DRAM April 2021

365 DRAM MAGAZINE April 2021 ISSN 1470-241X

DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

@dramscotland

/dram.scotland

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DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

The Old Forge, Inverie, Knoydart by Mallaig, PH4 Offers over £425,000

WELCOME

I

t’s now a countdown until we can reopen.

I would love to have said until we ‘all’ can reopen but unfortunately for wet-led pubs and late night venues that is not going to be the case - I have more to say on that subject in Sue Says.

This month our interview is with North East entrepreneur Gavin Stevenson of the MorRioghan Group. He has certainly got plenty on his plate. See page 16.

We also have a feature on the Scottish Hospitality Group which I helped form last year. Find out what the Group has been up to on page 19.

There are also quite a number of properties for sale - we roundup just some of the pubs and hotels on the market at the moment Nicola Sturgeon has said that she will confirm the opening dates on 20th April.

Here’s hoping we get the green light for the 26th April. I am looking forward to trying the new Haig Club Mediterranean Orange on my first visit to a bar hopefully without the need for a vaccine passport!

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

@dramscotland

/dram.scotland

CONTENTS April

2021

FEATURES

13 16 19 20

THE GUIDANCE AS IT STANDS Q&A LICENSEE INTERVIEW

Gavin Stevenson of the Mor-Rioghan Group.

THE SCOTTISH HOSPITALITY GROUP An outline of who the group is and what it is all about

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

A roundup of some properties on the mar

REGULARS

4 8 24

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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ABERDEEN’S NORTHERN HOTEL REVEALS ITS PLANS The owner of the Northern Hotel in Aberdeen has revealed an ambitious post pandemic recovery plan for the hotel which sees it completing a major internal refurbishment, together with leasing out its restaurant space to create an exciting new food and drink offering.

The hotel, which dates from the 1930’s has been owned and operated by the Finnie family since the early 90’s. The business is now headed up by Steven Finnie, above, the son of the original owner Colin Finnie, who passed away in 2019.

He has teamed up with a specialist commercial property firm, Drysdale & Co, which aims to help hospitality businesses recover from the ravages of the Covid19.

Under their guidance, a new operator will take on the food & drink operation at the hotel, creating a branded restaurant to attract new trade.

Steven and his team are now in the process of completing a pre-pandemic refurbishment plan which sees them carrying out a significant upgrade of the remaining half of the property’s thirty two bedrooms, along with some public areas.

They are looking forward to showing off the new look to Hotel and dining guests.

“We’re very excited to reveal our plans,” said Steven Finnie.

“Contracting out the restaurant will give it a new lease of life, boosting profitability, and enable my team and I to concentrate on our hotel guests and events trade. Drysdale & Co are the experts in this field, and we are delighted to be working with them.”

Only pub on Scotland’s ‘sunshine island’ is up for sale The Colonsay Hotel is the only pub on ‘sunshine island’ Colonsay in the Inner Hebrides and owner Jane Howard has just put in on the market for £650,000.

The island has the longest hours of sunshine in the UK and is famed for its sandy beaches deemed to be some of Scotland’s best and Janet bought the 18th century hotel in 2005 and renovated the bar, conservatory and dining room as well as the nine boutique style bedrooms and suites with stunning views towards Jura.

Tabac granted permission for new city centre beer garden Tabac owner Marco Lazzuri is adding a new 120-capacitiy beer garden to his Glasgow Mitchell Lane bar this month.

The cocktail den will take over Mitchell Lane with an outdoor terrace extending from outside of the bar into the privately owned alley where the panda mural is, right up to the entrance at Buchanan Street.

Each table will sit between four and six people with lighting and awnings to be installed – and a two-metre walkway for people passing through the lane.

Masterchef winner Gary Maclean joins Bonnie & Wild’s Scottish Marketplace Bonnie & Wild’s Scottish Marketplace has revealed the first wave of food specialists set to join its ambitious Food Hall in the heart of the new St James Quarter in Edinburgh.

With eight exclusive food stalls, three speciality retailers, a patisserie, and three bars, the open-plan venue promises to be one of the most exciting food and drink venues in Scotland, with acclaimed restaurants, chefs and food producers from across the country.

Masterchef winner Gary Maclean will open his first solo dining experience with Creel Caught. Gary Maclean said, “Creel Caught will showcase the very best seafood this country has to offer, something we know diners can’t get enough of.

“Being alongside the likes of Mac & Wild and East Pizzas is testament to Scotland’s incredible food scene. We all offer something different, something for every taste but all with Scottish produce at the heart.”

Greene King, owners of Belhaven, will reopen outdoor areas in 51 of its 125 managed pubs in Scotland from 26 April, including 23 Belhaven pubs.

Greene King Pub Partners tenants, who make up a further 120 pubs across Scotland, will decide on an individual basis whether to reopen their outdoor areas from 26 April once restrictions are lifted to permit groups of up to six people from three households to meet in outdoor areas, with some limited indoor hospitality also allowed from this date. These are not included in the 51 managed pubs total.

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DRAM APRIL 2021

NEWS ROGANO’S LATEST MURAL BRIGHTENS UP THE CITY

A non-profit initiative from Troon café, bar and restaurant Lido has reached a fundraising milestone as it donates £5,000 to Hospitality Action – a charity that offers lifeline support and services to people working across the hospitality industry.

An increase in new dog owners and sustained daily walking habits for locals has contributed to the popularity of Lido Troon’s daytime pop-up, which offers takeaway breakfast, lunch, coffee and cakes from 9am – 4pm seven days a week.

The Troon pop-up has welcomed many regulars since it launched last month as well as several new faces of the four-legged variety picking up their very own pup-puccinos.

As well as the donation to Hospitality Action, which Lido owner and operator Buzzworks has been an avid supporter of, additional profits have been allocated to supporting Buzzworks own people via the Buzzworks Wellbeing Fund.

Kenny Blair, Buzzworks MD, said, “Giving back to our people and charities of choice has always been high on our agenda so we’re proud to support them doing what we do best – providing worldclass hospitality.

Ahead of the easing of lockdown restrictions, Glasgow’s oldest restaurant Rogano has unveiled its latest mural. Working with local illustrator Sophy Louise, Rogano’s boarded frontage has been injected with a burst of colour.

The latest mural “Martini” is the third in the series, and features bartenders mixing an all-time classic – The Martini. The mural follows a 70’s inspired dinner party and Champagne cabaret. Each artwork has been telling the hidden stories of Rogano while the restaurant doors remain closed. From their illustrious guests dining over oysters to glassware and Champagne coming alive – the latest piece pays homage to the art of crafting of a perfectly mixed drink.

Artist Sophy Louise “I loved hearing the stories of Rogano from the team and customers alike, there was always such a vibrant tone to them. I wanted to capture this sense of energy and boldness within the mural. Rogano is famed for its cocktails, which I really wanted to take centre stage within this design, with the backdrop of the art deco bar feature. I really wanted to create an image that would make people smile as they walked by - from its bubbliness and bright colours.”

Prints of “Martini” are available for pre-order with £5 from each print sale being donated to Shelter.

