Judith Zhu does nothing by halves

Judith: For me, I feel like I'm part of a new wave of hospitality. I went straight from high school to university and was studying during the pandemic. I realised that I wasn’t enjoying what I was doing and was in a bit of a slump. With the staff shortage, and being a barfly, I was always asking questions and getting engaged with the bartenders. Eventually, someone offered me a job, and I jumped in, fell in love with it, and started from there.

Oh goodness, no, not at all. I struggled a lot, but I was lucky to work in a small business structure where I got close with the owner and learned a lot. It was trial and error, but the people and the connection kept me going. I remember the first time a regular was talking to me and I cut myself from cutting a lime and I fainted!

I didn’t really start pairing flavours until I wanted to go into my next challenge. So I jumped from that small wine bar and I went into my first cocktail bar, which was Kitty Hawk. From there it was a journey of evolving and learning with each venue I worked at.

Personally, awards are recognition and acknowledgment, but they don’t change how I approach my craft. It’s more about seeing how far I’ve grown. Last year was my first year of formally doing competitions, and the recognition was about pushing myself and sharing my work with others. It’s humbling to be on lists, but I just enjoy doing my craft.

Bartender Boxing was about seeing the balance between well-being, both mental and physical, and the community aspect of training with peers. It was intensive, with training three times a week, but it was a great distraction from the stress of cocktail finals. It became a way to focus on something else and push myself in a different way.

My creative process starts with the story I want to tell, not the drink itself. For Tops n Tails, the focus was on sustainability and my bar's ecosystem of waste. I used waste wine, peeled fruits, and infusions to create a waste wine vermouth. The idea was to showcase these elements in a way that tells a story and creates a unique drink experience. It’s about finding the balance between flavours and sustainability.

I love having a conversation with guests to tailor a drink specifically for them. I ask if they want something sweet, sour, or bitter, and create a custom drink based on their preferences. It’s all about the challenge of making something unique for each guest.

I always go for a signature cocktail to see what the bar showcases on their menu. Depending on my mood, I might ask for something boozy or more relaxed. It’s about trying something new and seeing what the bar excels at.

In the three years that I have been in hospitality, I've jumped quite a bit; I've constantly tried to evolve and change my experiences and grow. I’ve wanted to find out where I wanna be and what I wanna be doing. I just started my new role with Apollonia as the Assistant Senior Venue Leader, because I really wanted to learn more management and back-of-house. My interests are constantly growing in that way.

But, I've learned from last year, and now I’m slowing down a little bit, and helping more. I want to help other people in the industry to get to where they wanna be.