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BELHAVEN CELEBRATES 300 YEARS!

DRAM MAGAZINE April 2019 ISSN 1470-241X

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DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

WELCOME

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his year’s awards are themed around the film The Greatest Showman and you still have plenty of time to get your nominations in to show off all your hard work and get the industry-wide recognition you deserve.

I spent an entertaining couple of hours in the company of Donald MacLeod to mark the 25th anniversary of his Glasgow club, The Garage. And if you know anything about Donald you’ll also know that we deviated from the main topic of conversation somewhat and that’s what makes it such a great interview.

Turn to page 18 for it.

I also really enjoyed chatting to our chefpatrons in this month’s main feature on page 16. I managed to persuade ten of them to squeeze me in for a chat, and as it turned out they were all happy to talk at length about the challenges and the rewards of cheffing and business ownership.

Two refurbished Glasgow pubs are the focus for our design features – The Thornwood on Dumbarton Road (page 23) and Nick’s on Hyndland Road (page 26). They have in common the fact that they’re held with great affection by their customers, but their refurbishments are very different.

It’s page 10 for some facts on the mighty gin category and page 9 for our flavoured gin showcase.

Until next month, Jason Caddy, Editor jason@mediaworldltd.com dramscotland.co.uk

@dramscotland

/dram.scotland

CONTENTS April

2019

FEATURES

09

11 16 18 23

GIN FOCUS

We take a look at some interesting facts and figures around gin.

2019 SBPA AWARD CATEGORIES HIGH FRYERS

Jason Caddy talks to Scotand’s hardworking and ambitious chef-patrons.

LICENSEE INTERVIEW

Jason Caddy talks to Donald MacLoed

DESIGN FOCUS

The Thornwood and Nick’s, Glasgow

REGULARS

4 7 30

NEWS

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

BRAND NEWS

All the latest brand news.

SUE SAYS

Straight talking from our very own Publisher.

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PALAIS LIGHTS UP GLASGOW Back in the day the Dennistoun Palais was apparently where it was at, and a new bar on Duke Street called The Palais is an affectionate nod to its glory days. Leasing the bar, which is at 380 Duke Street, are business partners Paul McJimpsey, John Lonergan who run the Record Factory bar on Glasgow’s Byres Road, plus David Brown, former GM at the city’s St Luke’s and the Winged Ox. Paul McJimpsey told DRAM, “We have created a neighbourhood bar in an area that we believe is up and coming, with lots more young professionals moving in. The nods to the Dennistoun Palace, which used to stand about

500 metres from the bar and was, I believe, one of the biggest dance halls in the UK in its heyday, also extend to the cocktail list. There’s one called The Palais Slide which I think was a type of shimmy.” The trio has put their stamp on the place, which used to be The Duchess. Explained Paul, “We have removed a partition wall to create a performance area as well as making the place lighter and airier in what was a fairly enclosed space. It used to be fairly dark with lots of old church pews, which we have replaced with re-upholstered seating and the colour scheme is now grey and off-white.”

The Ship’s Cabin to set sail A new private dining room called The Ship’s Cabin is under construction at The Ship Inn, Eli, Fife, and is on course to open at the end of this month. Speaking to DRAM, co-owner Rachel Bucknall, said, “With so many enquiries for private events we wanted to create a unique space that would be really special for our guests and we’re confident that The Ship’s Cabin delivers.

It’s set within the beer garden and has 32 covers or a 50/60 standing capacity, plus a small servery kitchen and copper-top bar and conference facilities.” She continued, “Two of the walls are made completely of glass to maximise the view over Eli Bay. It’s a light, airy space and will double up as a cricket pavilion on match days.”

The Innis & Gunn Brewery Taproom at 81-83 Lothian Road is back in business after closing for a two-week refurbishment.

A spokesperson told DRAM, “The interior’s been completely re-imagined and now has a brand new layout and look inside, while the exterior was painted grey and is now green.” The bar now boasts 26 craft taps, all Innis & Gunn core beers including fresh tank lager and a number of small batch brews.

Dougal Gunn Sharp, Innis & Gunn Founder and Master Brewer, added, “We have added more capacity to our brew school too.

It’s been constantly sold out since we started offering courses two years ago and now with extra capacity we can meet the surging demand from beer fans who want to learn how to brew some classic Innis & Gunn beer styles.”

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NEW DESIGN CROWNS KINGSHOUSE The £12m Kingshouse in Glencoe has been unveiled – and what a transformation. It was designed by Covell Matthews Architects for owners Black Corries Estate and the hotel is now operated by Crieff Hydro Hotels. The entire place has the look and feel of a mountain ski lodge. The hotel’s bar has its own whisky corner – complete with whisky barrel tables, stone fireplace and wooden beams. The bar has been decked out in teal tiles, with a back bar shaped like a whisky barrel. There’s also burnt orange furniture, but it’s the views of Buchaille Etive Mor and Buchaille Etive Beag that get the top billing and rightly so. This must be one of the most breathtaking views in Scotland. The dining room offers more of the same but is slightly more formal – serving more of that fabulous view too of course.

ST ANDREWS BREWING CO DEBUTS IN DUNDEE St Andrews Brewing Company has opened its new £900k bar and restaurant in the basement of Dundee’as Caird Hall. The 7,500 sq ft premises occupy two units in the former City Arcade, which closed in 1981. Tim Butler, Director of Business Development, told DRAM, “The space has views overlooking the £1m waterfront development, including the V&A and the adjacent Slessor Gardens, where there are many live music events. It’s a vast multi-functional space with 160 covers split over different zones and, as well as various

dining elements, including our lounge bar, round table of 10 and private dining facility, we have a wine bar in the middle, plus a walk-in glazed wine cellar.” There are 20 beers on tap, plus the site also boasts a ‘Scotch Corner’ and an ‘indoor beer garden. ‘The Fife-based business also owns a venues in St Andrews and two in Edinburgh. Hardies Property & Construction Consultants completed work on the barrestaurant as quantity surveyor with architects Andrew Black Design and contractors SteamPunk.

NEWS COVER STORY:

HAPPY 300th BIRTHDAY BELHAVEN!

IT’S S-WINE O’CLOCK It’s the Chinese Year of the Pig and there’s a little pig in Glasgow’s west end. The Little Pig happens to be the English translation of ‘Le Petit Cochron’, Radnor Street’s newest bar and eaterie. Lessee Emma Oates called time on her pop-up ‘Off Piste’ and re-opened last month with a new look as well as the new name. Emma told DRAM, “There’s nothing deep and meaningful behind the new name. I just liked it.” She continued, “I always wanted a wine bar and I’m offering customers 50 wines by the glass.” Several structural changes were also made, the biggest of which involved the bar shifting from the annex to the right (as you enter) to the main part of the bar.

Explained Emma, “It was more of a dispensing bar before whereas it’s now far more of a feature. I also painted the bar’s interior blue to replace all of the grey, which is a lot warmer and cosier at night.” She continued, “The side area where the bar used to be will eventually become a private dining room once we add some separators.”

Fort William’s Ben Nevis Pub under new ownership The Ben Nevis pub on Fort William’s High Street has just re-opened under the new joint ownership of Neil Morrison and Paul Sloan. Neil is licensee of MacGochans in Tobermory, The Lochside Hotel on Islay and The Benleva in Drumnadrochit, while Paul owns Topolabamba in Glasgow. The business partners plan to make several alterations to the pub, which at the moment consists of two bars downstairs and a restaurant upstairs. Paul told DRAM, “We opened rather quietly because we are planning to make a few changes over the summer and then do the main work in the autumn. The place is big enough that I see us remaining open throughout.”

