DRAM Issue 349

DRAM

349

DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

@dramscotland

DRAM MAGAZINE October 2019 ISSN 1470-241X

/dram.scotland

BANNIE KANG TAKES THE DIAGEO WORLD CLASS CROWN DIAGEO 2019 WORLD CLASS GLASGOW • ALL THE FINALISTS

DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

WELCOME Welcome to your October DRAM. The spooky issue. You can make up your mind about just how haunted the pubs that we’ve identified as being among Scotland’s spookiest are after I spoke to the owners and staff to get their chilling tales. Flick to page 9 if you dare.

This month’s cover star, Bannie Kang, is the winner of Diageo World Class Bartender of the Year Finals 2019, which took place at Glasgow’s SWG3. Read the full story in news, plus we’re also serving up some pictures from the night on page 38.

I had the pleasure of meeting Carol Wright and Colin Clydesdale to mark the 25th anniversary of their Glasgow west-end institution, Stravaigin. They’re also the joint-power behind The Ubiquitous Chip and The Hanoi Bike Shop and you’ll find the interview on our centre pages.

We demystify dark spirits in Scotland’s on-trade on page 13, and there are some lively pictures from the Inverarity Morton Evolution 19 event which, coincidentally, also took over SWG3 last month, showcasing all that is shiny and new about experiential drinks marketing. It’s on page 16.

We also debut a new column this month, A Perfect Serve, designed to give you a steer on the versatility of gin.

I’ll be back in November if I’m not spirited away.

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

@dramscotland

/dram.scotland

CONTENTS October

2019

FEATURES

09

MY USUAL HAUNT

We investigate the spooky goings-on at Scotland’s most haunted pubs.

13 19 38

DARK SPIRITS

Find out how whisky and rum are faring in Scotland’s on-trade.

LICENSEE INTERVIEW

We toast 25 years of Glasgow’s Stravaigin with Colin Clydesdale and Carol Wright.

DIAGEO WORLD CLASS 2019 Some of the pics from the Glasgow final.

REGULARS

4 6 46

NEWS

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

BRAND NEWS

The latest brand news.

SUE SAYS

Straight talking from our very own Publisher.

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STACK & STILL RACK UP NO 3 Stack & Still has announced plans for a third opening, at Glasgow Fort Shopping centre, due to start operating this month. The announcement comes hot on the heels of the pancake brand’s Silverburn launch a mere eight weeks ago. Stack & Still opened its first city centre branch on 11th Oct 2018.

Paul Reynolds, who has Gin Spa, Gin71 and Cup venues under his belt, is joined by Director Graham Swankie in the Stack & Still brand roll out.

Said Paul, “To be opening our third venue in the Glasgow area within 12 months is a true testament to how well the pancake concept has been received by the public. Glasgow is our home city and the customer demand has been extremely strong. Expansion is very much part of our strategy and we are looking forward to a busy second half across all of the Stack & Still sites.”

Signature sells Dundee’s Boozy Cow The Kilted Pub Company has re-branded The Boozy Cow on Dundee’s Roseangle The Kilted Kangaroo after acquiring it from Signature Pubs. The group also owns and operates The Kilted Kangaroo in Stirling.

Director Andrew Mitchell told DRAM, “We have been looking at units in Dundee for some time and as soon as we visited this one a few weeks ago and got a chance to look at the beer garden and views out over the Tay, we knew this was a great opportunity and made it happen.

“Over the next week or two we will be re-branding the unit internally and externally, changing the décor, and installing a pizza oven. All staff will remain.”

New King and Queen of The Castle In the past few months, it was sold, closed and even destined to become a fish and chip shop. But the Castle Restaurant is to return to Castle Street, Inverness, this month after husband and wife team Richard and Lorraine Comfort, owners of Comfort Foods on the city’s Church Street, purchased the business. They also used to own and run The Castle Hotel in Portmahomack and The Station Hotel in Avoch.

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Lorraine told DRAM, “We’ve given the place a minirefurbishment and we are opening with the same menu and bringing back two of the original chefs so that we can reinstate all the old customers’ favourites - like crinkle-cut chips.”

The Castle Restaurant was opened by Brian Lipton in 1959 but closed its doors last month after being put up for sale in July this year.

Le Monde celebrates new era Glendola knows the value of continued re-investment. It has just re-opened Le Monde’s ground floor bar and restaurant after a £1M refurbishment – the biggest in the hotel’s 13-year history.

Billy Lowe sold the 18-room hotel to Glendola in 2015.

The George Street hotel’s refurbishment includes the introduction of a new semi-circular champagne bar complete with marble bar top, crimson leather bar stools, and velvet booths.

A newly tiled marble herringbone walkway leads guests through to the light-filled main bar and restaurant space.

The re-design likewise showcases the building’s Georgian architecture.

Darren Scott joined the venue in early 2019 as General Manager to oversee the refurbishment and manage operations, while Mike Caldwell has joined as Bar Manager.

Said Darren Scott, “Le Monde has been a favourite venue in the heart of Edinburgh for many years now, and we’ve taken that wonderful idea of a trip to exciting places around the globe and reinvented it for modern customers. The newly refurbished bar and restaurant areas are simply stunning.”

ADMIRAL BUYS 150 PUBS Admiral Taverns has acquired a portfolio of 150 tenanted community pubs from Star Pubs & Bars. Ten of the pubs are in Scotland and include The Albert Bar in Lochee and The Stobswell Bar in Dundee.

Admiral which is supported by investors Proprium Capital Partners and C&C Group, has also recently welcomed on board new Chief Executive, Chris Jowsey.

Kilmacolm’s no longer dry

Licensee, Jason Andrews, has invested £750K in transforming the old train station in Kilmacolm, on Station Road, into a bar and restaurant called Carriages – the only pub in the village after its former only pub closed in April this year. Jason also owns Houston’s The River Inn and leases The Fox and Hounds, also in Houston, as well as Carriages from Karen and Graeme Finnie. Jason told DRAM, “We ripped the whole place out and added a kitchen extension. Because we’re close to the cycle track, we are going to be investing massively in the beer garden.

Next year, it’ll have a BBQ, gin area, and cycle repair area.

NEWS MONGOOSE HEADS SOUTH

GLASGOW MEXICAN MAKING WAVES Restaurateurs Kevin Campbell and Toni Carbajosa, the guys behind Glasgow’s Halloumi, bibimbap and Rioja among others, have teamed up with licensee Ryan Bowman to open a new Mexican taqueria and bar called Mezcal on Glasgow’s Hope Street. The bar boasts 25 different types of the tequila.

MP CELEBRATES REOPENING OF BUSBY PUB FOLLOWING £385k TRANSFORMATION

The Dapper Mongoose at 248 Kilmarnock Road, Glasgow, in the former Bell and Felix, is the first solo venture for licensee, Andrew Logan. It’s on course to open at the end of October.

Andrew told DRAM, “I’ve worked for large companies like La Tasca to privately owned family businesses. The Dapper Mongoose concept is a high quality well finished and elegant looking venue delivering ethically sourced high quality fresh produce.”

He continued, “I’ve tried to restore the unit back to its original glory. It has wonderful height and two magnificent columns with ornate decoration at the tops.

I’ve incorporated the bar to wrap around these as they are the main feature upon entering. The rear wall is exposed brick work and I’ve had the floor sanded down and resealed and left in its original state.”

CRU SELL HIGH SPIRITS

MP for East Renfrewshire, Paul Masterton, visited The Cartvale in Busby to celebrate the pub’s reopening following a ten-week, £385K refurbishment by Star Pubs & Bars and new licensee Andy Crossan.

Said Andy, “The Cartvale has the ‘wow factor’ now and people are amazed by the difference. The aim is to restore

the pub as the heart of the community, so the support and feedback has been brilliant.”

The MP said, “Good pubs fulfil an important social function and bring real benefits to the areas they serve. It’s great to see investment of this scale in Busby, a local pub’s future secured and the creation of new jobs.”

Cru Holdings Ltd has sold High Spirits on Falkirk’s Vicar Street to locally-based operators Knightsway Inns Ltd. Cru Holdings Managing Director, Scott Murray, said, “We have thoroughly enjoyed working with the community, our customers and of course our staff over the last 12 months, which has seen us realise our goal of operating a bar outside of our native Inverness.

