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

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.”

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.

RX MOVES INTO MARIACHAL SQUARE

Resident X – also known as RX, is the latest tenant to move into Aberdeen’s Marischal Square development. It will open in late Spring and will occupy two units which will play host to six independently run food and drinks businesses – collaborative residency kitchens, and two bars operated by RX which will offer a range of craft drinks and premium cocktails to not only complement the food offering but also further establish the east end of the city as a vibrant late-night social spot. RX will also offer an array of seated and standing social areas, which are all different. David Griffiths and Michael Robertson of PARXX Group, have developed the RX concept off the back of their successful Backyard Beach Collective venues at the beach and Union Square last summer and now they are creating an indoor permanent version. The Marischal Square development also includes two city-centre office buildings providing 173,500 sq ft of Grade ‘A’ office space, seven restaurants and café bar spaces occupying the ground floor space, and a 126-room Residence Inn by Marriott. PARXX Group Director David Griffiths said, “As proud Aberdonians, Michael and I have been on a mission to help develop Aberdeen’s food and drinks offering into something on par with larger cities across the UK, where collaboration and mixed-use social space are key components to both day and night-time venues. “We are passionate about proactively contributing to the regeneration of the city centre and hope that RX will become not only a social hub for locals but also contribute to making Aberdeen a more attractive prospect for both new businesses and tourists alike.”

NEWS

PAOLOZZI REOPENS

Edinburgh Beer Factory’s brand new Paolozzi Restaurant and Bar on Forrest Road has reopened. The team at Edinburgh Beer Factory, founders John and Lynne Dunsmore, joined forces with Gino Stomaiuolo, the owner of Nonna’s Kitchen to open Paolozzi in a former RBS building just as the pandemic hit. And now they plan to get the venue back on track. It’s the namesake of Scottish sculptor and artist Eduardo Paolozzi and combines an explosion of beer, food, and art to celebrate the Great Scot and wider Italian Scottish culture. The whole project was inspired by the Edinburgh born ‘Father of Pop Art’, Eduardo Paolozzi - from the exposed industrial pipework, geometric shapes in the booth seating, colour accents, and sculptural bar, to Paolozzi artworks adorning the walls, toilet doors and kitchen surrounds. Guests to the launch night were able to see fragments of the original Eduardo Paolozzi Tottenham Court Road mosaics on display, Thanks to Edinburgh University. A nice touch. The Meadowpark, restaurant and bar in Bridge of Allan, is set to reveal four new guest rooms with each of the rooms enjoying views towards Stirling Castle later this month. The new rooms, part of a £500K investment in the property, include many period features and one of the rooms also features a fourposter bed. This will be the second time in its 103-year history that the listed building will be opening its doors to overnight guests. The venue was originally opened as The Beacon School for Girls in 1919 and merged to become Beaconhurst Grange in 1976..

n Glenapp Castle will launch the Azalea Glasshouse & Bothy Restaurant in May. The two adjoining spaces either give you a view of the garden or the pond. The Azalea Glasshouse & Bothy sit within the Castle’s walled gardens and have a botanical theme throughout. The Glasshouse has five distinct and individual compartments - The May Stock Room, The Atrium, The Vine Room, The Pond Room and The Fruit Room.

NQ64 INVADES MERCHANT SQUARE

Whether you are a Space Invader fan or prefer Pac-Man the place to go is the new NQ64 which has just opened in Glasgow’s Merchant Square. The retro arcade bar, which offers dozens of classic arcade games to play is open from 7pm - 3am every night. Straight out of a futuristic movie set, the new late-night basement venue is awash with neon and UV graffiti at every turn. A cool lineup of retro arcades including Pac- Man, Time Crisis, and Point Blank and there are two snug studios containing Dance Stage and Guitar Hero. As well as games customers can enjoy retro snacks and of course a full range of drinks from craft beers and sodasto gameinspired cocktails and local beers. NQ64 is located at Merchant Square, Bell St, Glasgow.