They did make some alterations ahead of opening though. Explained Paul, “We upgraded all the kitchen equipment and we plan to bring all of the food offering downstairs – the covers sit at about 120 for the whole place – and then extend it back upstairs, because at the moment it’s a bit all over the place.” He continued, “The overall look we’re going for is traditional Scottish to keep both the locals and the tourists happy, but nothing too twee.”

Belhaven Brewery recently celebrated 300 years of brewing excellence with a reception at the Scottish Parliament, hosted by East Lothian MSP, Iain Gray and attended by Minister of Trade, Investment and Innovation, Ivan McKee MSP. The event took place to mark the milestone and was attended by MSPs, civil servants, councillors, customers and long serving employees.

Speaking at the event, Rooney Anand, chief executive of Greene King, owner of Belhaven said, “Belhaven is Scotland’s oldest working brewery, a proud achievement and one we are delighted to be celebrating as we mark the 300th anniversary. Belhaven’s name, its beers and pubs are a familiar and much loved part of Scottish heritage. Since acquiring Belhaven in 2005 we’ve held Belhaven’s heritage dear whilst developing the business considerably since.

Today Belhaven is a powerhouse of modern brewing, crafting over 585,000 pints a week of beer from its state of the art brewhouse, producing twenty different beers and exporting to forty five countries. Exports now represent 30% of trade, up from 10% ten years ago.

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At home we are pleased to be marking this anniversary with a brand new visitor centre which will open later this summer.”

Iain Gray, East Lothian MSP added, “East Lothian is a food and drink county and it was a pleasure to welcome one of our most iconic brands to the Parliament to celebrate this important anniversary. The event was a great success, and it was great to share this success story, an important one in our country’s history, and of course the award-winning product with colleagues from across the Parliament.I look forward to seeing Belhaven’s continued success and will do all I can to aid the further expansion at Dunbar.”

Have you Heard?

The McMillan family-owned The McMillan Bar and Chop House on Glasgow’s Pollokshaws Road has been re-branded Andy’s Bar after Andy McMillan and sister Mia took over the running of the bar last month. Andy told DRAM, “We spent £25k, including a new ceiling to mask the exposed industrial pipes, stainless steel bar top and a white neon sign displaying the bar’s new name.”

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For Scotland’s best-selling ale and beautiful beers like 2018’s Beer Of The Year, shouldn’t you be talking to Belhaven?

Celebratory Birthday Beer

Belhaven Best is Scotland’s Best-Loved Best, with 34% market share of keg ales.*

Multi-Award winning Twisted Grapefruit IPA and an unrivalled range of cask and craft beers means there’s a Belhaven beer to suit every bar.

We also sell leading brands in all major categories within beers, wines, spirits and minerals

To discover more about our range or to arrange an appointment with your local Sales Account Manager call 6

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0845 607 5325

*Source: CGA OPMS MAT to 06/10/18

BRAND NEWS

ALL THE L ATEST BRAND NEWS

RUM

GIN

THE BOLDEST RUM IN THE WORLD?

KNOFFLER COLLABORATES ON GIN

Spice Hunter has just launched and its PR claims it is “the boldest spiced rum in the world.” Distributed through Fields, Morris & Verdin, Spice Hunter comes from Mauritius and combines13 exotic spices with premium Mauritian rum from the Medine distillery, the oldest on the island (1926). Jack Denley, Brands Executive for Spice Hunter, said, “This is a rum that doesn’t get lost in the mix and challenges you to make a bold move. With its 13 exotic spices and aged Mauritian rum, Spice Hunter is designed for the modern drinker; complex, approachable and undeniably bold.”

Portobello Road Gin has collaborated with rock musician and Dire Straits frontman, Mark Knopfler, to launch a special edition gin for the UK market. Jake F. Burger, co-founder of Portobello Road Gin said, “The Local Heroes collection is an occasional release of very limited edition gins created in collaboration with some of our own personal heroes and people whom we feel best embody the spirit of Portobello Road. Mark was introduced to us by our previous Local Hero, Brett Graham. After meeting with Mark and his management for lunch and bonding over a mutual love of music and gin, the collaboration was agreed. He continued, “I worked closely with Mark to create the recipe, which was guided by his preferred gin styles. As expected, the flavours are totally unique and we believe the result is extremely exciting.”

New Glasgow Rum The Glasgow Distillery Company has released Banditti Club - Glasgow Spiced Rum.The name is derived its name from a band of ardent spirits who would meet in Glasgow’s local public houses in the late 18th and early 19th century; singing, eating and playing music late into the night. Matured and spiced in Glasgow, Banditti Club is made using rum distilled from freshly pressed sugar cane juice on the Island of Madeira. Mike Hayward, Co-Founder of The Glasgow Distillery Company said, “Banditti Club offers a premium, all-natural product with no added sugars or colourings which we believe stands up strongly alongside the best spiced rums currently available.”

WHISKY

HIGHLAND PARK’S TWISTED TATTOO Highland Park has launched a 16-Year-Old single malt whisky Twisted Tattoo, which combines whisky matured in rioja seasoned wine casks and first fill bourbons casks. Twisted Tattoo comes from Orkney’s Norse ancestry and the Viking legend of the Midgard Serpent which grew so large it twisted around the earth to bite its own tail. To bring this mythology to life on the bottle, Highland Park has partnered with Danish tattoo artist Colin Dale, who specialises in the ancient art of dot-work tattooing – a freestyled, non-electric tattoo technique – to create Twisted Tattoo’s striking design. Chris Anderson, head of Edrington brands at Edrington-Beam Suntory UK, said, “Highland Park is incredibly proud of its Orcadian routes, which is why so many of our whiskies celebrate our home - and Twisted Tattoo is no different. Highland Park is innately Nordic and we want to pay homage to this.”

BEER

Atlas Brewing relaunch Sinclair Breweries Ltd has re-launched its Atlas Brewing Company range. The initial brews have been created at the state-of-the-art, SALSA approved, Orkney Brewery, by a team that includes John Rodger, one of the original and pioneering Atlas brewers. Craig Steven, Sinclair Breweries’ commercial manager, and Scotland’s first certified beer sommelier, said, “By relaunching Atlas we can push the New World flavours in the formats best suited, and be able to offer a more complete solution in our range of beers, without sacrificing the old-world character and premium that is the Orkney Brewery.”

VODKA

HAKU® VODKA JOINS E-BS STABLE Edrington-Beam Suntory UK has introduced Haku Japanese Vodka to the UK. Created from Japanese ingredients by the master artisans at the House of Suntory, the Founding House of Japanese Whisky, Haku Vodka say the company represents the nature and spirit of Japan. Nick Ganich, Edrington-Beam Suntory UK Head of Brands for Beam Suntory comments, “The launch of this new vodka creates great opportunity for craft spirits enthusiasts to discover new tastes and experiences that further embody Shinjiro Torii’s vision of a challenge and quest for excellence.”

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PINK

& LEMONGRASS LIQ

GIN

GRAPEFRUIT UE UR

FROM

TRY OUR

SPRITZ

A Marvellously Mixed Peacocktail 50ml

Pickering’s Pink Grapefruit & Lemongrass Gin Liqueur

75ml

Prosecco

50ml

Sparkling Water

Serve over ice in a stemmed glass with a Grapefruit Twist & Basil Sprig!

