The 2024 Ones To Watch List
From across the country, the full list of bartenders who caught our attention this year for quality drinks, decent chat, great concepts and representing some of the best New Zealand has to offer.
At the heart of a thriving hospitality industry, we benefit from recognising we are one workforce simply spread across thousands of venues across the country. From hotels, airports and underground dives, wine bars and high concept venues — the 2024 Ones To Watch list recognises 20 bartenders who grabbed our attention for the right reasons and can give the industry and the public something to celebrate and lift a glass too.
MANGESH SHAH, AUCKLAND
Current/Recent: Park Hyatt, Tala
Why: Mangesh is redefining the colloquial Kiwi expectation of what hotel hospitality looks like, drawing on experiences in fine dining, modern Indian cuisine and working with local flavours and ingredients. He’s not afraid to create theatre with his drinks that draw in the customer and deliver an inspired range of flavours from the vast melting pot that is Auckland drinking and dining. His work ethic is apparent and his ambition matches it, making his drinks and cocktail lists exciting to pay attention to as he builds his competition portfolio.
HOLLIE WRIGHT, AUCKLAND
Current/Recent: Portside/Talulah
Why: Hollie is a powerful presence in any room, exuding warmth, creativity and a commanding sense of where she wants to go and what she wants to achieve. Crafting a new venue proposition in Tyler St and maintaining calm under pressure whether competing in a cocktail competition or for a personal best at the weights rack, Hollie curates excellent drinks with a sweet edge and engaging storytelling. Also a phenomenal set of lungs when let near a karaoke machine. 2025 bodes good things at Portside.
EMILY WOLMARANS, WHANGANUI
Current/Recent: Angry Fox
Why: Emily is a collaborative campaigner for bringing the best in cocktails and celebrating local distillers and producers to the regions. Since opening their dream bar, Angry Fox, Emily has built an predominantly female bar team and lifted to game to make Angry Fox a destination bar for travelers and locals alike. Weathering storms of distance, demographic and population has only provided fuel for the fire as Emily continues to rise above and deliver outstanding experiences.
DEVAN NISBETT, WELLINGTON
Current/Recent: Dee’s Place
Why: Devan’s service is quintessential cosy neighbourhood bar with a relaxed and easy style of service showcasing the extensive American whisky and cocktail influence. Warm and gracious, serving up a boilermaker, a single pour or a boozy giggle juice but turns his hand to clarification, refinement and technique as easily as welcoming the locals who just walked in. We’re not the only ones to see it - he was voted Outstanding Bartender in the recent Welly Hospitality Awards. It’s worth a dive downstairs to Dee’s Place on Cuba to experience it for yourself. ALEX
ALEX HUDSON, HAMILTON
Current/Recent: Neat Hamilton/Wonderhorse
Why: There are few bartenders around the country who enjoy introducing people to Fernet as much as Alex Hudson. It’s the same attitude he takes into service and creating drinks. His latest venture (along with a team) takes that service into a new high concept venue and bottle store in the MADE complex in Hamilton. Customers can peruse a well-curated selection of premium spirits and other beverages from the shelf or the fridge. The centre of the space invites communal gathering around the table where you can have a drink, participate in a tasting or a masterclass or just have a chat. The quality of the drinks remains high, the chat welcoming and the creative edge of trying something new for the neighbourhood.
NICK & KYMBERLY WIDLEY, NELSON
Current/Recent: Kismet Cocktail and Whisky Bar
Why: While almost everyone on the list is part of a team, perhaps none more officially than the dynamic Widley duo who have created one of New Zealand’s best big-little regional bars. You’ll find Nick on the tools most nights, where he regularly works on competition entries that make their way onto the menu, alongside a busy and creative programme of tastings, events and community engagement. What makes this team outstanding is the devotion to turning everything up to 11, from the inifinity bottle black board, the Winter Whisky Festival, avante garde Dark Circus, Ballet at the Barré, Boozy Carols and so on. They excel at working with partners to connect to brands and industry around the country as well as being a hub of community in Nelson. Oh, and the in-depth training and education they provide to their team.
