Aussie company’s unique hospitality and bar staff training model, the toast of the world post COVID

An Aussie company is leading the globe in hospitality training, with budding bartenders from all over the world signing up to fast-track their skills through a unique online training hub. 

Allara Global acquired JERRY from Singaporean company Proof & Company in 2021, and more than 80,000 new bar and hospitality staff from 25 countries have turned to the platform after the courses were rebuilt in Australia and made available online ahead of the official launch this month. 

The number of client subscriptions has more than doubled in the past 12 months, up 128% on last year. Overall course completions are also up, with 138% growth for last financial year. As many as 16,000 courses are completed each month, with June seeing the highest number of JERRY course completions on record. 

The e-learning platform has proven popular with students as it features engaging and immersive video masterclasses from three of Australia's best bartenders, Marco Nunes, Evan Stroeve, and Priscilla Leong, who was named Australia's Top Bartender at the 2022 Australian Bar Awards. 

Students learn from the JERRY Professors at a level that suits them, from beginner to advanced. Categories include Cocktail Techniques, Bartender Skills, Beverage Knowledge, and Floor Service Skills. 

Allara Global CEO Andrew Lewis says JERRY has been a game changer platform for the hospitality industry. 

"Not only are e-learners exposed to the best bartenders in the country, which gives them exceptional bar and beverage skills, but they can access the content anywhere in the world," Mr. Lewis said. 

JERRY's Global Lead and JERRY Professor, Marco Nunes, says the online platform allows students to advance through the courses in their own time, unlocking various levels of JERRY bar and beverage qualifications, while hospitality operators are also provided with valuable downloadable resources. "E-learners can access cheat sheets, operations checklists, and webinars to support their self-development. JERRY provides the kind of comprehensive bar staff training you can't get anywhere else," Mr. Nunes said. 

"Australian government data shows accommodation and food services are the number one food sector for staffing shortages in 2023, with 45 percent of businesses reporting they are in desperate need of staff. We are addressing the hospitality skills shortage in a very effective and practical way," Mr. Nunes said. 

Bespoke training solutions are offered for large operators, right through to small bars. Among the big names to access training through JERRY is Four Seasons Hotels and Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. JERRY is named after New York's Jerry Thomas, the creator of the world's first Bartender Guide, in the 1800s.