DRAM 393 August 2023

It has certainly been a very busy couple of months but I am glad to say we now have all our finalists for the 2023 Scottish Bar and Pub awards, just as well because the awards ceremony takes place on 29th August.

It has been great to get out and about and see so many great venues and talented people - it really makes my heart sing. See pages 19 onwards to see who made the final cut. Remember finalists were voted for, and mystery shopped, and some also got visits from the judges and sponsors. This issue we have an interview with Nic Wood of Signature Pubs. His business has just celebrated its 20th anniversary. Nicola Walker spoke to the people behind some of Scotland’s top cocktail bars and we also took time out to visit the new Scotts Greenock - which looks spectacular. While I popped into Coco Boho which looks fab.

Here’s to a busy month. Hope to see as many of you as possible at the awards.

Susan Young Editor

susan@mediaworldltd.com

18

SIGNATURE PUBS CELEBRATES 20TH ANNIVERSARY

21 THE 2023 AWARD FINALISTS

The final line-up.

Susan Young talks to Nic Wood. 34

DESIGN: SCOTTS GREENOCK AND COCO BOHO EDINBURGH

TEUCHTERS LANDING REVEALS NEW SWING BRIDGE TERRACE

Teuchters Landing has renovated Rennies swing bridge in Leith transforming it into a walkway and customer terrace which now runs across the timber bridge, overlooking the Water of Leith.

It gives Teuchters a new outdoor seating area after the previous area closed nearly 5 years ago.

The bridge, a category A listed bridge and one of three remaining in the world, was built in 1800 and is owned by Forth Ports. Teuchters have not only leased the bridge but paid for the full refurbishment which they believe makes it the only licensed bridge in the UK.

Teuchters director John Tindal (pictured above) told DRAM, “We’ve been wanting to do this for 15 years! It’s taken 4 years in planning and 6 months to complete. We got our licence for the bridge in March of this year and opened it in July... just as the rain arrived!

“During the first covid lockdown we changed our business model to one kitchen, spanking new loos, outside bar and a huge covered area. This has been a huge investment and it’s paying off! It has given us an extra 200 covers a day....when sunny! Myself and Peter Knight my business partner are really chuffed.

“We used all local tradesmen to refurbish the bridge. We open for breakfast at 10am and serve good fast fresh local food until 9pm and the vast majority of our beers are local with a vast array of whisky too.”

Dundee-based JF Kegs has been given the go-ahead by Dundee planners to turn the former music store, Groucho’s, into a live music pub.

Jimmy Fyffe, the owner of JF Keggs, has said that he hopes to open the new venue by Christmas but that he hasn’t decided on a name yet. He expects it to involve significant investment and now needs to wait on building warrants and drawings in order to confirm timings.

JF Keggs is a supplier of kegs and drinks to local pubs, clubs, hotels & restaurants covering North Fife, Perth, Dundee, Angus and beyond Aberdeen.

New Rum Bar for Edinburgh

Steven Aitken has revealed that he and Jamie Shields are planning to open a new rum and specialist spirits bar, Ruma, at Gayfield Square, Edinburgh in August.

He says to “Expect special bottles from around the rum making world including a decent Scottish rum selection, banging cocktails, and our lovely mugs slinging drinks from Wednesday to Sunday.”

TRADE CYCLISTS CELEBRATE A GREAT RIDE FOR THE BEN

Pub gets its old name back

The Green in Haddington has been given the go-ahead by local planners to return its name to its original The Railway Tavern. The pub changed its name after a £250k renovation in 2017 and was initially called The Bell before becoming The Green. However, locals were unhappy with the changes taking to social media to voice their concerns. Now Belhaven Pubs have been given planning permission to replace the signs with new burgundy signs taking the pub back to its original name The Railway Tavern.

Historic Kings Arms community pub re-opens following new funding

Ballantrae’s eighteenth century Kings Arms has reopened after closing last October following its purchase by local community group the Ballantrae Trust with support from the Scottish Land Fund in September 2020. It operated from April 2021 until last year and now thanks to new funding from Carrick Futures along with the Ballantrae Community Benefit Funds, the committee has been able to upgrade the toilets, bar, lounge and restaurant areas, as well as external work on the roof, drains, guttering and outdoor space, all of which have allowed the pub to re-open. Martin McCourt, a member of the management committee, said, “Our new committee has ambitious plans to replace the antiquated heating system, upgrade the kitchen and storage areas, before we turn our attention to repainting the building, resurfacing the car park and upgrading the bedrooms and the manager’s flat upstairs to ensure they are fit for purpose.