Luxford Burgers coming to Newington Edinburgh-based business owners Alex Galpin and Jake Payne of Luxford Burgers are bringing their burger restaurant and lounge bar to Newington in the former fine dining restaurant Aizle on St Leonard’s Street. It’s now based at The Kimpton Hotel on the city’s Charlotte Square.

The new sit-in restaurant will serve cocktails, boozy shakes, thick shakes, locally sourced spirits and draught beer, cider and wine.

CHEF NICO SIMEONE’S NEW GLASGOW RESTAURANT WITH ROOFTOP BAR GETS THE GO-AHEAD Glasgow City Council has given Chef Nico Simeone the planning green light for a new Six By Nico on Glasgow’s Byres Road in the former Fopp record store and latterly Santa Lucia restaurant.

Permission was granted last month and plans include altering the inside of the building and adding a rooftop bar and an extension to the rear of the building with outdoor seating on the street seating up to 20 people.

The new interior will have 78 covers while the rooftop has a range of seating and covered areas meaning it can be used throughout the year.

Said the planning application, “The intention for the site is to create one ownership with three facilities within. Including – Fine dining restaurant, bar and roof top bar with dining.

“The roof top bar will be screened with glass and aluminium construction to act as acoustic barriers, the open area is also to be set back from the Byres Road elevation to reduce the risk of noise leakage affecting the flats opposite.”

n The G1 Group has permanently closed the Illicit Still on Aberdeen’s Broad Street. It has been shut since Christmas when Scotland went back into lockdown. The website now states, ‘Thank you and goodbye. Illicit Still is now closed, thank you for your support and custom over the years.’ n Glasgow’s Gannet restaurant owners Peter McKenna and Ivan Stein will open a new Edinburgh restaurant this year called The Gannet East.

The location is still to be confirmed and they’re looking for a head chef to run it.

The Gannet in Glasgow has been operating for eight years and has a reputation for using Scottish ingredients and championing farmers.

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NEWS PIZZA GEEKS EXPAND IN EDINBURGH Independent pizzeria, Pizza Geeks who are well known throughout Edinburgh for their handmade Neapolitan inspired pizzas and their ‘Pizza for the People’ initiative have opened their third location in the city which is set to become their biggest project to date.

The new location for Pizza Geeks latest restaurant has officially opened at the shore in Leith, which is their largest venue since launching in 2018.

Finlay Clarkson, Co-Founder of Pizza Geeks said, “We are absolutely over the moon to have our biggest and best location to date in the heart of Leith at 7 Commercial Street, taking it back to where it all began for us with street food at The Pitt, The Biscuit Factory and Leith Market in 2016. We will have seating comfortably for 35 questing pizza heroes, a completely revolutionised drinks menu - seismic plans on the way with Pilot and Cask Smugglers as well as the geekiest wine list you can imagine; and mouth-watering menu additions - think Mac & Cheese, loaded fries ‘Tatooine Poutine’... of course we couldn’t resist a geeky pun!”

Pizza Geeks are also the people behind the ‘Pizza for the People’ initiative which was launched in 2018. This iniative sees sales of their featured pizza matched and donated to homeless and disadvantaged people within their local community.

Each month, they nominate a Pizza for the People, with this month being ‘The Super Mario’ pizza. For every Pizza for the People sold, they will donate one to someone in need. They work very closely with local charities and organisations to ensure their pizzas get to where they are most needed.

When it comes to distributing the Pizzas for the People, they have worked with many inspiring charities and organisations to help them find the people most in need of them. Some of these charities and organisations include Social Bite, Soul Food, Cyrenians, Steps to Hope and Y People.

Says Clarkson, “Perhaps most importantly another permanent pizzeria means we can scale our ‘Pizza for the People’ initiative up a notch with plans afoot to take weekly donations to those in need from 135 to 200, meaning that - with the help of another mad 1,000 pizza giveaway on May the 4th - we are on track to surpass the 10,000 pizzas donated in 2020!”

Venues repor t 1,000’s of reser vations The appetite for hospitality is looking good despite ongoing restrictions with The Cranside Kitchen in Glasgow reporting in excess of 10,000 reservations within a few hours and Aberdeen’s Chester Hotel 1,000’s within minutes of opening their reservation lines.

It’s been a similar situation across the from small neighbourhood venues such as The Thornwood in Glasgow to Thundercat. Says Michael Bergson, “It has been mayhem. People are just dying to get out and that is very encouraging. In fact they have even said they don’t mind sitting in the rain!”

Kevin Campbell and Toni Carbajosa - the duo behind The Cranside also have plans to redesign the site to create more space for customers. They are also aiming to add a DJ Terrace this Summer as well as room for gigs and events, drawing inspiration from festivals to become a multi-faceted dining, drinking, and entertainment venue.

Toni Carbajosa said, “Our entire team is very happy for the reopening of Cranside Kitchen. Last year, our venture was born in lockdown and soon established itself as one of Glasgow’s best outdoor spaces for relaxing, eating, and drinking. We’re blown away by the number of bookings we’ve received in the last 24 hours, and we’re thrilled to hear that so many past and present customers share our passion for the one-of-a-kind venue we’ve created here on Glasgow’s clydeside”.

THERE ARE PLANS FOR A £5M WHISKY AND GIN DISTILLERY ON BARRA

Isle of Barra Distillers, founded by Michael and Katie Morrison, has been making gin since 2016 and said the new distillery will create around 30 jobs for the island community.

It will be built from sustainable material and powered by renewable energy, with a new visitor centre, café or bar and a retail area.

The site will be able to create a minimum of 100,000 litres pure alcohol per year and an estimate of 800 casks filled - but production could double with more workers.

The distillery will house a one-tonne single malt installation and re-home the existing 300 litre gin still, and Alan Winchester has been recruited as the company’s master distiller, moving from the Glenlivet distillery.

Molson Coors to produce UK beer with 100% renewable energy Molson Coors Beverage Company, maker of Carling, the UK’s number one lager, as well as the iconic Coors, Doom Bar and Aspall Cyder, has become the first major brewer in the UK to produce all of its beers and ciders using 100% renewable electricity.

The business has signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with RWE, one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies, to supply its UK operations with electricity generated from the Tween Bridge wind farm in South Yorkshire. The 22 turbines at Tween Bridge will provide the electricity required to power all of Molson Coors’ UK sites, including the breweries at Burton, Tadcaster and Sharps in Cornwall, as well as the Aspall Cyder House in Suffolk, all offices, the national distribution centre and the national call centre in Cardiff.

The long-term agreement means that, for the first time, all of the more than 1 billion pints Molson Coors produces in the UK in an average year will be made with electricity from 100% renewable sources. In an average year Molson Coors consumes the same amount of electricity as around 25,000 households – or the population of the business’ historic UK brewing home in Burton-upon-Trent.

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BRAND NEWS

ALL THE L ATEST BRAND NEWS

WHISKY

8

FIRST BLENDED WHISKY FROM GLENALLACHIE DISTILLERS

HIGHLAND PARK UNVEILS NEW 50 YO

The GlenAllachie Distillers Company has now launched its first-ever Blended Scotch Whisky White Heather 21-year-old which has been crafted by industry icon Billy Walker.