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GIN

BACKBAR FAVOURITE’S

McQUEEN GIN COCONUT & LIME GIN From their home in the picturesque Trossachs National Park in Central Scotland, McQueen Gin, the Godfathers of innovative flavoured gins, have been exciting palates up and down the country since their foundation in 2015 with their adventurous Scottish spirits, distilled to be different. Their range features flavours such as Smokey Chilli, Chocolate Mint and Colour Changing Forest Fruits, and their latest innovation has just been launched in Scottish Sainsbury’s stores; McQueen Coconut & Lime Gin. This one is a real taste of the Caribbean, straight out of sunny Callander. For more information, visit www.mcqueengin.co.uk or follow McQueen Gin on all social media channels.

PICKERING’S GIN Inspired by their signature garnish – the pink grapefruit – Pickering’s Pink Grapefruit and Lemongrass Gin Liqueur is the perfect addition to your menu. It is blended with the soft, sweet citrus of real pink grapefruit, making it lusciously tart and tangy. Lifted with lemongrass, it is a decadent and refreshing addition to prosecco. Or tonic. Or even on its own…

Pickering’s Pink Grapefruit and Lemongrass Liqueur is currently on promotion through wholesalers Inverarity Morton, Dunns and Gordon and MacPhail. Pickering’s offer free staff training and distillery visits for all stockists.

Contact sales@pickeringsgin.com for more information.

KINTYRE GIN Kintyre Gin is sustainably produced using our very own renewable energy, powered from the small hydro-electric scheme at Torrisdale Castle Estate. Our water is sourced from the hill from which we take our name. ‘Beinn an Tuirc’ translates from gaelic as ‘The Hill of the Wild Boar’ and is the highest point in Kintyre, located above our distillery building.

Our gin is multi-award winning and recently came second in a Scottish gin consumer poll of over 6,000 people. Kintyre Gin is a Classic London Dry Gin using traditional and unique botanicals and offers a delicate juniper, citrus and floral spirit with a warm spice to finish.

THE TEASMITH GIN The Teasmith Gin is proudly Scotland’s first gin distilled with hand-picked tea – celebrating the heritage links that the country has with the international tea trade.

Distilled in traditional copper alembic stills in the heart of the Scottish countryside, combining a range of 10 carefully selected botanicals with a black Ceylon tea from the Amba estate in Sri Lanka, The Teasmith is light on the palate with a distinct, crisp freshness.

Whilst The Teasmith Gin is best served long with a sprig of mint, copious ice and quality tonic for a truly refreshing G&T, the delicate juniper-led citrus notes are equally home within a cocktail.

The Teasmith is the refreshing choice of a new generation of gin connoisseurs.

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According to the William Grant & Sons Market Report 2018, the gin category is worth £1.46bn, or 4.1m 9L cases, in the UK - growing a staggering +£346.7m from 2017. Sales growth in the UK on-trade is principally being driven the most, in actual terms, by gin (+£181.9m).

73m

THE UK BOUGHT A RECORD BREAKING 73 MILLION BOTTLES OF GIN LAST YEAR ACROSS THE ON AND OFF-TRADE (NIELSEN/CGA)

There’s no set maximum, but the minimum alcoholic strength of gin is 37.5%.

Trossachs Distillery recently welcomed a new arrival called ‘Big Doogy’ the still, joining little sister ‘Little Maggie’ in the production of McQueen Gin. Big Doogy was made using the purest copper, took nine months to build, and sports a ‘Big Doogy’ nameplate. He has a volume capacity of 1,200 litres with an output of 3,640 litres of finished gin per day. We can see where he gets his name from!

Crabbie’s is a brand with a heritage dating back to 1801.

The original Crabbie’s Gin recipes were found in an archive dating back to 1837.

The initial launches have all been recreated from different recipes found in the archive and include some unusual botanicals.

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Gin

In a recent survey of Scotland’s gin lovers by The Scottish Gin society, Kintyre Botanical Gin came second and the Teasmith Gin polled at number 5! In total, 6435 unique votes were cast in a survey that asked consumers to pick one of the many gins produced in Scotland as their favourite.

Prior to gin becoming a spirit we enjoy for leisurely reasons, the spirit was used for medicinal purposes. In India, it was used to make tonic water and cinchona mixture a more palatable taste to combat malaria.

Gin had been known as ‘Mother’s Milk’ from the 1820s but later in the century it became known as ‘Mother’s Ruin’, a description perhaps originating from the earlier ‘Blue Ruin’ of the prohibition era in the previous century.

Facts

The expression ‘Dutch courage derives from Gin being a Dutch invention. It was first distilled in Holland in the 16th century. The flavouring in gin comes from juniper berries and the Dutch for ‘juniper’ is ‘jenever’, which got Anglicised to ‘ginever’ and then to ‘gin’. The Dutch were the principal adversaries of the British at the time.

Kintyre Botanical Gin is sustainably produced using renewable energy, powered from the small hydro-electric scheme at Torrisdale Castle Estate. Its water is sourced from the hill from which the gin takes its name. ‘Beinn an Tuirc’ translates from gaelic as ‘The Hill of the Wild Boar’ and is the highest point in Kintyre, located above the distillery building.

Gin and curry go together. The marriage of flavours works will because neither overpowers the other Said Izzy Almond, GM, of The Royal Dick in Edinburgh, “I’d say that more men are drinking gin and both sexes are willing to experiment beyond a G&T. Pickering’s Original 1947 Gin goes really well with ginger ale, but we’re also finding customers asking for it to be mixed with Dr Pepper. I’ve tried it and it’s really good. It goes really well with the orangey-spicy-ness.”

incorporating the DRAM AWARDS 2019

GUIDE

2019 is going to be a great year for the Scottish Bar and Pub Awards – we are celebrating all that is great about the Scottish hospitality industry. So is is only fitting that this year’s theme is ‘The Greatest Showman.’ The Awards will take place on 20th August.

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AWARD CAT incorporating the DRAM AWARDS 2018

DOG FRIENDLY PUB OF THE YEAR

CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD

The Scottish Bar & Pub Awards are hunting for a pub that provides a welcome for pet dogs. Do you know a pub or bar that allow customers to bring their friendly pooches inside? Do they provide a water bowl, and the occasional treat? If so, they could be in the running for this accolade. Judges will be bringing their own dogs on mystery visits (volunteers are queuing up!!)

If you think you know a pub or hotel that fits the bill – enter it now and if you think you are the most Dog Friendly Pub in Scotland get your customers voting! The two-legged variety!

Customer service is paramount when it comes to running a successful business. BII Scotland is on the lookout for a pub, restaurant or hotel which fully embraces the customer service ethos. Do you know a business that does this? If so, they could be eligible for this Award.

Judges will look at the measures that are in place to ensure staff are well trained in customer service.

Short listing will be done by Mystery Shoppers and if necessary this will be followed up with a meeting with the judges. If you want to put a nomination in, do so now.

HOTELSCOTLAND CASUAL DINING AWARD This year we are looking for a restaurant that also boasts a bar, that has created the perfect ambiance and food offering for casual dining, one of the biggest food trends of the moment.

Tasty, good value food, excellent customer service and a relaxed and inviting environment are all crucial. Do you think you know a venue that fits the bill? Why not nominate now.

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HOTEL BAR OF THE YEAR Hotel Scotland, Scotland’s only dedicated hotel publication, is on the lookout for a great hotel bar.

Great service, a well put together drinks list, and inviting decor could help put you on the map as Scotland’s top hotel bar.

Hotels are the largest segment when it comes to malt whisky value sales accounting for more than 22% of sales and hotels sell five times more champagne than the market average.

