Interview: Fabian Dryden of Bristol's Stock Exchange Cocktail Club
Bristol is no stranger to fresh cocktail bars with a hot take, so when a new one pops up it absolutely needs to bring something new to the market. SExC Club is situated in a deeply historic former boardroom of Bristol’s stock exchange (built in 1903) located in the Old City. The bar mixes old with new, rotating in cocktail themes, events, music nights & nibbles frm the upstairs Indian restaurant. We caught up with owner Fabian Dryden to learn more…
Fabian Dryden of Stock Exchange Cocktail Club
Words by George Maguire
Tell us about SExC Club?
Stock Exchange Cocktail Club (Or SExC Club for short) is a late-night speakeasy-style cocktail bar hidden below a restaurant in one of Bristol’s most unique historic buildings - the old stock exchange on St Nicholas Street.
Which gap is SExC Club filling in the Bristol hospitality scene?
We opened SExC Club to cater for the growing number of people in Bristol who are genuinely interested in the art of good cocktails. We had the opportunity to open in this incredible space and very much let that dictate our design for the feel of the bar.
We want our customers to get a really fantastic product in fabulous surroundings, yet delivered in a fun manner that encourages them to let loose and have fun at the same time!
How has business been so far, are people returning to bars in the same way post-Covid?
If anything, I think people are making the most of being able to go out post-covid - now more than ever. I do think that the current cost of living crisis is having a little bit of an effect but in general, the custom has been great, certainly exceeding my expectations upon opening.
Talk us through your best-selling drink; is it a classic or new spin?
It really depends on the day and the weather to be honest! Through the winter we sold LOADS of Old Fashioneds, far more than we were expecting (including several unique takes on it that have featured on our menu and through Old Fashioned Week when we partnered with Woodford Reserve).
I love it when people come to us with examples of their favourite cocktails and we are able to use that as an inspiration to guide them to something different such as one of our unique ‘Travellers Cloaks’. Our menu is divided into 4 categories: ‘Dancing Shoes’ which are basically your party drinks, ‘Smoking Jackets’ which are slower drinks for sipping, ‘Travellers Cloaks’ which are our unique cocktails each one taking inspiration from a different country or port with which Bristol has traded within its long history and ‘Driving Gloves’, our non-alcoholic cocktail range.
During Covid have you been affected by any ingredient sourcing issues?
A few spirits have been harder to get hold of at certain times (such as Gosling’s Black Seal Rum which we finally have a good stable supply of!) but I think that has more to do with Brexit than anything else.
How do you collect feedback from customers? Is there a process?
We always ask and check in with customers to see how they are finding their drinks and experience. We do everything possible to ensure they have the best night we can give them. If they want to say nice things for others to read then an online review is always appreciated!
In terms of marketing, how do you go about finding/ reaching the right people in Bristol?
Word of mouth is definitely the best as people trust their friends to know what they like. We also use social media, and Facebook ads to let people know that we have opened and make regular posts for special events.
What are the challenges of running a bar under an Indian restaurant?
When the restaurant is overbooked (which happens frequently) they try to send customers down to us who get irate if we can’t take them because we are at capacity ourselves!
What about perks?
Fantastic food to eat on shifts of course!
Besides the drinks, what environmental factors are you/ have you looked into to develop the visitor’s experience?
We have live music every Thursday and run various events throughout the year. As a premium cocktail bar, we get invited to partner with various brands so run events such as a Margarita Month with Patron Tequila. There is something different happening every few weeks at SExC Club!
Fabian Dryden of Stock Exchange Cocktail Club
