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DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

@dramscotland

DRAM MAGAZINE September 2020 ISSN 1470-241X

/dram.scotland

STAR PUBS & BARS LATEST OPENINGS IN SCOTLAND

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DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

WELCOME

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usiness is getting back to a new normal and there is certainly plenty going on. Our cover story shows a new development from Star Pubs and Bars – The Drum. It is great that they are continuing to invest in Scotland. It is also good news that there are new places opening such as Fallon and Anthony Cowley’s Mr MacGregors in Netherlee – see our design feature.

I interviewed Stephen Montgomery this month. He is a former President of the SLTA and he has been doing his very best to keep the trade informed during Covid-19. Now he is launching a new organisation – aimed at representing the whole trade – I have to say I was surprised to hear that the SLTA has only just over 300 paid members! Read what he has to say on our centre pages.

Meanwhile, we are promoting our awards and there is still time to enter – check out our facebook page. If you would like some social media badges to use – get in touch.

Remember we also have our weekly newsletters now – so remember to sign up for them. Things are changing rapidly – they will keep you up to date on the weekly shenanigans.

My Sue Says column covers some of the issues that you all have been sharing with me and my take on them.

SEPTEMBER 2020

FEATURES

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Susan Young, Publisher susan@mediaworldltd.com dramscotland.co.uk

/dram.scotland

THE LATEST LEGISLATION AND WHAT IT MEANS. REFLECTIONS AND FUTURE PLANS Jason Caddy finds out from licensees what their plans are for the future.

SPIDERMAN Stephen Montgomery has been championing the trade over lockdown. Susan Young reports.

DESIGN FEATURES

Featuring the DRUM, The Princess and Fallow Cowley’s Mr MacGregor’s.

REGULARS

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See you next month.

@dramscotland

CONTENTS

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NEWS

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

BRAND NEWS

The latest brand news.

SUE SAYS

Our publisher Sue pulls no punches.

DRAM SEPTEMBER 2020 3

NEWS COVER STORY

AHT MEMBERS RISE TO 134

SP&B invest £1.04 million in Glasgow ‘premium locals’ Pubs in Scotland’s West Central Belt are benefiting from upgrades into premium locals as part of a £1.04 million investment pubs by Heineken-owned Star Pubs & Bars during 2020.

Work is set to start on a £325,000 refurbishment of The Princess in Riddrie, whilst The Drum in Shettleston has already opened following a £210,000 makeover. See this month’s design features for an in-depth look at both.

Said Chris Sladen, Star Pubs & Bars’ Head of Property, “As the name suggests, premium locals offer a premium experience and attract a broad mix of customers and a wide age range. They provide a great local for residents on their doorsteps without the need to travel and cater for a whole variety of occasions from morning coffees and family lunches to ladies’ nights out. As a result, they are also strong business opportunities for licensees.”

He continued, “When undertaking refurbishments, the design is seen as key to the quality of the ambience and the customer experience. The pubs are comfortable and welcoming with quality finishes. Every scheme is individually designed and tailored to the community it serves as well as the pub building. Historic pubs, such as The Drum. have their character preserved and enhanced.

More modern buildings, like The Princess, have features and style injected.”

BREWERY LAUNCHES BIG BEER SHOWCASE Glasgow Beer Works (GBW) is running a Glaswegian craft beer showcase called The Big Beer Showcase for three weeks from the 27th August in celebration of the city’s craft beer scene. It’s all happening in a sociallydistanced beer garden on Osborne Street, underneath the mural of The Big Yin by John Byrne. Taking part in the festival are Dead End Brew Machine, Overtone, Hidden LaneBrewing, Simple Things Fermentation, Upfront Brewing, Ride Brewing and Acid Brewing Cartel, alongside Glasgow Beer Works very own locally crafted brews.

Allan Rimmer, co-founder of Glasgow Beer Works said, “This summer for us was supposed to be a celebration of a new time in our craft beer journey, with a new brewery and a great beer garden to host our Glasgow Beer Works brews.”

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134 Aberdeen hospitality businesses and counting have now joined the ‘Aberdeen Hospitality Together’ (AHT) forum - a unified group set up last month by the industry for the industry whose main objective is working together positively with one voice.

It is being driven by the local businesses in an effort to get all premises, small and large, to collectively work together to share best practice. It has also made a commitment to the protection of the industry to help make major long-lasting positive changes, including a focus on operational procedures to align with Government Guidelines.

AHT was formed in response to the local COVID-19 outbreak which saw 28 city bars and pubs implicated in a Covid-19 cluster outbreak and they only just re-opened. The first action point of the group included the creation

of a 10-step assurance scheme that all venues will pledge to follow in order to instil customer confidence and lead the way in creating a safe environment in Aberdeen.

Stuart McPhee, Director of Siberia Bar & Hotel and Committee Member, said, “The second lockdown prompted premises in the city to take action and create a positive unified voice that we feel was missing.“This has led to the creation of our new assurance scheme that all venues will adhere to but we also have plans in motion for a new customer behaviour system unique to Aberdeen and a city-wide app which will help to strengthen safety procedures. These steps will help to ensure that operators are ready to open but we need this to happen as soon as possible to ensure the sector survives.”

Edinburgh’s L’Escargot Blue back in business L’Escargot Bleu at 56 Broughton Street in Edinburgh has reopened.

Chef-owner Fred Berkmiller, wife Betty and children Matilde and Camile were initially running their ‘at home’ offering without the help of staff, who were placed on furlough, but serving 300 dishes a week for three months allowed them to bring some staff back.

Said Fred, “In the beginnin, it was me in the kitchen, Betty taking orders and the children packing orders and making deliveries. It has been exhausting but we’re getting a lot of repeat customers and some really

encouraging feedback.

“We were constantly being asked when we are reopening for sit-in guests, and we had to think hard about how best to work it alongside a take-away operation, as well as considering everyone’s safety.

“We’ve given this a lot of thought and we’re not only confident that we are able to deliver a safe experience, but that we are able to offer a truly relaxing environment for people to enjoy our food.”

The restaurant will be open from Thursday to Saturday for the foreseeable future.

LACK OF CLARITY LEADS TO CLOSURES FOR TWO ABERDEEN LATE NIGHT VENUES

LEITH WELCOMES INNIS & GUNN TAPROOM The opening of Innis & Gunn’s Leith Brewery Taproom last month at 58 The Shore, Leith, Edinburgh makes it the fourth in Scotland after Taprooms across Glasgow, Dundee, and Edinburgh city-centre.

The new bar features a large outdoor area to the front, with a seated area and parasols for shelter.

Dougal Gunn Sharp, Founder and CEO at Innis & Gunn, said, “We’re feeling incredibly fortunate to be able to continue with our growth plans during this difficult and uncertain time. In the past few months our team have excelled. The business is in great shape and, now that the hospitality sector is starting to open up again, we are looking to the future so that means progressing with our planned retail expansion.”

The company has now brought 75% of retail staff back from furlough with no job losses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic plus it says that staff have been fully trained with ‘robust physical distancing measures’ in place.

Superico debuts refurbished interior Owner Juan José Castillo Castro’s refurbished Superico Bar & Lounge at 99 Hanover Street, Edinburgh was due to debut in March but was delayed until last month because of COVID-19.

The new interior has nods to South American symbolism and geography with a pink and ochre colour scheme. A 2-metrediametre Japanese paper supermoon glows from the centre of the room.

Said Juan, “We were due to open in late March, but obviously plans changed due to Covid-19. As a result, we’ve had more time to develop our offering and capture the positive energy of our South American heritage.

“Despite having to operate slightly differently upon opening, with socially-distanced tables and table service only, we see it as a wonderful opportunity to get to know our guests better, and be able to give them a true Superico welcome and service.”

Juan José Castillo Castro also operates Superico Restaurant at 83 Hanover Street.

Signature Pubs has permanently closed Nox nightclub on Aberdeen’s Justice Mill Lane on account a lack of clarity on when they can re-open it, while Cheerz on Exchange Street has closed ‘indefinitely’ to safeguard jobs because of how badly the background music ban has hit business.

Louise Maclean, Signature Pub’s Director of Sales and Marketing said, “We are gutted to announce that, due to the coronavirus pandemic and the restrictions on late-night entertainment, Nox will not be re-opening.

“None of us wanted this day to come but Covid-19 has brought massive uncertainty to the entire hospitality industry and nightclubs have been some of the worst-affected businesses.

“With no clarity on when the doors can reopen, we’ve been left with no alternative but to cease trading for good. A formal 30 day consultation period has commenced and this allows an opportunity for all questions to be posed and answered “While we fully understand the need for the Covid-19 restrictions, they haveseverely impacted the late-night hospitality sector making decisions like this regrettable but inevitable.”