“The Kings Arms is more than a pub. The Community Hub part of the operation is very important. It is a place for locals and visitors to meet and mix, for family celebrations, and for local groups to use.“We are very aware that we are just the custodians. We had to do everything we could to save the Kings Arms for future generations and we know that all the hard work will be worth it.”

The pub is open for drinks only at the moment but Martin said future plans will also include “offering food and overnight accommodation in time.”

Bob Taylor (aka Uncle Bob) gathered his band of merry cyclists and took on a mammoth task for the BEN - cycling round the Trossachs - nearly 80 miles. Says Bob, “Everyone who supported the event deserves a big pat on the back, not just the cylists but the hospitality put on by the Glengoyne Distillery, the Rob Roy Hotel at Aberfoyle and Steve Graham at Manorview. He made us feel like professional cyclists for the day with the spread he put on at Boclair House.”

Bob continues, “It is honestly one of the highlights of my year and it is great to catch up with so many great supporters of the BEN. We raised around £4K and I can’t thank them all enough for making it a most enjoyable day.”

AMBER TAVERNS INVESTS £500K IN IRVINE SPORTS BAR

R&A Sports Bar in Irvine town centre has rebranded as The Northern Way following a £500k renovation by new owners Amber Taverns. James Baer, chief executive of Amber Taverns, said, “This demonstrates our continued conviction in the Amber model of a well-designed, contemporary pub with broad demographic appeal, which offers a good quality customer experience in a vibrant and comfortable setting at reasonable prices.

Aiming for a bullseye in George Square

Flight Club, a social darts pub, is set to open its first venue in Scotland this autumn in Glasgow’s George Square with an Edinburgh venue to follow close behind. The darts bar concept that brings together socialising, darts games, beer and cocktails was founded by Steve Moore and Paul Barham in 2015 in Shoreditch, has grown to 8 venues across the UK with franchise operations in the US and Australia. The Flight Darts Club say that they have reinvented darts for the 21st century, “developing a range of fast and exciting multiplayer games built to bring people together and designed to keep you unexpectedly hooked, insatiably entertained and full of joy.” Steve Moore said of the new opening, “We’re so excited to bring unexpected, ridiculous joy to George Square.” The opening date is yet to be confirmed.

The Saltoun Inn in Fraserburgh , which was put on the market Iast October by Wetherspoons, has been sold to family-owned and Invernessbased Inntuitive Inns which is run by Rob Reeley and his family. The growing group have 9 other venues across Scotland including the King Arms Hotel in Melrose, The Weigh Inn and Ferry Inn in Thurso, The Boat House in Kilsyth and the Corriegarth Hotel in Inverness.

The Saltoun Inn will close for a few days before Inntuitive Inns officially take-over in August with the majority of the 40 staff transferring over. Although the 11-room hotel and pub is in good condition the new owners are expected to add some of their own touches early in the new year but first up is a new menu.

Stirling gets its own Cocktail Week

The team behind Dundee and St Andrews Cocktail Weeks, have announced they are launching Stirling Cocktail week this October from the 6th to the 15th.

Marketing: After Dark Stirling, a Scottish agency who wanted to help struggling hospitality businesses drive footfall into their premises are also supported by Go Forth (Stirling BID). The event is designed to boost the night-time economy and showcase local business as well as driving footfall across the town.

Co-founder Alice Christison, 24, hopes it will give a much-needed boost to the hospitality industry she loves – and help out trade charity The Benevolent Fund too.

Alice said, “We designed our Cocktail Weeks to focus on towns or cities across Scotland. The idea is to help boost trade by attracting locals and students into bars or restaurants they haven’t tried, encourage repeat visits to those they know and of course attract tourists and visitors to help the whole area prosper.”

There is evidence that pubs are seeing growth in food sales in the latest report from wholesale experts TWC Group, in partnership with food-to-go and out-ofhome tracking programme MealTrak. It shows that although out-of-home eating occasions in the UK were inline with the previous year (to June 2023), last quarter saw growth of 13% with value rising in the quarter to £888m (+£102m). This growth appears to be driven by pubs, up 16%, with restaurants remaining sluggish (down 1%). The survey also suggests that people are returning to workplaces more often than last year with workplace catering in the food-to-go category up 29%.

