DRAM May 2012

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DRAM

261 DRAM MAGAZINE MAY 2012 ISSN 1470-241X

Photographer: Drew Farrell

DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

PRUDENCIA HART PROVES A SUCCESS FOR GORDON & MACPHAIL

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IT’S BETTER TO BE BELHAVEN

Do you like to create a warm welcome? – Can you make your pub the best in the area so that customers will want to visit over and over again?

If the answer is yes, you should run your own business with Belhaven.

We’re looking for Lessees who’ll go the extra mile to please customers.

We’ll give you all the training to get you started and there’s a choice of agreement types too.

Welcome to our world. You’ll find it’s better to be Belhaven.

0845 607 5331 www.belhavenleaseapub.co.uk

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DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

WELCOME

CONTENTS

Finally Health Minister Nicola Sturgeon has revealed a minimum price of 50p per unit of alcohol. This can only be good news for Scots publicans. I haven’t covered the announcement in any great detail in this issue, because by the time we print and post, the news will be old news, because every newspaper in the land has covered it. But we do have a comprehensive piece online.

There is certainly plenty going on in the Scottish licensed trade, from new bars to major hotel refurbishments. See our news pages for an update. While our design feature focusses on The Ardshiel Hotel in Campbeltown and Charlie Rocks in Glasgow.

We take a look at the vibrant cider category and I caught up with Graham Sutherland of the Urban Pub Co. With more than a dozen pubs in the group, he is definitely growing his estate at some pace.

Meanwhile this is your last opportunity to enter the 2012 awards. The information is all in this issue, but please fill in your form online at dramscotland.co.uk. The date of the awards is Monday 2nd July and the deadline to enter online is 24th May. Our Cover Story features the cast of the Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart, a National Theatre of Scotland drama that is sponsored by Benromach.

It really is worth seeing, and it takes place in a pub!

May

Susan Young Editor susan@mediaworldltd.com PS I hope you enjoy our Summer cocktail book.

2012

FEATURES BIG APPLE 13 THE Jason Caddy takes a look at the dynamic cider category.

OLYMPIANS 16 TRADE We take a look at the fittest folk in the trade.

MONKEYING AROUND 18 NO Graham Sutherland has been growing his Urban Pub Co. Susan Young reports.

AWARDS 21 2012 A reminder of all the categories at this years awards.

REGULARS

04 NEWS All the news on pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels.

NEWS 09 BRAND All the latest brand news.

SAYS 27 SUE Straight talking from our very own Editor.

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NEWS ALL THE NEWS ON PUBS, BARS, RESTAURANTS

5 star venture for Aurora The Cairn Lodge & Hotel has opened in Auchterarder, near Gleneagles, following a £3m makeover by owner Steven McLeod. This new 5star property is the latest addition to his Aurora Hotel Collection. The hotel now has 10 luxury bedrooms, a stylish bar and grill, an outside terrace and separate luxury 5-bedroom lodge house.

Chief Executive of the Aurora Hotel Collection, Steven McLeod said, “There is a

market for hotels that offer a quality product and great service at an affordable price and this is why we are continuing to hold our own and build our business in these very challenging times.

“The Cairn is the first of several ventures which we plan to open in the next 18 months and there will be at least two further additions to the Aurora Hotel Collection in the near future.”

Have you heard...

The guys behind Edinburgh bar Bramble, Jason Scott and Mike Aikman, last month unveiled The Last Word – the new name for their Stephen Street leasehold in the city. They decided to close what was The Saint and completely re-brand in an effort to go back to their cocktail roots. They closed the New Town unit for two weeks while the changes were completed. Speaking to DRAM, Jason Scott said, “We wanted to get back to what we are good at – cocktails. The Saint had become too food-led, plus we thought that there was a gap in the market for a community-bar-meets-cocktailbar in this part of the town.” The business partners decided that an old school look would be in keeping with what they wanted to achieve, so set about bolding up what was a light, pastel colour scheme. Says Jason, “We have gone for definite statement here - racing green on the walls and an italic bronze painted ceiling. We’ve also got two open fires, with a stag’s head above one, a Mercedes Benz grill also hangs on one wall. We also have ‘historical’ lighting like filament bulbs.”

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New Look Sheraton Unveiled The new look Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa was unveiled last month in Edinburgh, after owners Starwood completed a multi-million pound refurbishment of the hotel and its facilities, transforming it into Edinburgh’s newest five star hotel. The hotel now features 269 fully renovated guest rooms, designed in a contemporary Scottish style with frosted glass-walled bathrooms and state–of-the-art technology. A newly-installed Sheraton Club Floor, has opened, where Club guests can receive exclusive access to a bright and spacious Club Lounge which serves breakfast, drinks and light snacks throughout the day.

There is also a new dedicated meetings and events complex offering

Paper, Scissors, Stone for Johnston and Calvert Montpeliers’ Development Director, David Johnston is set to go out on his own with former colleague Karen Calvert. The duo have formed a trading company called Paper Scissors Stone and are set to open their first venture The Paper Mill bar and restaurant in Lasswade, just outside Edinburgh, in June. The former Leonard’s paper mill had been operated as a bar for a number of years, but lay derelict for the last six, before being purchased by Johnston and Calvert’s three other business partners. David explains, “Our partners own the building and Karen and I will be responsible for its development and operations. It is currently undergoing a radical refurbishment to the tune of £650k (including the purchase price) and once complete, it will include a 160-cover restaurant and 70-capacity terrace, with an earthy interior design, with lots of references to paper. We have also hired the former sous chef from Tom’s Kitchen, David Miller.”

However David will still continue as a Director of Montpeliers. He has been with the company now for more than a decade.

The Papermill is located at 2-3 Westmill Road in Lasswade right beside the river.

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Rosemount Taverns has spent £100k on the renaming and refurbishing the former Jeanie Deans on Glasgow’s St Vincent Street as Barco. Two new tenants, business partners Richard O’Brien and Ilir Kapidani are now operating the bar which opened last month,. The new look Barco has a fresh and contemporary style. Craig Bruce of Rosemount Taverns told DRAM, “We had to strip the whole place back to basics in order to bring it up-to-date, the floor, ceiling, walls and the bar too. The bar is a mixture of marble and granite, with glass pillars, booths and a grey pastel colour scheme.” Richard O’Brien and Ilir Kapidani have both worked together before at The Shack and The Garage. Richard told WWW.DRAMSCOTLAND.CO.UK AND HOTELS TOO!

14 function rooms, making it the largest conference and banqueting area in a hotel in Edinburgh. The property also boasts One Spa – one of Europe’s most advanced city spas, as well as a new restaurant and bar concept, One Square. Headed up by Executive Chef, Malcolm Webster, it offers a modern and uniquely British take on the classic grand café, with a focus on seasonal produce sourced within the UK. While the bar at One Square stays true to its Scottish roots, featuring Vert Boper marble combined with comfortable, contemporary touches.

Gin takes pride of place on the menu with over 40 different varieties to choose from.

Have you heard...

Souter Johnnie’s restaurant and bar in Kirkoswald suffered a devastating fire last month, but now owner Bill Costley of Costley & Costley Hotels has vowed to restore it to its former glory. The thatched building, which was only opened a couple of years ago, was badly damaged in the fire, with the first floor the most badly affected. However the kitchen and nearby Artisan Patisserie were untouched. Bostley told the local newspaper, “Our intention is to rebuild Souter Johnnie’s Inn and make it an even better place for Kirkoswald to be proud of, however, that could take up to a year to complete as there is a lot to sort out initially. We will be re-opening what used to be Peggy’s Tearoom, adjacent to Souter Johnnie’s, within the next two to three weeks.”

Neame replaces Hunter Molson Coors Chief Executive Mark Hunter stepped down as BBPA Chairman last month, when he agreed to take up his new role as head of a new, Europe-based

business unit following Molson Coors’ acquisition of StarBev. Jonathan Neame, Chief Executive of Kent-based family brewer Shepherd Neame now takes over.

The Landmark Pub Company has added to its portfolio of Edinburgh leaseholds by opening outlet number five, 1 High Street, on the site of the former Tass Bar. The new look pub opened last month after a £70k refurbishment, and now joins stable mates Ye Olde Inn, Spiers Bar and the city’s two Mather’s Bars (Broughton Street and Queensferry Street). Landmark Pub Company co-director Grant MacDonald told DRAM, “That address in Edinburgh was hard to turn down, it’s a prime location for tourist footfall.”

The interior design has undergone some pretty drastic changes. Explains Grant, “We have taken away all of the plaster to expose all of the original brickwork and ingles and it is absolutely beautiful. We have added new leather back seating and real oak flooring throughout.

