VICTORIA, Seychelles — Thirteen years into a career he first fell in love with on a Friday night at Konoba restaurant, 31-year-old bartender Joey Labonne is calling for more competitions and platforms to help young Seychellois break into a profession he says is now dominated by expatriates. He began his career as a chef, but was drawn to the bar the moment he saw bartenders at work “pouring their heart into every drink they crafted”.
Mr Labonne was mentored by Zahi Mekdachi, who taught him the fundamentals of mixology and gave him the foundation for what has become a varied career spanning private functions, restaurants and high-profile events. He credits his time at Tequila Boom night club as the pivotal moment of professional growth, and has since created three signature cocktails — ‘bouyon blan’, watercress, and charcoal — the first of which won first place at Tapas Lounge Bar.
Social media has been central to his rise, helping him reach new clients and showcase new drinks. But Mr Labonne is uneasy about the direction of the trade. “At present, he feels that expatriates are dominating this profession, which is disheartening for the young people aspiring to enter the field. He wishes to see more competitions that would provide locals with a platform to showcase their skills, allowing the public to truly discover the authentic talent within the community,” he said.
He also called for stronger community support for local bartenders, noting that the job “can be quite discouraging” without it.
