Bar person
Bar staff serve drinks in venues like pubs, clubs, bars, hotels and restaurants.
What you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
As a bar person, you could:
- greet customers and create a welcoming atmosphere
- take orders and handle cash and card payments
- serve drinks at the bar or at the table
- keep the bar area clean and well stocked
- give advice on drinks to suit customers' tastes
- collect glasses and wash up
Working environment
You could work in a pub or bar, at a restaurant, in a hotel or at a social club.
Your working environment may be noisy and crowded.
You may need to wear a uniform.
Career path and progression
With experience, you could progress to supervisor, deputy bar manager or bar manager.
You could also become a publican, or bar manager for a hotel chain.
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- customer service skills
- excellent verbal communication skills
- active listening skills
- the ability to sell products and services
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- to enjoy working with other people
- a good memory
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
Restrictions and Requirements
You'll need to:
- be over 18 to sell alcohol and other restricted goods
How to become
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- applying directly
You can take a college course to learn some of the skills and knowledge needed as a bar person. This might help you to find work in the industry. Courses include:
- introduction to employment in the hospitality industry
- food and beverage service
- hospitality
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
More Information
You could apply to do a Food and Beverage Team Member Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship.
This usually takes about 1 year to complete. You'll do on-the-job training and spend time with a college or training provider.
Entry requirements
There are no set entry requirements but it may help you to get in if you have:
- some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
More Information
You can apply directly for jobs if you've got some of the relevant skills, experience and knowledge needed for this role.
Employers will look for strong customer service skills, good communication skills and the ability to work well in a team.
Career tips
Some salaries include a basic rate plus a share of tips left by customers.
Further information
You can find out more about careers in the hospitality and drinks industry from Caterer.com and the Wine and Spirit Education Trust.
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External links
This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.