Finding happiness through work in a lively pub environment

National World - LocalTV

To mark International Day of Happiness, we’re stepping behind the bar at Nortons in Digbeth to learn how to pour the perfect pint of Guinness. What goes into making it just right? And is it harder than it looks?

Transcript

00:00There's more to working behind a bar than just serving drinks, it's about being part

00:07of the atmosphere, reading the room and making sure everyone has a good time.

00:12A place like Norton's has it's own rhythm, steady at first, then bursting into life when

00:16the music starts.

00:18That's when the job really comes into it's own, it's fast paced, unpredictable and notary

00:23nights are ever the same.

00:25There's a skill to it, from knowing your regulars, to handling a packed house.

00:29And then there's the pint itself, because in an Irish bar, getting the Guinness right

00:33isn't just a detail, it's a matter of pride, it's about the pour, the settle and the perfect

00:39creamy top.

00:40So what actually makes a properly poured pint stand out from the rest?

00:46So you've got to have clean glasses, if your glasses aren't clean you're already off to

00:49a bad start and then they can be over cleaned so then you have to renovate them if you've

00:53got glass washer, detergent build up on the inside of them then that can ruin your pint

00:58And then it's the two part pour, it's holding it at 45 degrees, flip the tap, let it fill

01:04up to the harp and then cut it off, let it settle, patience, calm, leave it in front

01:11of the customer, the customer knows it's coming and then come back to it two minutes later

01:15it settles, you push the tap back, you've got more gas in your liquid and that fills

01:21it up from when you're pouring it back here, 90 degrees and you get that fuller head on

01:27it and that's sort of how you do a gorgeous creamy pint.

01:33But working in a place like this isn't just about the practical side, it's about experience.

01:38A good shift isn't just one where everything runs smoothly, it's one where you feel part

01:43of something bigger.

01:44Whether it's the friendships between staff or the connection with regulars, it's more

01:49than just a job and it's not just about the drinks.

01:52Food plays a big part too, a proper Irish fry up like this one is a staple here, bringing

01:57people together over a meal.

01:59It's the kind of food that feels familiar, comforting and packed with tradition.

02:03Pair it with a Guinness, decorative in this case, and you've got a real taste of home.

02:08But beyond the food and the drink, it's the people who make this place what it is.

02:13So what is it about working at Norton's that makes it special?

02:17So if our staff can't afford to drink pints in our pub, we're doing something wrong.

02:21So first off, we pay the staff really well.

02:23So we've got staff that are keen, they want to see their business do well, they're coming

02:27up with ideas and their ideas are heard.

02:29And that's, from a staff point of view, I think they all really love working here because

02:33of that.

02:34And then the customers see it because, I mean they don't see it on a Saturday because they're

02:37absolutely heaving, but when you've got your staff leaning on the bar, having a chat with

02:41your customers, we're not going to come in and tell anyone off for having a chat across

02:46the bar, that's what makes a pub.

02:48And that spreads from staff to customer.

02:51Everyone gets it, the customers get it, the staff get it.

02:54And it's just been a part of that, seeing it going on around you, I think is really

02:58important.

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