Mentorship: one word, 10 letters, huge impact. Just ask any of the bartenders who have participated in The House of Suntory DOJO programme over the years. Since its launch in 2020 this exclusive brand partnership and development series has more than delivered on its aim to impart the knowledge, wisdom and expertise behind Japanese bartending to appreciative bartenders in the UK. And those fortunate enough to have taken part have the life long skills to prove it.
The intricacies, disciplines and philosophies behind the ancient arts of flower arranging, sushi making and tea ceremonies are just some of the specialisms that have been explored in the masterclasses or to give them their correct title ‘Monozukuri Masterclasses’. But more than a cursory peek into the skills, each session is led by a Master in their respective craft and put into practice by those taking part in the programme. As Ryan Mackie from Lyaness Bar who is participating in this year’s line up told us: “It’s been amazing how the resonance of the attention to detail in all the masterclasses have come together. Looking at how the smallest details in everything you do can elevate your bartending to the nth degree is what I’ve taken away from each of the sessions.”
What’s it all about then?
In a nutshell, The House of Suntory DOJO programme encapsulates the philosophy of personal progression. Put it this way, in Japanese culture there’s no such thing as perfect, instead all aspects of our lives are about continuous improvement. The House of Suntory UK Ambassador Raffaele Di Monaco put it into context: “If something doesn’t go the way you intended it to go, rather than framing things on what went wrong, you think about what you can improve next time; what you can make better – it’s a much more positive outlook.”
This year the Monozukuri Masterclasses took in The Art of Seasoning & Aesthetics which showcased the marvels of Kazarigiri, a fascinating, very precise method of decorative food cutting, as well as a Kaisake brewery tour followed by an ikebana masterclass (focusing on the art of flower arranging). The other, equally mind blowing workshop focused on The Art of Blending & Hospitality with a dashi making tutorial, followed by a Japanese tea ceremony. Both sessions were led by Masters and accompanied by challenges based on the learnings of the day and tastings of spirits in The House of Suntory portfolio.
As exclusive media partners of this year’s programme, we made it our business to attend one of the workshops to experience the skills being taught first hand. On the agenda? The Art of Mindfulness – Kaizen Classics.
The location:
Fordham Abbey, Cambridgeshire
Okay, let’s rewind here. You know we said that there was no such thing as perfect in Japanese culture? We make an exception for the location for this year’s DOJO programme: the blissful Fordham Abbey in Cambridgeshire. Set in 75 acres of beautifully manicured grounds, it’s home to the Dojima Sake Brewery, a company with roots in Japan but which has been brewing sake in this setting since 2018.
Every inch of the place oozes Japanese calm and tranquility. As well as a Japanese Zen Garden, there’s a room dedicated to Tea Ceremonies, a walled kitchen garden – they even have the only official shrine outside of Japan in the grounds. “We asked ourselves how do we take the bartenders to Japan without taking them to Japan?” Raffaele informed us about why they picked this particular spot. Our opinion? They couldn’t have found a more authentic spot if they tried.
Choice of location aside, we have to talk about the attention to detail – these are the things that, to us, truly epitomise what DOJO is all about. Things like being greeted at the door as soon as we arrived at the Abbey with an oshibori, (a pristine white hand towel, dampened and heated just-so). More than a tool to refresh, it served to cleanse away the toll of our journeys and open our senses up to what lay ahead. Ditto the dainty cups of tea served in the Japanese Garden, each sip bringing us closer to inner serenity.
Then there’s the kit… After heading to their allotted bedrooms, the bartenders returned dressed in their branded kimono jackets. Utilitarian blue, with their initials proudly embroidered on the right side in white and ‘DOJO’ in red Japanese script on the back, this was another of the seemingly small but significant touches that intentionally or otherwise unified the group – Raffaele included. There are no logos, no patterns or loud colours to jar the eye – everything is calm, balanced and equal. And to ensure that it stays that way, even the water we drank throughout the day was poured from sinuous glass decanters charged with charcoal sticks to purify and soften every sip. It’s a practice used in Japan for centuries.
First things first
Fascinating fact: Every time a new bottle is produced at the Dojima Sake Brewery at Fordham Abbey, it’s taken to the Shinto Temple in the grounds and worshipped to the Deity of Sake. “We do the same thing at The House of Suntory,” Raffaele told us. “Shinto is a way of living in Japan, it idolises nature, harmony and balance in life and Shinjiro Torii, our founder was a big believer.”
We got a rare chance to experience the ritual first hand, from being instructed on the correct way to proceed through the Torii Gate, to entering the Temple and being present at the blessing of the Suntory bottles, all while praying for friendship and health.
The Art of Mindfulness
Part 1
Mastering meditation
By this time, we’d pretty much shrugged off all traces of our city personas and slipped into more tranquil mode. All the better for the lesson in hand: meditation. And this being The House of Suntory DOJO, something very special was in store. It came in the form of Tamara Energy, led by Tamara Master Keiichi Tada.
