— introducing
RUCKUS MAKERS
ANT CIAVARELLA
Founder & Managing Director
Ant started waiting tables in Sydney in 1993 at one of Australia’s best restaurants, Forty One, whilst completing his degree in robotics. He then upped sticks to London and worked at the original Soho House for a few years as a waiter and then a manager. There were a few misspent years in IT before being lured back to the hospitality world, starting Barmetrix in London in 2007 where his business grew in tandem with some of the best operators in town.
Now working with more than 100 venues on all aspects of operation: from stock control, mystery shopping, menu development, environmental footprints, bookkeeping, front of house and management training to building management talents and strengths. Leads a team supporting small-sized hospitality operators, licensing products and know-how to the big ones!
AOIFE HALLIDAY
Chief Operating Officer
Aoife started working in a pub during art college in 2000 (after spending her student loan in a week and a half…) and moved back to London after some time in California, working bars to pay the rent made her realise that hospitality was her calling. She stopped applying for jobs in the media and focused on drinks and service.
Back when the Shoreditch and Brick lane scenes were taking off, she managed bars, people and drinks content during her tenure at the Big Chill, Cantaloupe and Camino group before being poached to head up operations, HR and training at Mothership as a director reporting to the board. Ant finally convinced her to join him as a partner in Barmetrix in 2018 which he credits as his best business decision to date.
Matthew Palmer – Operations Manager Auditing
Abby Pansegrauw – Mystery Shop Account Manager
Paul Van Heerdan – Senior Account Manager
Joe Venables – Senior Account Manager Auditing
Ben Thurston – Senior Account Manager Auditing
Lukas Juszczak – Account Manager Auditing
Tõnn Kukk – Account Manager Auditing
Mada Cristian – Accounts and Finance
MARGARET BARRIE
Gallup Strengths Coach
Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Margaret’s first great life adventure came during high school when she travelling to Eire for two exciting adolescent years. She then studied dietetics and her first work experience was in the large kitchen of a major general hospital. Marriage and family life intervened, during which Margaret studied and ran a private practice in dietetics.
After studying psychology in the USA, Margaret returned home to set up in private practice as a counselling psychologist. She then became an accredited Gallup Strengths coach here in the UK and Ruckus is thrilled to have her ‘whole-person’ approach to coaching available to clients.
LAUREN DENYER
WSET Wine Educator
Lauren started her wine journey running the popular Deptford & New Cross Wine Club in South East London while doing the Wine & Spirit Education Trust qualifications. She gained her WSET Diploma in 2017 and swapped a job as a Secondary School teacher for a Wine Educator (bit different) for the WSET School in London where she teaches the Level 1 Award in Wine up to The Level 4 Diploma. Lauren was one of 3 finalists in the UK Champagne Ambassador Competition 2018 and won the prestigious Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino Scholarship during her WSET studies.
Lauren has taught thousands of students around the world and regularly hosts webinars, has been interviewed for podcasts, radio, and written wine articles for various publications. She is currently a Stage 2 Master of Wine student.