Cheerz, Aberdeen’s only LGBT venue, is owned and operated

by S&G Aberdeen Ltd. Its Operations Manager George McKenzie told DRAM, “Despite our capacity being drastically reduced from 400 on a busy weekend to only 30 on the premises post lockdown, we were doing okay until the music ban was introduced. This has totally killed the atmosphere, not to mention customers in booths being able to hear other customers in the toilets. Customers are now ordering fewer drinks as well as having house parties instead of coming out.

We are losing money daily so we have closed indefinitely to safeguard jobs, but if this policy isn’t reviewed soon we will have to make redundancies.”

George has launched a petition #savescottishhospitality to try and speed up a review of this policy that got 200 signatures overnight as we went to press.

Permanent outdoor bar and marquee for Dundee’s Kilted Kangaroo The Kilted Kangaroo on Dundee’s Roseangle has been given the planning green-light for a bar, wooden toilet cabin, and marquee to be set up in its beer garden for the next five years in response to Covid-19 restrictions.

The planning permission also allows the pub to widen the existing garden wall entrance by two metres and install a gate.

A council report on the plans said, “The proposed development will be located at the bottom of the existing beer garden and will replace an existing dispense bottle bar.

“The proposal is required as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and would provide a covered outdoor area and to help maintain the viability of the business.”

DRAM SEPTEMBER 2020 5

NEWS MIKAKU BRINGS TOYKO TO GLASGOW Owner Darren Bernardi has re-opened a new Mikaku in the next-door premises at 45 Glasgow’s Queen Street following a £150k refurbishment of the Japanese restaurant’s interior which now resembles a Tokyo street. Lockdown happened six weeks into the build forcing the team to down tools and delaying the project.

Darren told DRAM, “The restaurant is now over two floors. We have gone from 64 covers to 125, although with Covid-19 restrictions and social distancing we are accommodating 70 to 80. We have also combined what were three kitchens into one.

“There’s a dedicated cocktail bar on the mezzanine, but we are still fine-tuning this and if customers want to eat on this floor they can. We could have opened sooner but I held back so that I could take things slowly and not make any mistakes.”

Darren also owns and operates the city’s La Cheetah and Max’s Bar & Grill.

DUNDEE-BASED MACMERRY 300 TO OPEN FIRST GLASGOW VENUE Dundee operators AJ Mcmenemy and Phil Donaldson of Macmerry 300 will open their first Glasgow venue called The Luchador – aka The Luchy – at 721 Pollockshaws Road at the end of this month.

AJ Mcmenemy told DRAM, “It’s our first foray into Glasgow and we see the Southside of the city representing a very good opportunity for us. We will be focussing on agave spirits in this South-American inspired venue, and not just tequila and mescal. We want to widen it out to Bacanora and Raicilla and many more. There will be a food offering taking its inspiration from across the continent.

“We have a secret plan for downstairs, a separate venue we are opening at the same time and all I can say right now is that it will have a speakeasy kind of vibe. The capacity upstairs is around 60, with roughly 50 downstairs. We are using lots of textures and palates and religious iconography for the interiors, which have been designed with Covid-19 in mind, but realistically the design reflects the long term because we do see this situation coming to an end.”

The business partners already operate Bird & Bear, Abandon Ship, The King of Islington, and Gracies in Broughty Ferry. Draffens, The Blue Room, and BuBu are all neighbouring units within the Nethergate Building which they also own.

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Music ban has “devastating effect” on hospitality businesses The background music ban, implemented by the Scottish Government on 14th August is having a “devastating effect” on Scotland’s pubs according to the Scottish Beer and Pub Association and this is backed up by a poll carried out by DRAM which reveals that nearly 50% of hospitality businesses has seen a drop of between 30% and 40%. The poll carried out by the DRAM asked pub, bar and restaurant owners to rate what impact the music ban had on their business: 47% reported a drop of between 30% and 40% while 19% said customers had dropped by 19%.

Only 13% said it had no impact.

The ban came in because the Scottish Government said that there was an increased risk of COVID transmission if people raised their voices. The Scottish Beer & Pub Association is urging it to reverse the ban to help boost their businesses as they try to recover post-lockdown.

Dennis Forsyth, licensee of Cheers in Fraserburgh, said that his business suffered on the very first weekend after the ban. He said, “Things were doing well despite operating at a 120 capacity, down from 460. That was until the ban on all background music came in. This has completely screwed us up because our weekend trade has plummeted by 40%. It would have been a better idea to introduce some kind of minimal decibel level rather than ban it outright, and I know that I’m not the only business in the area to have suffered because of it.”

While John Burns, owner of Glasgow’s Bloc+ believes the restrictions are doing more harm than good. He said, “I think that the restrictions on background noise are having the opposite effect to what they are intended for. I think that low-level music acts as a buffer to help groups hear what is being said in their own conversation bubble because the music stops conversations from other

‘bubbles’ wafting over. Whereas now customers have to compete with other and so people are talking even louder.”

Inverness-based Cru Holdings codirector Scott Murray (Angels Share, Bar One, Scotch and Rye, The Keg, Dows Bar, The Classroom, Prime) finds the ban “baffling.” He said, “It impacts on the customer experience by sucking out the atmosphere. Pubs need something to break the silence.

We haven’t seen this impact out business though yet because demand in the Highlands trumps a lack of atmosphere. “ Ian McColm owner of Tiki Bar and bar/bowling concept Bowlarama in Glasgow said, “At least people can listen to bowling pins flying through the air on account of that fairly ludicrous no background music policy.”

Louise MacLean from Signature Pubs based in Edinburgh believes the Government should work with licensees to resolve the issue. She says, ” Customers don’t want to go to venues that are silent and awkward so inevitably our takings are down.

“We understand the concern about noise but we would happily work with Scottish Government officials and set decibel levels to create a welcoming atmosphere within acceptable limits.

Otherwise the future for bars in Scotland looks bleak as autumn approaches and inside spaces become more important.”

SBPA CEO Emma McClarkin comments, “There is an easy middle ground to be had here, where responsible pubs can be allowed to create an atmosphere and ambience that makes them what they are, whilst controlling noise to a level which doesn’t require customers to shout.

Music adds to the ambience and atmosphere of the pub. Without music our venues are losing more of their soul.”

BY LICENSING LAWYER JANET HOOD

NEW LEGLISATION GIVES LOCAL AUTHORITIES ABILITY TO CLOSE PREMISES – WHAT YOU MUST KNOW!

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ast month saw local authorities be given the powers to close premises or restrict access to premises if they believe it is necessary for the purpose of preventing, protecting against, controlling or providing a public health response to the incidence or spread of infection by Coronavirus in the local authority’s area.

It is really important that licensees ensure that they are complying with the Coronavirus regulations and /or statutory guidance as it is possible that this regulation might be able to be used to close premises which are not compliant as a preventative measure.”

The local authority must make an effort to advise you this is going to happen.

The restrictions can last for 21 days from the date they were imposed. Failure to comply may result in prosecution.

HERE IS THE LAW:-

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2020/262/contents/made The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Directions by Local Authorities) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 Directions by local authorities: general 3. —(1) A local authority may give a direction under regulation 5(1), 6(1) or 7(1) only if the authority considers that the following conditions are met— (a) that the direction is necessary for the purpose of preventing, protecting against, controlling or providing a public health response to the incidence or spread of infection by coronavirus in the local authority’s area, and (b) that the prohibitions, requirements or restrictions imposed by the direction are a proportionate means of achieving that purpose.

Directions relating to individual premises 5. —(1) Subject to regulation 3, a local authority may give a direction imposing prohibitions, requirements or restrictions in relation to the entry into, departure from, or location of persons in, specified premises in the local authority’s area.

(2) A direction under paragraph (1) may be given for the purposes of— a) closing the premises, (b) restricting entry to the premises, or (c) securing restrictions in relation to the location of persons in the premises.

(3) ……

(4) A direction under paragraph (1) may only have the effect of imposing a prohibition, requirement or restriction on— (a) the owner or any occupier of premises to which the

You can appeal against the imposition of these restrictions.

Please check your risk assessments, make sure your staff are properly trained and empowered to deal with customers who may not be willing to comply or who may not know how to comply.

“Make sure you have all sanitation measures in place, that staff wear face masks, that you have a screened payment point, that people are not in a position to cough or sneeze over the bar and that people are seated properly with appropriate social distancing.

“It maybe you want to have a meet and greet person to explain the rules before patrons enter your premises and it is an idea to publish the measures you are taking for prevention on your web site so customers feel safe and know what to do.

“None of us want another city-wide lockdown.”

direction relates, (b) any other person involved in managing entry into, or departure from, such premises or the location of persons in them.

(5) A direction under paragraph (1) may impose a prohibition, requirement or restriction by reference to, among other things—the number of persons in the premises, the purpose for which a person is in the premises, the facilities in the premises.