Now you know. To enter this category or to vote for a hotel bar go to www.scottishbarandpubAwards.com.

EMERGING ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR Buzzworks and Flow are partnering to offer one emerging entrepreneur the opportunity to be mentored by one of the industry’s most experienced and successful individuals over a twelve month period. Are you successful already, but would hugely benefit from great operational and financial advice, to allow your business to grow to the next level? If so let us know you think you would benefit. All candidates will be interviewed too.

Send your information to susan@ mediaworldltd.com

CONNOISSEURS CHOICE WHISKY BAR OF THE YEAR Gordon & MacPhail’s Connoisseur’s Choice range gives a platform to many of Scotland’s single malt distilleries from across all regions, some of which have never before been bottled as a single malt. The company believes that every distillery has a personality of its own, and this year the company is looking for a whisky bar with personality that has an excellent range of whiskies. Staff should be well trained and enthusiastic when it comes to recommending whisky to their customers and a good Scottish welcome is also important.

Do you know a bar worth nominating or do you think you are that bar?

TEGORIES 2019 THE SEA CHANGE EVOLUTION AWARD SPONSORED BY INVERARITY MORTON

Sea Change is a range of environmentally conscious wines that are now being distributed by Inverarity Morton and this year, in the same spirit, Inverarity Morton is looking for a hospitality business with the same ethos. Do you know a business, or are you a business, that is adopting a more sustainable way of working - whether by introducing eco wines to your wine list or moving from plastic to glass? Or have you introduced any other evolutionary concept with regard to how you sell your wine?

Perhaps you encourage your staff to get involved in local conservation efforts or are a dab hand at recycling? It all counts.

We are looking for a buisness that gives back to the environment and thinks in an evolutionary fashion for this award.

SOCIAL MEDIA AWARD Social Media is very important when it comes to promoting your business. How well are you doing it? Do you think you are the best in Scotland? What a great way of demonstrating that you are by getting your customers to vote for you – not just in this category!

We’re looking for examples of great content, interaction and results.

Enter now at www. scottishbarandpubawards.com Visit scottishbarandpubawards. com/information-for-bars-pubs/ marketing-materials/ to use on your social media.

NEW BAR OF THE YEAR

BEER BAR OF THE YEAR

Kopparberg is on the lookout for Scotland’s best new bar The Kopparberg team is looking for a bar that has proved to be a success with customers – it doesn’t have to be the most stylish or the biggest, but owners should demonstrate creative forward-thinking and be inclined to think outside of the box when it comes to developing their business. It goes without saying but good customer service and an excellent range of products behind the bar is essential. Do you know a bar that deserves the title? If so put them forward for the accolade now.

Judges will be looking for an outlet with a range of good quality, well maintained beers, and a team who are passionate and knowledgeable about their line up. A passion for beer and the ability to educate their drinkers on all things beer is a must.

A team who aren’t afraid to champion beer with food – anything from a low alcohol lager, to a punchy IPA. If you know a pub that fits the bill, or you are one... vote at www. scottishbarandpubawards.com

COCKTAIL BAR OF THE YEAR Do you think you know the best cocktail bar in Scotland or do you think you ARE the best Cocktail Bar in Scotland? If so why not enter the Tia Maria Cocktail Bar of the Year category? Judges will be looking for a bar with a good ambience and well-trained staff who have a strong customer focus, as well as, the ability of staff to put their own spin on a Tia Maria Espresso Martini .

Expertly made cocktails, a willingness to experiment and a good knowledge of spirits are essential. If you think you fit the bill or you know a bar that does, please enter now telling us why you think so.

THE PUB SPY AWARD Pub Spy has been a great success since it returned to the Sunday Mail in 2016. This year the judges at the Scottish Bar & Pubs Awards, will be whittling down the positively reviewed pubs and four will make it through to the Award ceremony. The Pub Spy pubs will receive further mystery visits and customers will be encouraged to vote too at www.

Scottishbarandpubawards.com.

To see if you are eligible check out the Sunday Mail.

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incorporating the DRAM AWARDS 2018

AWARD CATEGORIES 2019

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

PUB OF THE YEAR

This honour is bestowed upon the person who during their career, have made a significant contribution to the licensed trade.

Last years winners were Harry and Kathleen Hood of Lisini. Past recipients have also included:David Urquhart, Billy Dunn, Bob Taylor, Lord MacFarlane, Angus Meldrum. Maroulla Nicholas, John Gilligan and Jonathan and Jeff Stewart.

This year the Sunday Mail Pub of the Year Award will go to the ‘best of the best’ at the Scottish Bar and Pub Awards.

This means that all the winners from the individual pub and bar categories will go forward to be considered for the ultimate accolade Pub of the Year. With the overall winner picking up the coveted Sunday Mail Pub of the Year mirror.

BAR APPRENTICE 2019 The Bar Apprentice is back for its 12th year with – William Grant & Sons backing the initiative with brands Glenfiddich Single Malt Whisky, Hendrick’s Gin, Sailor Jerry and Reyka. Wm Grant has also created a bespoke programme for this year’s apprentices – an experience you can’t buy! The programme aims to inspire and educate as well as giving practical experience for working behind the bar or on the floor. The 2019 apprentices will be mentored by a team of experts from William Grant & Son’s.The apprentice who embraces the experience and makes the most progress will receive the accolade William Grant & Sons Bar Apprentice 2019 and will be presented with the award at the Awards Ceremony. If you would like to be put forward for the experience or you have a member of staff that you would like to put forward email:- susan@ mediaworldltd.com

WHISKY BRAND OF THE YEAR ����������������������� VODKA BRAND OF THE YEAR ����������������������� GIN BRAND OF THE YEAR ����������������������� BEER BRAND OF THE

YEAR

FINAL CATEGORIES TO BE REVEALED NEXT MONTH.

Celebrating 150 years in 2019

Iconic Czech Pilsner

The lighter tasting Pilsner Inspired by Prague

5% ABV

4% ABV

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THIS MONTH JASON CADDY TALKED TO SOME OF THE CHEF-PATRONS WHO ARE MAKING THEIR MARK ON THE SCOTTISH CULINARY SCENE.

HIGH FRYER FRED BERKMILLER

l’escargot bleu, Edinburgh Fred Bermiller grew up in a family that was passionate about food yet initially he wasn’t so sold on it himself. He explained, “I started working in a kitchen at a young age and hated it until I got to London when I was 20. I worked in Cassis restaurant in Putney, among others. I fell in love with the hard work and the industry.” Fred also ran Pierre Victoire in Glasgow in the 90s for ten years before opening Petit Paris in Edinburgh. Then he opened l’escargot bleu, l’escargot blanc and bar à vin. So what’s key to beinging a successful chef-patron?

“Multi-tasking. I’ve got to be a kitchen porter, a potato peeler, and have business mind. Being a great leader comes from the top and the back – you have to be able to push and pull. If you don’t know your product, there’s no point cooking. There is a lack of education in a country where supermarkets run the show.”

MARK GREENAWAY

Grazing by Mark Greenaway, Edinburgh Mark Greenaway is busy fine tuning the menus and getting the look and feel of his new 170-cover restaurant, Grazing by Mark Greenaway, just so. It opens on 17th April. Said Mark, “It’s going to be informal and relaxed with a high standard of food of course. It’s not all about the table cloths and £500 bottles of wine.” He said, “Being a chef and a patron are two distinctively different things. The life of a chef is really quite insular but when you’re running the place, the colour on the walls, and the service out front all comes down to you.” He said, “I still live and die by my menu. You don’t have an owner expressing his or her opinion on your menu or going to another restaurant then coming back to tell you that they’ve just had a wonderful Thai salad and then expecting you to put it on a menu with zero Thai element, for example.” His career then took him all over the world, spending five years in Sydney in the late 90s when the restaurant scene was very different. Mark explained, “You had to leave Scotland to learn to cook back then, whereas now it’s the complete opposite.”