There are also a few trendy touches too, like bookcase wallpaper, and we’ve also installed some new booths and bench seating.”

n.b. bar & restaurant

New High Street Pub

The iconic Road Hole Restaurant at the Old Course Hotel in St Andrews is relaunching, following a twoyear planning period. Simon Whitley, Master of Culinary Arts and Director of Food & Beverage has masterminded the new concept. Simon says, "The exciting changes to the fourth floor herald a completely new era for the hotel - opening The Road Hole Restaurant to a wider audience with new menus created by our award–winning chefs to showcase the very best seasonal, Scottish produce."

Simon adds: "Lunches and dinners will be served seven days a week, not only to our hotel guests but also to our local customers. Everyone can enjoy this exquisite dining destination."

Simon has spent two years recruiting and nurturing his culinary team at the resort, including mentoring the "brilliantly talented" Ross Marshall, Head Chef at the Road Hole and Young Scottish Chef of the Year.

The new Road Hole Restaurant now has 72 covers with spectacular views.

Buzzing at Buzzworks Never ones to rest on their laurels, Colin and Kenny Blair of the Buzzworks Group have been very busy of late, bringing two new outlets to Ayrshire. The Bosun’s Table opened last month at Largs’ Marina, and The Longhouse bar and restaurant will open in Kilmarnock this month.

Kenny told DRAM, “The Bosun’s Table is a café and delicatessen, and we bought the unit at auction long before we opened Scotts of Largs.

Our second project, the 90cover bar and restaurant called The Longhouse, opens on Kilmarnock’s Pitchfield Street this month. We used to lease this property as One30 Bar restaurant, but decided to run it ourselves after the previous leaseholders pulled out. We are giving the place a makeover, although I don’t want to give away too many details, as we are particularly excited about this one.”

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The licensed trade broadly has welcomed the news that Nicola Sturgeon has now confirmed that the Scottish government is aiming to set a minimum price for alcohol of 50 per unit, 5p more than the figure that was previously discussed. She made the long awaited announcement during a visit to the liver unit at Glasgow Royal Infirmary.

It will go before the government on 24th May, and is expected to get the green light.

However the government is still not home and clear. It is widely expected that the new policy will be legally challenged in the European courts. The new law could also be ditched after six years if the policy does not work after a "sunset clause" was inserted as part of a deal to secure Conservative support for the SNP proposals.

Heineken and Molson Coors have joined spirits giant Diageo in pumping £50K into the Best Bar None initiative the scheme which aims to cut crime by creating more “customer friendly” pubs and clubs that will attract families and women. The funding injection will help expand the Best Bar None Scotland initiative, which is being administered by the Scottish Business Crime Centre (SBCC).

Rosemount Taverns has spent £100k on the renaming and refurbishing the former Jeanie Deans on Glasgow’s St Vincent Street as Barco. Two new tenants, business partners Richard O’Brien and Ilir Kapidani are now operating the bar which opened last month,. The new look Barco has a fresh and contemporary style. Craig Bruce of Rosemount Taverns told DRAM, “We had to strip the whole place back to basics in order to bring it up-to-date, the floor, ceiling, walls and the bar too. The bar is a mixture of marble and granite, with glass pillars, booths and a grey pastel colour scheme.” Richard O’Brien and Ilir Kapidani have both worked together before at The Shack and The Garage. Richard told

NEWS

DATE SET FOR PUB MONTH Put September in your diaries for that is the month that has been selected as Scotland’s inaugural Pub Month. It is set to be the biggest PR and marketing initiative around the Scottish pub industry ever seen.

Driven by Scotland’s biggest publisher, Media Scotland, and backed by the country’s top brewers - Tennent’s, Heineken and Molson Coors, (who are the first three sponsors to commit to backing the initiative), the campaign will be the most comprehensive that Scotland has ever seen – in fact it could be the biggest marketing campaign ever undertaken in the UK for the pub industry.

Media Scotland’s titles which included the Daily Record, Sunday Mail, Glaswegian and regional titles such as the Paisley Daily Express, East Kilbride News and 17 others, reaches two out of three Scottish consumers, and the newspaper group has pledged editorial coverage for Scotland’s pubs to help drive footfall.

There will also be a dedicated website, and packs for licensees to encourage them to participate.

Says Editor in Chief Allan Rennie, “Pubs are as important to local communities as libraries, and we will back Scotland’s pubs all the way.”

While Paul Waterson, Chief Executive of the SLTA said, “This is the most encouraging news I’ve heard for 15 years. It really is a positive initiative, and we have already emailed our members, encouraging them to get involved. I would hope that licensees from all over Scotland will support it too. It’s great to be talking the industry up!”

The aim is to get as many pubs as possible running events in September to encourage folk to visit their locals. These events will be promoted on line through Media Scotland, who will also be looking for good stories about the trade.

Says DRAM Editor, Susan Young, “Media Scotland has shown it is committed to supporting Scotland’s pubs. Now it is up to Scotland’s publicans to ensure that they get involved in the campaign too. This is a superb opportunity to showcase the best pubs in Scotland, and to show consumers why they should head out to their local instead of staying in.”

In order to engage with the campaign look out for information in the Daily Record and Sunday Mail.

More sponsors are expected to be announced shortly. Says Young, “I am delighted that Scotland’s brewers have backed this initiative. If the campaign increases footfall by 5% over the month of September that could add an extra £10m to pub revenues in Scotland. That would be a ‘win win’ for everyone.”

Dunns Food and Drinks launch ‘Scottish Roots’ Dunns Food and Drinks, one of Scotland’s biggest food and drinks wholesalers, has introduced a new range of locally sourced produce for Scotland’s restaurateurs and pub owners, called ‘Scottish Roots’. The link-up with the best of Scotland’s local producers will mean that chefs and cooks will be able to put ‘locally sourced’ on their menus, without the time and effort required in sourcing them. Instead Dunns have sought out the very best produce to include in their Scottish Roots range. The range includes products from Ramsay of Carluke, the St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese Company; the Burnside Farm in the Scottish Borders and the Isle of Ewe Smokehouse from the Isle of Ewe amongst others.

Jim Rowan Managing Director of Dunns says, “The recession is hard enough so it’s important to find new ways to boost the economy. Customers want and deserve quality at the very best price, and that’s what’s on offer. I’m not only confident that this is going to take off, but I’m enthusiastic that this new venture could create jobs for all concerned.

Our customers are telling us how important ‘locally sourced’ is on their menus and we anticipate ‘Scottish Roots’ will prove popular with chefs and restaurateurs alike.”

The new ‘Scottish Roots’ brochure in now available call 01698 727 700.

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Alan McBurnie Died 5th April 2012 Alan McBurnie is best known in the trade for his passion for Caledonian Brewery, but he was a family man too.

Wife Patricia, Tricia, often accompanied him to licensed trade social events, and when daughter Lisa had a grandchild, Taylor, no-one was prouder than Alan.

His funeral at St Mary’s Parish Church in Kirkintilloch was very well attended, probably because Alan was one of the nicest guys you could possibly meet. He was everything a good sales rep should be. Enthusiastic, encouraging, knowledgeable, interested…the list goes on.

Alan was as passionate about Caledonian Brewery as he was a about Rangers. And at his funeral a few weeks ago boss Stephen Crawley paid tribute. He said of Alan, “I moved to Scotland in July 1993 and I kept bumping into this bubbly, effusive little guy from Glasgow that was really into the trade and cask beer. He was so enthusiastic he made a real impression on me!” So much so, that when Alan was made redundant by Broughton Brewery, Stephen and colleague Craig Frood interviewed him for a job a Caley. And as they say, ‘the rest is history.’ Said Stephen, “He started immediately taking on the West of Scotland and that started the strong bond between him and Caledonian that was with Alan to the end.”

He took on the task of educating people on the subject of cellar management, and over the years 1,000’s of people passed through his courses which because ABCQ accredited. I myself attended many years ago!

Stephen credits Alan’s courses as being one reasons that cask ale is so popular today in Scotland. He says, “His courses were renowned and have truly been fundamental foundations for the success that cask beer has enjoyed over the last 15 years north of the border.”

Despite having a passion for Rangers, Caledonian’s sponsorship of various other sporting disciplines such as rugby and cricket, proved that he was an all rounder when it came to sport. He was just as happy entertaining customers at the rugby as at the cricket.

And Stephen even suggests that Alan “even saw the light and got to like cricket.”

He was also instrumental in helping making Glasgow rugby’s Friday nights at Hughenden fantastic fun! The Caledonian bar was a very popular addition to the venue.

Alan’s love for the team continued long after the Caledonian sponsorship ended and Glasgow rugby maybe rivalled his other Glasgow sporting passion at times!

Simon Fuller, of Theakston’s sums up the Alan that we all knew. He said of Alan, “Humour was never far away from any conversation in which he was involved. He was utterly loyal, took his work seriously and was completely devoted to the company and his colleagues. He was one of the good guys – a thoroughly decent man, great company, he was what I would consider to be a gentlemen in every sense of the word. I shall miss him greatly.” We all will.