(6) A direction under paragraph (1) must—state the date and time on which the prohibition, requirement or restriction comes into effect, and the date and time on which it will cease to have effect, and give details of the right of appeal to a sheriff and the time within which such an appeal may be brought.

(7) The date and time mentioned in paragraph (6)(a) when the prohibition, requirement or restriction ceases to have effect must be no later than 21 days after it comes into effect.

(8) Where a local authority gives a direction under paragraph (1) it must take reasonable steps to give advance notice of the direction to a person carrying on a business from the premises to which the direction relates, and if different, any person who owns or occupies the premises.

(9) A person in relation to whom a direction under paragraph (1) imposes a prohibition, requirement or restriction may appeal against the direction to a sheriff.

(10) On an appeal against a direction under paragraph (1) in a case where the direction was made pursuant to a direction of the Scottish Ministers under regulation 4, an application is to be issued to both the Scottish Ministers and the local authority.

BRAND NEWS WHISKY

BEER

TOBERMORY, DEANSTON AND BUNNAHABHAIN DISTILLERIES NEW COLLECTION

Heineken 0.0% becomes UEFA Europa League partner

Distell’s Single Malt Scotch Whisky distilleries, Tobermory, Deanston and Bunnahabhain, have introduced eight new limited edition expressions to the global market.

Tobermory Distillery has revealed three new expressions - Tobermory 2007 Port Pipe Finish, the Ledaig 1998 Marsala Finish, and the 2007 Pedro Xeminez Finish.

From the Deanston Distillery we have a 2002 Organic Pedro Ximenez finish cask strength, a Deanston 1991 Muscat Finish, and the Deanston 2002 Pinot Noir.

Bunnahabhain Distillery has unveiled Bunnahabhain 2008 Manzanilla Matured and Bunnahabhain Moine 1997 Pedro Ximenez Finish.

Julieann Fernandez, Master Blender at Distell, said, “Having been slumbering away in their casks at

our distilleries around Scotland, these stunning malts are finally ready for our loyal fans to experience them.

With a combined age of nearly 150 years across the eight expressions, we’ve been waiting a very long time to hear what you think.”

SMOKEHEAD RUM REBEL LAUNCHES Ian Macleod Distillers has launched Smokehead Rum Rebel. It’s a Smokehead Islay Single Malt Whisky finished in rich Caribbean rum casks.

Said Iain Weir, Smokehead Brand Director, “We are overwhelmed by the boldness of flavour in our new bottling and can’t wait to see our Smokeheads’ reaction. When our rich, smoky, salty Islay Smokehead collides with spicy, sweet Caribbean rum casks, carnage is inevitable.

“Like all our Smokehead whiskies, Rum Rebel is not for everyone. This whisky is for the fearless.”

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CIDER STRONGBOW NIGHTS’ SET TO SUPPORT THE TRADE

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Heineken’s non-alcoholic beer brand, Heineken 0.0%, is now sponsoring The UEFA Europa League. It’s the largest ever single sponsorship deal involving a non-alcoholic beer brand, say the company. Heineken 0.0%, takes over from fellow Heineken brand Amstel, which sponsored the competition for the last five years.

Said Hans Erik Tuijt, Heineken global sponsorship director, “Heineken 0.0% has seen incredibly strong growth over the past few years.

Therefore, we’re delighted to announce its first major sponsorship at a time when football is available to watch almost every day of the week. We feel it’s crucial to encourage responsible drinking and give consumers a choice.”

Heineken customers can now take advantage of ‘Strongbow Nights’ which offers licensees downloadable social media content, A2 posters, quiz sheets and bingo cards. Quiz questions and musical bingo tracks will be updated every week so that licensees can also encourage repeat visits from customers.

The launch of ‘Strongbow Nights’ coincides with the Strongbow’s first ever multi-millionpound master brand advertising campaign, ‘Refreshing the Nation’ - a look at what makes our summers so special, Rachel Holms, cider marketing director at Heineken said, “Since the on trade reopened, we have seen really positive sales from the pubs that have already opened their doors.

However, the familiar pattern of quieter early- to mid-week evening occasions means pubs will be working hard to encourage more customers to visit at these times. Encouraging footfall and extending dwell time, while maintaining social distancing, will be key to increasing spend safely.”

SAY HELLO TO YOUR NEW TRAINING MANAGER

The anywhere, anytime training app for upskilling your bar staff

The on trade experience is like no other. From buying your first beer aged 18 to enjoying your first post-lockdown pint: it’s a British institution.

However 40% of customers say they would leave an outlet if served a bad pint and would not return*. Therefore proper staff training is vital for your business. In fact, Hello BEER could help you tap into an extra £25,000 profit per year** At just £40 for up to 20 learners, staff training works out cheaper than a pint of lager per person***! With better pouring skills, you’ll start to see a return on investment immediately with fewer pints in your drip trays.

Use your camera to find out more!

Sign up today at hellobeerapp.com

*The Cask Report, 2018-19 ** Vianet Beer Quality Insight-Report 2019-2020 profit loss through 1 in 3 pints served through a dirty line + Average cost of wastage per pub calculation: Average price of a pint in the UK = £3.67 (Office of National Statistics, March 2019). Average number of taps per pub = 10 (source: attached from BBPA Facts on Tap 2018) ***Based on 20 members of staff signed up to learn

URGENT NEED FOR MORE DETAILED DIVERSITY DATA IN THE DRINKS INDUSTRY

BY SUSAN O’NEILL

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he results of the recent ‘Diversity in the UK Wine Industry’ Survey – the first-ever of its kind – were published in July. The findings came as no surprise, in the midst of the global Black Lives Matter movement and following the murder of George Floyd.

Completed by 667 people working in the UK wine trade, the results showed that less than 15% of wine professionals come from a black or ethnic minority background and 45% of respondents said their workplace had only one or no colleagues from a black or ethnic minority background.

The survey further highlighted that due to the lack of visibility of people of colour in the wine trade, discrimination remains widespread, with respondents reporting that they experience more discrimination at work than they do in the outside world.

To address the lack of diversity in the wine trade in a meaningful way, there is an urgent need for more detailed data on the current ethnic breakdown at all levels of the industry - from entry through to senior management and board level.

In Scotland specifically, the diversity picture is far from clear. The most recent Annual Population Survey for Scotland tells us that 7.6% of the tourism and distribution sector workforce (37,900 people) is made up of workers who describe themselves as being from an Ethnic Minority Background. This is higher than the national average and when looking at the ethnic minority working population in Scotland as a whole (123,300 people), the data suggests that some 30.7% of that working population are employed in this sector.

Unfortunately, the data which currently exists in the Scottish hospitality and tourism industry cannot be drilled downed further to look specifically at the drinks sector, the different ethnic minority backgrounds represented, or the salary bracket and seniority level of those BAME professionals.

Without more detailed information on the current situation regarding diversity, it is impossible to set realistic and measurable goals and objectives on how to improve.

One possible reason the industry is performing poorly on diversity could be the survey finding that a significant number of respondents felt there was no need for any change.

Commenting on these results, Mags Janjo, a Black Wine Consultant comments, “The time of ignorance is bliss has passed. Just saying racism doesn’t exist is not good enough. It’s an uncomfortable conversation to have but until we have those conversations things won’t change.”

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Nada Ahmed, Egyptian-born, Glasgow-based Sommelier at the Kained Holdings Group, says, “As a woman of colour, the wine industry was one I felt like I had to push my way in to”. While Iain McPherson, Scottish-Korean owner of Panda & Sons, Hoot the Redeemer and Nauticus bars in Edinburgh (pictured) comments, “As a person of colour, you always knew you had to be better than the rest to be recognised as you can’t be ignored if you’re the best at what you do.”

Kirsten MacLeod, is a Director and Diversity and Inclusion expert at Green Park Ltd offers some basic suggestions on where to start with actions that can be implemented immediately and with little or no budget: Review your website/social media in terms of the representation of BAME people in the images used on your platforms Send an online survey to staff asking about their ethnicity to get a snapshot of your company diversity situation right now including the representation at senior and board level Send out an online customer survey to learn about the ethnic diversity of your customer base review your board and trust members and whether the BAME community is represented among them scrap any internal referral bonus scheme for vacancies as this encourages the hiring of more people like yourself as this only encourage the hiring of more people like you recruit from outside the wine industry from sectors with a better diversity track record for roles that doesn’t require wine knowledge e.g. finance, HR, IT– especially for senior positions Educate yourself on diversity, inclusivity, racism, anti-racism, micro-aggression and unconscious bias Those putting together marketing campaigns, choosing judging panels for awards, assembling lists for media or winery trips and commissioning articles have a responsibility to ensure they are being inclusive of professionals from Black, Asian or other Ethnic Minority backgrounds.