CHARLIE BROWN’S FOR SOUTHSIDE

The Southside saw the opening of a new Cocktail bar at the end of July called Charlie Brown’s Cocktail Bar. The Quinten Tarantino inspired bar is the sister venue of Daku, the Japanese restaurant next door which is due to re-open at the beginning of August after some renovations.

The new bar takes its name from the character in Kill Billa waiter in the House of Blue Leaves who served O-Ren Ishii and her associates and was given the nickname “Charlie Brown” by a member of the Crazy 88, because he resembled the Peanuts character.

Independently owned by Paul Gillies, it will be run by general manager Lynsey Cameron with head bartender Elyse Von Ruinn.

Wetherspoons Fraserburgh pub sold to new owners

WHISKY

HOT CHILLI - A NEW SPIRIT FOR SMWS

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society have released an ‘experimental’

SPIRITS

sauce sized miniatures, Exp.01 packs a peppery punch with hints of ‘sweet paprika’.

Benromach adds to Contrast range

Benromach has added to its limitededition Contrasts range with Air dried and Kiln dried Virgin Oak expressions. Distilled in 2012 and bottled earlier this year, the new Contrasts Air Dried Oak and Contrasts Kiln Dried Oak whiskies and have an ABV of 46%.

Keith Cruickshank, Distillery Manager at Benromach, says, “At Benromach, our aim is to always produce whisky by hand that has real, genuine character. Our Contrasts range allows us to experiment and explore new flavours. These two new whiskies were created from a deliberate experiment to see if different approaches to drying wood might have an impact on the flavours. They demonstrate how small changes can have a significant effect on taste –and that’s the intriguing nature of the air and kiln-dried variants.

“It will be exciting to see how whisky drinkers interpret the drams and their differences, and hearing which one they prefer and why.”

SPRITZING

Sales of Spritz this summer in Scotland are booming. Latest stats show that sales of Spritz drinks in Scotland have grown by over than 53%, over the last year, and in the last 12 weeks sales are up more than 64% with the market worth £16m a year in Scotland. The proportion of Spritz serves in the Scottish market are still quite a bit behind the proportion of total sales for the UK so there is still plenty of room for growth. An Aperol Spritz is by far the most popular with consumers and bartenders alike with more Aperol Spritz sold than Pimms. This issue we talk to the people behind Scotland’t top cocktail bars to find out other trends making their mark.

JOHN CLARK – GENERAL MANAGER THE WHITEHOUSE, INVERNESS

The Whitehouse likes to be a trend setter in the Inverness bar scene – from high quality, themed boozy brunches, to being the first venue in Inverness to introduce aluminium straws, they are always looking for innovative ways to improve - and the drinks are no exception.

General Manager, John Clark says, “We have a fine balance between a great setting and all of our team are really flexible about drinks. We like to break the mould and set trends. Our house cocktail list is designed to give good balance, but we are happy for customers to order off menu. For example, if someone wants a whisky cocktail then we can offer a range to suit the persons taste -from a sour, to an Old Fashioned or even a Boulevardier.”

The range of choice at The Whitehouse is clear, but there are some of their house cocktails that sell extremely well. John adds, “We do a cocktail called a ‘Pop Rocks Martini’, our modified version of a Pornstar Martini, that has pineapple gin, orange gin, pineapple juice, passionfruit puree, vanilla and is topped with a vanilla and passion fruit cream then garnished with popping candy.

“One of our other fizz-based drinks is called the ‘Fizzy Rascal’ made with gin, Aperol, strawberry and topped with a Prosecco float. It looks almost like a lava lamp in the champagne flute.

The Whitehouse also do their part for sustainability. As well as the aluminium straws, they’ve swapped out a lot of lemon and lime juice for citric acid, as well as dehydrating, making cordials and creating infusions

SARAH SCORGIE – GENERAL MANAGER THE GIDDY GOOSE, DUNDEE

The Giddy Goose in Dundee has a bohemian feel with its floral décor and beautiful outdoor area making it one of Dundee’s hot spots, especially in the Summer.

General Manager, Sarah Scorgie, tells me, “We like to have our own little twist on everything. We do classic cocktails as well, but we have section on the menu called ‘Giddy Classics’ where we have cocktails that we come up with ourselves with our own twist. The specials change every week so the staff can always get creative and be involved as well.”

