Listen to our Breaking Bread Birmingham food podcast episode with Robert Wood owner of Jewellery Quarter cocktail bar Atelier. Press play on the player above. Alternatively, listen on your favourite podcast app, just select from the list on this LINK
Who Is Robert Wood
Hello & a warm welcome back to the Breaking Bread Birmingham food podcast. Co-hosted by food-obsessed mates Liam & Carl, Breaking Bread gives you long-form interviews & discussions with the incredible people that make Brums food scene so unique. This week we break bread with award-winning cocktail bartender Robert Wood.
From travelling & working in bars, to developing a drinks program for an upmarket boutique hotel group. Ripping up the rule book & opening his own unique bars. Robert Wood is one of the most interesting minds in the industry.
Robert Wood Career
Rob returned from travelling & decided not to go back to his native Manchester. Opting instead for Warwickshire and the Kenilworth hotel. Under some strong mentorship, the ambitious bartender developed his craft. Robert has a brain that absorbs information and retains it instantly. This allowed him to learn the basics of cocktail making very quickly, With the basics mastered Robert could experiment and create his own drinks.
The Kenilworth hotel owners opened their second venue in Birmingham, The Edgbaston Boutique Hotel. The drinks program was to be designed by Robert. The Edgbaston became famous for its cocktails, The drinks were way ahead of their time.
After leaving the hotel Rob teamed up with his friend Aman to help him open his new bar, the multi-award-winning and much-acclaimed 40 St Pauls. This was the bartender’s first taste of opening a bar completely from scratch. An experience he called upon when opening his own bar. Smultronställe opened in 2016 and was unlike anything else in the UK. The eight-seat bar was in a secret location. A text the morning of your booking gave you clues to where the venue is, a cocktail tasting menu awaited you if you did manage to find the bar.
18/81 was Robert Woods’s second adventure. After outgrowing the impractical building which housed Smultronställe another city centre venue become available. This was a little easier to find, but still involved a trip up a car park fire escape and a secret door with a doorbell. The drinks served in 18/81 were on another level, winning the bar inclusion in the Top 50 cocktail bars in the UK list.
Atelier By Robert Wood
“Everything I’ve been doing in the last ten years has been about changing the status quo of cocktails,” Brums historic Jewellery Quarter is home to Roberts’s new bar Atelier. Set in a beautifully restored workshop, Atelier feels like the culmination of Rob’s experiences up to this point. A stunning bar designed exactly how he wants it.
“No speed rails, no back bars, no ice wells, no ice, no shaking, & no stirring.” Atelier is unlike anywhere else in the Midlands. everything is done with a purpose, with a reason. You can come and enjoy a few drinks or you can take the full tasting menu experience. Tasting menus that Robert calls exhibitions and developed around where ever Robert’s creativity and interests take him,
Breaking Bread With Rob Wood From Atelier
Atelier by Rob Wood is a hidden gem in the cocktail scene, a bar with no sign, a name no one can pronounce, and located in a part of the city where people don’t usually go for cocktails. Many people thought the owner, Rob Wood, was crazy for opening a bar like this, but he has proven them wrong with his success.
In our podcast interview, Rob Wood shares his journey to success and the philosophy behind his bar. He believes that bartending is the best job in the world because every day is different, and he gets to travel for free and make friends all over the world. He emphasises that doing a job that brings happiness is more important than just making money or accumulating possessions.
Rob Wood’s hiring philosophy is unique, as he looks for personality over skills. He believes that he can teach someone how to make drinks, but he cannot teach them to be nice people. This approach has helped him create a welcoming environment where customers feel comfortable and happy.
At Atelier Rob Wood, has changed the status quo of cocktails by designing a bar that is different from others. They have no back bar, ice wells, speed rails, or ice machine. Instead, everything they do has a purpose, and if there is no “why,” they don’t do it. They believe the changes they’ve made in the bar should have been made years ago when bar designers were designing bars poorly.
Atelier by Rob Wood is not just a bar; it is a venue where people can hang out with nice people, have great drinks, and leave feeling happier than when they walked in. The bar’s success is a testament to Rob Wood’s passion and dedication to his craft.
In conclusion, Atelier Rob Wood is a great inspiration for people who want to make a bold move and do something they love, even if it goes against conventional wisdom. The bar’s success is proof that if you have passion and dedication, you can achieve anything.
Atelier By Rob Wood YouTube
Everything You Need To Know About Atelier By Robert Wood
Where? Newhall Square, B3 1RU
Opening Times-
Thursday: 5pm – 11pm
Friday: 5pm – 11pm
Saturday: 3pm – 11pm
Reservations- https://www.exploretock.com/atelierbyrobertwood
Get Social With Robert Wood/Atelier
Breaking Bread Podcast Social
If you enjoyed this episode why not take a look back at our episodes with
Jamie Desogus Harborne Kitchen
Simpsons Chef Director Luke Tipping
Breaking Bread Birmingham- The Podcast For Food Lovers In Birmingham