NEIL FORBES Cafe St Honore, Edinburgh

Neil opened Edinburgh’s Cafe St Honore on April Fool’s Day 2008, during the height of the financial crisis, and eleven years later it’s still going strong. Said Neil, “Looking back, this was an incredibly difficult time to open. The ‘suits’ looking for a business lunch had all but disappeared for a start, but I’d always wanted to open a restaurant with an emphasis on sustainability and cooking simple food with elegance. I think that after eleven years we’ve just about cracked it.” Neil reckons that there’s something rather unique about working in this industry, while being continually aware of how creative drives must meet the needs of the business. He explained, “There’s no other industry where you use all of you senses because it’s just so creative. You do have to be aware of the economics too of course, and as a business we are more profitable because we are more sustainable, plus how we recycle now costs us a lot less. How we buy food and train the next generation of chefs is also all hugely important to me. As winner of Best Organic restaurant in the UK last year, the impact of organic is also hugely important. We were the first restaurant in the UK to win the Soil Association’s ‘Organic served here’ accreditation.”

CRAIG GRANT

JUDITH FISH

Craig Grant was born in Scotland but cut his teeth at catering school at Westminster College London. His first head chef position was at the Rookery Hotel in Cheshire.

He’s now chef-patron at The Sorn Inn, Ayrshire. Said Craig, “I got to the point of really wanting to return to Scotland and fancied going it alone and so, with my dad’s backing, I acquired The Sorn Inn and I’m still here 17 years later.” He said, “I love the day-to-day conversations with customers when they come to the kitchen door to give me their feedback. I took a dish off the menu after 17 years – a chargrilled supreme of chicken with banana rice and fruit curry sauce –and I was nearly lynched. Needless to say it’s since been reinstated.”

In terms of the business, Craig recognises that times are a wee bit tough. He said, “Supermarket meal deals and the like are really hurting country pubs like ours. But we are fighting back by being creative and doing our own deals and incentives, like voucher redemption schemes.”

Judith Fish was decorated with an MBE by the Queen in the New Year’s Honours for services to Highland tourism and has become rather a celebrity since. “All the attention has been flattering’” she said. As chef-patron at the Applecross Inn, she admits that she doesn’t cook as much as she used to but she still keeps her hand in. She said, “I cooked everything for the first ten years. Now, I enjoy doing the breakfast shifts because a hotel with seven rooms doesn’t run itself, so I simply can’t spend all my time in the kitchen. I have a team of six wonderful chefs but I still know how to cost a dish and about ingredients.”

In terms of the business, Judith, who is open all year round, wishes that other businesses in the area would take a leaf out of her book. She explained, “People go for short breaks all year round these days and I think this merits earlier opening in this area. We get a huge amount of lovely Asian tourists and despite their limited vocabulary they absolutely know what they want when they visit Scotland. They tell me ‘seafood’, ‘haggis’ and, once they finish their meal, they say ‘whisky’!”

The Sorn Inn, Ayrshire

The Applecross Inn, Strathcarron

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PETER MACKENNA AND IVAN STEIN The Gannet, Glasgow

Peter and Ivan met eight years ago when they were working for ABode in London. They opened The Gannet five-and-ahalf years ago. Peter experience includes working for a Saudi Prince and a Russian oligarch, while Ivan, an Oxford Uni graduate, dipped his toe into the hospitality by working for free in restaurants before joining ABode . In terms of the challenges of being a chef-patron, Peter said, “After being open this amount of time, it’s about keeping the momentum going by attracting staff. A few staff have left, gone to London to get experience and the rejoined us, so we have a solid team in the kitchen that allows Ivan and myself to concentrate more on the creative side. We also now get 35% of our supply chain direct from source. For example, we got a whole hogget from our supplier in the border. We also make our own bread and brioche and like to be as close to zero waste as possible.” Their latest venture is a new burger venture in Finnieston, El Perro Negro, with another one in the planning.

CHRIS CHARALAMBOUS Cail Bruich, Glasgow

Chris Charalambous is chef-patron at Glasgow’s Cail Bruich. His business partner is his brother Paul. What does he enjoy about being a chef patron? Said Chris, “You have total control over the people you hire and what you cook, but your focus can get drawn elsewhere at the start, like payroll and staffing issues, until you become more successful and have the wherewithal to employ people to do these things for you.” In terms of customer trends, Chris said, “Customers want the story behind the provenance in a market saturated by chain restaurants and they are generally more discerning. I’ve also observed that customers are generally eating less, with three courses being enough for them to feel satisfied, as well as being far far more health-conscious in a city that once had a reputation for poundage and for ordering meat and two veg.” He continued, “Ignore social media and online reviews at your peril. It’s good to have the luxury of being able to employ people that specialise in this because technology always moves on so fast. Instagram will no doubt soon be replaced by the next big social media platform.”

KEVIN JOUBERT

Kingarroch Inn, Craigrothie Johannesburg-born Kevin Joubert has been here for 20 years, most of which has been spent in Fife. He runs the Kingarroch Inn with partner Aleksandra Trzcinska, and the Inn also includes accommodation. They’re also opening a new 50-cover restaurant-bar in Dunfermline, that is currently at the planning stage. The couple used to own the North Port restaurant in Perth. He explained, “We sold the business because we had a baby and you can’t run a restaurant with a newborn.” Then the couple bought a deli in Edinburgh before selling it and returning to Fife to open the Kingarroch Inn. Said Kevin, “Running a rural restaurant has different challenges to running a city centre. People need to drive here for a start. In terms of customer trends, I’d say that they’re a lot more educated with food and not only are they looking for the best quality they are also looking for the best value for money. We’re also competing with celebrity chefs like Jamie Scott, a finalist from Masterchef the professionals, who has opened in St Andrews, and customers are seduced by the fact that a chef has been on TV and compare us with them.” He concludes, “I think that online review sites should make the reviews more detailed, in terms of it being mandatory who wrote it and when they dined.”

CARINA CONTINI

Contini George Street, Edinburgh Chef-patron Carina Contini owns three Edinburgh restaurants with husband Victor: Contini George Street in 2004, Scottish Cafe & Restaurant at the Scottish National Gallery Princes Street which opened in 2009, and the Cannonball House at the very top of the Royal Mile. Carina may not cook as much as she did, but she’s still chef while husband Victor is front of house and the couple has just celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary and when we asked them what made a happy marriage, Carina joked, “Separate restaurants.” She continue, “But seriously, he works nights and I work days.”

They put a lot of emphasis on sustainability. Explained Carina, “We have a one-acre kitchen garden outside Edinburgh where we grow everything from wild garlic to rhubarb. We also have five bee hives and 19 kilos of honey yet to jar.” The couple also provides health and wellbeing workshops for their staff, focussing on physical and mental health, to contribute towards Happy Ship Contini!

GEOFFREY & KATHERINE SMEDDLE The Peat Inn, St Andrews, Fife History graduate Geoffrey Smeddle, originally from Kent, kind of fell into being a chef-patron, while wif Katherine, who manages front of house, did a degree in Hospitality Management. They took over the one Michelin star Peat Inn in 2006. Said Geoffrey, “I was lucky enough to be able to work in my aunt and uncle’s restaurant in France one summer and I was hooked after that. I worked in several restaurants before we acquired The Peat Inn, including for Conran in Glasgow.” So how has the business, and their roles, changed in the last 12 years?