Two Glasgow-based organisations working towards equality in the industry are Dechomai, founded by Managing Director Bayile Adeoti (featured in the recent BBC ‘Scottish and Black’ documentary) and Drinklusive, founded by wine industry professional Susan O’Neill.

If you are interested in finding out more about how to get involved you can email dechomaievents@gmail.com or bedrinklusive@gmail. com or follow their accounts on instagram at @dechomailtd and @ drinklusive

REFLECTIONS ON CO & PLANS FOR THE FU THIS MONTH, DRAM SPOKE TO SEVERAL KEY OPERATORS TO FIND OUT HOW BUSINESS HAS BEEN SINCE THEY REOPENED, HOW THEY ARE MANAGING TO BRING STAFF BACK FROM FURLOUGH, WHICH NEW TECHNOLOGY THEY ARE USING - AS WELL AS WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS NOW THAT EAT OUT TO HELP OUT IS OVER AND THE FURLOUGH SCHEME IS TAPERING OFF. BY JASON CADDY

JOHN BURNS OWNER BLOC+ GLASGOW

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e are operating at a 72-seated capacity in a venue with a 190 total legal capacity, which is not bad considering we had 78 seats before restrictions came in. We were able to keep more seats by shuffling things around and moving out the sound decks and the DJ table. We are now doing in excess of 100 covers per day compared to around 400 pre-pandemic.

We made a decision not to take any pre-bookings. If you go down the two-hour slot route, say, I feel it can encourage binge drinking as customers quickly order more drinks at the end of their time slot before moving on.

And what happens if you get a two-hour booking and they only stay for 45 minutes? Then you’re left with a dead table. And if the food takes, say 45 minutes to arrive in a two-hour slot when it’s busy, it can leave customers feeling cheated and this can lead to animosity. That’s why we continued to operate a first-come, firstserved system.

We looked at all apps and decided against all of them. If you’re busy for food, and if you have 10 tables arrive in space of 10 minutes, all the orders coming through at once will overwhelm the kitchen.

You need staff on the floor interacting with customers to regulate the flow of orders to the kitchen as well as knowing which food is for whom so that they don’t have to ask the customers in each party. Apps also impact negatively on tips.

We have metal QR codes on tables for contact and trace, which

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once submitted bring up the menus. This is free (apart from getting the metal signage made) and is a useful tool for the future because we can adapt it to promote live events etc.

All 25 staff at Bloc+ were furloughed and some are back full time and some are on flexible furlough and I only had to let go of two staff because they weren’t comfortable with coming back to work.

But once furlough ends I think it’s going to be apocalyptic and the biggest disaster to the trade in living memory. How is a business that is turning over 40 per cent of what it used to do expected to survive? I think there is going to be mass redundancies and I know lots of people are being laid off already. We are getting 10 new job applications a day - which is what we used to get a month pre-COVID. We are a live music venue that puts on 400 bands a year and if it weren’t for our food offering we would be in desperate trouble. Eat Out to Help out as made us marginally busier and I understand that this has proved to be a huge benefit to those that aren’t ordinarily busy for food whereas we were and still are.

I think that the restrictions on background noise are having the opposite effect to what they are intended for. I think that low-level music acts as a buffer to help groups hear what is being said in their conversation bubble because the music stops conversations from other ‘bubbles’ wafting over. Whereas now customers have to compete and so people are talking louder.

OVID-19 UTURE KEVIN CAMPBELL

CO-FOUNDER (WITH TONI CARBAJOSA) Rioja, Halloumi, Pickled Ginger, Kilmurry & Co, and La Rotunda, Cranside Kitchen.

He also operates Bibimbap GLASGOW

W

e managed to save about 60 to 70 jobs because we opened Cranside Kitchen on Tunnel Street beside the North Rotunda building in Finnieston. On a good Saturday, we are doing 2000 covers and this has injected some extra cashflow into the business. We also now have 170 staff back at work across the business, having opened our city centre venues first followed by Rioja, Pickled Ginger, and Halloumi.

Eat out to Help Out was amazing. It turned the week on its head with other days not being quite so healthy sales-wise, but that’s not a complaint, and we are extending it ourselves across all venues in September.

It’s also now full steam ahead for opening/extending another five venues in the next 12 months. Bibimbap on West Nile Street is being extended into the neighbouring premises, taking it from 26-seater to 70, and will open in the new year. We are also on target to open Katsu on West Nile Street in October.

We got a few business grants from the council during lockdown which we needed as, like everybody else, our cash flow was immediately turned off and I can’t really fault how the government has handled this situation, between furlough and the grants that were made available.

I want to try and be as positive as I can be about the future and the way I look at it, things move really quickly in hospitality and I’m hopeful that once furlough has ended, the industry will have moved on again and things will have picked up because customers will be more used to the situation and accepting of it, and, well, just get on with it.

We were using apps before all of this started because of our delivery business that we built up over eight years and which now employs 50 drivers. We have also been using Open Table for 11 years and it’s very good and very easy to use.

LAUREN CLEGG

Co-owner (with husband Callum) The Giddy Goose & The White Goose Dundee

T

he Giddy Goose is trading but The White Goose is closed for a three-month refurbishment.

Between The Giddy Goose bar, the beer garden, and the upstairs space, we are doing between 150 – 200 covers on a weekday, increasing to 350 – 400 at the weekend. Prior to lockdown, we were a 60/40 food-led operation but since we reopened I’d say that we are 70/30 wet-led.

Why the change? I think it’s because we were one of the first bars in Dundee to reopen a beer garden and so this attracted lots of new customers that have stuck with us. We have also expanded our gantry and have a brand-sponsored grass wall, which has just switched from Havana to Beefeater gin.

Because of the White Goose refurbishment where we are upping the covers from 35 to 50 and giving in a bright and airy new colour scheme, we had to let a couple of staff go. Everybody else was absorbed into The Giddy Goose.

No-shows have been a big problem for our fellow Dundee operators as well as us, and weekends can be a nightmare with up to 50 no-shows, but we are lucky in that we get a lot of walk-ins so we can usually fill them. The trouble is customers are booking multiple places on the same night to hedge their bets, and then, perhaps after a few drinks they either forget to phone is or just don’t bother to.

Technology-wise, we always used Open Table – it’s easy for customers to use as well as us because it gives us a clear seating plan and we can easily see who is in and who is arriving, etc. But I have to say that during this whole situation, Facebook has been the biggest godsend. Most customers have it and it’s free and easy to use.

DRAM SEPTEMBER 2020 13

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SCOTT MURRAY

Cru Holdings Inverness Co-owner Angels Share, Bar One, Scotch and Rye, The Keg, Dows Bar, The Classroom, Prime

W

e furloughed all 108 staff and most operators I know do seem to have brought back their entire workforce. In terms of how things will pan out once furlough ends, I think it will come down to how the market reacts now that Eat Out to Help Out has stopped and whether or not there is a second wave. Some businesses will struggle post furlough, but we don’t envisage any redundancies because we have the hours to give the staff. There may be a falling away in some consumer confidence and there’s no doubt that this scheme has championed this. To a point.

Thanks to Eat Out to Help Out, our blended sales are100 per cent up on last year, and in some of our venues where there is less space because of social distancing rules, it’s 60 to 70 per cent.

As a group, I would say that we are performing at 85 per cent on last year week on week. I would caveat this by saying that this is not down to a lack of demand – there’s a three-week week wait for tables in some of our venues and we would get more in people in we would.

However, we also run a travel agency and the market seemed fairly buoyant and people were still making plans into next year. Until they shut Spain down. That’s when things changed and people started to become more cautious and I can see a parallel in our industry.

We have been cautious in the targets we are setting our managers, and as a group, we only expect to break even between now and March 2021. We are not being greedy.

We were able to take the available government grants and also take a bank loan just to have the money there should

we need it and then if we don’t we can pay it back in 12 months.

We are using software, such as an app from Appspace, to give staff more autonomy. Say a glass-washer breaks down they can scan in the code and troubleshoot it themselves. This is also good for prompts around paperwork and fire checks – all automated checklists in fact.

There hasn’t been as high a demand for table ordering using QR codes and despite keeping labour costs down, customers just aren’t buying it. I still maintain that customers come out for the hospitality experience and this is why they want human interaction and to look into a person’s eye when they order and especially at the moment.

This is why the ban on background music is also baffling because it impacts on the customer experience by sucking out the atmosphere. Pubs need something to break the silence. We haven’t seen this impact out business though yet because demand in the Highlands trumps a lack of atmosphere. People here want to go out and enjoy themselves and I am optimistic about the future because I don’t see this going away. Domestic tourism has also filled the seats that would otherwise be left by a lack of trips from abroad.

I think that we can keep up the momentum in November and December as the Christmas trading period starts, although it will be tricky with social distancing and we are working on some workarounds, which I’m keeping under wraps. Then there’s the employment bonus scheme in January. Then let’s see what the business landscape looks like then and if normality looks like it’s restoring.

