Celia Schoonraad shares her journey, revealing the lessons, inspirations, and bold approaches that have shaped her success in creating unforgettable bar experiences.
This weekโs Friday Club. Insider features Celia Schoonraad, an industry powerhouse whose bartending journey has taken her to places like New Zealand, Paris, and finally to Singapore. As the co-founder of Barbary Coast, Celia has infused the cityโs cocktail scene with creativity and expertise, earning the bar a prestigious Pinnacle Guide pin. Beyond her work at Barbary Coast, Celia also founded Compound Collective, a consultancy that offers full-service hospitality design and innovation. Along with her keen eye for design, Celia’s bold approach to sourcing rare spirits and experimenting with new flavours has made her a standout in the industry. In our conversation, Celia shares insights on emerging trends and the secrets to creating bar experiences that leave a lasting impression on guests. Prepare for an inspiring dive into the art and science of hospitality!
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You’ve travelled the world, from New Zealand to Paris, collaborating with some of the biggest names in the cocktail industry. How have these international experiences influenced your approach to your various ventures?
Every venue, market, and person you work with teaches and shapes you in some way, whether itโs through minor techniques or overarching mentorship styles. This applies to any person in any industry. If we approach each situation with curiosity and learn something from every exchange, weโre bound to be affected. For me, this has influenced so many aspects of how I approach everything I’m involved in. From working with friends I deeply respect, who were also my superiors, I learned to navigate the separation between personal and professional relationships. And from mentors who became friends, I gained a more thoughtful, creative approach to flavour development and the way I work overall. On the aesthetic side, it’s easy to be inspired if you’re open to it. Whether you’re in an art museum in Paris or standing in a rice terrace in Bali, creative inspiration is all around us โ if we’re willing to see it.
From starting Compound Collective to launching Barbary Coast, you’ve been at the forefront of several innovative projects. How do you go about identifying new opportunities and trends in the industry?
I think it’s important to stay informed about what’s happening in the industry, both regionally and globally, without getting too emotionally tied to the status quo. This allows you to take the risk of being a little disruptive. Identifying new opportunities also means becoming comfortable with failure and shifting your perspective to see it as part of success. Itโs not about avoiding failure, but about extracting the lessons from each one, learning, and then getting back up to try again. Ultimately, it comes down to paying attention.
Deadfall Cantina boasts one of the largest collections of agave spirits in Singapore. What attracted you to agave in particular, and how do you see its role evolving in the global scene?
Agave is the fastest-growing spirit category globally, and it’s easy to see why. Iโm not talking about drunkenly ordering cheap tequila shots on a night out with friends, but about the rich history, culture, and incredible techniques involved in producing agave products. Itโs a spirit that comes from the heart, with so much care, love, and homage put into the production process that itโs hard not to be drawn in. As access to a wider variety of agave products becomes more feasible globally โ especially in less traditional, emerging markets like Southeast Asia or Africa โ I believe the category will continue to grow and attract an even larger following. Agave-based cocktails are still some of my favourites, and they always will be.
You and your team hand-carried many of the agave bottles for Deadfall Cantina. Can you share a memorable story from one of those trips and how it influenced the selection of spirits now showcased at the bar?
The bottles were actually hand-carried from multiple markets over several trips โ from Rome to New York, New Orleans to Mexico. Often, you can find real gems in smaller, lesser-known bottle shops around the world that donโt always realise the value of what they have, as the bottle may have been sitting there for quite some time. Iโve done this before with American whiskies, and the result is always a colourful array of bottles that arenโt always easy to source from one place. The selection itself really came down to finding what was unique and interesting!
With Barbary Coastโs dual-concept design โ Ballroom upstairs and Deadfall Cantina downstairs โ how do you maintain the distinct identity of each space while still ensuring a cohesive overall experience?
The short answer is that these are now completely separate businesses with different teams, uniforms, and P&L sheets, which naturally creates a distinct identity and experience for each. What ties the overall experience together is the dedication of the staff. We aim to provide a consistent, high-level beverage and guest experience across all our venues, which we continue to instil through our training programmes.
With so many different elements at play โ drinks, food, design, and service โ what do you think is the key to creating an unforgettable bar experience that truly resonates with guests?
There isnโt one single key element โ it has to be a fully-rounded experience on all fronts. A good drink is fairly easy to execute, as is a well-designed space, a flavourful meal, or a good interaction with a bartender or server. The tricky part is combining all of these aspects into one cohesive experience and then maintaining that standard over time. Circling back to question one โ maintaining that standard isnโt something weโve always achieved due to changing staff, COVID, supply issues, stress, and other factors. However, weโve always learned from these challenges and made improvements, striving not just to elevate but to excel. Ultimately, it canโt come down to one element or one person; itโs about a team effort, like pieces coming together to create a whole.
To stay up-to-date on Celia Schoonraadโs projects, follow her on Instagram.
Friday Club. is where every day feels like Friday. We spark conversations that are both trendy and thought-provoking, exploring topics that truly matter while staying true to ourselves. Weโre all about honesty, tackling tough subjects head-on, yet we never forget to embrace the fun life has to offer.