The new blended whisky, a premium small batch blend, is a limited edition and only 2,000 bottles are available White Heather was acquired by The GlenAllachie Distillers Company, led by Walker, in 2017, along with The GlenAllachie Distillery and MacNair’s Lum Reek Blended Malt brand.

Walker has put his own unique spin on White Heather, elevating the favour profile with skilful wood management and a watchful eye on the maturation process.

Commenting on the landmark release, Walker said, “Creating this blend took me back almost 50 years to when I started my career at Hiram Walker. With White Heather, I poured everything I’ve learned on my whisky journey into crafting a truly memorable small batch aged blend that sits proudly alongside even the very best single malts. I wanted to honour the original blend whilst recreating it in a much more premium form with exceptional wood. It’s a fine balance bringing together the character of such different whiskies and cask types, but I’m incredibly proud to now unveil the end result.”

The Famous Grouse, the no.1 Whisky in the UK, has today announced a limited-edition label to celebrate the brand’s role as the Official Sponsor of The British & Irish Lions.

The one-off design sees the iconic label of The Famous Grouse transformed to read ‘The Famous British & Irish Lions’.

It also forms part of The Famous Grouse The Spirit of Rugby campaign, following the announcement that The Famous Grouse will also be the Official Partner of Premiership Rugby, SA Rugby, and Glasgow Warriors.

Chris Anderson, Head of Edrington Brands, said, “The Famous Grouse has been investing in the sport of rugby for 30 years, and we are very proud to reaffirm our commitment to this great game with the launch of this limited-edition bottle.

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Highland Park, has unveiled its new 50 Year Old single malt Scotch Whisky, the third 50 year old created in the distillery’s 223 year history and it has gone on sale at £20,000 per bottle!

Only 274 bottles have been created, each signed by Highland Park Master Whisky Maker, Gordon Motion. This new Highland Park 50 Year Old edition has been selected from nine refill casks, originally laid down in 1968, married together in 2008 then re-racked into a handful of the finest first-fill sherry seasoned oak casks. Then, after a further 12 years of maturation, one of these limited casks was selected and married with a small quantity of the whisky from the last 50 Year Old released by the distillery.

Gordon Motion, Highland Park, Master Whisky Maker, said: “This 50 Year Old whisky is one of our oldest and rarest releases and I’m very proud to have been a part of its journey.

“The whisky is spectacular, when I sampled the whisky from the re-racked casks, the whisky it contained – aged for a little over 50 years – had absorbed the rich sherried flavours of dried fruit and sweet toffee from its final first-fill cask maturation, but still retained all the delicate fragrance and flavours driven by the original refill casks.

Laphroaig goes down the sherry route Beam Suntory’s Laphroaig is excited to announce the launch of 10 Year Old Sherry Oak – a new take on its iconic single malt, and a welcome addition to the core range.

Finished in Oloroso sherry casks for twelve to eighteen months, this new expression combines the flavour of the Laphroaig 10 Year Old with the sweet and aromatic flavours of the sherry casks.

John Campbell, Laphroaig Distillery Manager, said “We are so excited to announce the release of our unique and premium expression, Sherry Oak, taking our iconic Laphroaig 10 Year Old and finishing it with the sweet flavours of Oloroso sherry cask. This is a perfect accompaniment to any whisky collection and a celebrated addition to the Laphroaig range.”

COVER STORY: DAVID BECKHAM LAUNCHES HAIG CLUB MEDITERRANEAN ORANGE

WHISKY EDEN MILL CONTINUE VIRTUAL TASTINGS WITH MOVE INTO WHISKY

Scottish distillers Eden Mill is launching their first ever virtual whisky tastings on April 23 and April 30, exactly a year following the launch of their gin tastings in response to Covid-19 restrictions.

The inaugural virtual whisky tasting will include miniature samples of four whiskies for customers to enjoy and understand how the distiller’s casks and liquid have evolved across the years.

The announcement follows the popularity of Eden Mill’s virtual gin tastings, which launched exactly a year ago in 2020 in response to Covid 19 restrictions. Since then more than 7,000 gin enthusiasts have taken part in Eden Mill’s online tastings across the UK Eden Mill co-founder Paul Miller said, “We are passionate about our craft and look forward to bringing the story of Eden Mill’s whisky to life in homes across the UK for the first time.’

Haig Club has announced the launch of a new spirit drink, Haig Club Mediterranean Orange 70cl 35% ABV. Available from mid-April 2021 the new spirit drink has been created in collaboration with Brand Partner, David Beckham.

Haig Club Mediterranean Orange has been specifically developed to appeal to the growing early evening and ‘Aperitivo’ occasion.

Presented in the Haig Club signature blue bottle, Haig Club Mediterranean Orange is best enjoyed with 50ml mixed with 150ml Fever Tree lemonade over ice and a slice of orange for a fresh citrus serve.

Violeta Andreeva, Whisky Marketing Director, Diageo said, “The launch of Haig Club Mediterranean Orange is an exciting step forwards for dark spirits. We see this as a huge opportunity to recruit a new generation of drinkers as more and more consumers are choosing flavours and sweeter drinks.”

David Beckham, Developing Haig Club Mediterranean Orange has been in the works for some time now and I’ve enjoyed helping select the final liquid. The orange perfectly complements the signature Scotch notes of Haig Club and it’s a great long drink for Summer.”

GLENFIDDICH UNVEILS A GRAND GRANDE COURONNE Glenfiddich has unveiled the Grande Couronne (43.8% ABV ) which is the newest addition to The Grand Series. It has been aged for 26 years in American and European oak casks and finished in rare French Cognac casks. It is the only Glenfiddich single malt aged in such a way.

The Grand series, a collection of disruptive series of single malts also includes Glenfiddich Grand Cru, aged for 23 years in American and European Oak casks and then finessed in French cuvée oak casks, and Glenfiddich Gran Reserva, mellowed for 21 years in bourbon casks before a final flourish in Caribbean rum casks.

Glenfiddich Malt Master, Brian Kinsman, commented, “The Grand Series perfectly encapsulates Glenfiddich’s spirit of innovation and our ability to experiment with aged liquid and intriguing finishes. Grande Couronne is the latest to exemplify that approach.”

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NEWS ANGER AS PARLIAMENT SUBSIDISES CATERING OPERATION TO TUNE OF £680,147

R

estaurants and bars in the Scottish Parliament are being massively subsidised by the taxpayer with the figures, published by the Scottish Parliament, showing a subsidy of £680,147 for the nine months to December 2020, which is 17 times more financial support than the average Scottish pub received during the pandemic.

The Scottish Hospitality Group have revealed that between April and December 2020 - a total subsidy of £680,147 was received by the Parliament’s own catering arm compared to the estimated average support of £40,000 for privately-owned pubs, restaurants and hotels across Scotland. This taxpayer-funded subsidy was an increase of £274,399 on the same period last year, and suggests that the Parliament’s hospitality arm received more than £30,000 a month of additional support during the pandemic bringing its monthly subsidy to £75,000.

