Beyond Sustainability with Vijay Mudaliar

Vijay Mudaliar is a soft-spoken gentleman in Singapore. He runs a small bar named Native that seats no more than 30 people. But the way he operates his bar is revolutionizing the way to think about waste, sustainability, and responsible bartending. From drinking vessels made of oyster shells, coasters from lotus roots, murals painted with vegetable dye, and even going so far as to weigh the amount of waste created by his popular bar every night. All of this has lead to a lot of recognition. Native placed 4th on Asia’s 50 Best Bars, Vijay was named Bartender of the Year by DRiNK Magazine’s Bar Awards, and was a finalist at Tales of the Cocktail for Best International Cocktail Bar. But his real mission is teaching others how to succeed in the restaurant and bar industry without leaving a footprint. Saving the world seems to be an impossible task for one small bar. But we have to start somewhere… and Vijay Mudaliar is leading the way. EDIT: A few days after this interview was recorded, NATIVE was announced at #14 on the World’s 50 Best Bars. To learn more about Native’s practices and how you might be able to implement into your own home or bar program, check out A NATIVE GUIDE TO DECENT BARTENDING.