HARRY FINDLAY, CHRISTCHURCH
Current/Recent: Londo
Why: To be honest, we’ve been paying attention to one of the friendliest hosts in Ōtautahi, Christchurch for a while but several compelling cocktail competition entries and a win at The Reid Global Cocktail Competition secured his spot on the list. Harry is renowned for his warm welcomes at Londo, a tiny kitchen with big flavours. Fans of natural wine can taste good natural wine here or simply relax into a tidy menu of classics, riffs and creative potions. It’s a style of bar service that makes sense alongside chef Robert Fairs’ cuisine, focused on local produce and celebrating origin. Harry’s singular energy drives the floor and the warmth of the room, in a dance that’s quite something. One to watch but also not one to miss as big things beckon.
JASON DUONG, AUCKLAND
Current/Recent: Pullman Auckland Airport
Why: Jason is the epitome of excellence in an ambitious bartender, working on creative presentation, critique and pursuing the magic sip from the coal face of tourism every day. Pristine hospitality oozes out of his professionalism and adherence to detail but it’s when he’s zoning in the chase for something creative that a fiery passion and sense of humour emerges. The drinks are world class and we can’t wait to see where 2025 provides room for these wings to stretch. Definitely one to watch and one to grab before opportunity passes by.
ZORA RODRICKS, CHRISTCHURCH
Current/Recent: Monarch
Why: Dynamic, thoughtful and expressive are three of the many characteristics of Zora behind the bar, in person and in competition. Her drink for the Scapegrace Uncharted competition took her to the Grand Final, a story that was well explored, relevant and delivered a beverage packed with meaningful flavour, just like her Show Us Your Roots entry. There’s an artistic expression in her bartending that is exciting to watch and a depth of curiosity yet to be explored. We’re watching and excited.
ANDREA MARSEGLIA, NAPIER BY WAY OF ITALY
Current/Recent: Teresa Bar
Why: Take passion and personality and you have an interesting story and someone to liven up the bar while you have a drink. Add ambition, relentless drive and self-belief, you have someone carving their own road to the future with the kind of speed you wish Waka Kotahi had. Andrea’s regional bar Teresa has faced plenty of challenges in the last two years but that hasn’t prevented Andrea from competing globally and pushing those he mentors to pursue the same path he has. His signature drinks are flavour-forward with sustainably sourced and foraged ingredients behind the bar. You can’t look away, because you never know what’s coming next.
JONNY PARK, AUCKLAND
Current/Recent: Parasol & Swing/Bar Mea
Why: Jonny Park is well up there with the nicest people in hospitality, having worked with Adam Neal, one of the best managers there is in the business here - Jonny is closely following in his footsteps with one essential difference. You’re far more likely to actually find him behind a bar. When he’s there, his drinks are refined and fun without being over-dramatic, too lost in technique or unapproachable. It’s the calm in the storm vibe that make his drinks a joy to experience and his style of service and running a team an exceptional hospitality win. Not to mention, he really is an outstanding team player when it comes to offering support, encouragement and a guiding voice to get people out of the weeds. With the opening of Mea, a great opportunity for his creative expression to get a little louder and bring some of that sparkle to water’s edge in Auckland’s Viaduct.
MARTYN WOOD, CHRISTCHURCH
Current/Recent: Mr Brightside
Why: Not only is Martyn the life of the party before and after his Scottish accent fills the air, but he’s almost always guaranteed to offer you a Martini. It’s his go-to competition drink which requires enormous dexterity of managing balance, flavour and creativity to constantly refine and rework. Martyn’s also keenly focused on a style of bar management that invites growth, self-reflection and then having an excellent time. Going into 2025 with a new sense of focus and purpose, we think there’s much more to come in the world of Martinis and Martyn so he’s on the list.