“Tamara Energy is a very niche meditation style that balances yin and yang,” Raffaele explained ahead of our session. “It harmonises positive energy – in yourself and others and is particularly good for managing teams and people.” The Master went even further, telling us that our senses, feelings and talents would be upgraded – maybe our tastes would be more sensitive and our appreciation of lights, colours and smells would be more heightened. He took us through various meditative techniques in an attempt to raise our energy levels starting from 30 right through to 100 percent.
Did it work? Come to think of it, we have felt a bit more chill since that session. Besides, what’s not to like about sitting in a gorgeous garden in the countryside, breathing deeply, being guided on how to instil more positivity in our lives while taking in the beauty and stillness of the nature around us? Put that way, it worked a treat.
Tastebuds heightened, minds focused – elevated even, it was time to appreciate a delicious bento box filled with Japanese goodies on the terrace.
Part 2
The way with clay
Martin Miles-Moore is more than a ceramicist, he’s a Master Potter, or more specifically, he’s a Master Potter who specialises in Chado aka the Japanese Tea Ceremony. “Martin has trained in dojo for years and takes inspiration from Chado,” Raffaele confirmed. “His way is all about attention to detail, the guest experience and the Japanese aesthetic.” Martin expanded on this by explaining how he made the transition from award-winning child choirist to martial artist, before finding his happy place working in clay. “I don’t impose my ego on the clay, I work with it, thinking about how it’s going to be handled, when is it going to be used and imagining the movement of the tea within it,” he told us as he sat at the potters wheel. “The Japanese way is appreciating the irregularities that we struggle to understand in the West.”
With those thoughts in focus, he proceeded to transform an ordinary ball of clay into an extraordinary, very delicate vessel of beauty. Then it was our turn. Only given time restraints, we didn’t get a chance to master the wheel, instead, we picked out ‘one that was prepared earlier’, a semi-hardened clay cup for us to shape, indent and adorn as our moods dictated. Results to follow.
Part 3
Show, tell and feedback: the ‘Wa’ way
The House of Suntory DOJO Programme isn’t a competition – the bartenders work together, improve together and share their learnings with each other as they refine the various processes. This reflected Wa, the Japanese concept of harmony; it’s about working peacefully together and is a principle valued and put into practice in all aspects of Japanese culture. Here, it’s an integral part of the programme that gets the bartenders to think as one.
This part of the day put Wa into practice while pulling all of the Monozukuri sessions together. Which is where Kaizen, that all-important quest for continuous improvement comes in. Earlier in the programme, each bartender was allocated a classic cocktail – a White Lady, Cosmopolitan or an Old Fashioned say. Then, over the course of the programme, they have to refine it in order to create their Kaizen Classic. This isn’t a case of simply adding a twist to their allotted drink. The bartenders are tasked with making the best version of a classic rather than reinvent it. So no fancy flavours, no wild garnishes, nothing that detracts from the original DNA of the classic. They also have to bring in the learnings from the Monozukuri Masterclasses into play. Which makes the entire process much harder than you might think.
But the beauty of DOJO is, rather than competing against each other, the bartenders come together to refine their Kaizen Classics. And the first time they got to put that into practice was here. One after another they showcased their drinks and one after another they were given constructive feedback from their counterparts. It was a fascinating, very insightful process – seeing bartenders from different bars sharing ideas on how the tiniest tweaks might improve their fellow bartenders drink. They were doing it to better each other rather than thinking purely about themselves or their bars.
“I love the Japanese style of not necessarily creating something new but working towards perfection,” Will Bockman from A Bar With Shapes For A Name told us. “Instead of adding a bunch of things to a classic and making this crazy, neo-futuristic thing, why don’t we perfect the original? It’s equally creative, there’s so much to learn and it’s also lots of fun.”
In September, they’ll get to showcase their finessed drink in front of a panel of judges led by the esteemed bartender/owner Hidetsugu Ueno from the legendary Bar High Five in Tokyo at a ceremony in London. And there’s even more excitement where that came from: the overall winner will bag themselves a trip of a lifetime to Japan. Woo-hoo!
Part 4
Harmony in a glass: Luxe tasting
Ah, the joy of sitting back and being taken on a journey of taste and exploration by someone who really knows their stuff. This was where Raffaele showcased his knowledge and passion for The House of Suntory products, taking us through the history, heritage and craftsmanship behind six truly immaculate whiskies: hello Yamazaki 12 Years Old, Yamazaki 18 Years Old, Hakushu 12 Years Old, Hakushu 18 Years Old, Hibiki Japanese Harmony Blend and Hibiki 21 Years Old.
Before leaving the bartenders to enjoy dinner, a koto performance and their overnight stay, we just had time to ask if the masterclasses have already had an impact in the way they work in their bars. “It’s come across in the way I approach making drinks,” Ryan told us. “When it comes to drinks development, I have a different outlook on where I start, where I end up and the process of getting through it – I make sure that every component is in the drink for a reason. Kaizen has also made us take an introspective look at ourselves – it’s not just a cocktail that we’re working on but if you implement Kaizen into our own selves as bartenders it makes us take a wide, lateral look at how we do things on a day-to-day basis. It’s not necessarily just how we perceive drinks but how we perceive everything.”
Job done.
