just wellbeing issues; they’re business performance issues.”
That broader approach to development is particularly relevant for those moving into management. Patrick highlights leadership as a significant skills gap, noting that many people move into supervisor or manager roles without formal training.
Alongside product knowledge, he believes communication and the ability to create genuine guest connections will remain essential. Leadership training, understanding legislation and confidence in managing teams are all increasingly important as employees progress through their careers.
Looking ahead, the education required by hospitality teams will continue to evolve. Low and no-alcohol drinks, emerging brands, new production techniques and changing consumer expectations will all require staff to keep learning.
Billy believes the fundamentals remain crucial. “I am keen on people understanding the common factors of production – how fermentation, distillation and maturation create and shape flavour, even at a very general level.”
Once those principles are understood, they can be applied across multiple categories, creating a foundation for deeper education. Brand training can then add another layer, helping bartenders understand the stories behind the products they serve.
For cocktail teams, meanwhile, creativity and presentation are likely to become increasingly important. Samantha points to the growing influence of social media, with more than a third of cocktail drinkers regularly posting pictures of their cocktails and 56% of Gen Z basing their drink choice on how it will look on social media.
“It’s not just about how cocktails taste anymore – they need to look the part too,” she says.
But future-proofing a team does not necessarily mean reinventing the drinks menu every few months. Samantha believes small changes can make a significant difference: “A great garnish, fresh flavour combination or different way of serving a classic can make a big impact.”
Ultimately, the most effective training programmes are those that recognise education as an ongoing process. Product knowledge provides the foundation, but confidence, communication, storytelling, leadership and wellbeing determine how that knowledge is put into practice.
For operators, the commercial case is increasingly difficult to ignore. A better-trained team can recommend with greater confidence, create stronger guest connections, support premium sales and encourage customers to return. Just as importantly, investing in people can help employees feel valued and give them the skills to develop within the industry.
As Chris concludes, “Guests increasingly expect more than a product recommendation, they want an experience.” Technical knowledge will always matter, but being able to communicate that knowledge in an engaging and authentic way is what can ultimately set a venue apart.
In an industry built around people, investing in those people may be one of the most valuable things a bar can do.