She adds, “Our most popular drinks over the Summer are the ‘Ophelia’ which is pink gin, amaretto, raspberry puree and lemonade, or a ‘Raspberry and Coconut Mojito’. We’ve definitely noticed that when its sunny people love a drink in a tall glass. A favourite of mine is the ‘Tipsy Tipples’ which has coconut rum, pineapple and orange – it’s so refreshing!”

The Giddy Goose also runs cocktail classes which are hugely popular for birthdays or hen parties. Sarah tells me, “These are run by one of our mixologists and people can come in just for that, or pair it up with a party package featuring nibbles and food too! They’ve been so popular and actually run across all our venues.”

Some of Scotland’s Best Cocktail Bars Share Their Secrets! By Nicola Walker

IT UP

ALEX PALUMBO – CO-OWNER HEY PALU, EDINBURGH

Hey Palu is a friendly, modern Italian Bar in Edinburgh owned by husband and wife, Alex and Rachel Palumbo. The drinks are influenced by the Italian ‘aperitivo’ style of drinking, served in what Alex describes as a “neighbourhood bar”. He says, “since we opened, we have had a lot of regulars which is what makes our place special”.

One of their specialities is the Negroni, but they don’t just offer the classic Negroni. There is a ‘Wild Strawberry Negroni’, a ‘Caffe Cyroni’ and even a ‘Negroni Flight’, so you can sample all three!

Alex shared, “If someone has never had a Negroni before we give them the chance to try the classic one, which is Gin, bitters, and our homemade sweet vermouth. Then, there is our strawberry negroni which still has all the bitter

elements of a negroni but with a nice strawberry aftertaste. Finally, we do a Caffe Cyroni, where we use rum instead of a gin, amaro instead of sweet vermouth, and bitter coffee. So, we have three different flavours profiled from the lightest to the more robust where people can try all the different styles.” The rest of their cocktail menu also looks delicious, with delights ranging from a Yuzu Margarita to a Spicy Paloma and even a Nutella Old Fashioned.

Alex says, “We like to use different techniques for the bar so that we are trying different methods of infusing flavours. We are playing with the carbonated cocktails and things like that, so we can offer our guests new, interesting flavours in the best way possible.”

ALLY SHAW – GENERAL MANAGER – THE GATE, GLASGOW

The Gate is situated directly across from the iconic Barrowland Ballroom and is warm, cosy and a delight to visit. General Manager, Ally Shaw says, “We are here to give people good drinks and great service first and foremost, but we also have events, socials and make sure that we’re always constantly doing other things. We serve delicious, balanced drinks and enjoy being able to have a conversation with customers, whether they are having a cocktail, a pint, or a great dram. It’s having a great team that creates the atmosphere and that pulls it all together.”

Its menu is fresh, seasonal and exciting. One of their bestselling cocktails this Summer is a Mezcal cocktail which takes the form of a Gochujang honey mezcal margarita. Ally says, “Mezcal certainly seems to be the hot spirit just now and this cocktail has got a nice balance of not too boozy but not too smoky as well.”

They are also keen on good practice when it comes to sustainability making red wine grenadine from spent red wine, their own champagne cordial and cutting their citrus to reduce their carbon footprint. Ally adds, “We’ve got a drink on the menu called the Disco Biscuit, which uses a hazelnut orgeat. We toast the hazelnuts and cook them with milk and sugar. We then take the toasted hazelnuts back out and we roast them in the oven to create biscuits with them. These are used as a garnish for the drink. So, we’ve taken one product and we’ve used it in two different ways.”

75ml of Prosecco D.O.C. 50ml of Aperol 25ml soda

1 Slice of orange

Fill a large wine glass with ice.

First pour 75ml of Prosecco Add 50ml Aperol Top with a 25ml dash of soda. Garnish with a slice of orange.

Aperol Spritz

BROUGHT TO YOU BY CAMPARI UK

SPRITZING

Spritz

2 Part Campari

3 Part Prosecco

1 Part Splash of Soda

Pour the Campari, Prosecco and Soda

Water directly into an ice filled wine Glass.

Garnish with a slice or orange.

The Tippling House celebrates its 10-year anniversary this year and to celebrate they are launching a special cocktail menu for the occasion. Bar Manager, Joe Nelson tells me, “The menu will have drinks that we’ve come up with over the last 10 years, in order to show the history of the bar. We change the menu 4 times a year and are always developing new cocktails.”

Joe describes The Tippling House as a “late night, suburban tavern with dim lighting, candles, relaxed music, and drinks you can’t get anywhere else. Somewhere you can come for something a bit different.”

