SUE SAYS Straight talking from our very own Editor

SUE SAYS

Ihave been out and about meeting finalists for our Awards and doing a fair bit of mystery shopping too, although I have a team of people also out doing that, from foodies to music enthusiasts, and cocktail lovers too. The good news is that the standard of service is absolutely first-class. I feel like a mother... I’ve been enthusing about it to anyone that will listen. You may all be feeling the pressure of being short-staffed, but this year’s finalists have managed to maintain that critical element that is hospitality. Big shout out to you all.

Talking about shouting I am sure that trade bodies up and down the country will be calling out Councils on their billing penalties. Some authorities are now enforcing strict payment deadlines on business rates - for instance, if payment is late in consecutive months or behind by more than one month, a full year’s rates plus a 10% surcharge will be charged. Surely by now, they must realise how hard hospitality has been hit and allow late payers some grace. And don’t get me started on Rates reform – which is long overdue!

Anecdotal evidence suggests that people are still going out but not spending as much per head – this may be the case however the latest MealTrak Results – show that in the latest 52 weeks, eating out of home and food-to-go occasions have grown faster in Scotland (+16%) compared to the rest of GB (+12%). This they believe is due to the more severe lockdown Scotland had and consequent sharper recovery. And although growth has slowed in recent months in Total GB, (+8% vs the same 12 weeks in 2021), the growth rate has been increasing in Scotland, at +23% in the latest 12 weeks. Putting the value of total out-of-home sales in Scotland for the year at £299mn. Commenting on the results, Tom Fender, Development Director at TWC, said, “These results should make any Scottish foodservice business sit up and take note. Pubs and restaurants are in huge growth in terms of visits/occasions, as are cafes and coffee shops…and these outlets are stealing significant share and sales from convenience stores and sandwich shops. Any foodservice operator and supplier to these outlets should now be digging underneath the headline figures to understand which sub-channels are in growth or decline, and the reasons for this.

I caught up with the Buzzworks team recently and was delighted to hear that they now have a new training academy on the top floor of their Kilmarnock HQ. Interestingly I hear there will also be a training kitchen next door in the former Jefferson’s. Could it be that locals will be able to try out cuisine from aspirational chefs in the near future? I hope so.

I was very sorry to hear about the death of Jim Hughes, 76, who I knew when he owned the Black Bull in Moffat. He had it for 21 years before selling it in 2007 retiring briefly to Spain with his wife Karen, before returning and getting back into the trade with The Stag Hotel and Hugo’s with daughter Sasha. Back in the day, we had many a good night out at industry functions and of course our own DRAM Awards. He was also a past Director of the BEN. Jim was diagnosed with MND in December 2021, and he and his family spent the last six months raising cash for the MND Scotland, My Name‘5 Doddie Foundation and The Tartan Army Sunshine Appeal. They raised more than £25K. He was a real character and will be very much missed.

Congratulations to Colin and Carol Clydesdale on selling the Ubiquitous Chip, Stravaigin and the Hanoi Bike Shop to the Metropolitan Pub Company part of Greene King. Some people have been lamenting the loss of another independent group, but I think there is one thing Covid has taught us, is that time is short, and you have to do what you want to do. For Colin and Carol the Ubiquitous Chip was always Colin’s father Ronnie’s legacy. And they have done a sterling job over the years continuing his vision. Equally their own venues Stravaigin and the Hanoi Bike Shop have been very successful too. Now they have the cash, and the time to spend with their family doing exactly what they want to without the stresses and strains running such a well known business brings. I hope they enjoy every minute.

DRAM DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING PUBLISHED BY MEDIA WORLD LIMITED t: 0141 221 6965 e: news@mediaworldltd.com w: dramscotland.co.uk Editor Susan Young • Chairman Noel Young • Editorial Bev Lyons, Nicola Young, Brendan McGinty Advertising Nikki Oji, Sylvia Forsyth • Admin Rebecca Orr Published by Media World Ltd. Subscriptions: DRAM is available by subscription for all other qualified persons involved in the Scottish Licensed Trade at the rate of £52 per annum including the DRAM Yearbook. The publishers, authors and printers cannot accept liability for errors or omissions. Any transparencies or artwork will be accepted at owner’s risk. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the copyright holder and publisher, application for which should be made to the publisher. Articles published in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publishers. © Media World Limited 2022. Printed by Stephens & George Print Group.