I was
interviewing the Management trainees for our hotels; The Park Hotels. We have
various Management Training programs such as the General (GMT), Kitchen (KMT),
Housekeeping (HKMT) and Hotel Operations (HOET). Something unique to our hotels
is the Bar Executive Training Program (BET). We get good number of applications
for this one too, over the years even girls have started applying for the BET
program. I remember a few of them, extremely good profiles; on asking them
their reasons to choose bars over the GMT program, most of them say that Ms.
Shatbhi Basu is their inspiration. I have heard this so many times over the
years. I know Ms. Basu and the kind of work that she has done, she is simply
anything but ordinary woman! Coming back
to the BET program and the girls who apply for it, do they know the real
Shatbhi Basu? The glamour of the bar and the high spirited environment cannot
define the first lady of Mixology, rightly hailed as the bar guru of India. A
lady who is a living example of the saying, ‘There is nothing a woman can’t
achieve if she puts her mind to it’. Ms.
Basu is a legend and has been a force to reckon with in the male-dominated
industry.
Finally I
got an opportunity to speak to her over the phone; I wanted ‘her story’ for our
website, Indian Women in Hospitality. She is such a warm person, I didn’t feel
as if this was the first time I was having a conversation with her. She has a
great voice, with that kind of voice behind the bar, who wouldn’t order an
extra drink? I am a fan of ‘good voices’ and she is one of my favorites now.
When she started her career 38 years ago,
she aspired to be a chef but that dream fell flat, as hotel kitchens were not
really ready to accept a woman in their domain. She then had to look for a role
in the restaurant operations. The experience she says turned out to be an
eye opener for her, she realised that knowing a recipe was quite different from
actually making a drink! Being the only woman in the field, was a challenge in
itself. In her initial days learning the ropes of the trade were tough and
support from the industry was scarce. In 1980, when she wanted to learn
bartending there was no mixology school and the established bartenders were not
really happy about sharing information or passing on the skills; these
circumstances made it difficult for her to learn the craft. But she didn’t
let these challenges be a downer for her, instead she set out on a mission to
learn on her own and in the best way that she could. In fact she learned the
skills of a bartender after she was already a manager! She is self taught- learnt things she needed
to know with the help of a bartending manuals and inputs from friends and
family. At that time the access to international products was limited, she had
to find suitable substitutes and work with them. It inspired her to make great
stuff with ‘whatever’ was available. In due course of time she learnt to creatively
use the local ingredients to make up for the lack of traditional ones. For instance, she rustled her first dry
martini without ‘dry vermouth’, made her first Pina Colada without ‘Malibu’ or
coconut cream and she put together a Black Russian with home brewed coffee
liqueur.
Bartending back then was looked at, as a career for ‘men
only’. Undeterred by this stereotype, she embarked on a journey with a mixer
and glasses as her weapons; there has been no looking back ever since. All
credit goes to her for changing mindsets, breaking the shackles, and ruffling
perceptions. She had the strength, conviction and knowledge to combat the
biases and she continues
to raise the bar; all along creating new benchmarks for herself and for the
others to follow. Soon the male bartenders as well as the customers began
believing in her and trusting her skills behind the bar. Perseverance did pay
off and she was appreciated for her creativity and innovation. She is full of ideas
and possesses the skills and attitude of a great bartender; understanding the
customer’s needs by carefully observing them. She keeps her guests happy and
curious and believes in evolving new drinks as well as flavours; taking great
care in food and beverage pairing ; and a heady conversation to complement it.
If you see no path make one;
holds true for her. Having experienced the lack of right guidance at the
beginning of her career, she went on to set up an institution to mentor new
professionals in taking the crucial ‘first steps’ in mixology. She was
convinced that bartending as a career was indeed the future. Her efforts bore
fruits and the academy was launched in 1998 at Mahim, in Mumbai. STIR, become
India’s first school for aspiring bartenders. Today it offers comprehensive
training in the basics of bartending, right from bar ethics to bar acrobatics. She has also authored ‘The Can’t Go Wrong Book of Cocktails’; a comprehensive guide to
cocktails and alcoholic beverages for the Indian consumer. These
are her two other major contributions that have been able to create awareness,
educate as well as facilitate the art of mixology and bartending.
Despite the benchmarks created by
her, there is still under representation of women in the field. Her advice to
the young professionals and students is, “Choose your career path wisely. Do it
because you love it. Be passionate about your work and give it everything. Be
inspired by others but be yourself. Believe in yourself, your vision for
yourself and in everything that you do. You and only you have the power to
control your destiny. Be the best that you can be always. Don't think of
yourself as a woman trying to find your place among men but be a professional
right on the top”.
The
Early Life
She is a Bombay girl, did her
schooling from St. Teresa’s Convent, Mumbai and her college from Mithibai
College of Arts and Science. She completed her Hotel management Course from IHM
Mumbai in 1980. She comes from a family
that was well educated and well traveled; it was also her constant source of
information and support. Her aunts and uncles from around the world sent her
books and information to ‘up’ her knowledge. Her friends she says; were the
guinea pigs and the force that kept her grounded. When asked about the
challenges she faced as a woman in the industry she says, ”Absolutely none! I
have been respected for the work that I have done and my contribution to the
skill of bartending. My only challenge was the lack of information when I began”.
Ms. Shatbhi Basu
admits
the going was tough, but she took all challenges head on, never using
circumstances as an excuse to back out. She had a dream and worked diligently to
achieve it. She believed in herself and it’s her commitment, dedication as well
as focus that have brought her to where she is today. She believes in her own
instincts, is a constant learner and preaches only what she can practice. Innovating
and taking up new challenges gives her a high; designing bars being one of
them. She brought to the bar counter what was missing in the traditional ones,
adding a degree of sophistication, creating a great ambience and focusing on
the comfort of those working behind the counter. In fact she wanted a makeover of
the menu being served as well and started the art of fine dining; making wines
an integral part of the dining experience. Ever since she created a niche for
herself, women have begun to enroll into professional bartending programs and
Ms. Basu has been the change maker!
Awards
and recognition
· She has been awarded two Lifetime
Achievement awards - from professionals and people who appreciated her
contribution to the hospitality industry. Initiated
and currently is head of the first institution for professional bartending in
India, STIR - Academy Of Bartending, Mumbai
· Authored the first comprehensive
guide to alcoholic beverages and cocktails relevant to Indian conditions - The
Can't Go Wrong Book Of Cocktails
·
She is a consultant with over 50
reputed organizations since 1998
·
She designed the first SS modular
bar in India in 1998
·
She was appointed the first American
Whiskey Ambassador for India 2013 - 2016
· She’s awarded a Gold by Spiritz
Magazine for being a great "Friend of the Industry" (the alcobev
industry)
· Host
and content advisor to NDTV for the show `In High Spirits’ on NDTV Good Times
· Was
consultant to Focus Brands – for Campari, Jose Cuervo, Marie Brizard Liqueurs,
Skyy Vodka, Cinzano, Cutty Sark, Glen Rothes
· Trainer
with Aspri Spirits on Stoli, Roberto Cavalli, Molinari Sambuca, Amarula, Diva
Cachaca, Skyy.
· Consultant
to INS Hamla, the catering school and training centre for the Indian Navy
· Consulted
on training, brand extensions and launch strategy for Diageo on Ciroc Vodka,
Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker, Vat 69…
· Was
instrumental in the creation and execution of Smirnoff Tastemaker Sessions and
Smirnoff Bartending Sessions
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