The situation is in stark contrast to the help available for those operators providing jobs and generating incomes.

Stephen Montgomery spokesperson for the Scottish Hospitality Group comments, “It’s revealing that politicians do understand after all how much help struggling hospitality operations need. But the level of taxpayers’ money given to their own facilities is genuinely

unbelievable compared to the amount we’ve had to beg for over many months and it all leaves us with an extremely bad taste in the mouth.

“Candidates for Holyrood would do well to reflect on their positions about this issue as they face the electorate, especially those whose jobs and livelihoods depend on a thriving hospitality sector.”

The figures are revealed in these documents published by the Scottish Parliament: Quarter 1 (April, May, June) = £229,000; https://www.parliament. scot/FMResources/Catering/Quarter_1__2020-21_76KB.pdf Quarter 2 (July, August, September) = £230,000; https:// www.parliament.scot/FMResources/Catering/Quarter_2_20202021_34KB.pdf Quarter 3 (October, November, December) = £221,000; https:// beta.parliament.scot/-/media/files/spcb/spcb-papers/spcbpapers-2021/18022021/chief-executives-report--february. pdf (page 14) The Parliament’s own financial reports reveal that in 2018 to 2019 the catering division received a subsidy of £506K on turnover of £1.3m.

Energy companies are refusing to supply pubs

T

he British Beer & Pub Association, representing brewers and pubs, has today called out the energy sector, which it says is refusing to supply many pubs with energy.

The trade association said a number of pubs across the UK had experienced poor commercial behaviour whereby some utility companies were refusing to renew contracts or simply to supply energy to them, even where such supply includes domestic use.

The BBPA also said that where new contracts are being negotiated, they typically remain subject to punitive, out of contract rates with renegotiations lasting for weeks or months.

The BBPA says the actions of these energy suppliers means they are failing in their obligations established under Ofgem, the energy regulator, by refusing to supply domestic energy to hospitality sites like pubs which also have people living in them. In thousands of pubs across the UK, it is quite typical for the landlord or landlady that runs the pub to also live in it with family.

Following a meeting offered to the trade association by Ofgem, whilst it is pleased the regulator has agreed to further investigate the issues reported, the BBPA says it remains concerned that publicans seeking to renew or secure energy contracts will continue to experience refusals to supply, or be forced to pay inflated fees during this process, increasing their risk and reducing their options in terms of securing competitive rates for energy supply.

The BBPA is now urging Ofgem and energy suppliers to work with the beer and pub sector to find a long-term solution to bring confidence back to supplying the sector. The BBPA is also urging publicans to share examples of unfair practices directly with Ofgem at: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/contact-us.

Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said, “Publicans have already suffered enough through this pandemic. The last thing they need is energy companies refusing to supply them or renew contracts.

“The regulations are clear that energy suppliers are obliged to provide domestic energy to a pub when it is lived in. Considering so many families live in pubs, Ofgem must really do the right thing and ensure this unfair behaviour is ended.

“It’s time for energy companies to show support for the sector through fair dealing.”

Chris Jowsey, Chief Executive of Admiral Taverns, a UK pub operating business, said, “Ofgem have been keen to hear about the experiences of licensees and explain the work they are doing with supply. However, I was disappointed in Ofgem’s and the Energy Minister’s unwillingness to tackle the poor commercial behaviour demonstrated by many utility companies towards small hospitality businesses.”

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Hospitality Guidance Q&A From 26 April it is expected that the tourism and hospitality industry will begin to reopen. The Scottish Government is currently updating guidance for the tourism and hospitality sectors. It is hoped this will be finalised and available to the sectors around mid-April to allow time for operators to absorb and plan for any changes in advance of reopening.

Many of the standard aspects of the current guidance will remain the same, such as physical distancing, face coverings, at seat service in hospitality and enhanced hygiene protocols. Note: THIS IS STILL DRAFT. Q. When can hospitality open?

A. It is expected that outdoor hospitality will open from 26 April with alcohol permitted outdoors (no meal requirement) with premises closed at 22:00 (last order times planned accordingly).

Limited indoor hospitality will also be permitted from 26 April for food and non-alcoholic drinks up to 20:00 (last order times planned accordingly). From 17 May it is hoped indoor hospitality can resume alcohol service (with no meal requirement) with 22:30 closing and 2 hour booked time slots to manage dwell times.

There will then be incremental changes across June and July, or when Scotland moves to lower levels of the Strategic Framework i.e. level 1 closing at 23:00 and level 0 back to licensing hours. All measures will be kept under review.

Q. Can hospitality premises serve non-alcoholic drinks indoors from 26 April without a meal?

A. Yes, teas, coffees and soft drinks can be served indoors without food within socialising rules until 20:00 (last orders planned accordingly) from 26 April.

Q. What are the socialising rules for hospitality?

A. From 26 April it is expected that up to 6 people from 3 different households can meet outdoors and 4 from 2 different households indoors. This is expected to be the same from 17 May with subsequent changes possibly taking place thereafter in June and beyond, subject to review. As with previously, operators should ensure booking systems take account of these requirements so bookings for groups exceeding these limits are not made. Layout of tables should also ensure physical distancing between groups can be observed.

Q. Does outdoor and indoor service need to be at table/seated only?

A. Yes, service must be at table/seated only both indoors and outdoors in the initial stages of reopening. Operators should consider their systems for how this can be managed i.e. prebooked slots, arrival point for checking-in and directing customers to tables, ordering systems, whether manual or electronic, and clear customer information on process and required compliance behaviours, such as need to wear face coverings when using toilet facilities, keeping physically distanced and recording personal details for Test and Protect etc. This is necessary to ensure safe practice while the virus is still a threat to public health and while the vaccination programme is still being rolled out.

Q. Can outdoor customers enter the premises to use toilet facilities?

A. Yes, but operators must review their risk assessments to ensure robust protocols are in place to manage any pinch points where 12

DRAM APRIL 2021

people are likely to come into closer contact with one another. Face coverings when indoors and not seated will also still be required i.e. when visiting toilet facilities.

Q. Can outdoor customers place orders indoors, collect drinks and take outdoors?

A. This will not be possible in the early stages of reopening. The policy intention for early stages of reopening is for all parts of the outdoor, and indoor, service to take place at the allocated table – ordering, consumption and payment. This is to minimise the opportunity for different households to come into contact with one another. Operators should plan on this basis. If for practical reasons payment is not possible at the table i.e. no terminal signal, then it will be possible for the person paying the bill to go to a payment point to complete the transactions, wearing a facecovering when not seated.

Q. Will low level background sound be permitted in hospitality, such as background recorded music and sound from TVs? A. Yes, the work carried out by the expert group on low level background sound management in hospitality last year will continue to apply.

Q. Will live entertainment be permitted in hospitality from 26 April?

A. No, live entertainment, such as singers etc., will return in line with live performances and events guidance. Hospitality guidance will be updated accordingly when these services resume, but this is not expected before 17 May and possibly thereafter.

