PERFECTING

you learn and the more experience you get which you can use in different areas. I have moved around and I have been able to draw on all my different experiences - you bring an element of them to each job.”

By the time he left St Andrews Bay he had gone up through the ranks – Barman, Junior Supervisor, Supervisor, Senior Supervisor, Conference and Banqueting Supervisor with his final role there as Beverage Manager for the Fairmont. He helped with the rebrand and its refurbishment.

Then he joined De Vere at Slaley Hall as Restaurant Manager and got involved with the refurbishment of its Hadrian’s Grill and Dukes Grill restaurants. As De Vere also owned Cameron House at that time, he made a move back to Scotland and to his old boss Stephen Carter, who was by this time GM/MD of Cameron House. Food and Beverage roles at the Caledonian Hotel in Edinburgh and the Roxburgh (which was owned by Macdonald Hotels at the time) followed. When it was bought by Starwood he got the chance to work in the company’s other properties, the Grand Central in Glasgow and The George in Edinburgh.

Barry explains, “I stayed with Starwood for about four years before realising that I could do a good job with The Scotsman. It had been bought by G1, now the Scotsman Group, and I when I