Post Shift Podcast #103 - Christopher Menning of Gastronomer Lifestyle

Had an amazing chat with food and drinks entrepreneur from Gastronomer Lifestyle and On the Back Bar Podcast, loved chatting about small city cocktail culture, the big move to Bangkok and his love for the industry as whole.

WHO IS CHRIS MENNING?

We all love to travel to faraway lands and try local cuisine. That ingrained mentality of the explorer is what makes us human. To escape the daily routine, reach out to distant lands and immerse ourselves in a new culture and a world of freedom is playing a prominent role in our lives. I too had this calling. And that's why in 2018, I quit my job, booked a one-way ticket to Asia and haven’t looked back.

During my culinary deep dive into far-flung parts of the world, I noticed one thing. I distinct lack of trust in information online. I would google for hours to find the best street food, only to be disappointed the venue closed years ago. I would read reviews only to feel a little forlorn to realise it was all paid marketing by a writer who had never visited the bar or restaurant.

I wanted to change this.

At the year of my leave, I was living in the middle of Ashdown forest, you know the one where Winnie the Pooh lives? Being part of the management team in one of the most prestigious Country Hotels in the UK and its Michelin starred restaurant.

I had created a cocktail menu shortlisted for the Imbibe Drinks list of the year award and developed a bar program they still continue today.

Before this I had spent a decade tenure in food & beverage from boutique hotels, cocktails bars and restaurants. I have entered and judged cocktail competitions and been active in the bar community.

But I wanted to see the world.

My travel bug had peaked and I wanted to explore the rich diversity that food and drink culture had to offer. So I handed in my notice and set forth on a global expedition and Start-Up journey.

Having travelled for 2 years now and from my experiences, I can now comfortably promote the most incredible gourmand experiences. From Champagne tours in Epernay to Coffee Farms in Chiang Mai. Cocktails on Singapore's Marina Bay floating Ship to the best Duck Noodle Soup in Bangkok.

I am an advocate of Food & Drink tourism and through my content I wish to fuel other foodies adventures and their thirst for knowledge.

Share a dram with the hospitality industry’s top global talents: bartenders, venue owners, distillers and industry aficionados. Shawn Soole has lived, breathed, and imbibed hospitality for decades. Now, he delves into the advice, opinions, and provocative stories that are helping to define the creative, culturally-necessary space of ‘modern hospitality’—covering topics from front-of-house service, to back-end business operations, and every inch between.