Said Geoffrey, “Katherine’s has changed the most. She’s gone from working in the restaurant to being a GM, and looking after HR and marketing etc. My role as chef has remained pretty much the same, whereas customer habits have changed.” He continued, “There’s far more engagement from guests and the role of the chef is almost like playing to an audience, plus people eat out more and they are prepared to travel to a destination restaurant, and we work very hard to make this a destination restaurant.”

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LICENSEE INTERVIEW

T

he Garage is 25 years old this year. The man that’s been with this Glasgow nightclub institution every step of the way is its co-founder Donald MacLeod, after buying out former business partner Michele Pagliocca in 2004. He’s always entertaining, and, for those of a delicate disposition, also fond of some effin ‘n’ jeffin. I caught up with him at Hold Fast Entertainment’s Glasgow HQ and who says men can’t multitask. The multi-faceted Donald agreed to give me an audience while I became his captive audience when he picked up one his many guitars for a rendition or two in between writing a piece for the Sunday Post and keeping an eye on sundry other stuff on his computer. This Rolodexbrained man gets by on five hours’ sleep per night, has a truckload of opinions, and has little time to sugar-coat them.

He said, “I can’t sit and be content with doing one thing. It’s not that I’m greedy, but I’ve got to keep it going. That could be going to an art exhibition, it could be taking photographs, or it could be writing a column.

Or it could be, and indeed it is, attending various committee meetings, briefs, or lobbying parliament whether it’s for the Nordoff Robbins music charity (he’s the fundraising chair) or licensing (he’s convenor of Glasgow’s Licensing forum) or standing up and screaming about the debacle over Sauchiehall Street or lamenting the loss of the ABC and other iconic live music venues. I’m a very driven person, occasionally a bam (less so these days), and I’m definitely not a shrinking violet ,but someone who is always prepared to put his head above the parapet and voice an opinion. Whether you like what I say or not.”

The Garage reaching its 25-year milestone was the main reason for this interview yet, as usual with Donald, we go off at many a tangent, like his having taken up martial art Aikido lately.

He explained, “I’m now going for my blue belt in Aikido. Steven Seagal is the biggest proponent of it and I did it 30 years ago. I came across a wee class in Falkirk a while ago and I thought I’d go once a week and that has now turned into three or four times a week. In progressing through the belts I’ve managed to lose a stone-and-a-half, which is not too shabby for being the oldest guy in the room. When I sat my Green Belt exam, the Sensi assessing me said I was too violent, so I had to do it twice. Yikes! The next day I was like, ‘arrrgh, the elastic bands in my fossilised knees were all broken and I looked like Widow Twankey.

My target, though, is to become a Black Belt by the time I’m 60 , in 18 months, and to weigh 15-and-a-half stone.

“What the f*** all that has got to do with The Garage, I don’t know.”

That was our cue for getting back on-topic. Said Donald, “The Garage started back in 1994, when we thought that we were going to be getting kicked out of The Cathouse. We’d set up a deal with what was the GDA at the time to sell the building in Brown Street. We were going to do a double-dunt with the guys that that owned it, make a few quid in the process and then relocate somewhere else. But our plans were well and truly scuppered when it transpired that one of the owners was the chairman of the GDA. He came back from Pakistan on the day we were

BY JASON CADDY gonna do the deal and was like ‘WTF? I’m not selling this building’ so we got caught and they hit us with an irritation of lease and they made moves to kick us out” And so, faced with eviction, they went looking for a new home for The Cathouse and came across the old Mayfair, which was shut, on Sauchiehall Street. Said Donald, “We were standing with the building’s owner, the legendary Ross Bowie, and we thought, ‘could this be a Cathouse?’ But, as it transpired, we managed to keep the lease at The Cathouse. And this led us onto the idea of making the new place a sevennight-per-week student venue. Back then, it would be student night on a Tuesday night or it would be a jeans and t-shirt night in clubs and we thought, that’s not right. It was really patronising. Not that I was a great fan of students at the time.”

Said Donald, “I knew right away that the place was perfect and had potential. When we walked into that building, we just felt a real warmth and aura about the place. You know when you walk into a place if it’s right. The Barrowlands has got that feeling. It could be a swamp inside, but it’s still got that feeling and The Garage was the same, as was The Cathouse actually. The Tunnel felt good. The Shed also had a bit of that feeling.”

The odds appeared to be stacked more against rather than for them at the time though.

Explained Donald, “When we started The Garage we were £25k overdrawn. Now, you try opening up a club the size of The Garage these days on an overdraft of that size. No f****ing chance. But it’s really about having the bravery, or is it stupidity, maybe naivety, to do it. And we did!

“It’s also about thinking on your feet. Instead of being shut down for overcapacity because we had a ballroom licence, an archaic thing from the past, with a ridiculous capacity of 600, and we were cracking in 2000 odd a night, we reinvested a million in a balcony and made it fit for purpose instead.We didn’t even lose a day’s trading.”

Would he do it again? “I probably wouldn’t because after the banking crisis of 2008 I know what loss feels like and to be pulling your hair out, worrying over debt when you’ve got a family and being continually screwed. But back then, when we first started it was f***ing great. You felt invincible, money was starting to pour in and our bank would do as they were told and bend over backwards to help, instead of trying to screw you.”

And as coincidence - or universal forces - would have it, Donald recently unearthed some interesting stuff hidden away within the bowels of this iconic Sauchiehall Street building. He explained, “The building may have been The Mayfair in a previous life, but we discovered when taking some plaster down a few weeks ago an old air-raid warning sign from WWll, back in the days when it was called the Gainsbourgh. I didn’t realise that they were dancing the jitterbug while Luftwaffe bombers were screaming overhead, and that was such a humbling moment.”Despite firing off the one-liners and him being a good laugh, Donald takes his DRAM APRIL 2019 19

LICENSEE INTERVIEW job seriously. He said, “I’m not just a promoter or a club owner. I’m a custodian who’s nurtured and looked after that building for 25 years and there were people doing that way before us. It used to be a row of terraced houses and if you go into the G2 Lane you can see the building and that would’ve been the backdoor. Once in, there’s a wee hidden staircase that the servants would’ve used, going all the way up to the attic. Many years later the Bowie family lived in it. They’re my long-term landlords now of course.

“Apparently it was an Edwardian house and that’s why it’s got the big pillars when you go up the stairs. That was the front door and I can just picture a horse and carriage waiting outside. But in the end we are now looking after it and hopefully one day my family will continue to do so. I really hope it’s always here as a place of entertainment, and to quote the film The Shining, ‘you’ve always been here’.”

Donald proved to be a font of information on the area’s history as well as the building’s. He said, “There was a stone mason in the G2 car park, because underneath there’s the Sauchieburn which, I think, is now dried up. It would’ve served the stonemasons and it’s rumoured that the stone of destiny was once hidden there.

“Sauchiehall Street means ‘Willow Avenue’ in old Scots, which is why they’re planting treesas part of Glasgow’s controversial Avenues Project. Maybe in Japan the willows would have already been planted and be blossoming, but in Glasgow at this rate of pace it might never be finished. They also didn’t pick willows. Apparently there’s a problem with their roots and electricity conduits.”