DAVID WITHER Chairman Montpeliers Edinburgh

W

e have just opened our sixth venue, Eastside on George Street, which is now only open four nights per week. It joins Tiger Lily, Montpeliers of Bruntsfield, Indigo Yard, Rabble, Candy Kitchen & Bar. Lulu is the only one of our venues that remains shut.

We were anticipating 50 per cent of normal sales but we are achieving 80 per cent, so we are very buoyed yet remaining cautious at the same time.

Eat Out to Help Out is now stopped, winter is setting in and there is no end in sight to the one-meter social distancing rule.

We would expect to be operating at 75 per cent of normal sales going forward until the social distancing rules are relaxed. The reality is 25 per cent less staff, but this won’t necessarily mean redundancies.

We furloughed all 300 staff and they are all now back. We were able to relocate Lulu staff in other businesses and make nobody redundant because of natural attrition, like English students not being able to return.

When furlough ends it’s going to be incredibly difficult for the industry as a whole, compounded by the threat of a second wave. The late-night sector, once it eventually does re-open, will take a long time to get back to normal and this is a worry.

Eat Out to Help Out was a brilliant scheme. It incentivised people to step out of the house and test the water and I would like to think that they all felt safe in our hands.

We are almost definitely going to be continuing with something similar going forward which will be funded internally and reviewed on a month-by-month basis thereafter.

DRAM SEPTEMBER 2020 15

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IAN MCCOLM

Owner Bowlarama, Tiki Bar Glasgow

T

iki Bar has been doing really well. We have 200 booked in for this Saturday including bar bookings and it’s all down to our new beer garden which has added another 70 seats, which will be 200 once we can accommodate people standing again, on top of a 198 capacity.

We were planning the beer garden anyway, which was supposed to be ready for Euro 2020, now Euro 2021. Eat Out to Help Out has been brilliant too, although not so much for guys with traditional pubs – surely these guys deserved something too?

Bowlarama has only just opened so it’s too early to tell how that is doing, but at least people can listen to bowling pins flying through the air on account of that fairly ludicrous no background music policy.

We got a bounce-back loan and a grant for Tiki Bar but Bowlarama was too big on rateable value to qualify for anything.

As for the furlough scheme - all I can say is thank you Chancellor Rishi, and if he were a benign dictator, I’d vote for him. We furloughed 20 Bowlarama staff and 14 Tiki Bar staff and they are all back bar one whose bother has immunity issues which is absolutely fair enough.

As for when the furlough scheme ends, I don’t envisage any redundancies and mainly because of the new beer garden.

Sustaining business depends on when phase four in the route-map out of lockdown kicks in and when nightclubs are allowed to reopen and when the public builds up more confidence around using public transport. Offices and call centres need to come back too. A friend of mine has a cafe on Glasgow’s Ingram Street and 30 per cent of what was a vibrant business has been wiped out because there are no offices open.

My view is we must reopen eventually and I favour the Swedish model by protecting the elderly and letting the rest of us use our common sense.

We use the Open Table app for online booking and payment for bowling in Bowlarama, I have just ordered Orderman tablets for both venues to speed things up and we did struggle slightly with speed of service at start and got some bad reviews as a result, which was a shame considering we were trying to find our feet again after a global pandemic. Order apps are okay but we have over 200 rums and we are never going to upload all of them to this type of app. You also can’t tell if a person’s drunk if they order by app.

IAIN DEMPSTER Licensee The Horseshoe Inn Peebles

W

e furloughed all 23 staff and they are now all back, plus we have taken on more staff because of the success of Eat Out to Help Out. We have been doing 250 – 300 covers Monday to Wednesday, 120 covers on Thursday, 250 Friday and Saturday and about 180 on Sunday. By end of August compared to last August our sales were up 15-20 per cent. We also got a business grant.

I’m optimistic about the future, and even for when furlough ends because we have generated a lot of new business these past few months. These customers now know what we do and they like it, and see that we also offer value deals as well as winning their consumer confidence with the safety measures we put in place and by serving the local community during lockdown. We allowed villagers to use or suppliers for products like vegetables and so on and so we became a hub for the local community many of whom are elderly and shielding. We also got a small reimbursement for providing the local community with free meals.

I feel that businesses surviving after lockdown will have a lot to do with how they are operating now and if they have remained closed, which I totally understand, then they may struggle more to find their feet.

We have upped our technology use and I was switched onto Padology through by being a member of The BII and I have to say it is brilliant. I was already using their till system and I contacted them to ask if they were linking with an app company and they said, funnily enough, we are developing our own system that we now use for our outside tables and sends orders straight to the till. They are a great bunch of guys and so proactive.

DRAM SEPTEMBER 2020 17

BUILDING A PROCUREMENT FUNCTION

BY ALASTAIR ROY, ARO PROCUREMENT

some initial push back from those within the business who wish to protect their own interests. Look for the low hanging fruit and help deliver quick wins to kickstart conversations and prove the value of the procurement function. Create a process where regular status updates are implemented to track momentum and value. Ensure a new or revamped procurement function truly understands the business and how it operates to ensure the service helps deliver on individual and wider Company objectives.

3. CONTACT YOUR SUPPLIERS Work out where the balance of power exists in the buyer : supplier equation. Where you believe it is perhaps weighted disadvantageously, work with your supply chain to balance things more in your Company’s favour. Suppliers like all businesses are in existence to make a profit for their owners and shareholders.

Accept that and get on with negotiating great terms, really understanding the drivers in the suppliers business and how you can leverage those for mutually satisfactory benefit. Creating robust supplier relationships will cement the procurement function as the de facto gatekeeper within your company for any communications relating to supplier service, price, terms and quality.

W

hen it comes to running your business there are so many moving parts and priorities, not least of which will be maximising sales, marketing to indentify and retain loyal customers, handling employee relations and dealing with myriad other pressing commercial and legal matters. As a result, Procurement can often find itself being handled by multiple staff members within your business, conscientiously looking after their own discreet areas but perhaps not seeing the bigger picture and potential for making cumulative savings to drive real value for the business.

The following is a guide to help start ups and also for existing businesses to perhaps refine and enhance how they already procure goods and services.

1. WORK ON THE SUPPLIER SPEND DATA To get under the bonnet on the who, what, when of your supplier spend and create a baseline, obtain a supplier spend report from your accounting system which covers a 12 month period. Then categorise and segment the intel into size and savings opportunity.

For more detailed analysis, look out the actual invoices. Also remember to check your bank direct debits and standing orders as these may not appear on the accounting system report.

2. ENGAGE WITH THE BUSINESS STAKEHOLDERS Get known and get to know the business quickly. With a new function or a new outlook to getting things done, there may be

18

DRAM SEPTEMBER 2020

4. DEVISE AND IMPLEMENT A PROCUREMENT POLICY To drive procurement best practice, a clear and unambiguous policy is a must have. The policy should cover areas including how to engage with suppliers, delegated expenditure levels, rules around ethics, sustainability and how to minimize risk in the supply chain. Senior executives should endorse it in the business and the procurement function will then embed it within your Company acting as an ardent advocate to ensure everyone is working on the same basis and understanding to help deliver value.

5. BUILD A PROCUREMENT TOOLKIT To create a consistent approach for all procurement activity, irrespective of the spend category, including supplier management, tendering, requests for information, proposal etc, cost analysis, a key element of the procurement armoury is to establish a library of templates. This will help save time and money and avoid reinventing the wheel each time.

6. Track the savings and successes It can be easy to become so enmeshed in the detail of delivering the deals that a timely record of savings and efficiencies is not maintained. This is a crucial element – whilst the numbers will filter through to the P&L, it is critical to measure the success to ensure every £ of value of derived from your procurement activity.

If you need help with any or all of the above, contact alastair@aroprocurement.com for a consultation. www.aroprocurement.com

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SPIDERMAN?

INTERVIEW

BY SUSAN YOUNG

STEPHEN MONTGOMERY PLANS TO STICK WITH THE INDUSTRY THROUGH COVID AND BEYOND AS HE GETS SET TO LAUNCH HOSPITALITY SCOTLAND.

S

tephen Montgomery’s name over the last four months has been synonymous with advice and help when it comes to his fellow colleagues in hospitality.

On social media he is a force to be reckoned with and his sharing of Government information and putting forward the case for the industry is to be applauded. That’s not just my view but licensees from all the country have made their appreciation of his help public. More so because his tenure as President of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, a voluntary role, was brought to an abrupt end when he was asked to resign at the beginning of August.

The news came as a shock to the trade, especially since his 17 weeks in the post saw him preside over an unprecedented pandemic and subsequent lockdown, and re-opening.

Stephen, who runs the Townhead Hotel in Lockerbie, tells me, “My father had joined the association in 1990 and went onto become President, so when I became President on 26th March it was a proud day for the family. I was only the second ever person in its 140 years history to hold the office of President, who had a father who had also held the position.”