He says, “I’ve been here almost 6 years; I love this bar and have always encouraged the staff. We develop drinks as a team and it’s a great opportunity for staff to learn how to create drinks. We want to innovate and stand out from the crowd. We’re always thinking what’s the next big thing?”

Joe also discussed with me what is hot just now adding, “A drink called ‘Bubble T’ is probably our biggest seller, it’s made with Gin, Dry Vermouth, Lychee, our homemade Strawberry and Tonic Cordial, bitters, and Champagne Bubbles. It’s very visually appealing and you want a drink that stands out.”

The Tippling House use a lot of their own cordials, shrubs, syrups and unique garnishes. Joe says, “I always say, if you think you can make something better than what is available on the market, and if it really will make a difference to the drink, then you definitely should. That’s what will keep customers coming back.”

T-Bar, in Ayr, promotes itself as “a laid-back bar with comfort food and a crazy but crafted cocktail selection”. General Manager of the venue, Elaine Ward, is hugely passionate about involving the staff in the menu. She says, “We are doing this little cocktail versus thing where we’ve got all our staff coming up with their own ideas and promoting them through word-of-mouth sales. They have been promoting it on their socials as well, so, when people come in that know them, they want to try their cocktail. It’s created a nice wee buzz at the weekend, some healthy competition, and they have the joy of seeing something they’ve created themselves on the menu.”

One of their most popular drinks over the Summer is their ‘Long Pornstar’ (a twist on the Pornstar Martini) which contains Passionfruit Gin, Passoa, Lemon, Vanilla, Peychaud and Lemonade. Elaine adds, “These fly out the door, along with a lot of the classic cocktails plus in the Summer we sell a lot of Spritzes too.”

ELAINE WARD – BAR MANAGER - T-BAR & THE TREE HOUSE, AYR

JOE NELSON – BAR MANAGER – THE TIPPLING HOUSE, ABERDEEN

BROUGHT TO YOU BY CAMPARI UK

IT UP

Dragonfly Cocktail Bar in Edinburgh prides itself in its welcoming environment. Cirstyn Brown, AGM, tells me, “First and foremost, everybody’s welcome. The service is great, and the cocktails are fantastic as well. Plus, our drinks are accessible, we make drinks that are for everyone.”

One of their best sellers is ‘The Cranachan’, a cocktail created by Cirstyn herself. She tells me, “It’s a gin-based cocktail with a raspberry and vanilla syrup and a touch of lemon juice, that is then stirred down, splashed with a little bit of soda, and then topped with an oat and vanilla foam. So, it’s almost like a Cranachan meets ice cream soda kind of vibe where you get the fizziness interacting with the cream. It’s been absolutely flying out.”

During the Edinburgh Festival, Dragonfly is a fringe venue, meaning they are gearing up for a very busy month. So, with all

the visitors to the city, they like to keep things local. Cirstyn adds, “We stock a lot of products from both Edinburgh and Scotland. We get a lot of tourists, so our customers always ask to try local products. “During the fringe we’re open six days a week and host free fringe or ‘pay what you can’ comedy shows. We are launching a special fringe menu for this featuring nice upscale gin and tonics with our own homemade tonic and some nice whisky highballs.”

Cirstyn clearly has some great ideas, adding, “We try to use everything that we can. Recently I got really into making ice cream and we got an ice cream maker for the bar. So, any products that are left over I’ll usually try and make them into a sorbet or an ice cream. Then these can be used on one of our special cocktails.”

The Bartenders Lounge in Aberdeen has just passed it’s first 6 months of trading, but is already making its mark on Scotland’s cocktail scene. Not only do they sell amazing cocktails, but their staff also volunteer every Monday at Inchgarth Community Centre, running their food bank, cleaning or just doing whatever they can to help.

Owner Craig Scott is clearly passionate about the bar, the drinks, and the staff. He told me, “We are very service oriented and it’s the staff that make it for me. We change our menu weekly and I’ve got a deal with the team that you follow the spec on the menu, but, if you have one that’s tastier than that drink, then it replaces it. So, it means we’re all constantly making better drinks.

“Our whole vision is about approachability and accessibility. We are a premium venue, but with fair prices. I want everyone to enjoy cocktails, and that’s our mission.”

