Wildebeest Team Welcomes New Bar Manager and Wine Director to Gastown Hotspot

2018 Golden Owl Hospitality Award Winner Alex Black Heads up Bar Program;
Well-Travelled Sommelier Christina Hartigan Joins the Team as Wine Director

The team behind award-winning Gastown restaurant Wildebeest continues to raise the bar by adding industry stars Alex Black and Christina Hartigan to the roster as Bar Manager and Wine Director, respectively.

Black brings an award-winning bartending acumen and convivial nature to his new role as Bar Manager, where he will help curate Wildebeest’s innovative list of handcrafted cocktails and display the warmth and skills that recently earned him the 2018 Golden Owl Hospitality Award as Best Vancouver Bar Personality.

Originally from Winnipeg, Black adopted Vancouver as his new hometown after experiencing the tight-knit sense of camaraderie in the local bartending community and quickly became a familiar and friendly face at such establishments as Hawksworth, Nightingale and the Vancouver Club. Black also acts as an industry ambassador and advocate in roles with the Canadian Professional Bartenders Association and Mind the Bar Canada Foundation, which provides support for hospitality workers struggling with mental health issues.

Hartigan is a Court of Master Sommeliers certified sommelier, graduate of the French Wine Scholar Program, and has earned a Level 4 diploma from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust. She developed her nose for fine wine with turns as a sommelier at Vancouver’s AnnaLena and Botanist at the Fairmont Pacific Rim, and recently returned from a months-long tour of European wineries before joining the team at Wildebeest.

In her new role as Wine Director, Hartigan will indulge her talent and passion for wine pairing with Chef Ian McHale’s signature farm-to-table, nose-to-tail cuisine and provide unique dining experiences while overseeing the restaurant’s diverse selection of Old- and New-World wines.

“We’re excited to welcome two talented veterans of Alex and Christina’s calibre to our Wildebeest family,” says James Iranzad, co-owner of the Gooseneck Hospitality brand that owns and operates Wildebeest as well as local restaurants Bufala, Lucky Taco, and Bells and Whistles. “We pride ourselves on offering top-shelf bar and wine programs and the expertise and knowledge they bring to the fold will only serve to bolster those programs.”

For more information about Wildebeest, go to wildebeest.ca, become a fan of /wildebeestyvr on Facebook and follow @WildebeestYVR on Twitter and Instagram. Wildebeest also offers private dining spaces available to be booked for evening and weekend events. For more information, enquiries, and pricing for private functions, call 604-687-6880 or email eat@nullwildebeest.ca.

ABOUT WILDEBEEST | Located in a refurbished 19th-century building in the heart of Vancouver’s historic Gastown district, Wildebeest offers decadent yet simple country cooking in a multi-level space that features a cocktail bar and lounge, open-concept kitchen, warm and inviting dining room with banquette seating and an intimate ‘Underbelly’ private dining room. Employing classic butchery traditions and contemporary techniques, Chef Ian McHale and the culinary team work closely with nearby farms and suppliers to develop delicious menus that change with the seasons. Dishes are paired with a diverse selection of Old- and New-World wines and a carefully crafted, award-winning cocktail list for a truly unforgettable dining experience.

Media release and images provided by Jessica Napier, SMC Communications Inc.