To say that the post started with a bang would be an understatement. Says Stephen, “I certainly hit the ground running. I was involved from the off on Zoom calls with the Scottish Government and the Tourism Skills Group and liaising with other official bodies and associations. This meant I could bring information back to our members and give it out to the wider licensed trade audience.”

This is what sets Stephen apart – his advice was for everyone. So much so that having been asked by the SLTA to resign because of an article that appeared in the Evening Times in which he believes he was misquoted, he has decided to found a new organisation to continue the work needed. Explains Stephen, “I have been answering telephone calls at 2am from people in tears, or needing advice, answering email after email, and doing conference calls after conference calls on every subject under the sun – from rates help to grants, best practice to guidance – seven days a week! I also ran and run the Facebook group Scottish Leased and Tenanted Pubs, so I know how much information needs to get out there. Fortunately, despite stepping back from the SLTA, I am still on the Government calls so I can get information to licensees and provide the Government with feedback on what licensees are thinking.

“My role at the time as President of the SLTA, was originally mainly for the benefit of paying members however with the association only having 310 paid members in total, it was clear that the help that I was giving was going far beyond that, and some of the people receiving it possibly didn’t even know the SLTA or what it stood for. I have come to realise that there is a real need for an ‘on the ground’

operator-led assocation. Our main aim at this point will be the obvious – to get through this pandemic and remain a strong voice on the Government calls, task forces, etc. which I am already part of, and in turn, this can then be fed down to operators.”

The new organisation, supported by DRAM, is certainly a breath of fresh air. Stephen too is a breath of fresh air.

He hails from Northern Ireland and followed his dad’s footsteps, first of all into the army and then into the licensed trade. He also ran a haulage company.

He reflects, “My dad was in the army and then the police and I too joined the army. I went to Germany, did the First Gulf war in 1991, then Northern Ireland. I was in a frontline regimental band and my secondary role was as a medic. In the Gulf I was in the 7th Armoured brigade.”

The day he set for the Gulf (17th October 1990) was the day that his parents arrived in Castle Douglas to take over their first hotel. He says, “It certainly was a momentous day!”

After coming out of the army Stephen set up his own haulage business and moved to Lockerbie in 1994 after meeting his then wife. He says, ‘My parents were up the road and my haulage customers at that time included a local company, and during his time in the town I used to drink in The Townhead. After it went into receivership. I realised that perhaps I could have a go at it. I had always wanted to run a pub, and I saw the success my dad had made of The Market Inn in Castle Douglas and thought I could replicate that.”

Things didn’t quite go to plan. Although he and his wife took over the hotel in 2009, they divorced in 2011 the hotel was a casualty. He then bought a pub in Lochmaben before taking The Townhead back on in 2014. Says Stephen, “I knew it was going to be aood buy and was able to buy it back off the brewery on St Paddy’s day. Then I set my heart on making it what it is now – a successful eight bedroomed hotel.”

Certainly Stephen is not afraid of putting his head above the parapet. He entered and won Channel 4’s Four in A Bed back in 2017, going head to head with other hoteliers and B&B owners from Aberfeldy, Keswick and Redbourne.

After taking his fellow competitors rock climbing he was referred to as ‘Spiderman’. A comic book hero maybe but he certainly turned into one of the unsung heroes on the trade over the last four months.

He comments, “It has been challenging but I like communicating with people. There is no point beating around the bush. Find out the information and if it is not good news give it to them. It is what it is. You have to be honest.”

Stephen certainly doesn’t beat about the bush when it DRAM SEPTEMBER 2020 21

LICENSEE INTERVIEW comes to folk breaking the rules on guidance. He says, “Having spent the last 4/5 months helping people it would be catastrophic for many if there is a local lockdown. As for licensees not carrying out due diligence, risk assessments and adhering to the guidance, they need to take a good long look at themselves. Unless they start doing it right there will be no hesitation from Government to shut down hospitality. It doesn’t just affect them, if affects their community and the industry as a whole. I think there is morale responsibility to do the right thing.”

Of course now it is mandatory for Test and Protect but it wasn’t that way to begin with. Stephen was aware of the reluctance of some. He reveals, “There originally was some confusion around Test and Protect - customers thought (and perhaps think) it goes to the government and big brother is watching, but it comes to the owners, we hold the data. I did suggest to the Scottish Government that they came out with an app because I think every licenced premises should have one for their own specific premises with the information going straight to the Government. It would cut out the need for licensees to comply with GDPR – many people didn’t know that they needed to register with Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) which costs £50.”

Stephen admits that the ‘guidance’ is confusing. He says, “The SLTA helped put it together, but maybe we needed more time. I am not saying it was rushed, it was just that so much was happening at the time. It is certainly better now that it was and the Q&A’s were released. There were so many questions getting asked e.g. could people sit at the bar? TV’s on/off? etc.

And of course the EHO, LSO and Police were all talking about the guidance in different ways. The EHO has the lead on it, with trading standards backing them up which is working well.”

One of the key issues around the guidance and subsequent changes has been getting the information of timeously. My involvement with the Scottish Government meant I could and indeed can send it to my contacts right away. People are at the point now that they don’t know what future holds so they need information fast to make decisions, particularly when these changes are mandatory. People need that information there and then - when it happens. I am happy to help facilitate that.

He continues, “I think confusion comes because there is so much guidance and so much to contend with. I also think it will get worse. If mitigations are already in place it is easy if they are made mandatory, but if they are not in place we need time, and we can’t be expected to change the way we operate with no notice. In my view test and protect should have been mandatory from the start, the wearing of face masks should also have been mandatory.

“Questions and lack of understanding of the guidance is still ongoing – for instance three families can come and sit inside but have to be socially distanced – how do you do that in a restaurant? You are taking it on trust that it is only three families. If you have eight customers – a two, two and a four seated together but socially distancing - what does that actually look like?

“We are doing everything possible - our adherence to the guidance is giving our customers peace of mind and this has encouraged them to return. We were sitting at 82% occupancy pre-covid and that business is coming back. Over the weekend we served 300 meals, and during the week it has been positive too. Eat out to Help Out has certainly helped create this demand. The good news is that people who can eat out out any day of the week have been coming earlier in the week and this has meant I can free up space on a Friday.”

As for business operators that are still not following the guidance, 22

DRAM SEPTEMBER 2020

he doesn’t have much sympathy. “I think there should be fines.

If you are not following guidance and you are caught you should face a licensing review. It is part of licensing objective ‘protect and improve public health’. I think give them a warning then close them.

Operators have had long enough now to put measures. They have had all the warnings ever single day If you are not compliant now you will get shut down and the onus is on you, but the customer also needs to understand that if they don’t comply they are putting not only the health of their friends at risk, but employees and operators lives and businesses on the line. It is not just about business. None of us can afford to put health before profit. If you have no health you have no profit.

“We are not a pub so my clientele are a bit older but with pubs it is the younger generation who are more problematic. They think they are above catching it, but that has been proved wrong. They are the ones need to be challenged more often. I don’t know how to do it. We need to try and get into their heads. If you are not going to give your own details or don’t socially distance you could end up killing somebody.”

On the subject of Aberdeen he was impressed by the pubs who took the initiative to shut before they were told to. However, he is not so complimentary of the football players saying, “These players are held up a icons to young folk, if they break the guidance, youngsters think it is okay to follow suit. That has to be stamped out.”

Adding, “The hospitality industry is getting the brunt of it – but there is no test and protect in the supermarket.

People are traced back to a pub but we are taking details so they can be traced, but how many people are being put at danger of the virus in other retail places?

We sanitise the tables, chairs, toilets and much more – but how many times now do you see someone walking around a supermarket sanitising things that are touched?

As you can hear Stephen is passionate about the trade and those that work in it, which is why he has decided to found a new organisation.

“The work that has been done over the last four months is unprecedented.

I never realised that the scope of work I was doing was reaching so many people. There is now a broader opportunity to reach out and to take a fresh approach to representation for which I am currently planning and taking forward.”

Certainly the trade is relieved – particularly since leaving the SLTA Stephen has continued to furnish his contacts with all the necessary information on Government updates and further regulations.

Says one of the licensees he helped, Marc Sievewright from the Ramsay Arms Hotel in Fettercairn, “I called Stephen for some advice and he spent an hour on the phone with me. Not only that but he took the time to send me links so that I could source various things to help me get open. He couldn’t have been more helpful.”

While Adele Fox of the Harbour Inn said on hearing of his resignation said, “You did a great job using your position with the SLTA to reach out to a wider audience using different platforms and bringing issues to the forefront. That was a great example of building a community.