Susan Young 8

DRAM MAY 12

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BRAND NEWS ALL THE LATEST BRAND NEWS

Beer

Lager

New Ad campaign for ‘Caledonia Best’

GIANT DIGITAL CUBE BRINGS ITALIAN STYLE TO UK CITIES

Caledonia Best, has just revealed a new consumer advertising campaign that will focus on the product’s use of 100 per cent Scottish barley and will run across outdoor and print media from May 2012 – led by the strapline ‘Only the Caledonia Best Gets In’.

The campaign aims to showcase the quality credentials of the Caledonia Best pint and drive further awareness amongst Scottish drinkers.

Tennent Caledonian Commercial Managing Director Steve Annand commented: ‘We

have had a fantastic first six months with Caledonia Best and the response we have had from licensees across Scotland has been extremely positive. We are now taking our support for the brand to the next level with our first advertising campaign, building on our recently launched golf activity and further strengthening Caledonia Best’s position as a high quality new beer for Scottish drinkers that uses only the finest Scottish barley for every pint.’

MILLER GETS ST EDEN UP AND RUNNING St Andrew’s Eden Brewery will be launching its first beers into the on trade from June. The brewery the brainchild of former Molson Coors Scottish sales director Paul Miller, is based on a former paper mill site on the River Eden only 3 miles from the old course. Paul told DRAM, “The intention is to have the brewery up and running fully by August and to introduce a small visitor centre by early next year. For the summer it will be introducing a range of four products in bottled form and two in draught form.” He continues, “To ensure that they are set up to look after our customers properly in the first few months, the company will focus on the local area within 40 a mile radius or so of the brewery, however we hope to be in a position to expand this further in the late summer.”

He concludes, “The aim of the new business is to enjoy making really great beers which hopefully the people of Fife can be proud of. We have had a fantastic amount of support from the local trade and community with the project to date, many see it as something long overdue and are keen to get involved.”

Peroni Nastro Azzurro is giving Scottish consumers the unique means to gain access to a stylish Italian lifestyle throughout the season with the launch of a giant digital cube installation that will tour the UK and a new mobile app.

The giant digital cube installation will sit in high traffic urban areas and, as a UK first, the cube will also use the latest human recognition technology to interact with and interrupt passers-by by recommending a collection of items based on their gender and style. Consumers will then be encouraged to download the Vivi in Stile Peroni app so they can create, share and own their personal collection for spring / summer ’12.

The Vivi in Stile Peroni app brings together some of the most stylish and influential tastemakers on the UK and Italian scenes and contains in depth articles, features, style advice and city guides.

Foster’s, the beer brand that embodies the Aussie ‘No Worries’ approach to life, is launching an online service called the Good Call Centre in response to a Facebook petition calling for a ‘real-world’ helpline that offers tongue-in-cheek advice to daily dilemmas from TV agony uncles Brad and Dan. The news coincides with the results of a survey commissioned by Foster’s which reveals that British men are natural worriers rather than warriors – with more than a quarter of men polled firmly believing that they stress more frequently than their girlfriends.

Carling Zest backed by £2m ‘Summer Bottled’ ad campaign Molson Coors has launched a fully integrated £2m marketing campaign for Carling Zest, its limited edition summer lager. The campaign will include TV, press, outdoor and digital support.

‘Summer Bottled’ will also be supported by a digital campaign whereby three top British DJs have been invited to ‘bottle their summer’ by making a track exclusively from their favourite summer sounds. DJ Food, Jaguar Skills and DJ Yoda have each put their unique twist on what summer means to them. All three tracks, plus an exclusive behind the scenes look at what inspired them, are available on youtube.com/carlingzest.

Annette Middleton, Carling Senior

Brand Manager at Molson Coors, says of the campaign,“With its clear, refreshing taste and a hint of natural citrus, Carling Zest is the ideal summer drink. The tracks that DJ Food, Jaguar Skills and DJ Yoda have produced, really capture the essence and spirit of the product; ‘Summer Bottled’.”

Carling Zest has a light citrus flavour and has an ABV of 2.8%.

It will be available to buy until the end of September.

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BRAND NEWS ALL THE LATEST BRAND NEWS

Whisky

Cognac Maxxium UK is continuing its campaign to promote the mixability of cognac with a multi-million pound investment behind Courvoisier.

Called, ‘Courvoisier Cocktails on a Grand Scale’, the brand is taking cocktails to extremes of both size and style, continuing to challenge the conventions of cognac drinking. The 2012 campaign promotes four signature serves and includes a national competition to be promoted across the on trade to win once-in-alifetime trips to the world’s most exotic locations, collecting

unique and unusual ingredients, all to be taken to the home of Courvoisier in Jarnac, for the creation of the grandest cocktail. In the on-trade, kits will be available for pubs and bars to promote the competition and the Courvoisier serves. A social media campaign and the use of QR codes will drive online participation. Bartenders will also be encouraged to explore their imaginations to create their own interpretation of Cocktails on a Grand Scale at a Courvoisier cocktail competition.

Rum Captain kicks of football campaign Captain Morgan’s Spiced® has changed tact when it comes to attracting new drinkers. In years gone past it has concentrated on music and clubbing, but in an unusual move for the brand it has launched its first ever football campaign. The £3 million campaign will include digital and mobile content, as well as on-trade tools that say the company “rally consumers to treat every match as an opportunity to have a legendary night out with friends.”

Kicking off the campaign online, the Captain will release the unofficial football anthem alongside a humorous music video. In the on-trade, 10,000 outlets will receive trophy-shaped pitchers which offer an exciting new sharing serve for the Captain’s signature bar call ‘Captain and Cola’. The pitchers will be accompanied by POS kits and Captain branded armbands. Ramping up the celebrations, the Captain and his Morganettes will be demonstrating what ‘partying like champions’ means, by hijacking parties in selected nightclubs and bars.

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DIAGEO EVOLVES JOHNNIE WALKER® RANGE WITH TWO NEW VARIANTS Diageo Reserve Brands has launched two new additions to its core global Johnnie Walker range Johnnie Walker® Platinum Label™ and Johnnie Walker® Gold Label Reserve™. Both brands have been available in Asia for some time, but will now be available to the UK market. Marketeers hope the new additions will entice consumers who are trading up to premium whisky blends.

Nick Temperley, Head of Reserve Brands, Diageo GB said, “There is a clear trend in Great Britain of consumers trading up in their choice of spirits and this is having an encouraging effect on the success of the premium blended whisky category. By updating the Johnnie Walker range at this key time, we are able to provide our customers with an

exciting opportunity to maximise sales and provide a compelling choice of whiskies at diverse price points to meet the evolving tastes of our consumers.”

Johnnie Walker Platinum Label is a blend of malt and grain whiskies that has been matured for a minimum of 18 years. It will be positioned between Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve and the pinnacle of the core range, Johnnie Walker Blue Label™. While Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve has been crafted by master blender Jim Beveridge. He has handpicked his favoured whiskies, including casks of Clynelish™ malt whisky. Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve will be positioned between Johnnie Walker Black Label™ and Johnnie Walker® Platinum Label™.

Isle of Arran Distillers have have revealed that they raised more than £6,000 for charity through the sale of a limited edition single malt whisky, The Sleeping Warrior. The malt, which was created especially to raise money for the National Trust for Scotland, was released last summer. All 6,000 limited-edition bottles sold out within weeks

New packaging for Speyburn Speyburn Highland Single Malt Whisky has revealed a new look for its award winning core expressions – Speyburn 10 Year Old and Speyburn Bradan Orach.

The Speyburn 10 Year Old design uses the deep emerald green colour of the outdoors, emphasising the theme of reconnecting, and reflecting the lush woods of Speyburn where it is distilled. The Bradan Orach design uses a deep golden colour which reflects the inspiration for the whisky, the golden salmon, which the Speyside region is famous for. Both bottles have embossed glass and wide shoulders, and are taller than competitor brands, giving them real presence on any shelf or bar.

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BIG APPLE

BY JASON CADDY

CIDER IS STILL PROVIDING LICENSEES WITH PLENTY TO TALK ABOUT. went along to the launch of Merrydown’s upside down face campaign in 2005 and the buzz around the room was that cider was on the cusp of something extraordinary. But none of the journalists or brand representatives present could have quite predicted the full extent of cider’s rise to power, despite the reported shrinking of alcohol consumption and current challenging economic conditions, cider continues to outperform other drinks categories.

Research company Mintel’s Senior Drinks Analyst Jonny Forsyth says, “Cider has had the advantage of a lower tax than borne by many competitors which it has invested wisely – especially in constant innovation. Cider has been particularly successful at attracting younger drinkers from the ailing lager category, as well as from alcopops and wine… due to a combination of impressive innovation and marketing nous.”

But in volume terms, cider is still relatively small compared to lager. Its 2011 revenue of £2.4 billion (roughly £240million in Scotland) is a fraction of the UK lager market’s total revenues of £11.4 billion (roughly £1.14 billion in Scotland). But Mintel suggests that there is still plenty of room for growth in the cider category due to the advent of fruit flavour variants which it concludes ‘is attracting more drinkers from the 18-34 year-old category’.