Q. Will gaming machines be permitted from 26 April?

A. As with the previous approach, gaming machines in hospitality will resume in line with corresponding guidance for similar services elsewhere in the economy i.e. amusement arcades. This is not expected until 17 May. Q. Can indoor facilities, such as toilets, be used after 20:00 from 26 April while outdoors areas are still open until 22:00?

A. Yes, the 20:00 closing time indoors relates to service. It is understood indoor areas must remain open after that in order to continue outdoor service until 22:00 and allow that to happen safely i.e. for customers to make use of toilet facilities.

Q. Will premises still be required to collect customer contact details for Test and Protect?

A. Yes, this will still be a requirement. Premises can make use of the free Protect Scotland App to help them manage this.

KBOX GLOBAL IS LAUNCHING IN SCOTLAND! Get Delivery Right the First Time Customers have been moving away from traditional hospitality for a while, regardless of the pandemic. Savvy kitchen operators are looking to adapt, and the option of going online is a cost-effective way to generate more income. While this route gives great reason to be hopeful, there is a maze of options to navigate if you are to do so successfully.

Our partnership with you is simple; we train your staff, co-ordinate and liaise with the delivery platforms on your behalf and provide constant contact for you to stay informed throughout the whole process.

How Kbox can help: Kbox has the skills to ensure you hit the ground running, we’ve learnt from our successes and our mistakes. Our partnership with you is simple, we: 1. Understand the market - we’ll work out who you are going to reach with delivery 2. Create the best brands - to appeal to customers and that work operationally in your kitchens.

3. Design focussed menus - perfected by us, then trained to you, driving great profitability.

4. Provide ongoing support - we’ll market the menus for you, so you can focus on making amazing food.

Success Simplified: We know that commercial kitchens usually have a core equipment kit, if you purchase a additional table top fryer or a griddle for on top of your hobs we can open your kitchen to a growing vegan audience which can add an additional £1k- £4k of weekly sales per site per week in delivery sales for an outlay of only about £300-£400.

Typical equipment: • Fryer • Grill or griddle plate • Induction burner or stove • Over or combi oven • Commercial microwave + An additional fryer switches on our multiple vegan brands Currently, we have Kitchens in the Uk reporting an additional 2-3 k per week!

To find out more, contact emily.christianson@kboxglobal.com DRAM APRIL 2021 13

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STUART MCPHEE ...

A VIEW FROM THE NORTH...

IN MY OWN WORDS...

STUART MCPHEE OF SIBERIA HOTEL AND BAR IN ABERDEEN IS WRITING A BLOG ON LINKEDIN THIS IS HIS VIEW FROM THE NORTH

W

e find ourselves in a state of limbo staring ahead and wondering what will be. France plunging into a third wave lockdown and our numbers heading in the right direction, could it be so?

The hope is that come the 26th of what is now April, post the longest shutdown to date, we can begin to reopen parts of our trade again. In the meantime we all have to apply for rates relief (remember to do that) and hope that the brakes aren’t applied and the silver bullet that is the vaccine continues to ride to the rescue.

But that rescue is only relevant for a small percentage.

We have cliff edges approaching of the end of the financial support from government but an abject failing in timelining any kind of a return for huge parts of our Night time economy.

No hope for these guys, SMEs that the government bang the drum for when it suits that have been built up over decades, no dates in the diary and the support tap being turned off?

What kind of scenario is being applied here? A slow March to bankruptcy, is the answer.

Why have the conversations with this part of the sector been seen as unimportant? So many blatantly disingenuous stereotypes peddled.

Take a local north east example; Aberdeen’s city centre has already lost a number of businesses during the crisis, and it now feels like we’re being hung out to dry still further. Support ends soon but there is no timeline for us to reopen properly and this is just not acceptable. The night time economy is critically important to city centres and we employ thousands of people in Aberdeen.

There was a local government task force assembled within days when just one department store mentioned closing, the night time economy employs many times more people, and those jobs are equally at risk.

Where is our task force?

Where is the worry for these jobs?

These businesses?

The scathing cultural, social and economic loss that this mismanagement could ensure will last for decades. And that is my view from the north right now.

STUART MCPHEE DRAM APRIL 2021 15

FROM A LOVE OF MUSIC TO A PASSION

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FROM A LOVE OF MUSIC TO A PASSION FOR HOSPITALITY LICENSEE INTERVIEW

BY SUSAN YOUNG

During this pandemic there have been people volunteering their time with the trade groups working behind the scenes on behalf of the hospitality industry, liaising with government bodies and such like, and ensuring people are kept abreast of what is going on and how it affects them. One of them is Gavin Stevenson, who with wife Anita, runs the Mor-Rioghain Group based in North East Scotland. He is a member of the Scottish Hospitality Group, has been working with the Scottish Licensed Trade Association on the new tied pubs legislation, is a member of the Night Time Industries Association commission in Scotland and is also involved with the Scottish Leased and Tenanted Pubs Group sharing covid updates and information to hospitality businesses.

T

he Mor-Rioghain Group operates a traditional Scottish live personal development. Working for big corporates also teaches music venue in the shape of Gellions, along with adjacent you a lot of the fundamentals of strategic business management. pub Monty’s and the nightclub Upstairs which are all in As an operator you are quite busy with the day-to-day working Inverness, and the Mains of Scotstown in Aberdeen, a in the business. Having a broader exposure to management and large food and community pub located in Bridge of Don. They business systems and processes and, in my case, the added also have a small outdoor events business and are in the process experience of how to operate multiple businesses was incredibly of opening a new restaurant and bar later this year, a project helpful and allows me to work on the business as much as working that had been on hold during the in it.” pandemic but is now progressing He left Punch a few years ago again. But despite having plenty on when Heineken bought around his hands Gavin still makes the time two thirds of their sites. Says “Twelve months ago we all thought to help his fellow entrepreneurs.

Gavin, “Punch were great. I was this was unthinkable, now I don’t think He is certainly my ‘go to’ when I need with them for almost a decade information outside my ‘ken’, and he and was given the option to anything is unthinkable. What does is particularly good at disseminating transfer to Heineken as part of that mean for our business? We will figures and sectoral statistics. the transition. But when you certainly be looking to diversify – we However, it is music that was his come to a crossroads in your first love. life people tend to do something are keen not be as exposed to just one Says Gavin, who hails from just south different and try new things, and operating model moving forward - so we of Aberdeen, “I have always been in we just thought it was time to give hospitality or related sectors but our own business a go. It was a are still working on related opportunities when I first started working in the natural transition for myself and that add diversification. industry some three decades ago Anita. Both of us had worked in GAVIN STEVENSON I came from the sound, light and operational management for big music part of the business – I loved music. That’s what I did when hospitality and leisure companies for decades. But even with all I was young, it seemed like a fun way to make a living and I moved the experience we had it is certainly true you learn something new from there to working in the bar.” each day and every day is a school day.”

