One of the UK’s leading bartenders is set to meet with Staffordshire hospitality professionals next month before putting in a guest shift at a Stoke-on-Trent cocktail venue.
Lele Mensah, winner of the Diageo World Class Great Britain 2025 title, will visit Hanley’s Desire Cocktail Bar on Friday, 28 August for an industry event organised by the Staffordshire Drinks Collective.
Between 12pm and 2pm, Lele will be part of a panel discussion for hospitality professionals covering leadership, career development and the future of the UK’s bar sector.
From 6pm, he’ll join the Desire team behind the bar to serve a specially created cocktail menu.
Lele was previously head of creative at the Connaught Bar in Mayfair and is preparing to open his own West African-inspired bar, Asase, in Shoreditch later this summer.
He said: “I can’t wait to experience the hospitality of Stoke-on-Trent, and I’m proud that we’re championing culture and diversity through this project.”
The session will also feature tastings, an introduction to fermentation in modern cocktails and a preview of Desire’s upcoming menu.
The visit is the latest initiative from the Staffordshire Drinks Collective, which was launched earlier this year to support and develop the county’s drinks and hospitality industry through collaboration, education and professional development.
Owner Dereece Gardner said the visit reflected the bar’s ambition to raise the profile of Stoke-on-Trent’s hospitality sector and establish the city as a destination for high-quality cocktail culture.
He said: “Lele is someone many bartenders look up to, so to have him coming to Stoke-on-Trent to share his knowledge is a huge opportunity for people working in hospitality across the region.
“To be able to attract talent of his calibre feels like a real sign that something exciting is brewing within the city and the county.”
Table reservations are recommended for the evening guest shift. For more information and to book for the Staffordshire Drinks Collective event, complete this online form.
