WRESTLING DEMONS.
Originally conceptualised as a cocktail menu to raise mental health awareness, the project evolved due to the pandemic in 2020.
For Mental Health Awareness Week, 21 top humans in art, food
and drink, that had never met, were 'speed dated' into groups of 3
and asked "what are your hopes, dreams and fears?" to get the conversation started.
From that chat, each group found a relatable topic they truly cared about to express as art, food and drink.
5 years on, it continues to change, with the very simple premise: expressing a topic we care about in a creative way that will raise awareness and help connect good humans together who are
Wrestling Demons.
WRESTLING DEMONS X LUCKY SAINT.
Tactically created to be a company volunteering day with lasting impact, it helped families in a low income Battersea community that are facing a class divide and wrestling demons:
- The clinical looking community centre was completely repainted with specific coloured paint to lift emotions and inspire, based on each rooms daily purpose.
- 'Free Food' signage was created as the key USP of the community centre to encourage people in and discover other free resources available.
- The 1/2 acre rooftop garden had its benches stripped and repainted to offer colour all year round.
- CV support in the form of editing, a CV template and guidelines was created to help members of the community find future employment, with added connections to Hospitality businesses looking for staff.
WRESTLING DEMONS TO FEED THE COMMUNITY.
In December 2022, the local Battersea council offered an empty space to community groups and charities to pitch for use over the holiday period. Instead of competing, we brought them together to create a 3 week hub to feed low income families, the vulnerable and homeless.
Since then, we successfully negotiated to make it a permanent community centre that now offers a variety of community services.
By connecting with our Hospitality network, we continue to offer resources that help provide 13k meals annually:
- We received silver cutlery, plates and bowls from Hawksmoor and OXO Tower, that everyone can dine in decency.
- We gave out experiences to kids and parents from top restaurants, Hawksmoor, Dishoom, Kricket and Sexy Buns.
- Temper Recruitment gave access to ongoing Hospitality staff volunteers to help cook, clear, entertain and support local volunteers.
- Liquid Death provided 13k cans of fresh water.
- AND help set up a brand new community kitchen from scratch for charities to use, supported by grants, donations and the kindness of Hospitality businesses.
WRESTLING DEMONS 121 HOSPITALITY THERAPY.
So far, I've raised approx £8,000 towards 121 therapy sessions for Hospitality staff that are 'Wrestling Demons'.
Often when talking to staff in venue, they'd ask how they could receive help. I'd direct them to free or paid services, but I couldn't physically hand them out a session... until now.
From London Cocktail Week'23, I created a 2-sided sticker with details on how to redeem a free Hospitality therapy session I gave to staff in need.
With the sticker, staff could get help and show their support of mental health awareness in a cool way, as well as donate via a QR code to a Tipjar donations page.
A simple and fun marketing piece that is now popping up in Hospitality businesses across the UK to grow brand awareness too.
WRESTLING DEMONS X BEYOND RETRO: RISE UP!!
Wrestling Demons started as bringing people together from food, art and drink to raise mental health awareness, but I always wanted to show that anything is a canvas to express yourself, and fashion is one of the best ways there is to do that.
Bringing together founder of Beyond Retro, Steven Bethell, bartender Freyja Morum of an awesome women led bar, and German sustainability designer Dennis Schmitz, they brought to life a topic of rising up with the morning sun to take on a new day, when life can get you down and out.
The art of that story came to life with a Beyond Retro LTD edition upcycled t-shirt, with every one a different cut, colour and size to be as unique as the person wearing them, to raise mental health and environmental awareness.
To me it is a HUGE way of Introducing brands to creative, affordable circular solutions that make your merchandise mean something. After all, a completely brand new t-shirt has the same carbon footprint as driving a car 35 miles!
WRESTLING DEMONS EXHIBITIONS IN DERELICT TOWN HALLS...
Derelict for 10 years, Fulham Town Hall was transformed into one of the top UK exhibitions, with over 100 renowned artists… and as part of it, I took over the entire Medical Wing of the building (2 floors, 14 rooms) to create an interactive Wrestling Demons exhibition and curate Central St.Martins University Graduates first public art showcase on the topic of mental health awareness.
As a derelict venue and blank canvas, it allowed me to paint walls, rip off doors and even smear on fake blood to be in your own personal hell, to create an interactive Mental Health & Hospitality art exhibition:
- With an opening night social art experiment to show 'the true face of humanity'.