“We have learned a lot from this process, however ultimately the challenges of a remote operation outweigh the benefits of the operation, and we have had to make the tough decision to withdraw from the area.”

n JD Wetherspoon has seen

sales rose 7.4% to £1,818.8m in the 52 weeks ended 28 July.

Profit before tax was down 4.5% to £102.5m, while profit rose 7.2% to £95.4m.

Like-for-like sales were up 6.8% – in the most recent six weeks they were up 5.9%.

The average development cost for a new pub (excluding the cost of freeholds) was £2.6m, compared with £2.8m a year ago. The full-year depreciation charge was £81.8m (2018: £79.3m). It intends to open ten to 15 pubs in the year ending July 2020.

n Amber Taverns is investing

£600K on a new pub in Dumfries, in a former Farmfoods on Queensberry Street. It will open in time for Christmas this year. It’s Amber Taverns third Scottish site after Paisley, which is open, and Coatbridge, also set to open before the year’s out.

n Kitchin Group, led by

Michelin-starred chef Tom Kitchin, has appointed Peter Southcott as managing director. Southcott takes over from founding managing director Ron Kitchin, who becomes group chairman.

Southcott will oversee the group’s Edinburgh venues as well as The Bonnie Badger, its restaurant with rooms in Gullane.

n Yamm World Buffet on

Dundee’s Whitehall Street has introduced Scotland’s first robot waiters. Shan Gu, restaurant director, imported them from China - where robot waiters have already become part of the furniture.

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COVER STORY: THE WORLD HAS A NEW #1 BARTENDER BANNIE KANG Glasgow saw Bannie Kang from Singapore named the world’s best bartender for 2019 at the biggest cocktail competition on the planet: Diageo World Class Bartender of the Year which took place in the city at SWG3 in September with bartenders from around the world competing for the title.

Finalists came from as far away as Australia and Japan, the Philippines and Brazil, but thousands of incredible bartenders from across six continents competed. They were whittled down by a series of national heats to an elite group of 53 of the world’s best. They were invited to take part in a series of challenges across four days in the Netherlands and Scotland before Bannie was crowned the world’s best at SWG3.

Simon Earley, Head of Diageo World Class, said, “This year’s competition was one of the most competitive we’ve ever had.

The skill and talent of the bartenders battling it out across all the different challenges was awe-inspiring. Bannie Kang is a worthy winner and her technique, temperament, and artisanship really stood out across the four days.”

At the Ketel One Distillery in Schiedam, Netherlands, the finalists were tasked with creating cocktails that had a positive environmental impact and a sense of community at their core. They were then whisked to Scotland, to the Talisker Distillery on the windswept Isle of Skye, where they were presented with a ‘mystery box’ of ingredients and bar tools and challenged to mix up a Talisker masterpiece. Final stop was Glasgow and the hub of the four-day drinks culture experience. Finalists were required to create cocktails that respected, enhanced and complemented renowned single malt The Singleton; devise a cocktail flight of three small drinks that explored the fresh citrus heart of Tanqueray No. Ten; excel at a Johnnie Walker ‘highball in a can’ challenge; and ace a final speed round where they were judged by industry legends on the quality of their cocktail-making under immense time pressures.

Simon Earley added: “At first glance, Diageo World Class Bartender of the Year is all about inviting the planet’s finest bartenders to take part in a huge competition using the very best spirits available. But it’s also about getting all these incredible talents working and learning together, so they can inspire each other and spark ideas off each other that will elevate drinks culture globally, for everybody’s benefit.”

This year’s world’s best, Bannie Kang, was selected by a judging panel made up of former winners, award-winning mixologists, drinks writers, and journalists. They will spend the next 12 months as a global ambassador for Diageo’s Reserve brands, travelling the world and judging World Class national heats; inspiring 2020’s hopefuls and crowning regional champions; completing guest shifts in the world’s best bars; and playing a role in Diageo’s global partnership with IMG’s Taste Festivals.

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Duo set to re-open The Kinneuchar Inn in Fife Chef James Ferguson and partner Alethea Palmer are set to reopen The Kinneuchar Inn in Fife. The pub, in the East Neuk village of Kilconquhar, has been closed for two years for a refurbishment.

It’s the first Scottish opening for James, who has worked alongside the likes of Angela Hartnett at The Connaught in London. Alethea will manage front of house.

The Kinneuchar Inn will retain the traditional pub area, with a separate dining area for 32 covers, a private events space, and a cosy nook. The inn also boasts open fires and furniture carefully crafted from local wood.

For the last eight years Alethea Palmer has been General Manager at Arnold & Henderson, a London catering company. She also oversaw the running of Rochelle Canteen in Arnold Circus.

THE NO1 CHOICE FOR GAMING AND LEISURE EQUIPMENT FOR PUBS, BARS & RESTAURANTS

For more information contact us on: 0141 946 0444

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OPEN A BOTTLE, START A CONVERSATION glengoyne.com Welcome to this month’s column, brought to you in association with Glengoyne, which asks hospitality professionals to shoot from the hip and speak about what comes easily and naturally. This month, we caught up with Frank Murphy, licensee at The Pot Still in Glasgow.

What was the last app you looked at?

Facebook. Sorry.

If you had an extra day in your week how would you spend it?

Probably in or around the pub. Whether it’s 5 days or 10 in a week, people still need a pie and a pint.

How often do you check out new bars?

Not often enough. Last time I was in a new bar to me was August in London. Last time in Glasgow was in Andy Gemmell’s new gaff, The Gate.

Me and my pals did a Tryanuary one January, where we went out on a Monday night to bars in Glasgow NONE of us had been in. That took as much planning as it did actual barhopping and took us to “interesting” places.

If you had more time to do anything in your job, what would it be?

Build more shelves, then drive about distilleries to buy more whisky to fill them. If I had ALL the time in the world, then I’d love to cycle it rather than drive. So many distilleries are in the most beautiful parts of Scotland, it would be great to take more time getting there with your face in the fresh air. And the midgies...

What’s been the biggest change in your job in the last two years?

The only jobs where you get paid more to do the thing you’re actually good at are sportspeople and actors. In every other profession you get promoted out of your skillset. I never thought keeping a single spreadsheet up to date would become so much of my business thoughts.

In terms of how the actual trade of a bartender has changed since I started, the single biggest and most obvious change is the smoking ban. Nothing else has had the same effect on my job and what I literally took home from it.

What’s the most inspirational thing a customer has ever said to you?

“Why do you not think people would support you?”

In this age when finance can come from the many rather than few, I think there could be some really interesting hospitality

businesses in the future as people with interesting ideas ask their friends and family to all invest a little. You’re potentially building your own customer base before you even open.

What can a good bartender not live without?

Caffeine. Archimedes proved that with a lever and a fulcrum you can open any bottle. If pushed you can write notes in your own blood from trying to use bad fulcrums. Very few ask for lighters anymore so the classical neccesities of a bartender are moot.

But the kettle in any pub is akin to the Ravens in the Tower of London. If it dies, so will the pub. Until you nip out to Argos for a new one at least. Clopens don’t work with green tea and lavender.

Is there anything that you do that other bartenders could benefit from knowing?

In our trade, getting the customer to understand what you’re doing or explaining to them is key. Sometimes a different turn of phrase is all that you need for the lightbulb to come on. So maybe it’s to know that you don’t know everything and you never will, so seek out those who know more and learn from them.

What’s the funniest conversation that you’ve overheard?

This is well before the recent arrests at Glasgow Airport, back when I used to work here for Kenny Storrie. It was a couple chatting to two guys at a bar and finding out they were flying the plane they were travelling home on the next day. They were either really cool about it or too polite to show their concern.

How much time do you spend on social media?

More time than I like and not enough promoting my business. But that’s partly because if you get what is essentially an advert from any business every single day, that adds nothing meaningful to someone’s day or knowledge, then they’ll begin to turn off.

Snapchat is a foreign country to me. I have it but see no benefit to its existence. Twitter is too restrictive. I can’t say what I want in that small a size. Instagram seems to be largely for people who’d rather photograph their food than eat it, so Facebook is my forum of choice.