This is borne out in the Scottish market, according to licensees. Fraser McIlwraith is operations bar manager for the Buzzworks Group. He said, “What a difference to a few years ago.

The market has been blown wide open by all of the new brand and flavour choices out there. The biggest difference is that more women and younger people are ordering it at the bar – and pairing it with foods - and it has shaken off any association with bearded middle-aged men.”

Stephen McLaren, assistant manager at The Pear Tree in Edinburgh, has also noticed a big swing towards cider, both bottled and draught. He told DRAM, “Kopparberg Pear cider is popular in here, simply because it tastes great. What the flavours have done for the category is make it less of a summer drink as it’s creeping into our customer’s repertoires over the winter months too. The more traditional ciders are also picking up with a younger generation of drinkers – especially Bulmers.”

Increasingly, licensees are seeing the benefits of as wider selection of ciders as possible behind the bar and in the fridge – especially premises with a busy outdoor area. The Lab in Glasgow is a case in point, and manager Thomas Hawthorn said, “This is a boom category certainly. We have just got in the new Aspall Suffolk Dry Apple cider, we also now have Magners on draught and in bottles, and it is one category that is exciting people from all walks of life.”

So what is happening on the marketing front? Heineken UK launches a brand new Strongbow campaign this month which apes the Britflick genre of film, and is squarely aimed at a younger

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audience, and from the same stable comes Bulmers Vintage Reserve, which is now also available to the Scottish on-trade.

Sanjay Patel, Brand Director Cider at Heineken UK , comments, “ While there are seasonal summer and Christmas sales spikes, cider has earned its place on the bar all year round and its evergreen popularity has earned Strongbow, the UK’s best-selling cider, a place in the UK Top 6 long alcoholic drinks table. Modern ciders are also enjoying +8% MAT value growth which is being driven by +104% value growth in flavoured cider.”

Forward thinking is also high on Rekorderlig’s list, as is sustaining the brand’s growth in the Scottish on-trade. Said a spokesperson, “This year, Rekorderlig will be continuing to reinforce its ‘Beautifully Swedish’ brand positioning through a variety of channels. Trade and consumer PR, print advertising - outdoor, digital and experiential will combine to create a larger through the line campaign. There will also be a focus on digital and social media activity. Rekorderlig drinkers are consuming and interacting online every single day.

Social media particularly, provides a platform to build brand loyalty.”

In May of last year Swedish cider Briska was launched by the Spendrups Brewery, and it is already beginning to be listed by number of licensees in Scotland, such as Edinburgh’s Bond 9 in Leith and The Outhouse, plus Drop Bar in Glasgow.

Briska is are running the main Pagoda bar at Foodies Festival in Edinburgh this August, with its 'Garden of Sweden' bar which will give it exposure to 20,000 visitors. It is being distributed by Proof Drinks. Sales Director Luke Wade said, “Scotland is very important to us as we ramp up our marketing activity in 2012. The lion’s share of the budget will go on in-bar sampling for the trade, and we aim to be in the top ten outlets in each Scottish city in the next 12 months. Our key product is our draught pear cider, but we have also launched pear, apple and pomegranate 330ml variants instead of 500ml like our competitors, as they are a lot more female friendly, and have standout.”

Cider of Sweden have certainly been leading the way with innovation with regard to Kopparberg, including the company’s latest product, Naked Apple. Says Rob Calder, Head of marketing, “It’s not a copycat apple cider, instead it has a very pure apple flavour. We are willing to do things differently and we believe that Naked Apple offers a genuinely different taste to what is already available in the UK.” Meanwhile a new multi-million pound, multiplatform advertising and marketing campaign entitled ‘ün-established since 1882 has been launched for Kopparberg’. As part of this campaign, the brand has also pioneered a ground breaking partnership with Spotify and Last.fm that sees these two music platforms working together with a brand for the very first time.

It’s certainly all go on the cider scene.

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TRADE OLYMPIANS! THIS MONTH WE TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE FOLK WHO DON’T JUST KEEP THEIR BUSINESSES IN GOOD SHAPE, BUT EMBRACE KEEPING FIT TOO. IT’S AN APPROPRIATE FEATURE WITH ONLY SIX WEEKS TO GO BEFORE OUR AWARDS, WHICH THIS YEAR HAS AN OLYMPIC THEME, AND OF COURSE THAT OTHER MINOR EVENT... THE LONDON OLYMPICS! SO WHO ARE THE FITTEST PEOPLE IN THE SCOTTISH LICENSED TRADE? LYNN KELLY OUR OWN FITNESS EXPERT REPORTS. BOB TAYLOR AKA UNCLE BOB (PICTURED ABOVE) CONSULTANT One of the fittest men in the trade is Bob Taylor, better known as Uncle Bob. He is a champion cyclist and, despite being in his midsixties, he has the energy of a man half his age.

Bob told DRAM, “I have been cycling most of my life. I love it! I started at the age of 13 and by the age of 15 I was racing and entering competitions. In the 1960s I was the Ayrshire Junior Champion and I raced until the age of 25. Back then I was able to cycle 25 miles in just 59 minutes! Then the family came along and I was off the bike for 20 years, but it was whilst running a charity bike ride when I was at Bells Whisky that I got back on again. And I have been racing ever since - a mere 25 years. Over the years I have won time trials all over Scotland and held the 10 and 25 mile time record for the Scottish Veterans as recently as last year.” He’s currently organising a trade cycle for charity, so if anyone wants to join in, why not contact him?

JACQUELINE FENNESSY (RIGHT) AND CATHERINE HARDY TWO FIGS / LEFTBANK / BUNGO, GLASGOW Catherine Hardy, one of the powers behind Leftbank, The Two Figs and Bungo, is a yoga convert. She told DRAM, “I have been practising yoga for the last eight years and attend classes about three times a week.

What I love most about yoga is that it allows me to focus on something else away from the bars, and it increases my flexibilty. It is also very relaxing, and despite what most people think, it does increase your heart rate as there are all different levels of yoga. I normally attend a class at Balance, or the Merchant City Yoga Studio.”

Dynamo Jacqueline Fennessy is the other half of the partnership, but while yoga is Catherine’s preferred activity, it’s running that Jacqueline loves. She says, “I have always enjoyed running, and over the last three years I have taken part in the London and Berlin Marathon. Just last month I ran the Women’s Race for Life in Edinburgh and raised money for the Macmillan charity. I was delighted to come 15th out of 2,500 women! I also enjoy playing squash twice a week and Catherine and I are both members of the Stevenson’s Building which is the gym at Glasgow University. It is very handy being so close to Leftbank as we often pop up to do a circuit class at lunchtime. We find that we do most of our creative thinking at the gym.”

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NEIL CONNOLLY, MOSKITO, GLASGOW Neil took up running a few years ago, and before long he was addicted.

Mind you one of the not so great benefits of being fit is that alcohol seems to have more of an effect…as Neil has found out recently to his cost! Says Neil, “I started to get really into training when I signed up to take part in the London Marathon in 2010. At that point my goal was to raise as much money for both Clic Sargent and Bernardos and I was delighted to raise £12,500 which I split between the two charities. At that point I was training four times a week and felt great. Since then I have also joined the Glasgow Fight Company which is part of the Grip House and I train with them four times a week. It is tough going and involves training from 7am, doing two mornings of Muay Thai, and another two mornings of circuits. I also train for two hours a week with a personal trainer. Keeping fit is part of my everyday life now.”

DANIELLE MURPHY, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, IAN MACLEOD DISTILLERS Danielle loves the gym, so much so, that when you ask her where she socialises the first place that springs to mind is her gym. She told DRAM, “I am a real gym bunny, I love pushing myself. It gives me a real buzz. I also do a bit of personal training with my friends and family, and enjoy motivating others to keep fit too. I have a dog I share with my mum so I enjoying going out for walks. In general I enjoy being active, in fact I am going on holiday with my dad to a horse ranch in Montana later this year so spend a few weeks riding. I can’t wait.”

FRASER MCILWRAITH, BUZZWORKS / GROUP BAR, MANAGER Fraser is one of these guys that is totally committed to exercise.

Who else would go out running after a shift, when that shift finishes very late?

“I prefer to train and run outdoors. I run between 20 and 30km every week! In fact I have had to buy myself a head torch so I can run at night when I finish my shift in the bar. Most recently the Buzzworks team took part in the Troon 10k and raised money for the Ayrshire Hospice. My next goal is running a relay leg in the

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Catherine Hardy

Buzzworks Team

Edinburgh Marathon to raise money for The Sick Kids Foundation. Then I have the Tough Mudder challenge in July, which is a 10 mile course with 25 obstacles in aid of Help for Heroes. ” PAUL WATERSON, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE SLTA, AND HOTEL OWNER TOO “My motivation to get fit started when I turned 50. My sister at that time was visiting a personal trainer so I decided to go with her and I really enjoyed it. Then one day the P.T suggested that we went a run.