- Art pieces created from collaborations on tough topics, ranged from graphic, tattoo, graffiti and even political artists. The topics and styles, truly meant there was a story to connect with, even for some guests who weren't that into art.
- A variety of interactive rooms connected to the art for all ages to engage with, including kids.
- Guests could 'take awareness home', by buying affordable art to raise proceeds towards The Drinks Trust charity.
- Gifts to guests who shared stories of their own struggles, donated by artists, chefs and bartenders who took part in the Wrestling Demons project.
TO TRADE SHOWS.
At 'Imbibe Live' and 'Cocktails in the City' I've shared with consumers and trade alike how mental health awareness can be enjoyed with colour & flavour, rather than shades of black & white. A giant pink monolith covered in art and a story will do that!
Wrestling Demons has created interaction and a bond for many that is a bit like the film 'Fight Club', because it's connected with people on a very personal level, whether its through a piece of art, sticker or stand.
Anything can be a canvas, and a canvas is powerful.
AWARD WINNING PLEASE & THANK YOU BEER.
Towards the end of the pandemic there was an even higher level of urgency and aggression towards Hospitality staff when ordering a drink. So I talked to a few breweries about creating an alcoholic beer that tackled mental health awareness and staff treatment, called 'Please & Thank You', to facilitate a human courtesy and raise proceeds towards one-to-one Hospitality therapy.
Collaborating with Brewgooder and London Fields Brewery we created an award winning rice lager in can and keg that went down a treat:
- In Michelin Star restaurants, award winning hotels, pubs and industry leaders nationwide, like Dishoom, where it was its fastest ever selling guest beer.
- Sold over 2,200 litres in just over 2 months.
- Activated events and experiences that raised awareness and courtesy towards Hospitality staff in super creative ways.
- Raised approx £8k in proceeds towards Hospitality therapy that was fully redeemed in 3 months with incredible reviews.
- Won two Gold Awards, one Silver Award and a 'Highly Commended' Award at the Beer & Cider Marketing Awards, out of twelve categories.
PLEASE & THANK YOU PIZZA PARTY.
A party to highlight 'Please & Thank You' beer, by giving free, one of a kind pizza and drinks to say 'thank you' to friends of Hospitality at Christmas that have been going through a tough time.
A unique event, in that it:
- Brought together over 100 people from both food and drink sides of the industry, where normally 'trade' events would be strangely separate, on a stormy winter night still recovering from the pandemic.
- Combined competing, yet supporting, drinks distributors to create a menu offering 'true Hospitality'.
- Created a collaborative half and half vegan pizza with Le Bab and Nebula (the hosts) that when put together made it taste even better.
PLEASE & THANK YOU X OXO TOWER 25TH ANNIVERSARY.
With each anniversary Oxo Tower have looked back at their history, For their 25th, we wanted to look towards 21st Century Hospitality, with an activation centred around 'Please & Thank You' beer as the hero.
A really fun and tactical response by:
- Heroing members of staff on social media to share recognition and thanks.
- Bringing 'a smile on your table' with petit fours as a sweet homage to staff who keep smiling regardless.
- Upcycled staff Please & Thank You t-shirts.
- And in keeping with Oxo Tower's ongoing exploration of art...
WHAT PLEASE & THANK YOU MEAN TO EVERYONE.
Standing 8 meters long and 4 meters high in the OXO Tower, the art mural by Nic Mac and Iain Macarthur who created the art for the beer, brought to life what 30 people across different backgrounds and industries felt please & thank you meant to them.
It makes us feel seen...
A bond that touches us...
Costs nothing and means everything.
Living several months, the art paid homage to a human courtesy in a dining environment for all to enjoy.
THE MOST ENDANGERED COCKTAIL MENU IN THE WORLD X WWF.
16 of the best bartending humans in the world each created a one-off bottled cocktail inspired by 14 endangered animals for ‘adoption’ with WWF.
The bottles then went up for auction to highlight that once they’re gone, they’re gone. A simple way to highlight the rarity of these animals.
Wildlife photographers also donated their photos and knowledge to help raise awareness with the drinks on social media, that further highlighted the diversity & creativity of the Hospitality industry itself.
Over £2.5k was raised for WWF, with bottles going for as much as £300.
OUR SHARED PLANET X WWF.
A cocktail menu inspired by habitat loss to coincide with Earth Day 22nd April and launch 'The Most Endangered Cocktail Menu in the World.