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BRAND NEWS

ALL THE L ATEST BRAND NEWS

GIN EDEN MILL ANNOUNCED AS HEADLINE GIN AT SSE HYDRO Eden Mill is now the official gin sponsor at Glasgow’s the SSE Hydro.The threeyear deal sees Eden Mill’s Original Gin become the official house gin. Its Love Gin and Mixology bottles are also being stocked at the arena.

Paul Miller, co-founder of Eden Mill, said, “Eden Mill are known for being gin staples at festivals such as the Royal Highland Show and London’s Urban Food Festival, so it was only natural for us to move into Scotland’s home of live entertainment.”

He continued, “We will be bringing some of the best and most popular gins and flavours to the SSE Hydro and are excited to serve our popular Mixology gin bottles which are sure to be a hit with customers.”

BEER

Greene King re-launches IPA Greene King is re-booting its flagship beer brand, Greene King IPA. The company has committed to putting cask quality at the heart of the process by enhancing the recipe and introducing a range of solutions to ensure the end pint is always freshly served and in tip top condition.

Said Matt Starbuck, managing director, Greene King Brewing & Brands, “We’ve taken a deep-dive look at the beer, the brand, the whole process from ingredient storage through to the end pint on the bar and have made some changes. Some are just tweaks, others more significant but the end result is to deliver a pint that is served at its best each and every time it is enjoyed.”

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WHISKY

GlenDronach distillery release The GlenDronach distillery has announced the eighth release of its Cask Strength Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, matured for ten years in Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks from Andalucía. This expression offers customers a deeper insight into the distillery’s signature profile, by bottling the whisky at its natural strength of 61%, to bring the full depth of maturation in Spanish oak casks.

Master Blender, Dr. Rachel Barrie said, “The GlenDronach Cask Strength Batch 8 is incredibly rich and full-bodied, the result of years of slow maturation in Pedro Ximénez puncheons, quarter casks and Oloroso sherry butts. Casks were individually selected, combined and bottled at natural cask strength to deliver maximum character and depth.”

Glenrothes to launch first-ever 40 year old single malt The Glenrothes’ first-ever 40 year old single malt has been launched. The whisky marks a moment in the history of The Glenrothes that can never be repeated.

Maturing in cask since December 1978, this rare liquid began life in copper stills that retired soon after.

Commenting on the new release, Gordon Motion, master whisky maker at The Glenrothes, said, “Forty years ago The Glenrothes distillery was different in many ways, yet our whisky character has remained unchanged. To be able to release some of the last remaining spirit from the original still feels like we’re celebrating the end of an era and is incredibly rewarding. This whisky will never exist again and that’s what makes the release of our 40 year old so special and highlights the true rarity of this expression.”

THE MACALLAN FINE AND RARE 1979 – THE LATEST ADDITION TO THE COLLECTION Forty years in the making, The Macallan Fine and Rare 1979 is the new vintage to be welcomed into the brand’s Fine and Rare collection, which was created to portray the very best array of The Macallan. Jaume Ferras, Prestige Marketing Director, The Macallan, said, “This expression delivers an insight into the longstanding heritage of our brand. It is a reflection of the time in which it was distilled – an era of global progression, and an age where our award-winning single malt was also growing and developing.

“In 1979 The Macallan appointed a new Chairman in Peter Shiach, and his influence is still evident in the brand today, much like The Fine and Rare Collection itself, which demonstrates the unmistakable legacy of The Macallan.”

MY USUAL HAUNT IN HONOUR OF THIS, THE SPOOKIEST MONTH, JASON CADDY WAS COMPELLED BY SOME MYSTERIOUS FORCE TO SPEAK TO LICENSEES AND MANAGERS OF WHAT ARE REPUTEDLY SCOTLAND’S MOST HAUNTED PUBS AND HOTELS, LIFTING THE VEIL ON ANY RECENT VISITATIONS.

Cathedral House Hotel Glasgow

Shane and Laura Mckenzie took over the freehold at Cathedral House, overlooking Glasgow’s Necropolis cemetery, last year. They made some changes to the downstairs bar and to some of the rooms, mostly installing new bathrooms. They were also perfectly well aware of the ghostly legacy they were taking on.

“It’s not something that we overly promote,” said Laura. However, the hotel continues to be a magnet for ghost-hunting guests. She explained, “We had two ladies that booked a separate room from their husbands because they wanted to ‘meet people’. I assumed that they meant they wanted an area cordoned off at the bar, when in actual fact they meant encounters with those in spirit. The following morning at breakfast they told me that four names were given to them and that the energy in the toilet in their room, room seven, was particularly strong.”

the lean to, scarinish hotel Isle of Tiree

Current owner, Denise Mackean, is in the process of selling the hotel, which apparently comes with its own ghost . His or her identity remains a mystery, but we do know that it’s a mischievous little beggar, according to GM, Angela Scott. She said, “There are bells on the bar, The Lean To, and on the reception desk and they are always dinging when I’m the only one in the building. My partner Matthew, the chef, and I were talking through a window from the reception to the bar and there was a huge bang on the door and I told him to ‘stop doing that’ and he said ‘How long do you think my arms are?’

Turns out he was nowhere near it. So, who is this ghost? Said Angela, “We haven’t a clue but we did recently find some old Victorian pictures that might provide us with clues.”

The last drop Edinburgh

Shannon Stevenson is a supervisor at this Grassmarket pub that is regularly haunted by what is said to be a wee girl, and she’s definitely a big big draw for customers. Said Shannon, “A lot of customers come here hoping to see something or pick up on some type of energy.” So which spookiness has gone on when Shannon has been on-shift? “Glasses often fly right off shelves when nobody’s anywhere near them and this is very scary when you’re all alone in the building – and this has happened to me personally. Then there was the time that one of my colleagues was in the cellar and the heavy door to it slammed shut all on its own,” she said.

the scotia Glasgow

Glasgow’s Scotia Bar has had its fair share of unexplained paranormal activity. Said key-holder, Iain Huston, who’s been with the bar for three-and-a-half years, “I’m a healthy sceptic but I keep an open mind about these things. The old manager, Mary, used to see a pair of red eyes staring at her at the end of the bar at the end of the night and we know that a manager hanged himself in the cellar a long time ago. I’ve also seen glasses flying off tables, some were on slants admittedly, but others were on the level.”

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the globe inn Dumfries

The Globe Inn, Dumfries, was acquired by the Annandale Distillery earlier this year and the company has expanded the main bar by moving the toilets to the first floor, where Robert Burns is said to have stayed. What about its haunted reputation? Said new owner David Ashton-Hyde, “We came in one morning recently to find beer all over the floor. We checked the CCTV and the beer pump had decided to turn itself on at 3 a.m.” Jane Brown, who was the live-in manager at the High Street pub for 20 years, until 2017, knows the ghost’s identity. She said, “Anna Park, a niece of the then-landlord gave birth to Burns’ illegitimate daughter, Elizabeth, who was brought up by Burns and his wife, Jean Armour, after Anna’s death.” And who’s seen Anna? Said Jane, “In my time, an apparition was seen on two separate occasions on the stairs by two Norwegian musicians recording a Burns’ CD on the upper floors. We had psychics in who told me the ghost didn’t want to move on because she was happy with my custodianship! Most disturbingly, an Italian guest was apparently ‘held down’ for a minute in the bed Burns slept in and I remember the hairs on his arms standing up as he told me this. Many dogs were also reluctant to cross the threshold into Burns’ room. I keep a respectful, open mind about it all.”

whistlebinkies Edinburgh

Whistlebinkies is part of the Edinburgh-based Bruce Group, headed up by Kevan Fullerton and Scott Piatkowski. They put us in touch with a former employee, Rachel Gregson, who told us that it’s haunted by two ghosts – The Watcher and The Imp. She said, “After sweeping the pub and checking the toilets we were making our way through a whole bar full of glasses, having a laugh, quite noisily dissecting the night.