JACK DRIVER & ALEX VOWLES, WELLINGTON
Current/Recent: Regent/Ascot
Why: In case you’ve missed it amongst the nay-sayers, there’s a pocket of life and energy surging forth on a quarter of Cuba St in Wellington including the latest open Regent, a more casual style venue above Ascot. Both bring a solid background and vested interest in seeing Wellington hospitality blooming and have the considerable skills and experience to make it happen. Regent is already booming, which means people are excited and having a good time. 2025 can only bring more growth and brilliance from this dynamic duo serving a crowd pleased to have Alex back and glad of Jack’s Guinness skills. Great things await.
KATE UNDERWOOD, AUCKLAND
Current/Recent: Forest
Why: There are many ways to find yourself behind the bar and Kate’s years in food communication and absorbing the best from around the country have positioned her incredibly well as one half of the dynamic duo serving food and drink at award-winning Forest, in Auckland. Plabita’s focus on vegetables and celebrate each component of the ingredients result in pairings, balance, flavour in a small and ever changing menu are as vital as the food itself and Kate’s role is crucial. We couldn’t not recognise the growing diversity of what great bar service looks like and can’t wait to see more from Kate and Plabita in 2025.
DANY DENITH & PANACEA (Cal Ross, Ryan Oliver, PJ Renaud), AUCKLAND
Current/Recent: Panacea
Why: Singular in vision, Dany has effectively built Panacea by hand with single-minded clarity on the style of service, drinks and concept. A batch cocktail kitchen that plays with cask influence, vintage spirits, micro-processing ingredients and then adding a comprehensive consumer tasting programme, a private room with the highest spec’d bar in the country and an altogether inspiring collection of bottles tucked into the wall - you get the idea? No one knows when Dany sleeps but the drinks are delicious and the welcome party second to none. One of the exemplary traits of Panacea? The team environment that seems to drive Cal, PJ and Ryan to deeper exploration of their own ideas and concepts - so we couldn’t separate them. So with your powers combined - we can’t wait to see what happens next. After you get some sleep, Dany D.
It’s worth mentioning again, Cal made it onto our original list in June 2024 and has not disappointed with delivering many win-worthy cocktail competition entries and the Grand Final win for Del Maguey in the Australasian final and the Scapegrace Uncharted final. But perhaps more than anything, it’s his heart and love for the people, the stories and the connections that solidified his place on the list - and yet another Outstanding Bartender award winner for 2024. Check out his journey this year in the podcast here.
CORY EVANS, CHRISTCHURCH
Current/Recent: The Last Word/Wilco
Why: From our first cut of the list in June, and in case you missed the podcast, not only is Cory Evans one of the nicest guys in hospitality
but he’s also picked up the gong for Outstanding Bartender in Christchurch twice. Here’s the thing with Cory - he represents a style of service and bartending that is wonderfully unpretentious. ‘Give the people what they want’ is his philosophy and there’s a glorious space for someone who is driven to make people happy without getting lost in what should or shouldn’t be on trend. That being said, his competition drinks certainly deliver and with just a little push - wouldn’t it be interesting to see what might happen next?
THEO TJANDRA, AUCKLAND
Current/Recent: Goblin/The Churchill
Why: One of the first to make the list in print in 2024, Theo is warm, engaging and loves to pursue a goal or two. He competes in cocktail competitions with focus, drive and a creative spark or two that has flowed through his pop-up events in 2024 and will further develop as he chases the dream into reality for 2025. A coveted guest shift at 28 Hong Kong Street this year, representing at the Flor de Cana regional final - it’s a been a big year. He’s developed the drinks for Goblin, an newly opened upper storey venue on the hallowed ground that was Golden Dawn and looks set to deliver more drinks in 2025.
AND THAT’S THE LIST IN 2024.
See you at the bar for 2025.