So what were the other highlights from the last 25 years which have seen major support from brewers like Heineken and brands like Strongbow? Said Donald, “Prince was one of the obvious ones, but also Roger Taylor from Queen who played about a-year-and-a-half after Freddie past away. Roger had problems with his eyesight and we had torches when he came off stage and he took a left instead of a right and crashed into a pinball machine and started flapping it. I said you’ve got to put money in it before it world pal!

“Ian Dury’s last performance before he passed away with liver cancer was also memorable. Then there was Gary Newman, and walking by and catching him putting his wig on. I thought, who’s that bald guy? Meeting Noddy Holder from SLADE in 1999, was also special , apparently they started out there back in the early ‘70s. The walls in the club say it all, from Coldplay, Muse, Biffy Clyro – there’s tonnes of highlights.”

There were also plenty of pranks along the way too of course. Explained Donald, “The Bloodhound Gang was so much fun. Lead singer Jimmy Pop asked for a mobile number that they could put up so people in the audience could win Bloodhound Gang prizes. I knew he was at it. I gave him Mark Mackie of Regular Music’s number and half way through gig they flashed it up ‘Please phone this number for free Bloodhound gang merchandise’. He was still getting calls three months later from people saying ‘where’s my f***ing merchandise ya bastard?’

And, 25 years on, what are Donald’s concerns about the climate in which licensees are operating nowadays? He said, “My concerns are many. From high business rates to the highway robbers of the music industry, the PPL. I also lament the loss of the opportunities given to entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurial spirit in terms of financial backing, in terms of the banks being allowed to kill business and then set it up the way they want it.Everything from turning us into a cashless society to removing lending, yet I’m still encouraged that there are still 20

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good entrepreneurs out there. Maybe not so many in the live music world, though. That’s a hard niche to break into because it’s now controlled by the giants, like LiveNation and AEG. “I’d say we’ll be a cashless society in as little as 10 years. I was in a café in Aberfeldy recently and they wouldn’t take cash because it’s a two-and-ahalf hour round trip to drop it off because they’ve closed the f***ing bank.

That’s not good news for business, especially the hospitality trade.

Finally, I had to ask him if he’s still living as wild a life? He said, “I don’t go out as many nights at all. I cycle when the weather’s better and nobody’s nicked my bike, and I’m dedicated to my Aikido. I’m no saint though. Usually when a band is coming I historically know and used to party with , I initially panic,thinking ‘Oh no, that means I’m gonna get f***ing burst.’ And then when we meet up,I realise that they’re the same age as me and that they just want a quiet night as well. Like me and my pal Huey from The Fun Lovin’ Criminals. We now look at each other, wondering who is going to be the first to chicken out. Then there’s a standoff before we both realise we ain’t gonna last the pace and decide to go home. Not always though … n

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724 Dimbarton Road Glasgow

THE THORNWOOD DESIGN FOCUS

G

lasgow’s Thornwood area, which was part of neighbouring Partick until 1912, has a new-look pub that would’ve made all those that fought for its independence proud. I’m not quite sure anybody did actually fight for Thornwood’s independence, but I am certain that this little Glasgow enclave needed some operators fighting its corner. Cue business partners Marc Ferrier, co-owner of The Admiral in Glasgow, and new business partner Kenny Hamilton, who plan on weaving their magic after taking on the Star Pubs and Bars lease following a £300k investment in the bar.

The principle contractor on the job was Angus Alston of Hugh Stirling, with upholstery by Lecs Upholstery, while The Thornwood was designed by Alan Baxter of the Davidson Baxter Partnership.

The first thing that struck me about what he did is that it has something for every taste - there’s patterned wallpaper, exposed stone, exposed brick, brass, ceiling fans, neon lights and original tiles etc. Co-owner Marc Ferrier also heavily inputted towards the look and feel of the place.

BY JASON CADDY Marc also gave me the guided tour. He said, “Everything that you see is original – the sandstone, the steel columns, the tiling and the panelling. The bar was newly built off site, yet we retained some of the brass from the original bar which has been crafted into everything from shelving to a holder for the soap dispensers in the toilets.”

Set over one ground-floor level, the bar is on the right-hand-side as you enter and the entire floor is wooden with lovely pattered tiles at the foot of the bar. Anaglypta on the ceiling has been painted in a dark blue colour.

The bar is a corner bar, in what used to be the bottom corner of the space before an extension was added a number of years ago. Marc explained, “The space used to end at the bar, and the extension at the back ate into what was the front room of what was a tenement flat, and even into part of the close. During the renovation we discovered the old toilet tiles (in what would’ve been the opposite corner to the bar) which we left and which now add to the character of the place. We also raised the ceiling of the bar DRAM APRIL 2019 23

DESIGN FOCUS area which has really opened up the space.”

The bar is set against painted walls and some pattered floral wallpaper, set off by some shiny silver ceiling tiles. The wood of the rebuilt bar, ditto the back-bar, has a honey-glazed look to it.

There’s also exposed brick pillars and steel columns, which nearly didn’t see the light of day for long. Explained Mark, “The original idea was to box in the brick and steel pillars, which we decided against, and I’m so glad that we did otherwise it would’ve been an entirely different bar.”

So what’s the rest of the design like? The exterior of this corner unit looks great. It’s been clad in shiny green brick glazed tiles, with doors that open onto the street. The main door is on the corner of the pub and once through the vestibule, there are tables and chairs along the window that were bought as new, whereas the other existing bentwood furniture was reupholstered.

As I said, Marc worked closely with designers, like on which

upholstery was used, for example. “When it came to the fixed seating, velvet was originally suggested but I felt that herringbone tweed was a better option, which is what we went for in the end,” said Marc.

Opposite the bar are those re-upholstered bentwood chairs and tables. The fixed seating is made up from a grey leather chesterfield back and paired with a leather seat, while further into the extension is a large herringbone tweed booth that has been set in the bottom of a bay window (formerly belonging to the adjacent flat). Also set in the bay window are some more of those lovely silver ceiling tiles and two burgundy Perspex pendant lamps with tassels, the likes of which I’ve never seen before anywhere else. The booth is quite a way down from the widow and this space has been broken up by the addition of wooden panelling.

Along the back of the space is a dark wooden panelling with black and white pictures of old Glasgow and brass picture lights below

which is burgandy leather chesterfield fixed seating. This are also houses an exposed brick wall with a neon sign saying ‘No Bams’, a picture of which has been getting a lot of attention on social media. This is also where the toilets are, in which the standout design features is the plush fabric wallpaper in the ladies, and the green fern wallpaper (Marc’s personal favourite) in the accessible toilet.

This design has got a lot of heart and soul and really benefits from its eclectic look and feel, which, according to Marc and going on the clientele that were there when I visited, is reflected in the customers that are voting with their feet by coming to The Thornwood. Said Marc, “On Sunday there, the place was packed and we had children and families, locals, students, and groups of people. Other bars that I’ve seen that are freshly opened have that pristine feel, whereas this is a lived-in, comfortable design right from the start which all the customers seem to love.” n

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168 Hyndland Road, Glasgow

NICK’S DESIGN FOCUS

BY JASON CADDY

W

hat was an inconspicuous exterior to Nick’s on Glasgow’s Hyndland Road now pops to passers-by thanks to an explosion of foliage and fairy lights that formed the tip of a £250k refurbishment by new owner Oli Norman, of itison, that’s rung in the changes both outside and in.

Any Nick’s veterans out there that pay the place a daytime visit will perhaps notice straight away the amount of daylight streaming in compared with what used to be a space that was poorly served by natural light, while the old red neon sign that used to hang above the door and bathe the place in its red hue has also now been moved to a wall on the mezzanine. The red light in the ground floor window is also no more, and once inside these big changes to the look and feel continue. Calder and Tate Signs were responsible for the signage, while designers Surface-ID have made the interior a lot more colourful.