The menu featured on instagram to ensure no loss of trees. Drinks were inspired by a variety of global habitats at risk, with photography provided by WWF and wildlife photographers around the world to raise awareness.
THE CATERPILLAR PROJECT.
Since 2022, we've been curating the London Battersea 1/2 acre garden farm atop a converted car park, secluded amongst council blocks,
that suffers from the class divide and investment the rest of Battersea development receives.
By building client relations, investment and marketing expertise to develop this grey city space into green, taking small bites at a time to make a difference, the project has:
- Managed over 1,000 corporate volunteers from the likes of Danone, Coca-Cola, Just Eat, TSB Bank, Dishoom, etc.
- Raised approx £5k in a variety of donations.
- Gained support of conservation charities 'The Orchard Project' and 'Sugi' to educate visitors, develop the garden and increase its footprint around the community.
- Added directional signage and inclusive, colourful art, that has attracted more visitors, thanks to artists with a est. 1 million followers.
- Pitched, gained sponsorship and activated a sister community garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show. As 1 only 3 gardens visited by the King and Queen, it won gold at show.
- Welcomed political visitors like the US Ambassador, Queen Camilla, the local Mayor, MPs and various celebrities to highlight the self-sufficient and positive impact this community has, to inspire other communities.
THE CATERPILLAR PROJECT X SUGI.
Buddying up with SUGI who create pocket forests around the world, we took our mutual passion turning grey city spaces to green, a giant mound doing nothing next to a kids playground in Battersea council estate, and brought it to life. Increasing our 'footprint' for The Caterpillar Project.
With support from the local community, kids and investment from Louis Vuitton, we planted saplings that will turn into a self-sustaining mini forest to enjoy and educate families.
DAISY DESIRE X BEYOND RETRO AT RHS CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW.
Gardener and drag queen, Daisy Desire, became one of our ambassadors at 'The Caterpillar Project' community rooftop garden, to raise awareness at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, as one of their ongoing inclusive ambassadors and VIP guests.
She created a glam gardening chic outfit inspired by the project, made of upcycled clothing in collaboration with global sustainable fashion and vintage store leaders, Beyond Retro.
The very next year we had our own RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden themed on 'Community' that was visited by the King and Queen, along with winning a Gold award.
Perseverance, patience and the dream that a low-income community garden could be at a middle-class event (and win) came true.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE DIFFERENT? X LITTLE POMONA
Cider at times suffers from preconceptions. I wanted to tackle this by asking a simple question that many face: “What does it mean to be different?”
We asked that question to bartenders, chefs, stylists, songwriters, gardeners, teachers, tattooists, astrologists... EVERYONE had a different answer.
Collaborating with Little Pomona and Cider is Wine, we brought an ethos of authenticity without discrimination to life with two completely different bottled ciders with the same design and different colours by artist David Oku.
A way of proudly sitting at the table, and asking an open question to raise mental health awareness and proceeds towards one-to-one Hospitality therapy.
MISS RIPPLE X TRUST WATER
We RE-designed 'Trust Water' still and sparkling water, glass bottles, by putting fun into a functional product.
Collaborating with artist 'Roots', we leveraged the brands motto of 'create positive ripples' to illustrate a character called 'Miss Ripple', who's doing good without ego, but sometimes suffers from imposter syndrome... something we heard from many good humans across industries worry about.
With a call to action to reuse, recycle, refun, 100% net profit from the canned water went to The Drinks Trust charity to support Hospitality staff with free well-being services.
NOT MADE OF METAL.
How do you repurpose a concept and finalised art about dealing with addiction that was sadly 'cancelled' as a no alcohol beer? You destroy it as part of a teetotal axe throwing pop-up for Mental Health Awareness Week!
At 'Skeeters' axe throwing venue, we welcomed humans from all walks of life to be constructive with their feelings by splitting them in two with an axe to the art.
TENDING THE TENDERS WITH MAKER'S MARK.
For London Cocktail Month we created the FIRST EVER Hospitality Welfare Hub, offering industry accredited mental health awareness training, one-to-one therapy sessions, self help & profile seminars, along with free nutritious 3 course meals made from surplus ingredients
by Refettorio Felix.
SERVING TRUE HOSPITALITY.
During the pandemic we brought together bartenders from across London, keen to help feed the (even more) vulnerable and homeless with surplus foods at London charity Refettorio Felix.
A great opportunity to do some good, network and team build whilst learning about different ingredients to make 3-course meals AND enjoy the food at the end together!