Perhaps the best nights out in Cambridge are nestled deep in Rose Crescent, down a darkly lit staircase. If you’re anything like me, funk jam nights have a special place in your memory, spotlighted beside the hazes of Wednesday Revs and Friday Mashes. But what makes a night at La Raza so unique? I sat down with a bubbly staff member, Jess, to find out.

Please introduce yourself and your role at La Raza.

Hey! I’m Jess – the assistant manager at La Raza. I’m responsible for booking in our bands whenever we have live music.

La Raza is distinctive for its cosy and homely atmosphere. How do you approach creating a space in a bar that doesn’t feel overwhelming?

We’re quite a small team, so everyone’s very friendly, everyone’s happy to be there. La Raza is a very small venue, so it can be quite dark and quite intimate – we have to make sure that everyone feels safe. It’s small details like making sure that there’s no glass on the floor, no spillages. It makes a difference!

“Everyone’s on the same level to reach the same goal, which is just jam, essentially”

Your funk jam on the first Thursday every month is a student favourite. What’s the story behind this unique night? When did it start?

It started about fifteen years ago so it’s been going on a very long time! There was a group that joined as a collaborative force, and we wanted to give a community feel that doesn’t exist in lots of places in Cambridge. We have the main band, but then people can bring their own instruments and join in. You get people that haven’t picked up an instrument in a while, people that are just starting out, alongside the professionals – everyone’s on the same level to reach the same goal, which is just jam, essentially!

What’s your personal favourite cocktail to order?

That’s a tough one! Out of our signature drinks, I really like an old Pina Colada. It still has that creamy taste but you can drink a few of them. If I’m going for a classic cocktail, I’ll have a white lady – one of the first cocktails from the 1920s. It’s gin, lemon juice, egg white, triple sec.

Is Cambridge a unique place to manage a bar/restaurant, being a student city? How does that change your role?

Yes and no – we have quite a big student pool, but La Raza is a place where town and gown meet. Everyone’s here trying to have a good time. We have been trying to branch out more to student bands to find a different sound, see what’s new. In the past couple of years, we’ve got a lot more student-based clientele. It makes sense to be hosting events for students with music by students, but we also don’t want it to become a ‘student bar’ – we get people from all over the place!

Live music is central to La Raza’s atmosphere. Why do you think watching live performances from jazz musicians and DJs is so special?

Mainly because it’s kind of a dying art! Everything’s very digitalised these days, and there’s the element of the cost of living crisis. It’s important to us to host scheduled live music that’s free entry. Since Cambridge is a city that’s basically a town, and there isn’t that much going on, live music is essential! We want to make people go ‘Oh, I am still in a city – there’s still something to do’.

What part of your job in the restaurant and bar industry do you think would surprise people?

With bartending, waitressing, and even managing, 90% of what you do is cleaning! Especially for a new hire, they want to get on the bar straight away. the glory of bartending is that it’s fun and you get to chat to people, but most of it is making sure the place is spick and span!

What are the challenges that come with being a smaller venue?

Competitive marketing and competitive prices. When you look at somewhere like Wetherspoons that can charge £3 for a pint, you have to remind yourself that they don’t have the same risk of going under as you. At the same time, you’ve still got to be really logistical about what’s accessible to people.

On the flip side, what’s the biggest pleasure of your job?

Our pride and joy is making cocktails. Everyone employed here works hard on figuring them out – sometimes it takes months! When people order one you’ve worked on, it feels really rewarding to see your vision coming to life.

Describe one memorable moment, good or bad, from your time working at La Raza.

I couldn’t name one! The relationships you build with your customers – the ones who’ve been coming for years and the new ones – are pretty special. Then, there are those nights where you’re closing at 4am and just trying to get out. You’ve often been up for sixteen hours and forget what you’re doing!