Nicola Wilkinson, Head of Operations for itison, took some time out of her busy day (and it was busy for a weekday afternoon) to kindly show me around the place and she started by telling me about the structural changes that had to be made. She said, “We added a new staircase to the mezzanine (on the left-hand-side as you enter) as well as moving the bar 45 degrees so that it now faces you as soon as you enter rather than facing the wall on the right-hand-side (as you enter). The addition of the new staircase has meant that staff and customers no longer must trail the entire length of the place, and what was the bar, to get up the back stairs, which we’ve kept incidentally. In addition to the new staircase we also have new multicoloured glass balustrades that really brighten up the place. The feedback we’ve been getting from customers has been absolutely phenomenal, which means a lot, as Nick’s is a place that many people hold close to their hearts and are emotionally invested in.”

She continued, “The old wine racks and storage area above the old bar are also no more, hence all the extra light streaming in through the back windows. The exposed stone wall downstairs used to be panelled over, and we took the wood and reused it as panelling on the front of the bar as well as to create some new tables, so the whole refurbishment has also been an environmentally friendly one, which we’re proud of.”

And speaking of the bar, most of the old bar has been retained with a few new tweaks and additions. It’s made up from a wooden bar top and back bar constructed from more wood and metal, plus it now also boasts a large screen built into the shelving gantry. The DRAM APRIL 2019 27

DESIGN FOCUS shelves contain bottles of spirits and plants, as well as various other nick-nacks, and above the bar hang big globe lights that are also new additions.

Another big change on the ground floor is the fixed seating in the bay window, which used to house a simple shelf for drinks and a smattering of tools . It’s been constructed to fit the bay perfectly, and it is topped off with some orange leather seating that is set off perfectly next to a newly painted turquoise window frame, plus there is also a big wicker pendant light hanging above it. Next to this area, along the side wall, below another big screen, is a row of fixed seating and wooden tables that are against a newly exposed brick wall. The bricks have been treated to a white paint job and this is represents a further brightening enhancement to the interior of Nick’s.

Opposite the bar is a fixed seat in bold blue leather which stands out for that very reason.

Beyond the bar is an area that leads down to the kitchen as well as up to the mezzanine and into what is sometimes used as a breakout area or party space. This area retains one of the old wine racks, has more of that exposed white-painted brick and a touch of the industrial thanks to an exposed metal ceiling pipe.

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Moving up the mezzanine via the original back stairs, the walls on this floor are all exposed stone and this is also the new home of that neon sign I mentioned earlier. The fact that it’s caged is another nod to that industrial theme that’s creeping in at this part of Nick’s. The exposed stone walls in this back area of the mezzanine are also covered in lots of multicoloured chalk doodles that should be a talking point among its customers.

The furniture in this area, in fact throughout the whole of the mezzanine which is made up of what is effectively another area towards the front of the space, is a mixture of orangey brown leather upholstered booths and stand alone brown leather chairs paired with wooden tables.

This area segues into the front part of the mezzanine, yet it can also be partitioned off for private events and parties thanks to a sliding door that is decorated with lots of strands of different coloured string.

As well as brightening the place up a great deal and the addition of a more extensive colour palette, Nick’s has had a new lease of life with just the right amount of nods to its former incarnation for there to be continuity and enough familiarity to keep its legion of west end devotees happy. n

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DRAM APRIL 2019 29

@dramscotland

SUE SAYS

/dram.scotland

R

esearch from Rotary Great Britain claims that more than half of all UK adults are lonely, particularly when they get home from work. Perhaps the trade needs a new marketing campaign – Get local, not lonely! Rotary has suggested that people seek out new groups or volunteering opportunities as a way to meet new people and have the opportunity to socialise within their local community. Nothing beats a good local, which caters for and attracts the local community. But the at the end of the day it needs to be good, even if it is local – with great food, good service and a good offering. I am hoping to get one where I live soon!

Having been involved in this industry for the last 25 years (seems like yesterday), I have met lots of people, some of whom have moved on to different roles and different parts of the country. One such man is Stephen Crawley, former MD of the Caledonian Brewery. A press release popped into my inbox the other day revealing that Love Lane beers took home a Gold and a Bronze in the at the SIBA National Independent Beer Awards, and its founder and Chief Executive, is Stephen. We once did a Caledonian Calendar with lots of naked rugby guys – a career highlight!

Anyways, congrats Stephen.

I get a lot from various drinks companies on their diversity programmes and, certainly, they do give themselves a pat on the back for being inclusive and having a diverse culture.

However, I think some HR departments forget that this also applies to ageism and I certainly think that issue is going to rear its head, sooner rather than later.

It’s very brave of Johnnie Walker that the team behind the brand has come out and said they’re going to create the ‘Best Bar in the World’ in Edinburgh. Greg Klingaman, global reserve retail director at Diageo, said they were not “shy about their aspirations.” He also said that their visitor attraction would be the “best brand attraction in the world”. So Edinburgh watch out. He obviously doesn’t live by the adage “Under promise and over deliver!’ Greg can definitely ‘talk the talk.’ Here’s hoping in that Johnnie Walker tradition the bar will ‘walk the walk.’

I have been to a couple of places recently which I have been very pleasantly surprised by. First up was the Kingshouse in Glencoe. Despite my initial reservations regarding the look of the building, it certainly delivers on quality, and the architects and designers have done that rare thing – combine modernity and functionality with a warm and inviting building. They didn’t create the view down the Great Glen but they have made the very most of it. Fabulous.

It was great to catch up with Jonathan Gillbanks – you may know him from his Whyte & Mackay days as Commercial Director, but he has now joined the hospitality industry full-time having bought the Cairn Lodge in Auchterarder. It has just re-opened and what a tremendous refurbishment it has had.

It’s definitely a five-star establishment and the job that Jonathan and his team have done is tremendous. And in a nod to his former career, he has bronze stags, reminiscent of the Dalmore stag, on his bar. Definitely worth a visit.

There have been quite a few meetings with licensees and hospitality industry professionals with regard to the rates issue. If anyone else would like to get involved, let me know. You can email me at susan@mediaworldltd.com

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: news@mediaworldltd.com w: dramscotland.co.uk Publisher-Editor Susan Young • Editor Jason Caddy • Chairman Noel Young • Editorial Penny Devlin • Commercial Head Justin Wingate • Advertising Syliva Forsyth, Nicole Browning, Jamie Alexander • Production Dougie Wagstaff, Fiona Gauld • Admin Cheryl Cook 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 £52 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 2019. Printed by Stephens & George Print Group.

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DRAM APRIL 2019 33

EXPLORE . TASTE . LOVE .

WINE PORTFOLIO EVENT @dramscotland

/dram.scotland

E

dinburgh’s Assembly Rooms on George Street was the venue for Inverarity Morton’s annual wine tasting last month - Explore.

Taste. Love. The place was filled with wines from sixty of its biggest suppliers. The Old World room welcomed for the first time Bodegas Granbazán, Vigna Dogarina, and Domaine La Tasque while, Export Union, Grande Provence, and Union Wine company made their tasting debut in the New World room. There were also six Masters of Wine taking masterclasses, one of whom – Richard Bampfield MW – spoke about Chablis in his masterclass ‘Top to Toe Chablis’.

Tel: 0141 620 6100 sales@inveraritymorton.com www.inveraritymorton.com

34

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