One of the bars best sellers is called ‘Cigarettes and Alcohol’ after the Oasis track. It is a sparkling vodka-based cocktail using Oasis Summer Berries Fruit Juice, which they make into a cordial. Craig says, “It’s a crisp, sweet, but not overly sweet, vodka highball. On the other hand, we have a sister drink to that called ‘World Away’, where we use the Oasis Citrus Punch and a lemon drizzle Gin – both of these absolutely fly off.”

Sustainability is also a popular topic with the Bartenders Club, with Craig adding, “Every ingredient is homemade where we can, and we don’t waste anything. For example, when we peel oranges, we make marmalade with the leftover pulp. We are constantly looking for new ways to innovate and be more sustainable in our practise.”

CIRSTYN BROWN – ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER - DRAGONFLY, EDINBURGH

CRAIG SCOTT – OWNER – BARTENDERS LOUNGE, ABERDEEN

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On August 1, the largest duty increase on Scotch Whisky in 40 years was imposed by the UK Goverment. The 10.1% tax rise takes the tax burden on the average priced bottle of Scotch Whisky from 70% to 75% and deepens the competitive disadvantage faced by distillers in pubs, bars and restaurants, say the industry body SWA.

Swedish distillery Mackmyra, partnered with Microsoft and Finnish technology consultant Fourkind IN 2019 to create the world’s first AI-generated whisky. The AI algorithm was designed to generate new whisky recipes, with recipe number 36 being the one selected by Angela D’Orazio, the master blender and chief nose officer at Mackmyra, for the groundbreaking blend. Despite the use of AI in generating new recipes, D’Orazio believes that the work of a Master Blender is not at risk.

Japanese whisky is often compared to scotch, and this is because a Japanese student by the name of Masataka Taketsuru visited Scotland to learn the art of making scotch whisky.

Ardbeg Distillery, conducted a unique experiment in 2011 by sending a vial of unmatured malt whisky to the International Space Station (ISS). The experiment was designed to investigate how microgravity would affect the behavior of terpenes, the building blocks of flavor for many foods and wines, as well as whisky spirits. The space samples were found to be “noticeably different” in terms of aroma and taste. The Earth sample had a woody aroma with hints of cedar, sweet smoke, aged balsamic vinegar, raisins, treacle toffee, vanilla, and burnt oranges. In contrast, the space sample had an intense aroma with hints of antiseptic smoke, rubber, smoked fish, a perfumed note like violet or cassis, and powerful woody tones.

THE WHITE STAG IS A WELL-KNOWN FIGURE ON THE ISLE OF ARRAN. THIS ALMOST GHOSTLY CREATURE HAS BEEN SPOTTED THROUGHOUT THE ISLAND FOR CENTURIES. ON THE MORNING THAT ARRAN DISTILLERY OPENED, THE WHITE STAG WAS SPOTTED OVERLOOKING THE NEW DISTILLERY BUILDING, AND IT HAS BROUGHT GOOD FORTUNE EVER SINCE.

WHISKY INTERESTING FACTS...

THE MOST POPULAR SCOTCH WHISKY BRANDS IN THE WORLD IN 2021, RANKED BY THE NUMBER OF 9-LITER CASES SOLD, WERE:

JOHNNIE WALKER (14.1 MILLION CASES)

BALLANTINE’S (7 MILLION CASES)

GRANT’S (3.6 MILLION CASES)

WILLIAM LAWSON’S (3.3 MILLION CASES)

CHIVAS REGAL (3.2 MILLION CASES)

BLACK & WHITE (2.9 MILLION CASES)

WILLIAM PEEL (2.8 MILLION CASES)

LABEL 5 (2.6 MILLION CASES)

DEWAR’S (2.6 MILLION CASES)

J&B (2.3 MILLION CASES)

THERE ARE ALMOST AS MANY DIFFERENT WHISKY BRANDS AS THERE ARE SPECIES ON EARTH.

HUMPHREY BOGART’S FINAL WORDS ARE RUMOURED TO HAVE BEEN “I SHOULD NEVER HAVE SWITCHED FROM SCOTCH TO MARTINIS.”

THE EARLIEST KNOWN MENTION OF WHISKY DATES BACK TO 1494 IN SCOTTISH TAX RECORDS.

Blended whisky was invented by shop owners who would topup a customer’s bottle with whatever single malt they stocked, creating a blend over time.

During the Prohibition Era in the U.S., whisky was still available due to a loophole that allowed ‘medicinal’ whisky to be produced and prescribed by a doctor.

The term ‘dram’ widely adopted in the Scottish vernacular, is believed to have evolved from an apothecary’s units of measurement.

