Stefano Zampieri

I can say drinks have always been part of my life in some way, I remember in my childhood travelling from Padova to Asti with my family and visiting beautiful hills and vineyards. While I would mostly enjoy seeing the animals and the vines, my father along with my uncles would be sampling farmers' wine from the local producers, and buy a few "damigiane" that they would then bring back home and bottle before my attentively eye.

My professional journey into bartending began in a coffee shop in Padova in what I believed was just a job for some pocket money while studying ,but even as naive as a 14-year-old can be, I could feel the magnetism of the bar.

Growing up, during a visit to a local club, I got bewitched by the playful style of work and the “savoir fair” of the flair bartenders and, after 4 visits demanding the bar manager to work there for free, I got the job that allowed me to learn a lot and attend my first cocktail courses.
 
Once I felt I had absorbed the most I could in Italy, I moved to Spain, Brazil and London to continue my growth. Learning from many knowledgeable colleagues has always been one of the most important parts of my job, while having the chance to work as Head Bartender in some of the best bars in London, such as the Blue Bar at the Berkeley hotel and the Bassoon Bar at the Corinthia provided me with the experience of leading my team to the highest standards of service while always creating innovative and unique experiences for the guests.

Last step (before Rumours) in my development was creating my own business in London mr BAR, the company has been providing for the past 5 years consultancies, events and supplying and developing unique ingredients in collaboration with important bars in London, such as the Scarfes bar at the Rosewood hotel, the Lobby bar at One Aldwych hotel and the Arts Club among many others.