All of a sudden, all the glasses on the bar shattered, probably about 30 of them. The top and the bottom of the glasses were still intact. It was as if the middle of every glass had exploded. We left the glasses, mess and lights on and locked up pretty quickly. To this day I can’t explain how it happened. Still gives me the shivers.” She continued, “Another staff member reports bringing an orange to work for a snack. They were about to start peeling it but had to go down to the cellar for something, so they left it sitting on the bar. Returning to the bar they found the orange still there, but it had been peeled.

“The final story comes from one of the managers. He had sent all the staff home at the end of the night, locked the doors and went downstairs to do his paperwork. Finishing his work, he headed up stairs to lock up and go home, but to his surprise all the furniture in the bar had been moved and stacked in a corner.”

the coylet inn Dunoon

New owner, John Mceleny, spent £100K refurbishing The Coylet Inn after it remained closed for four years following a fire that started in the kitchen. It only opened three months ago. Said John, “I haven’t seen any ghosts in the last three months.” Yet it is reputed to be haunted by a ghost called The Blue Boy who apparently drowned in the loch, and despite being rather sceptical about the whole thing, restaurant manager, Bryony Docherty, said, “There have been sightings – and one with photographic evidence of The Blue Boy.” She continued, “I heard a story about a hen party that pulled up outside the pub to have their photograph taken, and in the background you can see the ghost of The Blue Boy, tucked behind a boat in the water. I believe that the photo is on the internet, if you want to see it.”

... and a haunted distillery Here’s a scary story from The Aberfeldy Distillery. The night guard had just checked on the hallways lined with barrels to ensure nobody was still working in the distillery. When he confirmed that the coast was clear, he flipped the light switch and darkness engulfed the building.

The night guard was on his way out to his car when he realised he forgot the bottle of whisky he planned to bring home. But much to his surprise, when he returned to the distillery, all of the lights were on. He then saw a shadow move behind a barrel and felt a presence in the room with him. It was in that moment that the guard knew he was in the presence of a ghost, maybe even the spirit of distillery workers’ past. He went on to tell this story to other employees who confirmed they’d had similar experiences. One claimed that he had heard a distillery door slam shut late at night when he was the only person left in the building. The mystery is still yet to be solved....

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SMOKEHEAD ENCOURAGES RESPONSIBLE DRINKING DRAM OCTOBER 2019 11

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There appears to be revival in a traditional style of Scotch whiskymaking which uses rye instead of barley. Distillers have already been playing with different grains, like Arbikie and Bruichladdich, which have distilled rye spirit in their pot stills. Said Iain Stirling of Arbike, “We introduced the first Rye whisky in Scotland in 100 years, Arantes, back in 2018.”

Did you know that S cotland is also though t to have co nnections with rum da ting back to the 17th century whe n a sugar bo om led to Glasgow’s ‘g olden age’ of sugar.

Between 16 50 and 175 0 , the city was appa rently a hub for rum production.

151 rum “Goslings i Negra rd a c and Ba middlew well ith go down ere, with h tomers in s u c d e g a beer and e ginger . mixers lik cocktails in er than o ls a re a coke rath d’s Fashione Rum Old ll.” doing we s GM at Joe David of Buck in e g ya o The V rgh u b in Ed

Malt whisky has a 2.9% value share of the GB on-trade spirits category, up 6.4 %. Its volume share is 2.0%, up 0.7%.

(William Grant Market Report 2018) –

DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE....

DARK SPIRITS THE BEST SELLING MALT WHISKY IN SCOTLAND IS GLENFIDDICH 12YO. (CGA) Dark rum has a 1.3% value share of the GB on-trade spirits category, up 1.1%. Its volume share is 1.4%, down 1.4%. ( William Grant Market Report 2018).

Thanks to the hot and humid climate, the Angel’s share in the Caribbean is 3 to 4 times higher than for spirits aged in France or Scotland – which explains the difficulty to keep a rum more than 8 or 10 years.

Dark spirits are generally considered to include malt whisky, blended whisky and dark rum.

Wester Spiced Rum is produced by the Wester Spirit Distillery in Glasgow, the “first” rum distillery in the Scottish city in 300 years.

THERE’S BEEN A BIG PUSH ON BLENDED WHISKY IN EDINBURGH OVER THE FESTIVAL – DIAGEO AND JOHNNIE WALKER HAVE SPONSORED LOADS OF EVENTS. Joe Davids GM at The Voyage of Buck in Edinburgh

“We sell a lot of The Kraken, Dark Matter, Havana Club 7yo and OVD. And it’s OVD that we sell the most of. It’s what our more mature gentleman customers prefer with coke. Younger folk order Dark Matter and Kraken – also with coke or diet coke.”

India is the world’s largest market for rum.

Connor Blacklaw of The Prince of Wales in Aberdeen

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y Blended whisk 6.0% a ds an m m co the value share of irits GB on-trade sp 4.8%. wn do , ry go cate e is Its volume shar 8%.

6.6%, down 7. t Market (William Gran 18).

20 Report

The best selling blended whisky in Scotland is The Famous Grouse.

(CGA)

“My younger customers can’t get enough of The Kraken. Whereas, with whisky, The Famous Grouse sells steadily with a mixer, but over ice it’s Old Pultney 12yo that is our most popular and I don’t know why.

Perhaps it’s its position on the gantry. I can understand why coach parties go for The Deanston, given our proximity to the distillery.

Sometimes, customers can be a mystery.”

41 bottles of Scotch Whisky are shipped from Scotland to 175 markets around the world each second, totalling over 1.2bn every year Laid end to end those bottles would stretch about 350,000kms that’s 90% of the distance to the moon

“Our whisky sales aren’t as healthy as they once were, and particularly on the malt side, although The Macallan 10yo and Glenfiddich continue to hold their own. I think that this has a lot to do with the popularity of gin which shows no signs of slowing down. It’s mainly older guys drinking whisky with fewer takeups by younger drinkers. On the dark rum front, it’s a younger clientele, and seems to be equally popular with both sexes. This is the next category to watch. Brugal sells really well – so does The Kraken.”

Tracey Cooper, GM, Trades House, Dundee.

Gary Middleton, GM at The Birds & The Bees in Stirling.

Thanks to the hot and humid climate, the Angel’s share in the Caribbean is 3 to 4 times higher than for spirits aged in France or Scotland – which explains the difficulty to keep a rum more than 8 or 10 years.

“More women are drinking whisky – and the Islay brands seem to be going great guns, like Laphroaig, Ardbeg and Bowmore, and especially among women aged 30 to 50. Our Laphroaig cocktail, a cross between a Naked & Famous and A Last Word (lemon, maraschino, yellow chartreuse), is one of our most popular.

Mitch Quinn, Assistant GM at Tabac, Mitchell Lane, Glasgow.

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rant the W illiam G According to e th , t 2018 Market Repor g in be is y whisk way in which in th ow gr g in iv dr consumed is e nc For instaa the category. cocktails are y sk hi more w top Three of the being drunk . sk in are whi y 10 cocktails shioned (1st), based: Old Fa ur (3rd) and Whisk(e)y So (7th). an Manhatt

Kilkerran Halloween Cocktail 50ml Kilkerran 12yo 50ml Pineapple Juice 30ml Lemon Juice 10ml Passion fruit 30ml Monin pumkin spice 3 dashes of Scrappy Chocolate bitters Garnish: Served over crushed ice with dehydrated pineapple and orange with flamed cloves Our Kilkerran Halloween cocktail was created specially by head bartender at Good Spirit Bar in Budapest, Richard Kormos.

(Instagram - @rico.kormos). Kilkerran 12 is our flagship whisky and is the perfect dram to enjoy on its own or in a specialised cocktail.

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Inverarity M orton’s seco nd Evolution event, Evol ution 19, took over Glasgow’s SW G3 last mon was th.

It an experience-le d focusing on brand experie event, nce and customer ac tivation. Th ere were live demonst rations, key activations, as well as pr oducts and a spotlight on trends shaping the future of Scotland’s on -trade.

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DRAM OCTOBER 2019

PROMOTION

“ A P E R F ECT S ERV E” In this, DRAM’s newest column, we speak to bartenders about their Edinburgh Gin Classic Perfect Serve. This month, it’s the turn of Ryan Murray, GM at The Allison Arms in Glasgow.

G

eneral manager, Ryan Murray, is fiercely proud of how he’s boosted the gantry at Glasgow’s Allison Arms, where Edinburgh Gin, the bar’s best-selling gin range, really stands out.