We ran for two miles and I nearly killed myself, but she promised that if I continued to combine running with my training sessions it would soon get easier, and she was right. Not long after I was training for the Edinburgh half marathon, which I now take part in every September. I also have a friend who decided to set up a 50 mile charity run around Millport for her 50th birthday. I of course took part, and when the event takes place again this year I will be back. I still go to the same personal trainer twice a week for weight training, and I run 3 times a week, two small ones, and a big one.

I ran 13½ miles in that torrential rain we had last week, and now have a cold to prove it.”

COLIN CHURCH (BELOW) AND MARTIN LUNEY BIG RED TEAPOT / TREACLE / HAMILTON’S, EDINBURGH Both Colin and Martin have got the exercise bug. For a few years they concentrated on building their business up, but over the last years they have really got in shape, with the help of a personal trainer. Just as well because Colin has just got engaged. He told DRAM, “ “I do quite a lot of exercise, and I really enjoy the variety of sports I do. I go on holiday skiing twice a year, and play golf as much as I possibly can. I also play tennis once a week and I am a member of David Lloyds in Edinburgh. I have a personal trainer and do kettle bells twice a week too. I enjoy keeping fit and the energy you get from exercise.” While Martin comments, “I really enjoy keeping fit and it really makes me feel good. As a result I try and do as much exercise as possible. First of all I don’t have a car so I walk everywhere. I also go to the gym four times a week and work with a personal trainer twice a week on weights and cardio. I also enjoy Thai Boxing and have regular one on one session with an Eastern European MMA Champion. He is fantastic!”

KEN MCGOWN, S&N PUB CO AND PRESIDENT OF THE BEN Ken, Kenny or Kenneth… also has a nickname ‘run Forest’… as well as a new title - President of the BEN. He tells us, “I love to run In fact my nickname at times is ‘run Forest’! I find it really relaxing. The business we work in can be long hours, and at times with lots of consumption so it’s important for me to have some sort of release. It allows me time to think.

If I’m away on business I will take my running shoes with me, and when back home I run locally about two or three times a week. In June this year I will be running the Men’s Health 10k in Glasgow and The Great Scottish Run in October which I have done for the last 25 years. Since becoming president of The Ben I have been planning some ideas for sporting events, with the view to raise some money for the trade.”

JIM ROWAN, MD, DUNNS FOOD AND DRINKS, BLANTYRE Jim has been a fitness fanatic for years. And until recently competed regularly in triathlon’s, which involved swimming, cycling and running.

Today he is leading a more sedate life!

Says Jim, “I play five-a-side football twice a week, and go to the gym three times a week. At the gym I prefer just to get on with it, I don’t like training with anyone else. Exercise definitely keeps you fresh, and keeps your mind alert. It also makes you feel good. I’ve been doing it since I was a boy.”

MALCOLM BINNIE, TOWNHOUSE RESTAURANTS, FALKIRK Malcolm and his team at Townhouse Restaurants have been running various 10k’s and half marathon’s for charity this year. But earlier this month Malcolm thought he had broken his leg, which ended up in plaster…fortunately it was only a severe sprain!

He told DRAM, “I only started running two years ago, back then I could hardly run a bath never mind a marathon! Most recently my head chef from the Boathouse and I took part in the London Marathon, and raised £5,500 for the Scottish Huntingtons. We now have six of us booked in for next year, including my eldest son. I get so much out of running it gives me a chance to focus. If I run first thing in the morning I am full of energy and ready for the day ahead, if I run last thing at night it relaxes me and gives me time to think. I always leave my mobile at home to keep my head clear. If I’m training for a marathon I will run up to 40 miles a week.”

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NO MONKEYING AROUND LICENSEE INTERVIEW GRAHAM SUTHERLAND IS THE MAN BEHIND THE URBAN PUB CO AND URBAN MANAGEMENT. AS WELL AS BEING MD OF THE MONKEY CONSULTANCY. SUSAN YOUNG CAUGHT UP WITH HIM AT ONE OF HIS NEWEST VENUES THE POUR HOUSE IN FINNIESTON. t’s hardly surprising that Graham Sutherland is now running a pub business, because he is in effect following in the family footsteps. His father and uncle were both publicans. Says Graham, “It’s in my blood. I’ve tried to do different things, but I always come back to the pub industry.”

Today Graham operates 13 pubs, owns a couple of freeholds which he leases out, as well as a couple of off-sales. His estate includes the likes of 1901 and Corona in Glasgow’s Southside, The Lincoln on Great Western Road, Scotch in Summerston, and The Wise Monkey, McPhabbs and the Pour House in Glasgow’s West End. And he is relishing his role. He says, “I think I am one of the lucky ones. I absolutely love my job.”

He is one of the rare licensees that has seen just about all sides of the business. He has been an employee, an owner-operator, has worked for the likes of Punch and Trust Inns as a Business Relationship Manager, and is now back running his own, not unsubstantial, business.

Graham started in the pub business at 16 collecting glasses for Bill Bailey, and at 18 he started working properly when Bill opened the Brunswick Cellars. After nearly four years there he headed to St Andrews to work for Alec Knight at the Dolls House. Says Graham, “I really enjoyed the experience, and stayed there for four years, but by 2000 I was ready to do my own thing.”

So he headed back to Glasgow and opened one of the city’s first tapas restaurants El Sabor in the Merchant City. Says Graham, “We opened ahead of La Tasca, and it really took off. So much so, that I decided to open another one in Glasgow, and one in Edinburgh, in Hanover Street. Neither worked, but the Edinburgh one cost me lot of money, so much so, that I had to sell El Sabor in the Merchant City to Gerry McGhee and Jacques.

After this disappointment, Graham was offered a job back in St Andrews with Willie Knox. Graham admits, “It was good to get back to my roots and back behind the bar. It reminded me what it was all about.”

He then joined Punch Taverns as a Business Relationship Manager. Says Graham, “This was a side of the business I didn’t know. In fact Sue Allen and Andrew Thompson really took a punt on me. I failed the assessment centre test, but the two of them saw my potential, and I am pleased to say it worked for us all.

They gave me an area in Glasgow that really hadn’t worked for them. It was one of the worst areas in the country. I managed to help stabilise it, get good tenants in and I fought tooth and nail to prove that these pubs could work, though not necessarily with the onerous agreements that had been in place. Within 18 months it was the 2nd best area in the country. The pubs I looked after included Blas and The Rio Café.” He continues, “I worked with the licensees, and because I had a background in the pub industry I knew what I was talking about. It was all about working with people and recognising their problems and helping, not hindering them.”

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He joined the Iona Pub Co in 2007/2008, but that didn’t last long. Says Graham, “I was made redundant so I joined Trust Inns.”

But before long, he decided to dip his toe in the water with his own pub once again. This time he and Gerry McGhee formed the Monkey Consultancy in 2009 and took on the Wise Monkey, formerly Hubbard’s, on Great Western Road. It was a Punch lease (now a Spirit lease). Says Graham, “We could see the potential, and they did promise to invest in it… we are still waiting.

All the plans are done, and we have been assured that the refurbishment is imminent. At the moment it ticks along nicely but with some money spent on it, it has a lot more potential.”

Then 1901 in Glasgow’s Southside came on the market and Graham jumped at the chance. This was the first pub in the Urban Pub Co. Says Graham, “I thought it was a great opportunity and it is still, probably, my favourite outlet. I go there first thing in the morning as it is near my home.”

From there business began to snowball. Graham comments, “All of a sudden I was being offered all these opportunities. The Urban Pub Company grew arms and legs. Before long I had a number of pubs – mainly good boozers, and not in the city centre.

Sometimes when you do food it all goes a bit awry. And I deliberately stayed away from the city centre. There you need to do what you need to do on a Friday and Saturday night, and the rest of the week you can really fiddle your thumbs. The Pour House is probably the closest I‘ll go.”

Today his pub company has outlets such as The Lincoln Inn, on Glasgow’s Great Western Road; 1901 on Pollokshaws Road; McPhabbs on Sandyford Place and The Scotch and Rye in Summerston.

I asked him how he organised his time with all these pubs on the go. He explained, “I am all over the place. But my first stop is 1901, then I will work my way across town to the office. With the number of pubs I now have, there is a lot of work that is office based. But I do enjoy most of it. When I worked for Punch I learned a lot about the leasing side of the business, and the legal side. I also learned from people’s mistakes and I shared their experiences. I also know more about margins and duty, and how important good systems are. I now use a similar system in my own business. I am very much in control on a day to day basis.

This is a cash business, and cash is king, and cash flow is the most important area. I check the bank every morning. And I don’t have accounts all over the place. I pay cash on delivery, and every manager emails their cash books at the end of the night. I do all the buying, though I don’t particularly enjoy this side of things, and I appreciate companies that are straight with me.”

