Creativity behind the bar and beyond.
FOUNDER · WORLD CLASS UK BARTENDER OF THE YEAR 2014
For James Fowler, a good drink deserves the same thought as a good plate of food. Ingredients, balance and a sense of discovery run through everything he does, from the restaurant floor at The Larder House to the cocktails served upstairs in The Library.
His route into hospitality was anything but conventional. After studying marine biology at Bangor University, James followed his growing interest in food and drink, developing a fruit and smoothie business on Bournemouth’s seafront before building his experience at Urban Beach in Boscombe.
Working across bars, kitchens and restaurant operations gave him a broad view of hospitality: the best evenings depend as much on the welcome and atmosphere as they do on what is in the glass.
In 2014, James won Diageo World Class UK Bartender of the Year while representing The Larder House. The competition tested creativity, technique and the ability to tell a story through a drink, with challenges extending from London to Hong Kong.
One challenge asked him to create a cocktail to accompany a dish by chef Jason Atherton, using ingredients found in Hong Kong’s markets. It was a natural fit for a bartender who approaches flavour with a cook’s curiosity.
National recognition followed, including a British GQ feature showcasing five of his original cocktails. The achievement brought attention to the drinks being made in an independent neighbourhood restaurant on the Dorset coast.
James co-founded The Larder House with the ambition to create somewhere relaxed, distinctive and full of flavour. Wood-fired cooking, seasonal ingredients and an adventurous drinks offering became part of its identity.
The Library brought that same spirit upstairs: an intimate setting for cocktails, specialist spirits and evenings that unfold at their own pace. Parlourmentary extended his enthusiasm for artisan food into cheese and provisions.
Throughout these projects, the thread is a love of independent hospitality and the people who make it possible: producers, bartenders, chefs and guests.
Dorset continues to inspire James’s approach. Foraging, preserving and exploring unfamiliar ingredients offer new ways to build flavour, while relationships with local producers keep the connection to place close.
He is equally interested in sharing that curiosity with his team. Hospitality offers room to learn, experiment and build a career, and he wants the next generation to see those possibilities.
Today, James works alongside chef and co-owner James Golding at The Larder House. Their experience brings together creative drinks, accomplished cooking and a shared belief in generous, personal hospitality.
Their work on the Southbourne Culinary Institute, SOBO.CI, extends that outlook into food education and opportunities for people to discover cooking.
Thoughtful drinks, food with character and a welcome that makes you want to stay a little longer. James’s story is part of the experience, whether you join us for dinner, a cocktail upstairs or an evening around a shared table.
Explore James Golding’s story →
James’s cocktails in British GQ ↗
Talking ingredients and wild cocktails with Fore Adventure ↗
