An Introduction...

Hello!

I’m Bethan Trevett. Or Trev to most people who know me.
For a while, I’ve had an idea brewing. For a number of years, it has been a business idea that has always played on my mind. Here I am, finally putting my plan out there. This blog is a way to track my progress and keep a record of this idea as it hopefully becomes a reality.

In it’s very simplest form (and a lot of research and experiments are under way to fine tune the minor details):

The Wonder Bar!
A mobile-bar. Suitable for hire at parties, weddings, corporate events. Festivals, local events, markets. Wherever you fancy a bar! (Subject to licensing, of course.) Selling tasty, unusual, locally sourced and home grown products. Beers, cider, wine, spirits, cocktails, mocktails. Refreshing and different. A comfy pub atmosphere decked out with upcycled furniture and handcrafted décor made by talented local craft-wizards!

That’s the vision anyway.

As I finally put pen to paper fingers to keyboard, I feel I should explain where this idea came from…

I’ve met quite a few other people who have grown up with landlord/lady parents like myself and we all share a love of the pub life. The smell of stale smoke reminiscent of the time before the smoking ban. That beery-floor smell… Not the nicest of aromas, but a pleasant reminder of days sat at the bar whilst mum and dad worked, pretending to drink cider & black with the regulars. This is not to say my parents were irresponsible and I was hanging out with drunks. They worked hard!
A public house: all of your mates (and the rest) sat around drinking, listening to music and discussing life’s most important topics. It also means early mornings, late nights and rarely a day off. The bar industry is more of a lifestyle than a job, I knew that from a young age.

That didn’t stop me getting a job behind the bar as soon as I could. At 17, I worked in my local rugby club and since then I’ve worked (mostly) on and off in bars, pubs, clubs, cocktail lounges, restaurants and hotels. I did my fair share of travelling around, trying to figure out what I wanted to do in life – as many of us do! Teaching English in Africa, au-pairing around Europe, but the social side of the service industry always drew me back in.

In 2010, I started uni in Aberystwyth, studying English and Creative Writing. I partied my loan away pretty much instantly, so got myself a job in the Student Union. It didn’t take long before I was swapping lectures and seminars for shifts behind the bar. Much to my nan’s dismay, I discontinued my studies about halfway through my degree and fell into a series of bar/waitress jobs throughout town.

Last year, I landed a job at Irie’s: A new Caribbean restaurant/cocktail lounge, serving speciality cocktails, delicious curry goat & jerk chicken and playing reggae all day – perfect! Seeing a brand new business grow has been really interesting and I’ve gained a lot of priceless experience. I recently got promoted to bar/front of house manager, so I have a stable, full-time job to help me fund my side venture.

I’ve often been asked (even whilst stood behind the bar) “What do you do?” – As if what I’m currently doing isn’t enough. I’ve been cautious about saying “I’m in the process of setting up my own business.” For years, friends have been telling me to take over a bar, open my own pub, something along those lines. It’s in my blood to be a “barmaid”! I see a mobile bar as a perfect small business to run alongside full-time employment. And it has the potential to grow and grow!

I’ve always known this is what I’ve wanted to do, but now I’m really taking steps towards this goal. If you’ve read this far – thank you! And if you're still interested, I will be posting regularish blogs on what to expect from The Wonder Bar, so please keep updated on my progress and cheer me on as I embark on this journey!

Any ideas, suggestions or advice are greatly welcomed, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!