He loved music so much that he went to America and completed When asked what advice he would give to someone considering a specialised degree in Music and Entertainment Business setting up their own business, Gavin says “If I had any advice to Management and then ended up spending another fifteen years give I would say to people the absolute key thing is to make sure working overseas where he met his wife Anita. In 2005 they you fully understand what you are getting into. It is hard work came back to the UK – and he subsequently joined Luminar and a lot of hours, often for not very much money, and it takes Leisure as a Multi-site General Manager before moving on to join many years to build a business up. Hospitality in particular can Punch as a Partnership Development Manager – over the next operate on wafer thin profit margins. So owners have to put in a nine years he worked in a variety of roles with Punch including as lot of hours and there is quite a lot of risk involved. And of course, a Concept Development Manager for hotels and pubs with rooms. research, research, research… You have to put in the due When he left he was the Senior Punch Development Manager for diligence, talk to other operators, talk to people in the business, Hotels across Scotland. learn what the right questions are, and make sure you take good Gavin enjoyed his time working in a corporate environment and professional advice. I knew what we were letting ourselves in for his experience across a broad portfolio of hospitality venues is before we took our first place but even then we changed the main standing him in good stead. focus of our business within the first few years.”

He says, “It is always good to work for a big corporate business The couple’s first venture was a small hotel in Aberdeenshire because you get a lot of experience and lot of training and which they ran for several years before deciding to focus the DRAM APRIL 2021 17

LICENSEE INTERVIEW

business more on pubs and bars. Says Gavin, “At the time we had quite a well established second site which was doing fantastically, but was also over a hundred miles away, and we’d just taken on another pub as well. The hotel was a great experience, but it took a huge amount of our time to run being a 24/7 operation and it became harder to justify the amount of time we were putting in when we also wanted to keep growing the business with other sites elsewhere. It taught us a lot about what we were looking to do and the importance of thinking strategically.

So we forced ourselves to look beyond the emotional attachment I think everyone has for their first business and we found a new operator for it that could give it the time it deserved. Now we focus entirely on pubs and bars, so really just food, drink and entertainment, and that tighter focus has allowed the business to grow much more successfully.”

One of the great things about being an area manager was that you get to know the market inside out and you learn the good sites and the right locations to be in. I think all area managers have their wee list of sites they’d consider should they ever come up and I had that list too, although I had only two or three on it.

Funnily enough two of my favourites happened to come up so I stuck my hand up and said, actually... I’d quite like that. We had some business history behind us by then and we were in the right place at the right time so it worked out well.”

He adds, “Obviously I am from the North East. I grew up in Aberdeenshire so know the market, and Inverness and the North is also a great part of the world. The scenery is wonderful, the people are friendly and there is a great pub scene. If traditional music is your thing, there is honestly not a better night out anywhere in Scotland than in Inverness. In the city centre there are half a dozen premises with live music on just about every night, half of which is Scottish traditional music. Gellions alone booked around 650 gigs in 2019, obviously with Covid that’s all changed over the last year, but we hope to get back to normal soon. It’s very exciting to be part of the Highlands music scene and be able to showcase all the great local musicians that live and work here.”

When asked about the future of the North and North East after the pandemic, Gavin said, “Inverness is generally a pretty stable market but like all tourism driven cities there is going to be a real struggle for the next two or three years until international tourism returns to full strength. Everyone is very clear about that - from government to local agencies – yes staycations will replace part of the revenues, but it will not come close to replacing the majority of it. Inverness prior to the pandemic had a couple of its best years ever. The city had really established itself as a ‘must visit’ place when coming to Scotland and word had very much spread internationally that if you wanted a really high quality and authentic Scottish experience, and a very convenient gateway to explore the Highlands from, Inverness offered it. So it’ll definitely come back, but it will take a few years to get there.”

Our businesses had some really good years before the crisis but this sector runs in cycles just like everything else and we do get interruptions and corrections every few years. There’s always something that comes along to stop a boom in its tracks.

But hopefully there will now be a steady recovery and there is certainly some light at the end of the tunnel from a business perspective.”

Aberdeen has had a more difficult time for some years now because of the oil crash and that has now been amplified by the global downturn this year. Our Aberdeen pub has thankfully been OK so far, we have great support from the Bridge of Don community and we’ve invested heavily in upgrading the retail offer and adding more outdoors space which has worked out very well for us, but it’ll still take time to bounce back from the pandemic.”

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When asked about the biggest challenges facing the industry in the near term, Gavin noted that, “In 2008/09 hardly anyone fell over during the recession, but two or three years later many businesses did fail, often because they had to take on too much debt just to survive the recession. That’s a real worry now as well. The other big issue is Covid restrictions – social distancing and limited hours makes it impossible for landlocked, town centre business to trade viably or sustainably at all – and they will need financial support until all restrictions end or many of them simply won’t survive.”

“Most people have no idea of what it costs to run a hospitality business – they hear big numbers with regards to grants and loans, but don’t realise the enormous costs of keeping businesses running. It can easily cost tens of thousands a month to pay business fixed costs and keep staff employed – a couple of thousand a month in grants is welcome, but really? It’s just a drop in the ocean compared to the costs of staying afloat with little or no income coming in. Unfortunately, it didn’t cross my mind when I took our pubs on to ask ‘Is it pandemic proof’? ‘Is there a forced closure clause in the lease’? That’s certainly a question we’ll be asking in the future. And hopefully government will realise support will be needed for some time, and at least as long as restrictions continue to be in place, as those restrictions make it largely impossible to break even for many businesses.”

“I think if there’s one thing that our industry has failed to communicate before the pandemic, it’s that our sector operates on wafer thin margins and we all put in a lot of work for often not much reward even in the good years. It is hard work and high risk. We offer a great community service and we employ a lot of people. And I don’t think government perhaps appreciated just how important the hospitality sector is for local communities and local employment. That’s now changing and for sure all the trade bodies are doing their level best to get that message across.”

“Before Covid there was far less understanding between the politicians and the hospitality sector and particularly the licensed trade. I think it has been a real eye opener for us all. Politicians now have a better understanding of how the industry works and how important a contributor it is with regards to jobs, tax revenue, being a valuable part of the community and so many of the other benefits of hospitality including preventing loneliness, helping young people develop their careers, raising funds for charity, and more. This is an industry that really contributes positively to society.

He adds, “Although the pandemic has been a really challenging time for everyone it has been great to see the licensed trade community come together. For me it was a chance to get more involved, volunteer my time, and work with other people in the trade to try and help the sector through the crisis. And it has been good to see us all pull together. This has been an unprecedented time in terms of trade bodies having such a vital role to play working with government to ensure the immediate survival of businesses. I would hope a lot of that enhanced cooperation will continue in future too. The job of building back after the pandemic will be just as challenging, and perhaps even more so.”

Gavin concludes, “Twelve months ago we all thought this was unthinkable, now I don’t think anything is unthinkable. What does that mean for our business? We will certainly be looking to diversify – we are keen not be as exposed to just one operating model moving forward - so we are still working on related opportunities that add diversification. Takeaway and delivery for example, and things like specialist online drinks retail. But we’re very aware that the pandemic isn’t over yet – so we still have to be cautious until things are a lot more settled and the recovery is secured.”

