Celebrating and Supporting Central Coast Women in Hospitality
Last Tuesday night, we teamed up with Genie in a Bottle and House of Pocket to celebrate the beautiful women in hospitality on the Central Coast.
International Women’s Day wasn’t enough here at Central Coast Life & Style, so we decided to make a month of it. Local hospitality guru and friend Lynn Fernandes of Genie in a Bottle and co-founder Jan Lienemann greeted guests at Pocket Bar in Terrigal alongside the CCLS team for an evening of good company, great food and even better cocktails.
Words by Jacqueline O’Neill, Photography by Catherine Winnard
With a successful 30-year ‘hospo’ career behind her, Lynn knows just how much pressure the last few years has resulted in for local café, bar and restaurant owners – particularly women. Speaking on the night, Lynn acknowledged how women are underrepresented in the management of what is a competitive, fast-paced and, at times, ruthless industry. At the same time, she also expressed a desire to create safe spaces for women in hospitality to network, share ideas and look after one another as we move into what will be a busy few years after ongoing lockdowns.
There were smiles all around, and so much love.
Lynn’s career has seen her work across Australia and overseas, as well as at several local fine-dining restaurants including Yellowtail, Bells at Killcare and most recently, The Cowrie. Like many others, Lynn has diversified and adapted, and is now working with Jan on their Genie in a Bottle cocktail line, which showcases the best spirits and produce that Australia has to offer.
Guests were treated to several of the specialty cocktails in the line-up, including an incredible margarita, a well-balanced Amaretto sour and an all-Australian Negroni (boasting local Distillery Botanica gin and Imperial Measures Distilling ruby bitters).
The all-Australian Negronis were a hit.
Central Coast Life & Style Editor-in-Chief Cathy Baker also spoke at the event, sharing her experiences working in a Michelin-starred restaurant over in the UK from the tender age of 16 – and explaining to guests how a life-long passion for service has led her to become a highly-successful real estate agent and owner of multiple businesses. She spoke on the need to focus on high-quality service in an era where technology can do nearly everything that we can as humans – except for creating genuine human connections.
Our fearless Editor-in-Chief Cathy Baker sharing her wisdom.
The event was a welcome return to networking and business-related events for all involved, and we look forward to more. Lynn, Jan and the CCLS team plan to hold these events throughout the year, at different venues across the Central Coast.
We’re so excited to see more from Lynn and Jan at Genie in a Bottle, and more events like this one. Cheers to 2022!
If you are a woman in hospitality who is interested in attending, or the owner of a venue interested in hosting, please reach out to info@centralcoastlifeandstyle.com.au. You can also find us on socials here. To follow Lynn and Jan’s journey with Genie in a Bottle, you can follow the brand on Instagram or learn more on their website.