Some people might say that he is brave taking on a lease but Graham is confident that this is the right way ahead of him. He says, “My thing with the lease model is that people say you don’t get that much discount, but we do. And usually when we go into a leased pub the company have invested in it. When you have freehold you may get funding from the brewers with regard to

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NO MONKEYING AROUND LICENSEE INTERVIEW work for me, I wouldn’t be there. Some people who moan about their lease agreements take the approach that the till is their own bank, and that they can work from 9am – 3pm. But this is a hard business, and it is even harder now, you have to put the hours in.”

As well as running his own pubs, recently Graham has launched an Urban Management division to offer a specialist licensed trade and retail sector turnaround service to corporate recovery specialists.

On the back of recent commissions to turnaround various licensed trade outlets across the central belt – including Carrigans in High Blantyre, The Bay Horse in Hamilton, The Halt in Glasgow’s West End and The Corona, on the Southside of Glasgow – the formation of Urban Management now provides liquidators and administrators with a dedicated management operation to oversee the turnaround of struggling outlets.

Says Graham, “I like a challenge.”

He continues, “When the downturn came some people put their blinkers on. And instead of taking less out of the business they kept their outgoings the same. Everyone has to tighten their belts and they need to do the basics right. Much of that is just common

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sense – toilets that are clean, a pub that is clean and tidy, and lights that work. When I take over a pub the first thing I do is put cleaners in for two days, and then I spend a few weeks getting the business up to scratch. But there are other things too, which can be addressed. Electricity and gas are two of our biggest bills, but often I find licensees don’t know what they are paying, and they don’t make any effort to get a better price. Some folk don’t even know what a standing charge is.”

Graham is right to be careful about cash; after all it is all his own cash that he is investing. He says, “The Company is completely selffunding. I have talked to the banks about funding packages of pubs, but they are not interested in the licensed trade. But there are lots of opportunities currently in the licensed trade where you don’t need a lot of money. It’s difficult, obviously to buy freeholds.”

As to the immediate future – he says the only thing that he currently has in the pipeline is the refurbishment of the restaurant at 1901. It will re-open at the end of this month as a tapas restaurant – he is going to back to his roots. But he tells me that’s all he has planned… for this month anyway!

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DEA DLI APP UN NE LY O NLI TIL EXT NE 2 END @ WW 4th E W.D M AY! D RAM SC OTL

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MONDAY 2nd JULY 2012, GRAND CENTRAL HOTEL, GLASGOW

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HYTE & MACKAY’S Master Distiller, Richard Paterson, recently provided a master class to over 120 local Campbeltown residents at the Ardshiel Hotel for the opening of its refurbished whisky bar. The upgrading of the bar and the selection of whiskies on display proved to be a talking point throughout the town and has sparked an interest in whisky from the locals.

The event started with a bang when the Kintyre Schools Pipe Band piped guests in to meet Whyte & Mackay’s Master Distiller Richard Paterson, who has been a master of

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his craft for over 40 years.

Guests were treated to a host of award winning whiskies throughout the evening including The Dalmore Cigar Malt, The Dalmore Cromerty, Dalmore King Alexander III – which is the only whisky to be finished in six types of wood – and Mackinlay’s Highland Malt. Richard explained to guests how he painstakingly recreated the Mackinlay’s whisky from a bottle the Antarctic Heritage trust found under Shackleton’s Antarctic hut, that was left there over 100 years ago.

Later in the evening, Richard was joined by Frank McHardy from Springbank and the double act’s banter flowed as freely as the whisky.

Richard then completed his master class, inviting owners Flora and Marion up to sample a very special 60 year old dram of

whisky, which would cost around £150,000 per bottle.

Richard Paterson said, “The Ardshiel Hotel Whisky Bar is like entering an Aladdin’s cave filled with precious gold except this is filled with pure liquid gold that shines out to every whisky enthusiast.

For many months now these two special ladies have set out to create one of Scotland’s finest whisky bars that contains some exceptionally rare expressions. My recommendation is to get on your magic carpet and get down to Campbeltown and see it for yourself. You will not be disappointed.”

www.whyteandmackay.com

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DESIGN FOCUS: ARDSHIEL HOTEL

BY JASON CADDY ampbeltown’s links with whisky go way back, and at its peak, the town had around 37 distilleries. Today, that number may have dwindled to three, but thanks to Flora Grant and Marion Mackinnon’s loving refurbishment, the ten-bedroom Ardshiel Hotel can also now count itself on the Campbeltown whisky trail. Explains Marion, “We get a lot of business on the way to and from the local Springbank Distillery, and since we unveiled the refurbished reception area and bar/lounge, I think that it’s fair to say that interest in whisky has been re-awakened in the town, helped in no small part by the presence of master blender extraordinaire, Richard Paterson, who made the trip for the opening. We now display 482 whiskies – with a further 500 yet to put out.”

Both Flora and Marion used to work in the Financial Services sector, but decided to quit the Glasgow rat race three years ago.

They brought their financial acumen to the table at The Ardshiel through self-financing the entire project, although they remain a bit of a curiosity in what is a male dominated world. Explains Flora, “It is rare to have female whisky enthusiasts, and it still happens that customers will look beyond us for a man in charge, or have been even know to ask when we are getting the bus home after a shift working behind the bar. We very quickly realised once we quit our former jobs that there was a lot more to this business than we first imagined, as finding the older whiskies can be hard work and it all requires a significant investment. But this doesn’t scare us as we are extremely passionate, plus the whisky isn’t going to lose its value.”

The refurbishment has taken two years to date and next on their hit list are the toilets, function rooms and the garden restaurant.

Explains Flora, “You have to keep investing in a business likes this or it will deteriorate. Since taking over, we have more than trebled our business since we came here and you have to plough the profits back into the business and invest in all that you do.”

The hotel itself is an ex-distiller’s house, and the refurbishment has to be both sympathetic to the building’s heritage as well as having a WOW factor. Says Flora, “For both the design and the outfitting,

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we employed a retired gentleman from the local area who worked in London designing hotels back in the day. He said that he could design and build us a ‘show bar’ and we think that he has most definitely delivered on that. The overriding themes are American oak wood doors and finishes, and a ‘Stuart Modern Blue’ tartan on a fabric that has been used on padded panels throughout all three areas. The panels can be removed in a jiffy if necessary and we can re-design them if we get bored. All that remained from the original interior are the wooden ceiling and the black marble fireplace in the lounge. The bar and reception areas were both completely altered, and there is a blue carpet throughout.”

Let’s begin with the refurbished reception area. It’s an oblong area with a storage cupboard at the far end with a glass display embedded in it, formerly an incredibly poky reception area. To the right are two half panel/half glass doors, the first to the smaller bar area, and the second to the lounge.

To the left is an open doorway leading to the brand new reception area, formerly a private dining facility, and the American oak/padded tartan theme continues in here. The back wall behind the desk contains silver-lettered ‘Ardshiel’ sign, and there are cabinets displaying whiskies, spot-lit on glass shelves.

Through the other two doors off the reception, are the interconnected bar and lounge areas. The bar is to the front, benefitting from the majority of the natural light, with all the whiskies shimmering on glass shelves. The bar is also made from the light American oak, as are the tables, chairs and cabinets housing the whisky. Through what was a partition door that has been opened up with two glass display cabinets on either side, allowing in light, and you’re in the larger, darker lounge area. The centrepiece is the original black marble fireplace (the wooden ceiling also remains intact). The addition of all the oak cabinets and padded tartan panels has lifted the place, add to this a blue carpet and blue up-lighting around the top shelf that is yet to be populated with the remainder of the whisky, and you have a bit of a blue-fest.

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brands that twinkle under the spotlights, alongside their very own DRAM award. Says Marion, “We used the cabinets obviously to showcase our whiskies and keep them uppermost in people’s minds, although we deliberately didn’t cram them full of bottles.”

The restaurant is the final room off the lounge, and will soon be given the same treatment during phase two of the hotel’s refurbishment.

Both Flora and Marion are rightfully proud of what they have achieved and credit the continued success it in no small part to the refurbishment. Says Marion, “Tourists now flock here, and we also take block bookings from whisky groups and schools, and we run a monthly whisky club with about 40% women. We are looking to set up a second group shortly. We are always trying to encourage new ways of drinking whisky, and we have Ginger Grouse on tap, so we are working on a long drinks menu. Matching whisky brands with various food courses is also a terrific growth area for us, especially as we move into summer.”

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s we went to press Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon announced her planned minimum price of 50p per unit, but the hurdles are not all over yet. On May 24th The Alcohol Minimum Pricing Bill will go before the Scottish parliament and will be voted on. If it passes, and that looks likely, the Bill is expected to be legally challenged. A minimum price will be good for the Scottish on-trade – whether it will be good for Scottish exports, particularly whisky, remains to be seen. For the first time in years there will be more of a level playing field when it comes to the on and off-trade.

