We asked ourselves… “How can we shine a light on the work we do on the mental, physical and financial health of hospitality professionals, whilst still keeping it ‘SLT’?”
Well… VOILÀ!
Our marketing team (AKA Rachel, we only have the one. It just sounded fancy…) had the shit hot idea of working with a local artist to create murals in the city, spreading our message and the work we do to support the hospitality industry. So, we did what we do best (we think) and initiated a conversation with all of the hospitality folk in Manchester via ‘The Manchester Bars Page’ to ask for a space to work on. It didn’t take long for Si, the owner of Noho, to offer us six shutters in Stevenson Square. What a fucking good egg.
With an artist already in mind, we reached out to Shawn aka Good Good Graffiti to bounce around ideas and designs. Or in other words, Shawn telling us what we should do and him drawing it all up. We decided upon ‘SECS’ which is the introductory session that we run at So Lets Talk. It stands for SLEEP, EAT, CONNECT and SWEAT. It has quickly become our signature offering and something that has provided a huge amount of support to our industry.
We couldn’t do this on our tod. We needed financial support to bring our vision to life and who better to work with than this group of absolute legends…
Agnes Arber Gin
On 24 May 1948, Agnes Arber became the first woman to receive the Gold Medal of the Linnean Society, a world-famous institution dedicated to the study of natural history. Arber was born in 1879 to artist Henry Robertson who passed down to her his technical drawing skills, utilised by Arber throughout her education and career in the study of plant anatomy. As a botanical historian, she focused her scientific research on flowering plants under the wing of her mentor, morphologist Ethel Sargent. By the time of Arber’s death in 1960, she had published an extensive library of books on both botany and philosophy, ending with 1957’s The Manifold and the One, an exploration of the concept of universal unity. It is with an appreciation for Arber’s work – her dedication to discovering all the intricacies and wonders of the natural world – that we have produced this gin: a convergence of nine herbs and fruits, distilled together in Langley Distillery’s affectionately named Jenny, one of the oldest working copper gin stills in the United Kingdom.
Cazcabel
Cazcabel is a premium tequila crafted in an independent micro distillery in the town of Arandas, located in the highlands of the Jalisco mountains in Mexico. Using only the finest, locally grown, seven year-old Blue Weber agave with the right balance of acid and sugar to create Cazcabel’s unique taste. Inspired by the mythical Mexican Curador ‘Don Cazcabel’, who takes only natural ingredients from the land and gives them new meaning and life through his work, the Cazcabel’s award-winning range includes Blanco, Reposado, Honey, Coffee and Coconut Tequila.
Lyre's
Many years in the making, Lyre’s exquisite range of lovingly crafted non-alcoholic spirits was borne from a quest to make the impossible possible – giving the freedom to drink your drink, your way. Not just provide an alternative to those who don’t wish to imbibe alcohol, but ensure everyone can enjoy the mirth and merriment of a soiree or shindig.
Public Spirit
The Public Spirit is an independent craft spirits brand based in Manchester. Our spirits are meticulously sourced, hand-crafted and expertly blended, perfect for celebrating life’s most meaningful moments. And for us, it’s about a lot more than just profit. We strive to make a real difference in the communities around us, and to the causes that need it the most. That’s why we make a commitment to giving back a quarter of all profits to great causes. That’s something we can all say cheers to. That’s The Public Spirit.
Serotonin
Serotonin is an award winning digital marketing agency, working with ambitious global brands on creative and media campaigns that cut through. We want people to see the results we get for brands and say: "I wish we'd done that". We do everything with tenacity, transparency and teamwork. That means we square up to challenges, are always upfront and believe in making meaningful partnerships with clients, collaborators and in our own teams. Good things come to those who create.
Sixty Eight Jobs
We are a straight-talking, highly connected hospitality recruitment consultancy. We pride ourselves on linking the most exciting hospitality businesses to the brightest stars in the industry, creating sites that blossom and careers that go with a bang. We’re always happy to help so drop us a line and we’ll be in touch.
Old J
It all started in 1740, when Admiral Edward Vernon enforced a reduction in the strength of the British Navy’s rum ration. When his men complained, Vernon suggested the addition of limes and sugar to make the drink more enjoyable. Old J has been created in honour of this unlikely mixologist who was known as Old Grog. However, Old J brings Vernon´s concept into the 21st Century by using the finest Caribbean Rum combined with our secret blend of spices, sugar, vanilla and Persian lime. It took over sixty trials before the perfect harmony of ingredients was found, and Old J’s smooth and spicy flavour profile was born. Old J is now available in six unique varieties, with the same blended base spirit used throughout—except for in Old J Gold, which uses a British Virgin Isles rum from a pot still
We’re not ones for blowing our own trumpet, but we’re pretty fucking happy with how this project has turned out. So much so, that we’ve decided to do it in every major city in the UK (to start). We don’t do things by halves. We hope you enjoy the art as much as we do and that the message resonates with you.
Big shout out to Shawn at Good Good Graffiti for the incredible artwork and Nathan at Sic Shot Visuals for the videos and photography.
Sic Shot Visuals
Sic Shot Visuals is a new media and content creation business dedicated to delivering slick and clean visuals to elevate the online presence of others. Owned by Nathan Larkin, who’s background includes over 10 years in hospitality, including founding Speak in Code - an award winning, well established cocktail bar in Manchester, and 10 years in the music industry. Sic Shot Visuals is not limited to those two specific fields, but certainly has an advantage when it comes to helping businesses in these industries maximise their online presence. Sic Shot offers flexible packages for businesses to sign up for a 6-12 months worth of content on a rolling agreement basis.
GoodGood Graffiti
Meet Shawn Sharpe. Want to get to know me? I’m Shawn, I have been painting for just over 10 years and I have been painting professional spray can art for around 4 years. What started out as a tag when I was 18 quickly developed into a habit I just couldn’t shake. 10 years on I’m still shaking the cans for a living, self taught I have learnt to paint everything from classic graffiti, portraits, type, anamorphic pieces and more! I have worked for some big clients over the years such as Corona, Smirnoff and Revolution Bars.
Big Love
The SLT Team.
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