He said, “Edinburgh Gin Classic is so popular with our customers because it’s so diverse and recognisable - even in a busy gantry. But, ultimately, it tastes damn good! Of the three expressions, Classic, Seaside and Cannonball, Classic sells the most and the majority of customers request it with tonic.”

He continued, “Over the last five years we’ve become known as a gin specialist and it was my pleasure and passion to build a good representation to the customer and engage the customer in conversation, not just pour a drink. We now have over 30 varieties, but the Edinburgh Gin range is going great guns.”

It also happens to be Ryan’s personal favourite. He said, “I’m a person who likes gin to taste like gin and Edinburgh Gin Classic does exactly that, both as a base for cocktails or as the classic over-tonic serve.”

Ryan’s witnessed The Allison Arms’ customer base change massively over the last five years. He said, “The Strathbungo area of Glasgow is changing from an exclusively traditional bar haunt, to become an area that includes more trendy hipster hangouts that always have a dog on the premises even our WiFi password is a dog-related one.”

He continued, “That’s why we have an eclectic mix of customer, a real melting pot of personalities and backgrounds who all mingle well creating a unique atmosphere, and who are all drawn to this brand.”

Ryan Murray’s serves up his own Edinburgh Gin Classic Perfect Serve

As for his Perfect Serve, he said, “It’s a simple classic with a twist. It always hits the spot.”

Edinburgh Gin is perfect for simple long serves like Edinburgh Gin Cannonball (57.2%) mixed with tonic, or in cocktail; try Edinburgh Gin Seaside (43%) in a martini for a savoury twist.

Edinburgh Gin Classic Perfect Serve Edinburgh Gin makes for a refreshing G&T, best served with a zesty orange twist and premium Indian tonic water.

50ml Classic Gin, 150ml Indian tonic water, garnished with a twist of orange

COLIN CLYDESDALE AND CAROL WRIGHT ARE CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF MAKING STRAVAIGIN ONE OF GLASGOW’S BEST-LOVED BAR-RESTAURANTS. JASON CADDY MARKED THE OCCASION BY MEETING THEM FOR A CONVERSATION THAT TOUCHED ON THE BUSINESS, BEING FOREVER FOODIES, AND RHODODENDRONS.

LICENSEE INTERVIEW

J

ogging Colin Clydesdale’s memory about the first time I interviewed him back in the days when he and wife Carol Wright owned The Liquid Ship on Great Western Road prompted the response “is that before I started dying my hair and beard silver?’ And his setting a silver tone to the interview is synchronicity showing off, this being Stravaigin’s 25th (silver) anniversary.

As well as this Gibson Street institution, Colin and Carol are also the combined force behind The Ubiquitous Chip on Ashton Lane and The Hanoi Bike Shop on Ruthven Lane.

We chatted on the mezzanine in Stravaigin and it was all very relaxed and friendly, and after a few reminiscences about when Stravaigin was The Spaghetti Factory, I got down to business by asking them how they were planning to mark the occasion. Said Colin, “We’re having a small party downstairs to celebrate with some of the people that have helped shape Stravaigin over the years, staff and customers.”

He continued, “Stravaigin has been self-fulfilling.

When we opened it, it was a space in which we felt comfortable, and other people shared this vision and came back again and again and the business grew.

“When people say ‘what’s your demographic?’, I say, ‘adults that are comfortable with themselves and, possibly, like us, aren’t interested in fads or fashions’.”

Will they be raising the bunting and the banners and trumpeting the 25th, apart from in this interview of course? “No”, said Colin. “Mainly in case we offend anybody that we’ve forgotten.”

I had to ask the obvious question: Does it feel like 25 years or has it whizzed by? Said Carol, “Once I start remembering then, yes, it does, then again, when I think back to finishing a 16-hour shift and then having to paint some stairs with gold Hammerite, then, no, it doesn’t.

“We were both working 16-hour days, in fact, until our son Ruaraidh was born (who’s off to university shortly) and then we just couldn’t carry on working at this pace any longer. Plus The Liquid Ship happened. Stravaigin 2 happened.”

Colin added, “I have been exposed to millions of customers and staff and got to know a lot of faces, and the weird thing is that I see people on the street that look like how

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a particular customer did 25 years ago and find myself nearly going up to them to say ‘hello’, when of course it’s not them.”

They say that practice makes perfect, so have things in the hospitality industry got any easier now that they’ve been doing it for a quarter of a century? Said Colin, “It hasn’t got easier – but it’s become more difficult for good reason: quality competition. Keeping yourself ahead of the pack is trickier now. There are many small, independent operators out there that are full of energy and enthusiasm in a way that just wasn’t the case 25 years ago. We’re not as hands-on as we were, but, having said that, I was piping butter 25 minutes ago.

“I was also very aware of when my father (Ronnie Clydesdale) was building up The Ubiquitous Chip, that as kids we didn’t see him very often and I didn’t want that with Ruaraidh. We are still involved in the minutiae, though, as well as the broader stuff.”

They are, rightly, proud of what they have achieved.

Said Colin, “I was having dinner in Stravaigin a few months ago with friends on a very busy evening, and it was a lovely evening, I might add. I looked around and I thought if I were to find another Stravaigin in, say, Barcelona or New York I would think that I had found a place that fitted me like a glove. Why? Because that night there were people who were 18 and 72 and everything in between. From all different backgrounds.

In that moment I thought to myself that we haven’t done too bad.”

What about more and more bureaucracy getting in the way of doing the job, detracting from why they got into hospitality in the first place? Does this ring true for the two of them?

Said Carol, “The more people you employ the more the business takes away from why we got into hospitality in the first place – our love of food. It also seems ridiculous to me that we are subject to a rates system that works on the basis of the better your operation the more you are penalised financially.”

Added Colin, “Yes – we didn’t get into this business to talk to the bank, BT, or deliver health and safety briefings.

Not only is our sector hammered for rates but there are also things like parking restrictions to consider, too.

Customers might think that they can park for free near

BY JASON CADDY

SILVER PATTER

DRAM OCTOBER 2019 19

LICENSEE INTERVIEW to Stravaigin after 8 pm when it’s metered right up until 10 pm.”

What about working together and living together? Are the “But there are some rules and restrictions for the right reasons, demarcation lines drawn at work? What’s it like running three units too, of course. Like recycling. We are both absolutely pro it but it between the two of them? can be difficult to get the bins out on time,” added Carol.

Said Carol, “I don’t know what it is but all the different units never They also have great staff retention. I recognised a guy that has seem to be able to all work together. Two can be working perfectly been with the business for years as soon as I walked in. “That’s well, but one will need to be chivvied along. Finding the right Andy. He started with us in Back Alley (the former Stravaigin 2, managers and chefs so you can let your business be true to itself now the Hanoi Bike Shop). He’s been with us for about 15 years,” (and we can be on a beach in St Tropez 50 weeks of the year!) isn’t explained Carol. easy.”

Said Colin, “We also employ students, too, obviously, and I always Colin added, “Carol is more front of house focussed and I’m think that that staff will be with is for six weeks or six years on more kitchen. But there is a crossover at times. And there’s average.” only been one occasion when Carol made me rein in my What about social media? Do they have much time for it? Said horns when she threw a jar of catering mustard at me, that Colin, “It seems to me that it doesn’t missed and hit the wall. But the key matter how many likes we have if it is not to bear grudges or dwell on doesn’t correlate to bums on seats. stuff.”

We employ people to do it. I look at Do they socialise much with my phone first thing in the morning other operators? “We came up but don’t have time to do all that through the Chip, which was stuff.” Carol said, “I often can’t even fairly stand-alone. We didn’t bum find my phone. Or my glasses.” around working in lots of bars Despite this interview being and then get the cash behind about Stravaigin, we couldn’t not us to open a bar. So we don’t know talk about their other concerns, many people in the trade socially.” starting with The Chip, the mere Carol and Colin have more than mention of which caused Colin to upheld the legacy that was passed beam. “We’ve been featured in to them by Colin’s father, Ronnie the Good Food Guide every year Clydesdale, who passed away in since The Chip opened in 1971 but 2010 and was arguably Scotland’s this year’s entry was particularly first foodie. He was certainly at the pleasing because it was described front-line when it came to changing as ‘legendary’. It feels good to be a the way we eat out. legend like Jimi Hendrix.”

