This year in the Scottish Bar and Pub Awards, you can not only nominate your local for various awards, but your favourite staff member too, in the new ‘Bartender of the Year’ category. Nominations close on 15th June so go and cast yours now!
Here’s my little piece on why you should nominate Joseph Clancy, of the Laurieston Bar, located here in the sunny climes of Bridge Street, Glasgow.
The Laurieston has been open since 1836, and Joe’s family took it over in 1982, so he’s got all the traditional Glasgow pub ancestry he needs. There were a few local headlines last year when the pub was put up for sale by the locally-renowned family, but thankfully the only thing that’s really changed from the punter’s point of view is that maybe the bar towels aren’t ironed as promptly as they used to be. Or at all. Sorry Ann. Also they do Tennent’s now, but the jury is still out on that one.
Now, I like to swing by a few times a week to have a wee late afternoon pint (and get in the 941 steps that my app tells me is the distance from my flat to the pub). And, like many of the regulars, I was a bit concerned at having to now learn the names of all the (awesome!) new staff who came in after the changeover.
I can say we all relied on Joe to subtly (!) remind us of the names which went with the fresh new faces, and in turn keep them right on our wee habits. Gods forbid Gus has to drink his cider out of those branded glasses he inexplicably loathes or Brian have to drink his ale out of a chilled glass when he likes it warm!
But it’s more than continuity. Despite his love of playing practical jokes (someone take the cling film away from him!) and his general tendency to annoy the bollocks off of us, he’s a really kind and supportive person in our community and he actually cares about folk.
I was in earlier and spoke to Nico Liverani, the General Manager of the new guard, who said: “I’ve not worked with anyone in ten years of hospitality who is more dedicated to their job, in such a genuinely caring and conscientious way.”
He also helped me to spell ‘conscientious’ because apparently I might have had a couple of beers while writing this on my phone notes in the bar.
As an example of Joe being… well, himself: I started a small business last year and I’d been boring the arse off him about my new venture whenever I popped in. When I finally launched, he was one of my very first customers, handing me a tenner and telling me to ‘bring me as many dinosaurs as that buys’. One of the magnets I supplied him is still stuck on the door of the big fridge in the bar.
I also got married last year and once again, he stepped up, listening to me moan about the planning, and then helped me get some amazing shots for my wedding album. Our reception venue was across the road so I briefly left my husband to manage the relatives while I nipped in for a cheeky pint/photoshoot. (Joe did receive his own invite but true to form, he was busy in the bar and instead organised a lovely card and whip-round for me.)
In summary, he’s exactly what a local pub bartender should be. Just as the Laurieston is exactly what a local pub should be.
So go and nominate Joe. And in the wee bit on the website form that asks why, just say that he’s the bartender every pub deserves, but that only one pub is lucky enough to call him its own.
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