By Rebecca Harris
In an encouraging move for the Australian bartending scene, Diageo’s bar training program, Alchemy, has announced the employment of their first female trainer.
The national training program employs bartenders on a state basis and Lia Purdie, from Sparrow Kitchen and Bar in Adelaide, will host the South Australian training sessions.
Behind Bars – the company who manages the Alchemy program – director Sven Almenning said that she would be a wonderful asset to the Alchemy team.
“I’ve always been a fan of Lia’s work and used to visit her bars when she was doing time behind the stick at the Victoria Room and Ember at Wildfire [in Sydney],” he said.
“It’s particularly nice to finally welcome our first female trainer to our stable of Alchemists,” he added.
As well as the Victoria Room and Ember, Purdie has worked at the internationally acclaimed Trailor Happiness and the East Room bars in London.
Alchemy has also announced that Chris Hysted has come on board as a trainer in Victoria, while David Beatty and William Oxenham will support the team in NSW.