What do they do to switch off from Seven years ago they decided the business? Colin said, “We don’t to pull the plug on Stravaigin 2 really. We were out with Ruaraidh and open The Hanoi Bike Shop in and his girlfriend Sophie on a boat COLIN CLYDESDALE its place. Why? Carol explained, trip and the tide was right to go and “We always has an inkling to harvest seaweed and we fetched open a Vietnamese restaurant back builder’s tubs full of the stuff and one day we were sitting that all ended up being processed around and it suddenly occurred in different ways in the restaurant to us, why are we doing the same food in Stravaigin 2 that kitchens. So we’re always thinking about the business, you see. we’re doing in Stravaigin? What do we want to do instead? We “We’ve got a place up the west coast which must have a million changed it over a summer and Emily, who works at Stravaigin, rhododendrons which I chop down and burn. This is fantastic began making Vietnamese food in our kitchen.” therapy and beats lying on a beach in St Tropez. Who doesn’t love Said Colin, “I said to Emily, make it as beautifully scabby as it can a bonfire!” be, and she got it. And once we got the menu right as well as Said Carol, “I did a degree in archaeology when we were still building the concept, we opened it. We also had a lot of stuff that we had Straviagin plus I also play the cello. But we both have a passion for acquired on our travels that didn’t fit the Stravaigin interiors and it cooking that has never faded.” just so happened that a lot of it did fit The Hanoi Bike Shop – like It’s obvious that Colin and Carol also still have an enthusiasm for a Sri Lankan picture of a woman on a motorcycle carrying hospitality and people, judging by how they both lit up when they oranges. bumped into customers as they were showing me out. It was also “We have a warehouse full of treasures that would look bloody good plain to see how they’ve made the triumph of the last 25 years look somewhere. We just haven’t worked out where yet.” so easy. n

WE’VE BEEN FEATURED IN THE GOOD FOOD GUIDE EVERY YEAR SINCE THE CHIP OPENED IN 1971 BUT THIS YEAR’S ENTRY WAS PARTICULARLY PLEASING BECAUSE IT WAS DESCRIBED AS ‘LEGENDARY’. IT FEELS GOOD TO BE A LEGEND LIKE JIMI HENDRIX.”

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THE SCARECROW DESIGN FOCUS

O

f all the well-known scarecrows in popular culture none of them, to my knowledge, are Scottish. A very well-known Scottish Scarecrow, however, is the eponymous Kilsyth boozer that’s just been given the gift of a refurbishment by owners, Dundas Heritable Ltd. The corner unit is three bars in one - public bar, bar-bistro and lounge - and on the approach, the refurbishment is obvious on account of the super-fresh-looking gun-metal grey paintwork, likewise the outdoor seating, cast in a similar shade. Then there are all the flowers blooming from baskets and cascading from window boxes. Around the back of the bar, facing the picturesque cobbled Market Square, the outer wall has been whitewashed with grey detailing on the ground stones. A cracking-looking unit from the outside.

Inside, GM, Andrew Scanlan, gave me the guided tour on a very busy lunchtime and he was the best man for the job because he worked in parallel with the Dundas Heritable in-house design team in a kind of consultative capacity. He said, “The refurbishment happened in stages. We closed the bar-bistro for six weeks and the opened it while the lounge was getting its refit. The public bar stayed open throughout - the locals wouldn’t have been able to do without it.”

So, which has been the most fundamental change, according to Andrew? “Everything has been changed pretty much apart from the stone floors and exposed stone walls. While it certainly had its charms, the place used to look a bit like the Bat Cave and the refurbishment has lightened it all thanks to the colour scheme and new wall hangings. Some of what we have added, like the bikes hanging on the walls in the bar-bistro, are nods to the former life of part of the building as a bike shop. It was also a bakery in a previous life.”

It was really busy when I visited and the stand-outs in design terms are those wall-mounted push-bikes and mirrors on the exposed brick walls in the bar-bistro. Pendant lights with filament-exposed bulbs light the space and the colour scheme on the non-exposed brick walls is somewhere between mint and olive green, while the ceiling is a cool, clean white. There are booths in here and some

BY JASON CADDY free-standing white plastic chairs paired with wooden tables.

Next up is the public bar which, according to Andrew, enjoyed more of a ‘freshen up’ rather than any kind of full-on refurbishment.

The tiled floor is a legacy from before and the ceiling has been painted white with grey-painted wooden dividers, with etched glass components, separating the seating areas. There’s also a window-wall of frosted glass squares that allow in plenty of natural light, which combined with the ceiling spots, make this area bright and airy for a traditional public bar and, boy, was this place busy busy busy. The grey theme also extends to the newlypainted gantry behind the bar.

Then we come to my favourite part of The Scarecrow: the lounge bar, also known as the extension. This part of the bar is bursting with character and was perhaps the most cave-like part of the pub before the refurbishment and the new-look hasn’t taken away any of this.

A structural change was required in here. A whole new bar was installed, with a wooden bar-top and attractive black wrought-iron detailing skirted along its front, and sitting parallel is a row of unfussy black bar stools on a patterned tile floor. A smoky mirror makes up what is a simply designed back-bar.

This area is long and narrow and under a vaulted ceiling, complete with Velux windows, the plaster-work around which has been painted white. This area also boasts a giant screen for sports that doesn’t look too intrusive.

Furniture-wise there are stylish grey-painted wooden seats, as well as some of the wooden-dividers for the seating and the mustard-coloured sofas pop against all the exposed stone and the dark slate floor.

The snug, up some stairs to the top of this space beyond the bar, has a nifty wee hearth for a fire papered with interesting foliage wallpaper, paired with white walls, quirky black and white photos, wall-lights, green booths and more grey coloured wooden chairs.

Here, a glass cabinet displays some rare bottles and various awards.

It’s a sympathetic refurbishment to all three distinct areas while also tying them together through the use of colour. A good job. n DRAM OCTOBER 2019 23

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24 DRAM OCTOBER 2019 EMAIL: info@smithandclough.com

3 Helena Place, Busby Road, Clarkston, Glasgow

MONTEITHS DESIGN FOCUS

BY JASON CADDY

E

very now and then my eyes are out on stalks when a refurbishment’s popping back at me. Monteiths, the latest bar-bistro to grace Glasgow’s Clarkston area, is a case in point. Owned and operated by Suburban Taverns, the Reilly family’s pubco that’s behind Loks Bar & Kitchen on the southside of the city, it’s a cathedral of interior design influences.

It’s managed by Brian Rafferty, who told DRAM, “There’s so much detail to the design and a lot of hard work went into it, and so much care and attention is evident everywhere you look. I personally really like the wooden floor, which was reclaimed from a gym. Customers have been impressed by what we’ve done.”

The principle contractor was Blevins Ltd. Thr3 Design was responsible for delivering the new look and Director, Suzy Kingswood, said, “We designed the ground floor to feel as though you are walking into established premises, drawing design detail from old anaglypta wall coverings and traditional mouldings, with every item within the space bespoke to fit the unusual layout. The floor is reclaimed pitch-pine throughout most of the areas.”

She continued, “The mood changes as you walk upstairs where an unexpected quirky wall mural pulls you upwards to a more DRAM OCTOBER 2019 25

DESIGN FOCUS contemporary-themed but relaxed dining area, tempered down to less refined materials, albeit still beautiful, with brighter colours and an incredible pass-view into the kitchen area. The carefully curated art work and bric-a-brac has been selected to give interest to every surface.”

Now comes the part of the feature when I traditionally point out what I consider to be the design highlights, but this one’s so involved that I’m going to have to be ruthless here. Let me start by setting the scene: Monteiths is over two floors, both of which benefit from big windows that let in acres of natural light.

Let’s kick things off with the L-shaped ground floor, which is one long area with the bar, giving way to an area at the back containing booths and a carpeted area complete with what appears to be a log-burning stove.

Ground floor design standouts are the bar itself, which has a sparkly quality to it and we can hold the black and white marble bar-top, gold shelving and twinkly fairy-lights all responsible for this.

