Who is behind the delicious recipes of our cocktails?
My name is Lenon, but most people call me Tony. I was born in Zimbabwe, love sports, and occasionally enjoy playing on the console.
I spent half of my adult life in South Africa, specifically in Cape Town.
Even as a child, I had a passion for drinks and flavors. I was always the curious kid at family gatherings, helping the elders brew and mix our traditional beer.
You can book the next course here - I look forward to seeing you!
My journey as a bartender began when I started my career in the hospitality industry. I began working as a bartender in one of Cape Town's famous hotels. During my time as a bartender, I observed all the more experienced bartenders, and at the same time, they could ask me for help during peak hours, and to their surprise, I could keep up with their pace.
After working as a bartender for a few months, the company offered me the opportunity to study at one of the best bartending academies, "The Thirsty Academy," and earn a bartender certificate. I seized this opportunity with both hands.
Later that year, I was promoted to Junior Bartender. I worked for this hotel for years and established myself as one of the best bartenders there.
One day during my shift, I met a German lady who owned a jazz cocktail bar in downtown Cape Town. She offered me the opportunity to manage her entire bar and be as creative as possible, because her concept was to change her cocktail menu every two months so that her customers were always surprised and kept coming back.
I took this opportunity because I wanted to challenge myself.
Taking this job changed everything for me!
It challenged me to be particularly creative and focused.
By introducing coffee and cocktails to this bar, I was able to combine both worlds of enjoyment, so that coffee lovers and cocktail lovers got their money's worth.
Most of my signature drinks consist of homemade recipes and ingredients that can be found at any local market. 90% of them are more tropical fruit flavors inspired by our local tradition. Beer made from corn, the Shona name is "CHIBUKU".
What made me come to Germany?
After Covid-19, things in the hospitality industry weren't going so well, and a few years later, I decided to move here to Germany for a better life and to support my parents and my little boy, Shona.
Shona is also the language of my tribe and culture, and I decided to give him that name, as he was born and lives in South Africa, but the name Shona is a reminder of where he comes from and what culture he still carries within him. There is also a special drink that I named after him, which I will introduce to the world once it is perfect!
Moving to Germany was a blessing.
I met Nadine in November 2023; she told me about her vision with The Coffee Board, and I told her about my journey as a bartender.
Then she decided to help me continue my passion, so we decided to offer the "The Coffee Board Community" a course where you learn about coffee and mix magical cocktails.
So my journey continues, and I look forward to seeing you at one of my coffee cocktail workshops, getting to know you & having fun.
...It's never too late to learn a new skill in life...
Your Tony