Meet Tim Etherington-Judge, a man whose career trajectory would make a pinball
jealous. He didnt start in some ivory-towered culinary school, but amidst the
sunburnt smiles, pasties, and questionable lattes of hospitality outlets on the
beaches of Cornwall.
Fast forward a few years, and Tim wasn't just brewing bad coffee, he was crafting
award-winning cocktails that sent taste buds on vacation. Achieving the title of 2009
New Zealand Bartender of the Year, akin to being crowned the ‘world’s tallest hobbit’,
he even became the global ambassador for Bulleit Bourbon, basically living the
dream on a diet of fancy whiskey and exotic locales.
But even paradise has its cracks. 2016 threw Tim a curveball, one that made him
question the whole "living the dream" thing. After attempting to take his own life in a
hotel room, instead of succumbing to the darkness, he did what any self-respecting
hospitality pro would do – he started Healthy Hospo, a non-profit dedicated to mental
health in the industry. Turns out, spreading mental health awareness in the bar
scene is just as exhilarating as mixing a smoky old fashioned (and certainly less
liver-damaging).
Saving the world being a perpetual to-do list item, Tim co-founded Avallen Spirits in
2019 with Stephanie Jordan-Balmforth. They concoct planet-positive booze that
Doesn’t leave Mother Earth nursing a hangover. Their calvados is basically sunshine
in a bottle, and it's won enough sustainability awards to fill a cocktail shaker.
Because, let's be honest, hangovers are bad enough without the added guilt of
environmental apocalypse.
Tim's not all fancy cocktails and lofty ideals. He likes to cycle and run. A lot. Like, 42
marathons in 42 days kind of a lot, which he did to raise money for mental health in
the global drinks industry. Apparently, the man thrives on endorphins and self-
inflicted challenges.
So, there you have it. Tim Etherington-Judge: hospitality guru, mental health
champion, sustainability crusader, and occasional marathoner. He juggles more hats
than a Parisian mime convention, but one thing unites them all – a passion for
making the world a better place, one delicious drink or mental health initiative at a
Time.