A jewel from Glastonbury, England - here the writer gets specially overwhelmed with excitement -, Anya is an alchemist playing with cocktails and flowers, disguised as a global consultant in mixology and sustainable hospitality. 

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Anya is currently living in Bali working with tropical flavours and medicinal botanicals and has worked with clients such as Potato Head Beach Club, W Hotel Amsterdam, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Room4Dessert and Nihi Sumba. She has created recipes for cocktail books such ‘Seedlip the Cocktail Book’, ‘Difford’s Guide’ and ‘A Spirited Guide to Vermouth’.

 

Passionate about using local and sustainable herbs, fruits, spices etc she creates bespoke cocktail lists with modern mixology and low waste techniques to perfectly suit not only her guests but also the natural surroundings. With this philosophy she created Travellingbartenders.com, and because life is that good, she has spent the last four months opening Good Mantra with some of her best friends. She is also ready to open a beach bar and restaurant called Matanari, where she will be working on some unique margaritas with local ingredients like mangosteen, pomelo leaf and rosella. 
 

She has many projects in the horizon, but a main plan is to get back to surf as soon as the rainy season is over. She keeps busy with some gardening, skateboarding and minding her dogs, focused on the bliss that it is to just enjoy the sunset everyday. And of course, leading with us the Chicas Chidas event. 

 

Inspired by her mother, Amanda, who’s thought her about wild herbs and nature, she is also an activist creatively showing how an alternative way based on plants is possible, and for that she keeps learning about permaculture and bees. As a trained teacher who switched to bartending, she totally understands the value of education for environmental change.

 

A fun fact? Ants become confused by peppermint. Not that peppermint is particularly cryptic – but it is highly aromatic. Ants communicate by leaving chemical trails for their buddies following close behind. If you sprinkle some chopped, crushed peppermint (or essential oil) near an ant trail, you can break the chemical trail and disband them. 

 

A housemate? Skye Gyngell the Australian chef turned food editor for Vogue, and Liana La Havas for some sing alongs. And would have loved to share a nice curry with Nina Simone.

 

A pizza topping?  Veggies and pesto. 

A taco topping? BBQ mushrooms, pickled rosella, guac and pineapple salsa verde.

A drink? A pineapple and chamomile negroni spritz.

A cartoon? Fern Gully

 

A lover of nature and tropical living, now she is keen to learn some Balinese dance, if anyone is keen to teach?

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Photo credit: Jade Sarkhel