Stephen concludes, “My advice to hoteliers and pub owners is to stick with it. I can’t believe that no further funding will be forthcoming. We definitely need specific sector help. Hospitality is an integral part of Scotland’s GDP and I aim am to ensure that our voice is still being heard. The last thing we need are places with a RV of over £51K being left empty or turned into nursing homes or residential homes, and pubs lying empty in towns and rural places – people and the Government need to understand that.”

If anyone can help them do that it is Stephen.

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16yrs experience | Award Winning U.K. Company | In Stock RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS BKU Awards- UK & Ireland Best Customer Service 2020 (Judging Pending) KBB Awards- UK & Ireland Bathroom Retailer of the Year 2020 (Finalist) KBB Awards- UK & Ireland Bathroom Retailer of the Year 2019 (Winner) BKU Awards- UK & Ireland Bathroom Retailer of the Year 2019 (Finalist) KBB Awards- UK & Ireland Bathroom Showroom of the Year 2019 (Finalist) EK&B Awards- UK & Ireland Best Bathroom Retailer 2019 (Winner

incorporating the DRAM AWARDS 2020

VOTING DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 14TH SEPTEMBER WWW.SCOTTISHBARANDPUBAWARDS.COM

AWARD CATE

VOTING DEADLINE EXTEND incorporating the DRAM AWARDS 2020

The 2020 Scottish Bar and Pub Awards are pencilled in for the 20th October and it will be a real celebration of the last 6 months. Pub owners and hospitality workers around the country have gone above and beyond and they deserve to be recognised. Not only that but we can use the intervening time for some positive PR for the trade. So our social media guru will be on the case on your behalf. As usual, we will be asking customers, sales reps and yourself to get nominating and we, as well as our media partners the Sunday Mail, will be publicising our nominees, finalists and of course the winners.

For us, the awards have always been about celebrating and promoting the licensed trade. I personally take an interest in the judging - as you all know. We have mystery shoppers, and then the sponsors and myself drop in - mostly unannounced. And if you are in the running - you’ll be open and there won’t be a problem paying you a visit. I am as passionate about the industry as I have ever been. Possibly even more so after the last few months having seen how resilient, innovative and caring you have all been. I take my hat off to you all and the drinks companies too. It’s been the worst of times and in a funny way the best of times - because people have rallied round.

The DRAM has always rallied round - and I won’t be letting you down now!

Roll on 20th October and our 25th anniversary.

CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD

EMERGING ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

COMMUNITY PUB OF THE YEAR

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.

Buzzworks and Montpeliers 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 what you think you would benefit. All candidates will be interviewed too.

At Carling, we’re proud to be Made Local and we believe all over Scotland people are making it where they are from. Local community pubs are at the heart of the Scottish licensed trade, and as the UK’s #1 lager, Carling is committed to supporting local and regional community projects through our Made Local Fund. This year, we are looking for a like-minded pub that shares the same ethos, particularly pubs that have got involved supporting their local community throughout 2020. Have you been lending your support to your local community, or do you know a pub that has been fantastic by going above and beyond? Do you work in one, or even own one – let us know. Enter at www.scottishbarandpubawards.com

EGORIES 2020

DED TO 14TH SEPTEMBER

INDEPENDENT PUB GROUP OF THE YEAR

WHISKY GURU OF THE YEAR

DOG-FRIENDLY PUB OF THE YEAR

CONNOISSEURS CHOICE WHISKY BAR OF THE YEAR

THE SEA CHANGE EVOLUTION AWARD

Cellar Trends and its supporting brands of Stolichnaya Premium Vodka, Brockmans Premium Gin, Luxardo and Finest Call Cocktail Mixes/Puree’s is on the look-out for Scotland’s top Independent Pub Group. Groups that look set to impress the judges will be dynamic and forward-thinking, with a taste for growth and expansion and a commitment to investing in their employees. You don’t have to be big but you do have to be good. Enter your nominees at www.scottishbarandpubawards.com

Are you passionate about all things whisky, with a bold and industrious spirit? Do you love to share your whisky knowledge with your colleagues and customers, but dare to do things a bit differently? Or do you know someone that inspires you when it comes to whisky, with their hard work, optimism and authenticity? This category, ‘Whisky Guru of the Year’, is for people who not only have a great knowledge of whisky but are bold and fearless educators and advocates, with a real passion for craft. It is open to all on-trade employees or employers whether in the bar, pub, restaurant or hotel industry.

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!

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?

Sea Change is a range of environmentally conscious wines distributed by Inverarity Morton that are proving very popular in Scotland’s pubs and restaurants. Now Inverarity Morton is looking for a hospitality business with a similar 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 or indeed how you have coped with the COVID-19. We are looking for a business that gives back to the environment and thinks in an evolutionary fashion.

incorporating the DRAM AWARDS 2020

AWARD CATEGORIES 2020

KOPPARBERG BEST AND MOST IMPROVED OUTSIDE AREA

WEE GUIDE RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR

PUB OF THE YEAR

BAR APPRENTICE 2020

VOTING DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 14TH SEPTEMBER

Kopparberg is on the lookout for Scotland’s best and most improved outside area.

The Kopparberg team is looking for a bar that has stepped up to the plate during Covid-19 and provided customers with a comfortable and safe outside facility. 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.

Our Wee Guides highlight the best places to eat and drink in Scotland and this year we are on the lookout for the best of the best. Locally sourced produce and tasty well-presented food are pre-requisites as is good service and a pleasant environment. Do you know a great restaurant or are you one. If so get your customers, staff and reps voting now.

Scotland’s leading Sunday newspaper is looking for the best pub in the country.

Do you have a welcoming atmosphere? Do your customers come back, and come back again? Get your customers to fill in the entry form when it appears in the Sunday Mail or online at www.scottishbarandpubawards.com and tell us why you think you are eligible for ‘Pub of the Year’.

The Bar Apprentice is back for it’s 13th year with – William Grant & Sons backing the initiative with brands Glenfiddich Single Malt Whisky, Hendrick’s Gin, The Balvenie and Monkey Shoulder. William 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 2020 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 2020 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

1071 Shettleston Road, Glasgow

THE DRUM DESIGN FOCUS

T

he Drum at 1071 Shettleston Road in Glasgow has been on the east end pub map since 1868 and it’s just been put back on the map thanks to a £210,000 makeover by Heineken-owned Star Pubs and Bars, with lessee John O’Malley now at the helm. t was delayed by four months because of the coronavirus pandemic and the pub now boasts a ‘rustic urban style with wood floors and paneling, leather seating and café-style windows.’ Traditional features like the coach lights remain, and the original snug has been restored for group bookings. Plus there are high tables with their own mini TVs and big screens for sports enthusiasts.

The designer on the project was Grant Rough. He told DRAM, “We wanted to make a warm and welcoming environment and retain the character and heritage of the building by enhancing some of the original features, like the back bar and its original mouldings and aged brass, plus we also added gold leaf and distressed mirrors and eco-crackle-glazed tiles. Then there are the ceiling roses, which we highlighted using specialist painting techniques and these look so good.”

He continued, “We used arts and crafts wallpapers and on some of the screen-separators. There are a few contemporary touches too, like the metalwork which is a modern, industrial-

BY JASON CADDY style in contrast to all the traditional enhancements, and the bright electrical wiring too of course. We also remodelled the raised area opposite the bar to make it more inviting and moved the front door to turn it to the left slightly so that customers weren’t confronted directly with the bar as soon as they came in. They are now more eased into the space.”

Said lessee John O’Malley said, “People are desperate for good news at the moment. All the feedback we have had has been extremely positive with both old regulars and all the new faces that have been coming in. I was a little trepidatious about opening in the middle of a pandemic but we have a strong enough product to make it work – and it has.

The Drum a new direction that meets the needs of everyone in the community and puts it back on the map. The design is very warm and welcoming and this has been reflected in the majority of the feedback and it’s put life back into a very old property.

Each area has its own feel to it, the raised area for food, the brick in the snug and so on. It’s got a little bit of chaos but not because there’s an order to the chaos and I think that you can come in several times and notice something different, and think, ‘Oh I didn’t notice that’ before.”

Here’s our design verdict. There are many highlights to it, but let’s start with the exterior. It’s been painted in a bluey-green DRAM SEPTEMBER 2020 29

petrol colour with gold lettering that makes good bedfellows and it gives off smart vibes.

The big Victorian-looking pendant light goes really well with the frontage.

Inside, it’s dark wood-heavy – floor, tables, bar, and booths - and the caramel, mustard and dark red/burgandy leather upholstery dovetail well with this. Pendant lights hang from the ceiling and in a variety of glass shade styles, like globes and buttercups.

The flashes of exposed brick, pictures, and mirrors on the walls will no doubt be customer talking points.

Finally, the bar itself is beautifully ornate, from the detail on the front bar, with its distressed paintwork and embossed knuckles, via the lovely wooden bar-top and the unusual screen-door bottle shelves.

