Vivian Pei

Academy Chair, Asia for the World’s 50 Best Bars

Singapore

Vivian is a food writer, cooking instructor, and consultant who speaks 5 languages, has lived in 5 countries and eaten her way through countless others as evidenced by her ever expanding waistline. She has run her own restaurant, a catering business, apprenticed in Michelin star restaurants, done the bartending thing, earned an MBA from London Business School and now sharpens her pencils as well as her knives.

Based in Singapore, Vivian became a regular at 28 Hong Kong Street right from the outset and has supported the bar industry in many ways. Her interest in adult beverages led to a hard won CSW, she was the Brand Ambassador for the inaugural Singapore Cocktail Week and has been a strong advocate since its inception. She has also been judging cocktail competitions for the last 8 years for various brands, one of the more memorable assignments included assessing cocktails whilst in a swimming pool (such a hard job!).

Vivian is also very keen to promote women in the industry and has worked hard to bring Speed Rack, the all-female bartending competition to this region. She has helped to organise 2 in Asia and 2 in Australia so far. In a similar vein, she is the Director of Outreach for the Anna Alliance, created to empower women in the hospitality industry in the region.

A few years ago, she was appointed as Academy Chair - Asia for the World’s 50 Best Bars and is tasked with curating the voter panel in the region, a role she takes very seriously with an aim to have a diverse list that represents the region well.

2020 has brought its own unique set of challenges. In response to the struggles faced by the industry in Singapore, she co-founded the Singapore Cocktail Bar Association, with a mission to champion the local craft cocktail industry. The immediate goal was to create a COVID19 relief fund to help those in trouble. The group is also working on developing business recovery tools as well as mental health support for those that need it and longer term, the association is keen to ensure career opportunities and create/ provide educational resources for its members.