A NEW VOICE FOR THE TRADE THE SCOTTISH HOSPITALITY GROUP

by Susan Young

I

know it is hard to believe but it has only been six months since the Scottish Hospitality Group was formed. Today its voice reverberates around the corridors of Holyrood – as the group campaigns and demands answers from the powers that be.

Its formation was swift, and it came out of a need to have a ‘voice’.

The group’s founders didn’t feel that they were being heard at government level. They were larger well-known businesses and yet they didn’t appear to have a voice and they were increasingly frustrated at the lack of knowledge that key politicians had with regard to the issues surrounding hospitality.

That frustration was voiced in a small WhatsApp’ Group, that was originally set up by myself and Kenny Blair of Buzzworks. Its purpose, to begin with, was to share information and worries and to gather intel on what was happening with each other’s businesses. The small group grew to about 10 and Mario Gizzi of DRG suggested that the group actually activated itself physically and orchestrated a PR campaign to get their voice heard. This coincided with Stephen Montgomery, resigning as President of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association. The timing was right, and the Scottish Hospitality Group (SHG) was formed with Stephen as its voluntary and unpaid spokesman. The SHG included Signature Pubs, Montpeliers, Lisini, Caledonia Inns, Buzzworks, the DRG Group, G1, Manorview, Caledonian Heritable, Mor-rioghan pub group, Siberia Bar & Hotel, and the Townhead Hotel, with an employment number of approx 6000 staff With the day to day running of the group being done by Stephen, along with a small steering group, SHG appointed communications experts BIG to drive a PR campaign to highlight the issues and safeguard their collective interests at both a local and government level. And it wanted a seat at the table when it came to government. Since then, the group has, through its public relations campaign seen 1,600 pieces of coverage. There have been 1.7bn opportunities to see their views giving it the highest share of voice of media compared to other trade bodies – secured 39% of voice in Scotland, the 2nd highest in the UK. Issues SHG have tackled have included “Rogue traders”. They didn’t want the whole trade tarred because of the actions of some. It wanted to emphasise that responsible licensees, who were doing the job right should be allowed to continue to do so. That got really positive feedback and lots of coverage.

It criticised the Government for not giving hospitality enough time to adapt to new guidance – the guidance was being issued on a Friday for implementation on a Monday, and at some stages overnight.

It campaigned for the removal of the music ban and it ran a petition which saw 23,500 sign it in one month. It supported and campaigned for the continuation of the rates relief for a further year and to keep VAT at 5% (as did other trade organisations).

In November SHG put together a survey and presented this to government. It showed the actual cost of opening and closing – and the losses that businesses were making every week even with the grants.

It has also been very vocal regarding hospitality being part of the solution not the cause of the problem and has pushed the information out that despite serving 1.8m people, and with 6,000 staff, last summer from 15th July to 30th September, had only 17 positive cases.

Relationships have been formed with party leaders, MSP’s and MP’s from all parties, at Holyrood and at Westminster. This has led to SHG questions being asked at First Minister’s briefings, and in the Chamber of Holyrood during debates. And it was part of the Tourism Taskforce Recovery Group – which has helped form

a five-year plan for recovery. SHG have also been involved in giving evidence to Scottish Government committees, and Stephen will now be giving evidence at the Scottish Affair Committee in Westminster later this month.

Says Stephen Montgomery, “Throughout all our meetings we have warned politicians and civil servants of the seriousness of not consulting with the trade. We are a group of grassroots entrepreneurs who know the business of hospitality and know the implications of decisions being made. For instance, we told them that hospitality curfews would cause drinking at home – it did. We told them that the banning of music would cause drinking at home - it did.

“They may listen to our issues, but they still don’t get the problems we are having, or the simple mechanics of running a hospitality business, despite SHG inputting and giving the government a practical route to reopen. For instance, the frustrations in level 3 – last time round we had a 6pm close. This time we asked for 10pm because 6pm was totally unviable, and they knew that, and they have given us 8pm. We wanted alcohol outside without a meal, gave us that, but didn’t give us alcohol inside.

“There needs to be a go-to person in government for hospitality who understands the issues around hospitality. I’ve always believed that should be an individual, not a party political. This is important because hospitality is not the same as tourism.

“Hospitality has a part to play in making up tourism, but it is also separate, but Government don’t seem to get that. The needs and the business model are different. We have higher overheads than most other tourism businesses. Tourism encompasses everything from a highland gift shop to a visitor attraction on Mull to Edinburgh Castle– we can’t be under the same banner when it comes to support. The support we have seen to date has been disproportionate to say the least.

“We are a year-round industry – not just for holidays. Hospitality is an industry that comprises entities of food, beverages and social interaction. We have the best-looking castles, beautiful scenery and attractions, but unless you have pubs, hotels and restaurants there is not the same attraction – 73% of people coming to Scotland want to visit our pubs...”

He continues, “The next six months we will be concentrating on getting hospitality to the other side of the pandemic and promoting it in every way we can. We will continue to fight for the extension of business rates into 2022/23. That will be the date we start paying the rates on the assessment of 2016 and the business won’t be able to afford that. We want support for those that need it – rather than blanket support for everybody. Grants stop on 19th April, no matter what way you look at it, but many wet-led pubs, wedding venues, and nightclubs etc will have to remain closed.

“We will be pressurising the UK government to retain 5% VAT permanently, we will try and get the deposit return scheme pushed back another year, and more generally we are helping hospitality business operators get through what has without doubt been the worst time on record.

“The SHG has a website coming, and we will be inviting more people to get involved. We are different because we don’t pussyfoot about.

The aim of SHG is to promote and protect the fantastic hospitality we have in Scotland – not just for ourselves, but for our employees, customers and tourists. We will look forward to working closer with Scottish Government after the elections, and hopefully in doing that, we will be able to get our sector back to some kind of normality, and back to doing what we do best, slainte”

OPPORTUNITY STILL KNOCKING

BY JASON CADDY

Part two of our roundup of some of the best freehold and leasehold opportunities Scotland has to offer right now.

The Highland Gateway Inn, Kinlochleven This freehold is £795,000, is on the West Highland Way, and is a stone’s throw from the UKs largest indoor ice-climbing wall. Within a trading location in the busy outdoor tourist destination of Kinlochleven, it dates back to the early 1900s, and the property comprises a traditional Highland Inn with newly renovated Balcony Bar, six spacious letting bedrooms and a most attractive three-bed owners accommodation, says the listing.

House O’Hill Hotel, Balgrannan Check out this freehold hotel in the hamlet of Bargrennan on the edge of the Galloway Forest Park near Glentrool in Dumfries and Galloway. It’s on the market for £250,000 including furniture and fittings and two-bedroom flat at the rear. The listing says that since purchasing the hotel in 2010 the turnover has greatly increased over the years with ‘nearly 50% repeat business’. Social media is also a big part of the businesses. See for yourself: www.houseohill.co.uk.

Marykirk Hotel Kincardinshire This is only the second time in the last 20 years that the Marykirk Hotel has appeared on the open market. The freehold for this village hotel located between Aberdeen and Dundee will set you back £340,000. It is currently being run by a husband and wife team that want to retire. It has a bar, restaurant with an open fire, plus four en suite letting rooms and three-bed owners accommodation included.