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What a mess the BII Award for Best Pub Operator turned out to be. BrewDog milked the PR for all it was worth. There is no doubt it was handled badly, and in case you didn’t hear…

BrewDog were stripped of their title ‘Bar Operator of the Year’ before they even got the trophy, which had already been engraved. I have just one question - who on earth would give BrewDog that award? Are they the best bar operators in Scotland? I don’t think so. They are not in the same book, never mind on the same page as the likes of Montpeliers, Buzzworks, Signature Pubs, Saltire, Lynnet Leisure, Lisini and that’s just for starters. They only have three units in Scotland, and while the boys there may think they are the BrewDog bollocks, I prefer a pub that serves the customer what they want to drink… and in my case that would be a Smirnoff and coke!

I enjoyed a trip to Speyside earlier this month for the launch of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival. The opening dinner was very well attended, with people coming from all over the world. It was great to catch up with David Urquhart and his colleagues from Gordon & MacPhail, and Henrietta Fergusson from the Killiecrankie Hotel. It was even better to get a Cutty Sark and Ginger Beer cocktail served up by cocktail maestro Wayne Collins. They went down so well, the bar nearly ran out of… ginger beer! Well it was Speyside!

I meant to congratulate Mark Tracey last month. He recently took over at Booly Mardy’s – one of Glasgow’s best cocktail bars. He and his father (who is the man behind Wm Tracey, better known for its involvement in waste disposal), bought the pub from industry veteran Alan Tomkins. Now that Mark is in charge he is making a few changes. I wish him all the very best with it.

It’s been really busy here of late. Last month we published our first Best Bar None Guide, relaunched Repertoire, published the Wee DRAM, ran a whisky ‘Speed Dating’ event or two… and of course, if I didn’t have enough on my plate, I have been helping to get Pub Month up and running. The date is now set for September, which is great. Editor in Chief Allan Rennie of Media Scotland (the newspaper group behind the Sunday Mail, Record etc) is totally committed to getting people back into Scottish pubs… and everyone is set to benefit. So let’s get behind it, all of us!

Jason and I also found some time for a visit to Campbeltown to see the new Ardshiel Hotel whisky bar. Marion and Flora have transformed the hotel. Another transformation is the new Ugadale Hotel at Machrihanish… but unfortunately they

Top to bottom: Jim Grierson and Wayne Collins of Maxxium; Stephen Rankin of Gordon MacPhail and Henrietta Fergusson of Killiecrankie Hotel; Jason Caddy; and the delicious smoked mussels.

haven’t transformed the service – a request for a sandwich and soup at 4.30pm led to the response, “We don’t do food until the evening!” He then directed us to the pub next door.

If we had wanted to enjoy the hospitality at the pub next door we would have gone there!

However when one door closes… we headed instead to the Argyll Hotel on the outskirts of the town. Fabulous service from Natasha, a great view, and good food, particularly the smoked fish platter which included locally smoked mussels.

By coincidence a week later Dunns launched their new food range offering ‘Scottish Roots’ and one of their new products are the very same smoked mussels.

Definitely worth putting on your menu.

I was really sorry to hear that Souter Johnnie’s had been badly damanged by fire. Bill Costley puts his heart and soul into his business, and it’s always a tragedy when something like this happens. However, nobody was hurt, and he has promised to rebuild. Hopefully there will be no more licensed trade premises in Ayrshire suffering the same fate as, sadly, Lido did in February.

It’s not too late to get your entry in for the awards… we have extended the date to 24th May, because we have also moved the date of the awards by a week to the 2nd July. Please, when you do enter, put as much information in as possible - we do judge the entry initially. So a well put together entry gives a much better chance of making it through. This year we have an Olympic theme, but I am not expecting people to turn up in their running gear… gold, silver and bronze, or the new bright colours of the current Olympic theme, will do very well. And every finalist this year will be receiving a specially commissioned medal! Roll on July.

MAY 12 DRAM 27

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DESIGN FOCUS: CHARLIE ROCKS

RODGERS BUTCHERS Purveyors of F Fine ine M Meat eat

Supplying G Glasgo lasgow’s fin nest rrestaurants estaurants with only locally sourrced ced Beef, f, Lamb, Por Porrk & G Game ame 103 Sylvania Way Clyde Shopping Centrree Clydebank G81 2RR Tel: (0141) 952 9558

180 Byr Byres Road Glasgow G12 8SN Tel: (0141) 334 9724

www w.rodgersbutchers.com 28

DRAM MAY12

he revolving door that is 337 Byres Road Glasgow has in the last few months made a further revolution to become an American Diner called Charlie Rocks. As it turned out, the writing was on the wall for all its previous lives over the years Antipasti, then Sofia’s, then Antipasti once more.

Owned and operated by the same team as Nick’s on Glasgow’s Hyndland Road, and Epicures of Hyndland just across the road, the concept for the design was a joint effort between the in-house team and Surface-id. The whole outfit took four months, but was a lot longer in the planning as the company were doubly determined to pitch it just right, and bring an authentic slice of Uncle Sam to Scotland. The unit remains over two tiers, ground floor and mezzanine, and is on the corner of Byres Road and Observatory Road.

Said a spokesperson, “The planning that went into this project lasted a lot longer than the four months it took for the place to be outfitted. We made a lot of structural changes to the interior chiefly the full side elevation that has been taken away and is now all glass. This really opens the place up and this is what most customers have been pleasantly surprised by. The staircase has also been moved and totally re-configured with wooden flooring and a gunmetal grey banister with a new entrance at the foot of the stairs, and we have re-cobbled the floor. And what was an office is now the ladies toilet.”

Customer feedback has so far, say the company, been immensely positive and, I have to say, the design is light and clean, plus the no-nonsense American diner offering is ideal for Glasgow’s West End. It’s a corner unit, so the complete new glass elevation wrap around brings light streaming in and gives practically all customers a good gawp at people passing by. The entrance is more tucked away at the Byres Road side instead of being right at the apex of the corner, and the staircase up to the mezzanine is neatly tucked

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BY JASON CADDY in behind the door on the same side. The back corner is dominated by a square bar with a wooden front and polished white stone bar top.

It’s plain in design terms, with no visible bottles and one fount. The back wall has instead been reserved for a blackboard and a wee nook behind the bar is where the non-mainline spirits are housed.

This floor is lit by some interesting cage light gunmetal grey pendants.

Around the bar are some interesting bar stools with copper metal tubular frames and olive green material seats. The walls are a combination of classic white oblong tiles, and Staffordshire Blue brick – reminiscent of all the hip burger joints in New York’s Meatpackers District. The floor on ground level is cobbled and there’s wooden bench seating all around the windows, with a similar type of reclaimed wood used for the doors to the toilets.

The stair wall looks like roughcast grey concrete plaster, but is in actual fact made from jute.

Upstairs, the changes are subtler. The layout is pretty similar to the revived Antipasti, the biggest difference being the amount of daylight up on the mezzanine, following the removal of the left wall elevation. Just to the right as you get to the top of the stairs is a wee nook with red leather booth set-up for three, complete with American flag mural.

Further in, and the red leather extends to a back wall banquette with the ‘Charlie Rocks’ logo painted on the exposed brick.

Elsewhere, white tiling works well, contrasting effectively with the wooden floors and tables, and the tan leather chairs bearing classic Coca-Cola logos.

And the American influence also extends to the music, explains the spokesperson, “Thanks to the internet, we have a live radio stream from a Miami radio station – all the way to Byres Road.”

PROUDLY SUPPLYING CHARLIE ROCKS. WE WISH THEM EVERY SUCCESS. www.dunnsfoodanddrinks.co.uk MAY 12 DRAM 29

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GLASGOW AWARDS

2012

Grand Central Hotel, Glasgow

Glasgow’s ’Best Bar None’ 2012 raises the bar on safer drinking.

This year’s competition to find Glasgow’s best run pubs, bars and clubs is now underway.

The Awards Ceremony will take place on the evening of 15th November 2012 in the Ballroom of the Grand Central Hotel, Glasgow.

Do you want to know more?

Call Louise McMonagle or Alan Ritchie, Glasgow Community & Safety Services on 0141 276 7400 or e-mail: louise.mcmonagle@glasgow.gov.uk

to request an information pack.

grand Glasgow City Alcohol and Drugs Partnership

DRAM 261_DRAM 253 15/05/2012 15:17 Page 31

MEASURE FOR MEASURE

BY JIM ANDERSON n Scotland, we are (despite thinking of ourselves as rebels and resisters) a nation of rule-followers. As a result, our sense of fair play and our blind faith in the government have earned us a socially-level playing field. If everyone follows the rules, everyone gets what they pay for, and that’s not a bad thing. If it’s a pint you want, it’s a pint you should have.

Our obsession with measures in the licensed trade, however, has put us in a peculiar position. The environment of exactitude in dispensing alcohol has led to much debate over appropriate serving sizes. The more precise we get, it seems, the more choices we need. And the more choices we have, the less exact everything seems to end up.