This floor’s little greenhouse also caught my eye. It houses some plants and boasts even more fairy-lights. Likewise all the plants hanging from the ceiling look smart and kind of comforting and are 26

DRAM OCTOBER 2019

perhaps even a nod to climate change, who knows.

The more you look around this floor, the more textures, styles and colours catch your eye, like the corrugated tan leather booths, a carpeted (high-pile that tenderly cushions your step) area around said log-burner. Then there’s the exposed brick, anaglypta and the shiny ceiling tiles. And let’s not forget the exposed brick that looks like it’s been dusted with pink icing, on top of which sits a big sign that reads ‘Monteiths Emporium.’ There are likewise many many mirrors and pictures, large screen TVs and spotlights. And that’s just the ground floor.

Moving upstairs, the space is significantly smaller, comprising a seating area, bar, and that window on the kitchen, which really opens up the spae.

But before you get to this you have to negotiate an interesting stairway design with wallpaper depicting a forest, with a climbing monkey ornament making his way up one of the trees.

A cluster of wicker-shaded pendant lights and stylish pictures also make these stairs a delight to climb, and you might get a crick in your neck attempting to ogle it all, if you’re not careful.

The forest wall-covering theme continues on the first floor, likewise

Good luck to Monteiths with their new venture 0141 764 3733 / www.blevinsltd.co.uk

the plant theme, with baskets containing greenery whose leaves are spilling from them, hanging from the ceiling. The white wood chairs and tables look fresh and so does the turquoise/green leather upholstery on the booths.

Exposed brick has been used here, too, and one wall also has the words ‘Herb Garden’ emblazoned on it, around which are dotted herb plants on shelves.

The bar is constructed from bits of stone that look like the stacked blocks in a game of Jenga, on top of which is a white marble bar top, beautifully up-lit. Then there’s the metal shelving displaying bottles of whisky, and sundry other bits of bric-a-brac, like mirrors, pictures in contrasting shapes and sizes, plus more pendant lights dolled up in wicker shades.

On the way back to the office and as my brain got on top of processing the many-sided Monteiths’ interior design I decided that I liked it very much. It has a style all its own. Thr3 Design has followed what is fashionable in design terms, as much as they haven’t, which is always refreshing to see. And brave. Plus it’s all been executed well. n DRAM OCTOBER 2019 27

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ESSELMONT 38 Union Street, Aberdeen

DESIGN FOCUS

S

BY

ometimes the numbers speak for themselves. The Esslemont Bar & Restaurant and Mac’s Pizzeria, in the former Esslemont & Macintosh building on Aberdeen’s Union Street, is still glowing after a £500K investment, and biggest to date, from owner, The McGinty’s Group.

Its portfolio includes McGinty’s Meal An’ Ale, The Stag, No.10 Bar & Restaurant, The Ferryhill House Hotel, The Fourmile, The Silver Darling and The Grill.

The listed building, which previously housed Jamie Oliver’s ‘Jamie’s Italian’ restaurant after the closure of E&Ms in 2007, had been vacant since the celebrity chef closed the Italian in 2017. It now boasts two concepts: The Esslemont Bar & Restaurant based on the ground floor and Mac’s Pizzeria on the first floor.

Allan Henderson, Director of The McGinty’s Group, said, “This project has been our biggest to date and it has been amazing to see the building transform into our vision and bring this landmark building back to life. With two concepts in the one building, we are aiming to appeal to a wide audience whilst creating something new and exciting for the city, alongside helping to reinvigorate our main thoroughfare, Union Street, and increase footfall.

“E&Ms is an Aberdeen institution and a landmark building that was calling out for some local love. As a group, we have a passion for regenerating iconic venues and transforming them into thriving outlets so this project fits perfectly with our company objectives and enhances our growing portfolio.”

Now for the DRAM design once-over. The Esslemont Bar & Restaurant is stylish and then some. It seats up to 100 people plus

JASON CADDY luxury glass-fronted private dining for 12. The bar design is clean, colourful, and inviting, and it’s bound to appeal to all tastes and ages. It’s smart-stylish without being stuffy and starchy.

Meanwhile, the 120-seater Mac’s Pizzeria, has more of a relaxed vibe to it. Mac’s also features sharing tables and a semi-private area for group bookings.

Led by Nicoll Russel Studios, the unit has been completely transformed from its former glory but takes inspiration from its past as one of the finest department stores in Aberdeen, with nods to its historic character interspersed with all the contemporary twists.

Design highlights include the use of bright colours in both Mac’s and The Esslemont Bar & Restaurant. I’ve also never seen chopping boards hanging from the ceiling as part of an interior design. They’ve created a real talking point with this.

The furniture caught my eye because it’s fairly simple – seats and benches upholstered in brown leather, plus there are some yellow and blue upholstered seats too.

The lighting truly enhances the space, bringing out all the detail in the design as well as setting off the building’s character. They’ve achieved this via a mixture of spots, pendants and fairy-lights - plus cleverly lit fixtures such as wine racks.

The high spend is immediately apparent as soon as you walk through the door because of the quality and style oozed by The Esslemont Bar & Restaurant and Mac’s Pizzeria. The design has been wholly sympathetic to this historic building’s listed status while freshening it up at the same time and giving it a new lease of life. It’s also given Aberdeen’s bar-scape a right good shot in the arm. n

DRAM OCTOBER 2019 29

1075 Argyle Street, Glasgow

PELLEGRINI DESIGN FOCUS

W

riting about the Pellegrini refurbishment involved far less legwork than usual because it’s only a few manly strides from our office in Finnieston. Right on Glasgow’s Argyle Street, in fact, where Panevino used to be since 2012. The new owners Rosaria Crolla Pellegrini and her sister Gabriella acquired the 60-cover restaurant from their cousin, Remo Crolla. Rosaria’s husband, Stefano, is Pellegrini’s executive chef.

The sisters run the Liverpool-based The Italian Club family of restaurants and have been hands-on with the design, being involved right up to the hilt. Said Rosaria, “I’ve never used interior designers - we were lucky enough to have a very talented mother with an eye for interior design and from whom we learned so much.

“We tend not to go with current trends like the chrome-industrial look that’s just not really us - we go with what we like, with a focus on comfort fused with a traditional element. We were also keen to add colour and so the contractor suggested the drawing room blue that we’ve used on the walls. Overall, I’d say that the colours reflect the colours of the Amalfi coast.”

Much of the refurbishment also came about in order that the outlet could attract more of a lunchtime clientele. Explained Rosaria, “We are one of the principal restaurants serving the Hydro and the former layout, while wonderful, didn’t lend itself particularly well to groups.”

For anybody that was familiar with Panevino, the fundamental structure – i.e. ground floor and spiral staircase up to a long mezzanine and toilets – remains pretty much the same.

So what’s changed?

Well, the central bar on the ground floor that had seating all around it and to the left in the window, plus all the heavy wood panelling and mirrors, have all gone and in their place stands a bar immediately to your left as you enter that is fairly wide, housing a generous prep area. There’s also a door off to the kitchen and a

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BY JASON CADDY serving hatch here. The lovely yellow tiles on the bar-front and the white walls and ceilings all contribute to a lighter, airier feel. The countersunk spotlights in the ceiling generating a warm, bright light.

They’re pouring Birra Moretti behind the bar - a brand with strong links to the Italian tradition of great food, beer and company, perfectly aligning with Pellegrini’s offering.

Directly in front of the bar are some lovely bright patterned tiles, beyond which is a parquet wooden floor, on top of which sit the tables and chairs of the main seating area. It’s framed by a big corner banquette in blue velvet and this same colour has been used in the free-standing chairs, as well as yellow and a rust colour, which have then been paired with wooden tables.

The drawing room blue goes up to dado-rail height from where the panels have then been painted white. There are also some interesting brass wall lights (Rosaria loves brass) and right at the top, a shelf running the entire way around that houses bottles of wine and Mediterranean-looking fish jugs. On the walls are circular mirror and contemporary prints.

