the team

Henry Besant
Managing Director
henry@worldwidecocktailclub.com

Henry Besant has been at the forefront of London's vibrant and fast-paced bar scene for over ten years.

Having started working in bars at the tender age of sixteen, Besant opened Mas Café in Notting Hill in 1993 which he ran for four years before becoming director and general manager of private members club, 57 Jermyn Street in 1997. After two successful years at this exclusive venue, Besant left to join Ian Schrager Hotels, overseeing bar operations at St Martin's Lane and Sanderson hotels.

In November 2001 he took control of the development of Rockwell at the Trafalgar Hotel, running both the bar and restaurant of the Hilton chain's flagship property. From September 2002 Besant became general manager and director of Lonsdale, the award winning destination bar and restaurant in Notting Hill.

Henry Besant is the only venue manager to have ever won TimeOut magazine's Bar of the Year Award for two consecutive years. The "Besant formula" secured this prestigious honour for Rockwell in 2002 and Lonsdale the year after. As well as TimeOut, Besant's management has resulted in numerous other prizes including "Best New Bar" in Class Magazine (2003) and Flava Magazine (2004. In 2005, he added Best Bar Manager UK, in both Class and Flava magazines, to his long list of accomplishments.

Apart from his successes on site, Besant has appeared in numerous national and international style and trade publications as well as participating in various important television and radio programs, sealing his reputation as one Britain's leading bar culture experts.

He, along with Masso, has recently published his first book, Margarita Rocks, featuring 70 bespoke recipes as well as factual information on the history of Tequila and its production methods.