The Red Lion, Earlston The freehold of this beautiful pub is up for grabs for £295,000.

It’s a large semi-detached former coaching house dating back to 1840 and is stone- built and lying under a pitch and slate roof with extensions to the rear. Accommodation is on the ground floor and first floor level. Main entry is at the front of the property, leading into an entrance hallway. There is also an additional entry at the front of the property directly into the public bar.

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The Old Moray, Macduff For £269,950 you will get the freehold that includes bar and two-bedroom accommodation. The business has been in the same hands for the past 11 years but there has been a public house on this site for over 100 years and is now for sale because the current owner wants to retire. The business trades currently on a wet sales basis only, however there is demand to provide a dry sales side to the current operation, says the listing.

Stein Inn, Waternish You can lease this pub – reportedly the oldest on the Isle of Skye – for £70,000. Its lochside location is lovely complete with front and rear beer garden. It was renovated in the last year and comprises a bar-lounge, dining room/breakfast room and games room. It also trades with five letting bedrooms all of which have sea views. The listing says that it’s suitable for chef operator/ family run operation.

Three Bridges, South Queensferry This Star Pubs & Bars lease is a stunning location and has an annual rent of £52,750. The Three Bridges is right at the heart of South Queensferry, on the waterfront and boasts stunning views of the Forth Bridges. Previously under the Harry Ramsden’s brand, there’s a large on-site catering kitchen while the trading area is very flexible and can be adapted for drinks, food, functions, events and even meetings. The outside trading area has amazing views of the water and bridges.

Woods, Glasgow Woods is another Star Pubs & Bars lease with an annual rent of £46,000. It’s in a prime location on Glasgow’s Waterloo Street surrounded by offices and local businesses there is a great opportunity for an experienced operator to make this the place to be in Glasgow. The pub is contemporary and spacious and benefits from large windows at the front that floods the space with light during the day and allows people to see inside.

The main bar is at ground level and the large function room, kitchen and toilets at basement.

The Townhead Hotel Lockerbie This popular 8-bedroom town centre hotel achieved fame when it won the Channel 4 Programme ‘Four in a Bed’ in 2017.

The hotels rooms are all ensuite and very well equipped and the hotel also has a popular lounge bar, 2 restaurants and comes with owner’s accommodation too. Parking is not problem as the Townhead also has a large carpark with a few electric charging points installed. It is on the market for £450,000 through Graham & Sibbald.

DRAM APRIL 2021 21

SHIELDHiLL CASTLE Biggar

S

hieldhill Castle in Biggar has had a multi-million pound refurbishment which has seen the hotel transformed by local businessman Colin Frame, who bought the hotel in 2019. He is also the Managing Director and Owner of Stellar Omada - recently confirmed as Scotland’s fastestgrowing FinTech business.

From cutting the grass at Shieldhill for pocket money in his teens to getting married at the castle in 2015, Colin has now opened Shieldhill Castle as a luxury wedding and events venue. He says, “I was born and bred in the area and I’m incredibly proud and humbled to have the opportunity and responsibility of restoring what is such a historic part of the local community” Shieldhill Castle is a Category B listed building set within six acres of gardens and wooded park land. Originally the ‘Big House’ of a private estate owned by the Chancellor family, the original building dates back to the 12th century.

A full renovation and phase 1 completed at Shieldhill in September 2020 allowing the venue to open reception rooms to the general public.Now the Phase 2 renovation is well underway which will see all rooms finished in advance of full wedding venue launch this May. Longer term plans include a new marquee, hot tubs and potentially a spa and wellbeing centre. Launching as a new wedding and events venue, Shieldhill Castle is already starting to get booked up for weddings.

DRAM APRIL 2021 23

@dramscotland

SUE SAYS

/dram.scotland

Y

esterday Nicola Sturgeon, was asked why the Scottish Government has “pulled” all funding for pubs and restaurants and late night venues despite the fact that many will not be able to open on 26th April? She said that was “a complete mischaracterisation of the position” and

suggested instead the final payment was a combination of a final instalment of the closure grants and the new Startup grant.

She went onto say that hospitality businesses at the end of April would be able to operate “as close to normal as possible.”

Where do I start? Firstly, the closure grants should be continuing for all bars, pubs, restaurants and late night venues that will still be closed. Some can simply not open under current restrictions which ban you from selling alcohol inside. Up to 50% of venues do not have outside areas and they will not be able to open if they cannot sell alcohol.

Startup grants are to help businesses start back up, and should be offered when businesses have a date that they can start up. Simple! Instead these grants will have to help businesses survive - and without an opening date - they don’t know if the cash will last.

As for “as close to normal as possible”. What is normal for hospitality businesses when you cannot serve alcohol inside, and what is normal about closing at 8pm? About social distancing? About 6 people from 3 households or 4 for two?

Anyone in hospitality that the Government would have spoken to would have told them wetled pubs etc would not be able to open. So exactly who did they take advice from?

The First Minister suggested businesses had asked this.

Perhaps they should have asked the businesses that they applied to.

Obviously the same rules don’t apply for the Scottish Parliament’s own hospitality facilities which has not just been subsidised for the duration of the pandemic but is usually subsidised to the tune of £500K every year!

It has had a subsidy of an extra £280K for the nine months to December - the average pub has had £40K. She is definitely not looking to our industry for votes.

On a slightly more cheery note congratulations to Frank Murphy and his partner Jenny who welcomed Cole Whyte Murphy on the 28th March. And to his sister Geraldine and hubby Ian McNulty who welcomed baby number two in December - little Lewis. The Murphy clan is certainly growing!

Also to Andy Gemmell and partner Nicola Moir who had a son called Jude on 2nd February and last but not least congrats to Lauren Doherty (nee Hollinshead) and husband Stuart who welcomed Sandy on 1st March.

Cole

Lewis

Jude

Sandy

During the pandemic some people have just powered on and next month we will have a feature on some of the amazing people that don’t let anything stand in their way! But I would just like to sign off by mentioning Fallon Cowley. She launched MacGregor’s last summer and now she is opening a new place called Cutler due to launch at the end of May. In the meantime she has also been growing her retail interests with Vivien Smith- Viano Interiors no 2 also open. If only I had her energy!

Look out for the new-look DRAM next month.

If you have any stories you want covered email us at news@mediaworldltd.com When you want to advertise contact nikki@mediaworldltd.com or sylvia@mediaworldltd.com 24

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E AVAILABL OUGH VELY THR N EXCLUSI TO ITY MOR INVERAR

ROUNDUP @dramscotland

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Our 2010 Awards... do you recognise a few faces? Are you one. That was the year The Lab won Sunday Mail Pub of the Year ....

DRAM DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING PUBLISHED BY MEDIA WORLD LIMITED t: 01560 600585 e: news@mediaworldltd.com w: dramscotland.co.uk Publisher Susan Young • Editor Jason Caddy • Advertising Nikki Oji •Sylvia • Digital Nicola Young • Admin Rebecca Orr 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 2021.

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