Paul Rosser was born into a large Mediterranean family; as a child, he was surrounded by the tastes and aromas of traditional home-cooked food. He spent many years in the family kitchen cooking with his Nana, falling in love with fresh, seasonal produce, and learning an array of cooking techniques. As he grew older, Paul took these techniques and applied them to alcohol; experimenting at home by mixing his own cocktails with whatever ingredients were at hand, home-distilling spirits, and carbonating his own tonic water and soda concoctions. This combined passion for food and drink would stand Paul in good stead as, at 18 years old, he moved to London to take up a management position at the Modern British Canteen in Spitalfields Market, a restaurant which aimed to revamp the idea of what British food could be by using the highest quality local artisanal produce. Paul delved into his work, developing his knowledge and skill under the tutelage of Mathew Horvath, now one of Gordon Ramsey's right-hand men. Paul went on to become the restaurant's youngest-ever general manager, at 20 years old, and helped to open and manage four more sites for them over the next three years. During this time, Paul developed his palate for cocktails further, moving beyond the classics, experimenting with unique and unusual flavour profiles, adding cocktails to the restaurants' drinks menus with close consideration to the food on offer. Paul went on to manage many other well-respected restaurants in the capital, including restaurants for celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. In 2014, Paul crossed paths with Nick Perry, whilst working together at said restaurant, they became close friends and soon realised they had a shared passion for cocktails, flavour, and experimentation, which eventually led to their founding of the pop-up cocktail and restaurant events business, Paloma Drinks Co.
