FIT FOR A QUEEN AS KAINED AND WOODWINTERS COLLABORATE Queen’s House in Bridge of Allan is the latest project from trade entrepreneurs Graham Suttle and Mo Clark, of Kained Holdings but this time they have collaborated with Doug Wood of Woodwinters to open a new cocktail and wine bar next to the wine and whisky shop on Henderson Street. The focus is on wine, cocktails and beers including local Scottish ales, while there are also plans to create one of the UK’s most interesting whisky collections from exclusive and secret bottlings. On the food front, the “globally inspired menu” menu ranges from pizza to in-house aged wagyu beef and steak from neighbouring farms. Doug Wood of Woodwinters said, “This is a real passion project for us and having the two venues next to each other will allow us to showcase to our customers in both a retail and a luxury bar environment.” Co-owner, Graham Suttle said, “I had originally wanted to keep it simpler but given the depth of offer around us and how good it was, I felt we should push the boat out and bring something to the area that hadn’t been seen before.”
Forbes of Kingennie owners set to start work on new £100m golf resort Forbes of Kingennie owner Mike Forbes has been given the green light for his The Angus, his new £100m golf resort, hotel and spa, at Shank of Omachie near Broughty Ferry. His new designs for the resort, and updated masterplan, were approved by Angus Council’s Development Standards committee, and construction work will now begin in the summer. If all goes to plan the resort will open in 2024. The development will create Dundee and Angus’ first five-star hotel. The hotel will have 175 guest rooms, a rooftop sky bar and 1,900 sq m of spa and leisure facilities overlooking the Tay Estuary and St Andrews. It is estimated The Angus could contribute more than £40m to the local economy per year once it is operational with 300 fulltime and part-time jobs likely to be created. A hotel partner is expected to be announced in the coming months. The development will also be the anchor for a golf course by Irish champion golfer Darren Clarke, alongside a clubhouse and golf academy with a driving range, plus 160 houses and 10 lodges. Forbes said, “We have worked tirelessly to create plans for a resort that will surpass anything on offer in Scotland and firmly position Dundee and Angus as a world-class destination for tourists. “As a long-established tourism business in Angus, we are proud to be moving forward with creating a five-star hotel and luxury spa, as well as the first signature golf course by legendary Ryder Cup winner and former Open champion Darren Clarke.” 4
DRAM APRIL 2022
Spring into KORA by Tom Kitchin Chef Tom Kitchin and his wife Michaela are to open a new restaurant concept this spring. ‘KORA by Tom Kitchin’ in Edinburgh’s Bruntsfield area. The restaurant will be loaded on the site of their former bistro ‘Southside Scran’ which closed in 2020 after it was impacted by both severe flooding and forced pandemic closures. KORA by Tom Kitchin, will include a bar area as well as a 65-cover dining space and the name pays homage to Chef Tom Kitchin’s deep-rooted passion for working with the seasons as the name KORA, is known in Greek mythology as the ‘Goddess of spring, flowers and vegetation’. Chef Tom Kitchin explains, “This new chapter is a really exciting one for our entire team and also for the city. We can’t wait to get back into the kitchen and start cooking some really fresh and exciting new dishes for our guests.”
Kyodart community succeeds in buying The Old Forge After decades of private ownership, residents of the Knoydart peninsula have bought their local pub The Old Forge in a landmark community-buyout bid. The move follows a mammoth 14-month fundraising effort that raised over £320,000. As a result, the pub is now owned by The Old Forge Community Benefit Society (CBS). The pub is known to many as the Guinness World Records ‘Remotest Pub in Mainland Britain’, due to the fact it is in Inverie on the Knoydart peninsula. Stephanie Harris, Secretary of the CBS says, “We are ecstatic that after so many months of hard work we have been successful in securing the pub for the community. The Old Forge plays such an important role in Knoydart’s social culture and economic sustainability, and with the business now in the community’s hands we can steer it forward in a way that will work for the needs of the locals and the thousands of visitors who come every year.” The Old Forge, the only local pub in the area, now joins the growing list of community-owned and managed pubs in Scotland. Not only did the locals raise over £320,000 through a community share offer and Crowdfunder, but they also received funding support from Scottish Land Fund and Community Ownership Fund to secure enough capital to purchase the building and undertake essential renovations. The Old Forge Community Benefit Society (CBS), will now act on behalf of the local residents and the shareholders who invested in the project and will be responsible for reinvesting the profits back into the business, not shareholders, and into projects that deliver wider community benefit.
