chrisarazim

It has been a bit overwhelming lately. A few months ago, being shortlisted for the Great British Entrepreneur Awards felt like the highest thing we could reasonably have hoped for in our first year. Since then, we have been named Startup of the Year by the National Startup Awards. We have made a national final with Franklin and Sons, taking place in London. And this week we got the call that Nectar has been shortlisted for New Bar of the Year at the Scottish Bar and Pub Awards. I keep asking...

We have written about cocktail competitions before on this blog. This one was probably the biggest thing that has happened to Nectar's drinks programme so far, and I want to write about it honestly, because the honest version is more useful than the version where everything goes well. I did not place in the top three. But before I get to that, I want to be clear about the part I am genuinely, deeply proud of, because it is easy for a loss at the final to overshadow everything that had to go...

On Wednesday 30 September 2026, Panos and I will leave Broughton Street for one night. Nectar Bar will have a takeover of Dalí's Bar in Zurich, and I want to tell you exactly why this is happening, because the reason is more personal than most bar takeover announcements tend to be. Alfred, the owner of Dalis Zurich Alfred and I grew up together in Zurich. Secondary school, the particular kind of friendship that forms when you are young and slightly reckless and convinced that your specific...