Professional hospitality training, executive coaching, team development and how to open your own site from Steve Locke — co-founder of Be At One, operator of LOCKES bar, trainer of over 5,000 bartenders.
In 1998 I set up Be At One with two friends. Starting the company with just £60k raised from credit cards and car loans, we grew Be At One to 33 sites across the UK with annual sales of £40m. We sold the business to Stonegate Pub Company for £50 million in 2018.
Prior to setting up Be At One I trained as a bartender at TGI Fridays in 1992. Over a five-year period, I worked across London and Europe specialising in training, working on the British and International training teams to introduce TGI Fridays to new territories
In 2019 I established LOCKES Bar which I operate today in Covent Garden and Clapham. Over the last 36 years I have recruited and trained over 5,000 Bartenders.
In that time, I have refined my training programmes based around a very clear idea of what great looks like and how to deliver it.
Whether you are taking your first steps in hospitality, looking to develop your team, taking the next step in your career or opening your own business, these courses will give you the skills and confidence to achieve your goals.
Whether you're heading to a ski season, picking up seasonal work, working events like Wimbledon, or starting your career in hospitality — every skill you'll learn sits within this framework.
Understanding spirits, cocktails, and the industry — what employers expect you to know before you walk in.
Hands-on bar technique: free-pour, two-handed working, build / shake / stir, tray work, glassware and more.
Guest communication, service moments, upselling, personal brand — the soft skills that separate good from great.
The key to trust in a brand is delivering consistently each and every time. It is how trust is built in Brands
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Define what great service looks like, build your personal brand, and understand the non-negotiables every employer expects. Leave with skills you can use immediately.
Day 1 is the full Introduction to Hospitality course. By the end of Day 3 you'll have real bartending ability — not just theory.
Your team are the most important ingredient in your business. Our team development programmes are built equip your bartenders through knowledge, skills, interaction and consistency to become commercially minded operators who drive sales and profitability through returning guests. Delivered on-site or at our training venues, each programme is shaped around your menu, your team’s current level.
Opening a bar is the most expensive way to learn what you don’t know. This programme is designed to change that. Working directly with an operator who has built, scaled and exited a multi-site cocktail bar group, you’ll be coached through every stage of establishing your business — from the first site viewing to your first profitable trading month. The aim is simple: fewer costly mistakes, faster route to trade, and a business built on numbers that actually work.
As a business founder, Steve has experience from setting up new ventures, accelerating growth, scaling, raising finance, private equity investment, trade sale and exit. For Business leaders looking to take the next step in their development. Senior Managers or Entrepreneurs establishing a new business or looking to scale, finance or exit.
Would you like to be able to serve your friends professional quality cocktails at home? The Cocktail Matserclass is a fun and engaging training session for friends or colleagues to learn together. By the end of the session, all trainees will have the confidence to deliver professional quality cocktails in their own home. A great gift for friends or team building opportunity for your team
Fill in the form below and Steve's team will be in touch with available dates and any questions you have before booking.
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