Star Pubs & Bars set just the right design tone for this little piece of Glasgow pub history and we think it’s in a safe pair of hands.

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128 Smithycroft Road, Riddrie

THE PRINCESS DESIGN FOCUS

W

ork is underway on a £325,000 refurbishment of The Princess, 126 Smithycroft Rd, Riddrie in Glasgow, and it’s scheduled to open early October. It’s a joint investment between Star Pubs & Bars and mother and daughter team, Adrienne Greenaway and Victoria Asghar, who have run the pub for nearly 20 years.

The refurbishment is both external and internal including sone structural changes and responsible for the design were Gill Morris and Alan Baxter of the Davidson Baxter Partnership.

Alan told DRAM, “The toilets took up the main elevation of the building so we’ve moved them to the back of the building and installed front windows to give it more kerb appeal and encourage passing trade in what is a busy wee street with a cluster of shops nearby. The signage makes the building look far more inviting, plus Adrienne and Victoria are going to deck the 80-capacity beer garden so we’ve added a new access door to it from the bar. The garden will also have lots of planting plus covered sections and heating for year-round use.”

He continued, “Inside, there are two areas, a traditional bar, and a lounge bar area that doubles as a function suite separated by a subdivision screen, and the space has been enhanced by a fresh and contemporary colour scheme in.”

Lessee Victoria Asghar added, “We’ve been closed since lockdown and The Princess is a hub of the community and regulars are

BY JASON CADDY

missing it terribly. We want to give Riddrie a really great local, so hopefully, people will feel it’s worth the wait. We’ll be able to properly cater to women, families, and senior citizens for the first time.”

She continued, “ I have to say that for an East End local in Glasgow, it’s going to look absolutely amazing. The colour scheme is a mixture of greens and blues and the seating is a mixture of booths and chairs and tables so we can keep people apart for social distancing and I know that it’s been designed with Covid-19 in mind. There is also a mixture of leather and fabric upholstery. The regulars are so excited about the reopening with a good quality offering a value for money.”

Said Lawson Mountstevens, managing director of Star Pubs & Bars, added, “We’re firm believers in the future of community locals. In challenging times such as these, they’re even more important to the residents they serve. However, they need to keep pace with pubgoers’ changing expectations. These refurbishments will reward regulars for their loyalty and attract the new customers’ pubs need to thrive for the long term.

“This investment also underlines the benefits of the tied pubs model for licensees. It comes at a time when the lower risk and higher support of the tied model in Scotland is in danger of being jeopardised by The Tied Pubs Bill now being considered by the Scottish Parliament.”

DRAM SEPTEMBER 2020 31

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32

DRAM SEPTEMBER 2020

GOR’S

BY SUSAN YOUNG

T

here is no holding Fallon Cowley back – her newest venture in Glasgow’s Netherlee called Mr MacGregors opened last month. And I’m sure the fictional Mr MacGregor would have been very proud of the new venue.

The opening of the restaurant, which specialises in small plates, has been a rather drawn out process due to planning delays and Covid-19, but the wait only makes the opening even sweeter.

Says Fallon, “It wasn’t ideal timing but we are now delighted to be open.”

Fallon, is one of the owners of the nearby Viano Interiors and also owns Cocktails & Steaks in Uddingston, while her husband Anthony Cowley’s day job is Property Development Director at Manorview so he is perfectly placed to oversee the developments that they have underway. The two certainly have plenty on their not so small plate!

In fact her experiences at Cocktails & Steaks led her to concentrate on a new venue which provides an all day revenue opportunity.

Explains Fallon, “Cocktails & Steaks doesn’t have any day trade because we specialise in steak. So we only open all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday. With Mr MacGregor’s the idea was to open from breakfast right through and provide an environment that allowed customers to come in dressed casually or dressed up for a celebration.”

There is also an attraction of a new local eatery. Says Fallon, “Since DRAM SEPTEMBER 2020 33

Covid more people are choosing to eat out locally – they feel that it is safer and it also allows people to meet outside their homes. This area also does not have a lot of food and drink establishments so Mr MacGregors has filled that gap. We have certainly been very busy since we opened.”

Certainly Mr MacGregors would not look out of place in a city centre. It has been designed by Space id with Frank Adams doing all the furnishings, and Kemp Construction the new conservatory – and it is both stylish, contemporary and quirky too.

From the black and gold canopies which dress the exterior floor to ceiling windows to the exposed brick wall, fitted seating designed to look like a giant sofa, festoon lighting and an assortment of chairs, all of which are finished differently – some have velvet upholstery others leather and some are rattan - to the glorious chandelier - the designers attention to detail becomes more apparent the more you look.

For instance, there is wallpaper on the ceiling beside the bar, and the ceiling conducting has been cleverly caged in and disguised with Ivy and the festoon lighting.

Fallon says, “It has been designed so that we can add warmth to the room and also hang decorations to celebrate the different seasons.”

The conservatory gives added space and also adds to the light and airy feel with ochre leather fitted seats, with cleverly positioned

planters to allow customers privacy. It is bright and cheery. Although the main dining area has Amtico herringbone style flooring, as you enter the conservatory Italian tiles differentiate the two spaces – the tiles have also been used to great effect elsewhere particularly beside the open kitchen which is situated to the right of the bar.

The attention to detail includes taking the sides off the coffee machine to that it complements the rest of the bar – with a distressed look, which ties in with the front of the bar.

Fallon explains the rationale, “Our fictional Mr MacGregor is a great traveller and although born and bred not too far from here, he was a man who was inspired by the tales of Phileas Fogg, and he longed to experience every corner of the world. So here we have touches from around the world – from our Italian tiles to a slightly vintage look of a cuban embassy.”

The attention to detail continues into the bathroom areas – they certainly have the wow factor with dark red tiles, and exotic wallpaper featuring cockatiels and parakeet’s, and some classy sanitary ware.

It is not just front of house which has gone through a transformation – back of house has been totally renovated too – with new storage space and staff facilities. While outside the groundwork has included a new path around the side of the building.

It is like everything that Fallon and Anthony do – organised to perfection. I am sure that Mr MacGregor is very proud of it.

We would like to wish Anthony and Fallon and everyone else associated with Mr MacGregor’s continued success.

FROM CONCEPT TO COMPLETION. For your next project contact us: E-mail: info@frankadamscontracts.co.uk Tel: 01355 590 966

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Eat Out to Help Out has drawn to a close but it has certainly been a lifesaver for the industry. So much so, many of you have continued the offer into September at your own expense – I hope it proves to be just as successful. I have everything crossed.

When I saw the pictures of the queue outside of Soul at the start of the month my heart sank. The increasing number of cases, with 28 pubs implicated, led to the inevitable Aberdeen lockdown. The scenes at Glasgow’s Sanctuary also made my heart sink. They were bad enough without there being a pandemic. The good news is that Aberdeen is now open for business. I am hoping Glasgow is not next to close but news that the Record Factory on Byres Road has staff off with COVID, - a hop skip and a jump from The Sanctuary, fills me with concern and I know of a few more west end venues that have had to close for a deep clean because of staff presenting with COVID symptoms. I hope I am wrong.

The guidance which has banned background music, which stands, as I write, hasn’t been thought through. A low level of background music cannot be more dangerous than no music – why? because when a pub, restaurant or bar is quiet you do lean in so nobody can hear you, in other words you move closer. That is not rocket science. The ban has had a negative effect on the ambiance. Some pubs have closed, sales in more than 47% of venues we surveyed had plummeted by 30-40%. I hope someone comes to their senses soon. There is a petition currently doing the rounds – so please sign it if you see it. And let us get a decibel level set which is a compromise.

Something else which makes my heart sink is when I hear pub staff and management still unsure about the guidance. I know the devil is in the detail. Signage, social distancing, and table service (unless you have screens and no queuing at the bar), face masks, no background music, regularly washing of hands, and test and protect. The basics should always be adhered to – and I can’t believe I am saying this - but if you see a bar not adhering, report them.You’ll be doing the trade a favour, and your customers and

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 • Advertising Julia Smith •Brioni Dunstane Production Fiona Gauld,XThe 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 2020. Printed by Stephens & George Print Group.

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staff a favour too – because a drinker who comes from one pub to another could bring with them an unwelcome guest who likes to spread! That affects more than just the hospitality industry as Aberdeen’s lockdown showed.

I have a lot of sympathy with EHO’s and LSO’s, they are tasked with policing what’s going on... I’d like to know where the police are in all of this? Scarce on the ground I hear. So give them a break. Do the right thing. One of the biggest issues, maybe the top one, is customers who break the rules – and bring your venue into disrepute and put themselves and others at risk.

Josh Barr came up with a great wee social media slogan. He runs The Locale in Glasgow … please share it when you see it. Ask your customers and colleagues to, ”Stay Safe, Stay Sound.”

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