As you climb the spiral staircase, you’re confronted by exposed filament light-bulbs on varying lengths of shade-free pendants halfway up, to entertain you should you require a rest, and which are an unexpected touch. There’s also a huge mirror in which you can check yourself out on the stairs, alternatively, and continue to do so along the long mezzanine.

There’s a long tan leather banquette in this area, along which is a row of tables and multi-coloured wooden chairs. The colour scheme is the same as downstairs, blue and white, with white walls, wall lights and food-related pictures. At the very end of this tunnel-like space is a lovely circular mirror.

The day I visited it was lunchtime and there were plenty of customers enjoying the new design as well as the food, so the investment and all the consideration that went into the design looks to have been well worth the effort. n

Sources: 1: CGA 10/08/2019, Value Sales, UK. 2: CGA 10/08/2019, Value RoS % Change YA, Scotland.

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SPACES INTERIORS BRANDS DIGITAL

www.rough.ink

18 Links Road, Port Seton, Prestonpans

THE SEAGLAS DESIGN FOCUS

MAIN CONTRACTORS JOINERS AND BUILDING CONTRACTORS DONALDSON CONSTRUCTION WOULD LIKE TO WISH THE SEAGLASS INN EVERY SUCCESS IN THE FUTURE BLOCK 2, WARD STREET, ALLOA FK10 1ET TEL 01259 219923 EMAIL: info@donaldson-construction.co.uk 32

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SS INN

BY JASON CADDY

S

ome pub refurbishment unveilings are so eagerly awaited that even the local MP puts in an appearance, like in the case of Star Pubs & Bars’ £425K refurbishment of The Seaglass Inn, Port Seaton. Well, it was a double-whammy actually, because East Lothian MP Martin Whitfield AND MSP Iain Gray both arrived to toast the pub’s revival.

Said Martin Whitfield, “It’s great to see such major investment in an East Lothian pub and new jobs created. The Seaglass Inn is a welcome addition to the area for local residents and another attraction for visitors.”

Iain Gray added, “Good pubs play an important social role as hubs for the communities they serve. With so many people moving into this part of East Lothian, it’s good news to see a local pub given a new lease of life.”

The development of what was The Wemyss Hotel was several months in the making. Rough Design and Donaldson Construction worked on the project.

Star Pubs & Bars’ Investment Manager Matt Dyson told DRAM, “The premises was closed when we bought if from Punch. It was a wet-led boozer, with a front area and disused function room with a connecting corridor.

“Getting the layout just right was the biggest part of the job and this involved us opening up the whole pub into one big room. There’s a public bar at the front, leading into a transitional area, and then a dining area at the back next to the kitchen.”

He continued, “At the rear of the pub we have a secret garden with some interesting sign-writing and astro-turf. This is linked to the pub through bi-folding doors which flows through nicely into one large usable space.”

Mother and daughter team, Christine O’Brien and Sarah Couch, are the new licensees and Christine, who grew up in Prestonpans and also runs The New Plough Inn at Tranent, says customers’ jaws drop when they walk in.

She said, “The pub looks beautiful, and they can’t believe the DRAM OCTOBER 2019 33

DESIGN FOCUS transformation. They love the new design and ambience and having a family-friendly pub that caters for all in Port Seton. We’re seeing a real mix of ages and people who never visited the pub before: groups of ladies for prosecco; guys watching the football and families enjoying a meal out. The community has backed us right from the early planning stages, and we’re very grateful for their support.”

The overhaul has given The Seaglass Inn a stylish contemporary look and it was the neon sign on the wall displaying the legend ‘The sun shines here every day’ in yellow neon that first grabbed my attention.

It kind of sums up a very clean, bright colourful design. So many pops of colour have been used without it looking cartoonish.

Highlights most definitely are the exposed stone walls and beautiful patterned parquet floors and the horseshoe-shaped turquoise booths and bar stools. The Seaglass Inn also has what we’ve clocked as being a bit of a design trend – an indoor tree or two.

The lighting is also bang on-trend, long spider-like pendants with exposed filament bulbs dangling on the end of them.

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It’s fair to say that the focal point of The Seaglass Inn is the bar, with its zigzag front and pink and red illuminated back bar, which is simple shelving against an exposed stone background.

Elsewhere, a gunmetal grey colour has been used effectively on some of the walls, likewise on radiators, added to which are ‘eyecandy’ corners where the walls have been covered in various patterns and textures, plus there are also olive green, brown and plush velvet banquettes too. It all chimes tunefully together despite looking a little disparate on paper no doubt.

On a sunny day, the outside area has a by-the-seaside feel to it, possibly because of the deckchairs and the big yacht-looking sail, which fits its location down to the ground.

So there you have it. Another design triumph for Star Pubs & Bars as it continues to breathe new life into pubs that need it, and The Seaglass Inn’s refurbishment is, incidentally, part of Star Pubs & Bars’ £4 million investment programme for Scotland’s pubs in 2019. n

@dramscotland

SUE SAYS

/dram.scotland

T

here has been a real flurry of activity in the market – I can’t remember so many new pubs opening and so many refurbishments. It goes to show that despite all the political uncertainty, the on-trade has not pulled back from investing.

It’s a pity the Scottish government didn’t invest a bit more time in finding out what the real cost of operating in the hospitality industry is and stop using it like a ‘cash cow’. Paying rates on turnover penalises the very people who are investing in their businesses and that makes no sense.

I love it when people call me to tell me they have found a great pub as was the case recently. Marco Sarao went on a NC500 tour and came across the Inn on the Tay. He raved about it. Marco, who’s pub The Swan Inn took home Sunday Mail Pub of the Year last year, certainly should know a good pub. I intend to visit it as soon as I can.

I was in Dornoch recently and was so impressed by the quality of the hospitality offering – the bar and restaurant at the Dornoch Castle Hotel was fab, as was the service at The Links and The Royal Golf Hotel. It was first class. I can’t wait to go back. Well done to all concerned.

The research on red wine gets better and better, and just as well because it’s one of my favourite tipples. A new study has revealed that a glass of red wine each day could be beneficial for the gut microbiome of humans. That was this month’s conclusion. Last month, we found that the compound resveratrol found in red wine demonstrates stress relieving effects in anxiety and depression, according to researchers from the University at Buffalo in collaboration with Xuzhou Medical University in China. I‘d better stock up!

And talking of research, I have to say I don’t know whether minimum pricing is realing working or not and how much is really down to the reduction in the drink-drive limit.

According to a study just published in the British Medical Journal, which looked at how much alcohol was bought in shops before and after the move up to the end of 2018, consumers are buying

just over a unit less of alcohol a week and the heaviest drinkers 2 units less a week.

I know it is a downward figure but, really, a unit less a week - and these figures don’t include pub sales. They analysed the purchasing habits of 60,000 English and Scottish households between 2015 and 2018. Just over 5,000 of them were in Scotland. The English households were used as a control group.

While households in England increased their consumption slightly, Scottish purchasing fell. Personally, I think it is more likely that the reduction in the drink drive level is what is working in Scotland!

But the Newcastle team did acknowledge there needed to be longer-term follow up to see if the drop was sustained, as there was some evidence that in the later months of 2018 consumption had begun to rise again.

Meanwhile, Alcohol Focus Scotland is also calling on the government to require licensed premises to provide information on sales as a condition of their licence because data is based on natural volumes and not the alcohol content. Watch out for that one.

I was talking to Gordon White of FatBuzz recently who was explaining to me some of the more intricate issues around social media. He told me that he has banned his staff from using the term because it is actually so much more. It was fascinating. He runs Breakfast meetings in Edinburgh and Glasgow where he tackles the issues and the solutions – worth attending if you get the chance, and there is no charge. The company is also now doing marketing training.

Just saying!

Mario Gizzi’s DRG Group has closed Di Maggio’s on Ruthven Lane.

It was the first ever Di Maggio’s and I have a host of memories associated with the restaurant. But like many things perhaps it was time to adapt to changing food trends and it is now set to reopen as a Chaakoo - also owned by Gizzi and Paul Sloan. It will be Glasgow’s second Chaakoo Bombay Cafe.

Meanwhile I hear that Ox and Finch are aiming to have their new west end venture open in time for Christmas - I look forward to seeing it.

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 Julia Smith • Production Fiona Gauld, Jack Thompson • 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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