From The Dead Rabbit to The Meridian: Greg Buda brings world-class expertise to Armagh
The Meridian, our new cocktail-led bar at Armagh City Hotel, opens in early November. Helping to bring it to life is Greg Buda, former education director of The Dead Rabbit in New York, which was once named World’s Best Bar.
A menu written in the stars
Greg worked alongside the award-winning team at Drinksology to shape The Meridian’s concept, drinks and service standards. At the heart of it is a bespoke cocktail menu that showcases the best locally sourced spirits and ingredients.
The menu takes its inspiration from Armagh’s long links with astronomy, navigation and timekeeping. We worked with Armagh Planetarium to name each signature serve, so the menu tells the story of the city’s heritage of discovery. The bar itself is named after the historic Meridian Line and its connection with Armagh Observatory.
“Part of what excites me about The Meridian is being able to immerse myself in Irish culture, explore the stories that make Armagh distinctive and use it as inspiration for something people can experience and enjoy,” says Greg.
Hospitality that starts with people
Greg has also mentored The Meridian team in person, giving them the knowledge, confidence and curiosity to deliver a distinctive guest experience. He will share his expertise with bar managers and staff across the wider McKeever Hotels group too.
“Skills can be developed, but what I look for first is curiosity and attitude,” says Greg. “You need people who are passionate about what they do and are genuinely interested in learning. My job is to give them the tools, systems and strategies to succeed, and to create that sense of excitement across the team.”
Since leaving The Dead Rabbit, Greg has set up his own hospitality consultancy and opened his own bar, Bisou Bisou, in Montreal.
A new reason to visit Armagh
The Meridian is a £600,000 investment and part of a wider £4 million programme at Armagh City Hotel. The programme aims to strengthen the hotel as a destination for tourism and conferences across the island.
“Armagh has a distinctive story to tell, and we believe The Meridian will be part of the narrative,” says Eddie McKeever, Managing Director of McKeever Hotels. “It will give people from outside the city another reason to visit, while also offering local people something genuinely different on their doorstep.”
Discover more at the-meridian.co.uk.