In the beer world, there’s always been the pint. Ah, the pint!

A man’s measure, at once a volume of liquid, an increment of time and a social occasion. Whether you drink yours from a “four-ale bar” pot, dimpled mug, straight-sided glass or lowly Nonic sleeve, a pint’s a pint for a’ that. Or is it?

Pints have been used as a measure for beer across Europe for centuries. But there was never any agreement on just how big a pint was, a point made partially moot by the introduction of the metric system by our French friends in the 19th Century. Today, the UK and the USA are among the only countries that still cling to a non-metric measure of beer -- although, with one foot typically in each camp, we in the UK serve all other drinks in metric measures.

On the other hand, the ever-quaint Americans have not only resisted the metric system in everyday life, but also preserved some ways of the Old World that the Old World has long forgotten. (See? It’s completely natural for Americans to use the Elizabethan past participle of “forget,” while here in the modern UK, one would say “has long forgot,” while – I mean whilst – wrongly blaming us Yanks for modernizing the Queen’s English. I mean, modernising!)

The UK imperial pint holds 20 imperial ounces, or 568ml.

In the States, however, a pint is 16 US liquid ounces (not to be confused with US dry ounces), or 473ml; the differences in oz per ml is due to the further complication of the US liquid ounce being 29.6 ml and the imperial ounce being only 28.4ml. Like the obsolete participle, the US measure represents an old British measure, pre-dating the standardisation of the imperial pint in 1824 via the Weights & Measures Act. Clearly, the metric-based Continent has standardised its draught beer measure, even having the sense to use glasses that are marked as such below the rim, leaving room for a nice head on one’s beer. Yet, when you order a draught beer Over There, there’s no telling what you’ll get: the Dutch, Italians, Belgians, Spanish and Czechs never manage to pour two glasses the same way. Americans – with no standard beer measures – are even worse, offering vague quantities like “large” and “goblet.” Yet, in none of these countries does there seem to be any friction between

I

customer and barman. Only in the UK – Land of Rebellious Rule-followers -- do we have a complaint culture and even a political lobby over an un-lined glass of beer that’s anything short of too full to drink without spilling. (Don’t forget to insist on free tasters of each real ale on offer!)

Like the real ale drinker who chooses a 3.6% porter over a 3.7% bitter not because he prefers dark beer, but because of the 1/13-of-an-alcohol-unit difference between the two pints, we can’t seem to resist the urge to split hairs over the perfect serving size for every occasion.

First there was the pint, but then someone had to have a half-pint (understandable). For beer festivals, the third-pint came in handy (sensible). Then along came the 2/3-pint, because a pint was too much but a half-pint wasn’t enough (silly). I can see a future in which beer is poured by the drop like petrol, choosing to pay at the pump or pay at the kiosk.

Which is why it’s so surprising that equal scrutiny isn’t given to bottled and canned beer. In the UK, where we’ve closely regulated free-poured alcohol to a precisely-calibrated last drop (.05ml,by the way), we have let breweries run amok with an array of bottle and can sizes that guarantees that neither licensees nor punters know what they’re getting.

For illustration, let’s return to the pint. Bravely relying again on the French, we see that a UK pint equals 568ml, which is 68ml larger than a half-litre. Many breweries offer both sizes in bottles and cans, and they’re nearly impossible to tell apart by sight. But it doesn’t end there. Try telling the difference between 250ml & 275ml, 284ml & 300ml, 300ml & 330ml, 440 & 450ml, 450ml & 484ml, 630ml & 660ml, 660ml & 700ml, 700ml & 710ml and 985ml & 1000ml. Then throw in the fashionable American microbrews at 355ml, and suddenly I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas any more.

Whereas a “pint” or a “dram” is fiercely regulated by law, a “bottle” or a “can” is well open to interpretation. With the size hidden among the fine print, what’s to keep a publican from – accidentally -- picking up several cases of Budweiser 300ml bottles, thinking he was buying 330ml bottles? At our local Booker, the difference is an attractive £1.50 per case, or 6p per bottle, even though the cost per ml is the same. Have yourself a busy week and that can add up to an extra -- accidental -- £24 profit after VAT, with the punter none the wiser. A similar windfall could be achieved by picking up Stella Artois 284ml bottles instead of 330ml bottles.

If you think the punter would notice the difference in the flashing lights and loud music of your very hip nightclub or whilst dodging sugar-crazed schoolboys in the cramped aisles of your Spar, ask them if they know how much is in their bottle of Beck’s. (Answer: 275ml.)

Jim Anderson in the co-owner of The Anderson in Fortrose, where beer comes in nine different sizes.

MAY 12 DRAM 31

DRAM 261_DRAM 253 15/05/2012 15:36 Page 32

CLASSIFIED ADVERTS

32

DRAM MAY12

DRAM 261_DRAM 253 15/05/2012 15:33 Page 33

Non-slip flooring available for bars, toilets and wetrooms.

Providing flooring, carpets and vinyl to pubs, clubs and hotels all across Scotland.

InnCellar Equipment With the experience and knowledge to give a total commitment to sell quality products, that will assist the user in pulling the perfect pint every time.

Cask & Keg Cooling Jackets, Stillaging, Racking, Ancillary Equipment, Fittings and Materials.

Full Range Of Festival Equipment If you are looking for that personal touch, then we are able to supply. Check out our website.

Now established in South Yorkshire.

7 Hunshelf Road, Sheffield S35 1UF Tel/Fax: 01142 727 426 • Mobile: 07527 049 900

www.inncellar.com mikewill@inncellar.co.uk MAY 12 DRAM 33

DRAM 261_DRAM 253 15/05/2012 15:39 Page 34

ROUND UP Andy Gemmell is leaving Maxxium UK after eight years in the job. He has joined Bacardi as Global Brand Ambassador for Dewar’s. He told DRAM, “I have loved working with Maxxium but after 8 years it is time for new challenges.

33 YEARS OF SERVICE...

After 33 years of service, David Wren has left the Scottish and Newcastle Pub Company. David who is very well known in the trade, joined Scottish Brewers as a stock taker back in 1979, and worked his way through various roles including marketing at S&N Tenancies, S&N Retail and the Free trade. He returned to S&NPE in 1998 as an Area Manager mostly covering West Central Scotland and Inverness.

Said boss Ken McGown, “I would like to take this opportunity to say a massive thank you to David for all his hard work & contributions to S&NPC over the years, and wish him all the best for the future.”

His leaving do was held at the Bon Accord in Glasgow, and a great night was had by all.

MELDRUM JOINS WHISKY EXPERIENCE The Scotch Whisky Experience has introduced an awardwinning mixologist to their Edinburgh venue.

Iain Meldrum has 10 years experience in the cocktail trade and has created a new menu which contains of 10 distinctive cocktails, which all have Scotch Whisky at their heart.

Simon Magnus has joined Hilton Hotels in Glasgow as Food and Beverage Manager. He joins from Gleneagles where he was instrumental in the relaunch of The Dormy Clubhouse Bar & Grill in his role as Manager. Prior to that he worked for four years at Oran Mor in Glasgow.

DRAM DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING PUBLISHED BY MEDIA WORLD LIMITED UPPER FLOOR / FINNIESTON HOUSE / 1 THE STABLES YARD / 1103 ARGYLE STREET / GLASGOW / G3 8ND t. 0141 221 6965 e. dram@mail.com web. www.dramscotland.co.uk Editor: Susan Young • Chairman: Noel Young • Production: Jenny Kelly Advertising Executives: Martin Cassidy, Emma MacDonald • Editorial: Jason Caddy • Administration: Cheryl Cooke Published by Media World Ltd. Subscriptions: DRAM is available by subscription for all other qualified persons involved in the Scottish Licensed Trade at the rate of £48 per annum including the DRAM Yearbook.

The publishers, authors and printers cannot accept liability for errors or omissions. Any transparencies or artwork will be accepted at owner’s risk. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the copyright holder and publisher, application for which should be made to the publisher. Articles published in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publishers. © Media World Limited 2012. Printed by Meigle Colour Printers Ltd.

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DRAM 261_DRAM 253 15/05/2012 15:40 Page 35

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INTRODUCING VINTAGE RESERVE

đ 50% of all cider drinkers are new to the category over the last 5 years and they are being attracted by innovation and new products1 đ Stocking the right innovation that is relevant to current trends and will encourage trial is crucial to growing your profits đ Bulmers Limited Editions have already delivered over £2m to the category2 Yo our cider drinkers are looking for new variants from a brand they know and trust đY

Stock Vintage Reserve in your fridge alongside the Bulmers family to maximise purchase this summer

SO U RC ES : K a n t a r Wo r l d p a n e l R o l l i n g 5 2 w e e k s CG A B ulm e r s va l u e s a l e s M AT to 2 1 . 01 . 2 01 2

1

2

Over 1 8 ’s Only