WHISKY HAS NEVER BEEN SO EXCITING...

by Nicola Young

A China Anniversary for Signature

Signature Pubs had two pubs in its portfolio when I first met Nic Wood back in 2007 at the opening of Element in Edinburgh’s Rose Street. By then he had been running Signature Pubs for four years, following the purchase of the Bieldside in Aberdeen in 2003.

Today, the company has its own HQ in Edinburgh at Albyn Place, a far cry from the space in his father’s fish factory in Aberdeen, where Nic first mapped out plans and recruited for his fledging business. The first thing that caught my eye in Nic’s office was the huge portrait of the cigar smoking gorilla behind his desk - which I loved. Nic does too, saying, “You have to have some fun when you run a business.”

That business now runs more than 20 venues across Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Stirling. The night before we met, Nic and his colleagues had celebrated the anniversary and caught up with many people who have been part of the Signature journey over the years. Says Nic, “Louise (Maclean) had persuaded people to record wee videos with their own special memories of Signature. It was great to see so many familiar faces and it was also surprising for me to hear how much I had influenced some of their lives - you really don’t think about that at all at the time. It reminded me how special the trade is, because you get to work with so many people who become lifelong friends.”

But, it has not all been smooth sailing. Nic admits the company’s first purchase, the Bieldside in Aberdeen, was in hindsight, a mistake. “By the time we bought the Bieldside in 2003 I had been working in hospitality for 10 years in Edinburgh. Initially working for people before moving on to running three or four pubs for Scottish & Newcastle. I really thought I knew what I was doing. So, when the opportunity came up to buy the Bieldside in Aberdeen, it seemed the right thing to do. However, Aberdeen was a whole different kettle of fish from what I had become used to in Edinburgh. There, people wanted new different things and as an operator you wanted to be the first in with new drinks, new products, and such like. In Aberdeen the customer didn’t want that - they wanted the status quo. Although we refurbished The Bieldside and it actually did okay when we opened, it didn’t get the reaction I expected from customers.”

The Bieldside was sold and although somewhat disillusioned by his Aberdeen experience, it did not put him off wanting to grow and build his hospitality business, but this time he returned to his familiar habitat - Edinburgh.

The first venue he eyed up was The Rutland Hotel, but one of his former bosses, Billy Lowe, swooped in and bought it from under his nose. Instead Nic bought two pubs from Spirit - Brecks, which became Element, and the Black Bull in the Grassmarket. He explains, “I knew that they were both good pubs because I was familiar with them. I had worked in the Grassmarket, and I knew Bretts was a good venue because it was nearby the Queens Arms where I had also worked.

But, he hadn’t given up on The Rutland and he subsequently persuaded Billy to sell it to him. Although halfway through the renovation, he was probably regretting that. The recession of 2008 had kicked in and the renovation costs kept going up. It was somewhat stressful. Nic laughs, “My former Financial Controller, Graham Wood, reminded me last night how acrimonious it was. None of the contractors got on, and at one point Graham suggested we all go outside and have a boxing match. “We had done all our business projections for The Rutland based on the fact that it would attract the corporate market and corporate credit cards. But, when we reopened, the corporate world, which meant so much to so many Edinburgh businesses, was gone and we struggled really badly. In my head I had thought, the more we spent on it, the more people would want to come - but they perceived it as being expensive. We re-invented it as Kyloe - same chef, same staff, same prices, but we made the décor more fun and casual. People then perceived it as value for money and it went on to be a massive hit. It was one of the biggest lessons I ever learned … it is the perception of a venue that matters, not actually what it is!”

Hospitality wasn’t on Nic’s radar when he first went to University in Edinburgh, but one of his pals persuaded him to take a shift as a doorman at Braidwood’s - which was then owned by Billy Lowe. He progressed to working behind the bar and he loved it. Says Nic, “There was a great manageress there called Alison. She used to ask us what we thought about things and persuaded us to come up with ideas. If they were good, she would take them to Billy. Our mentality was the same as the people coming through the door. There were things such as bar fly, sumo wrestling, drinking competitions, sponsorship of student teams and much more. That fun part was what got me interested in hospitality. Compared to then I am Captain Sensible now! That’s why I employ social marketers who have the same mindset as a lot of our customers.” Nic continued working in the industry after he graduated, working for Billy Lowe in various establishments. When Billy sold out to S&N, Nic stayed with the business for a while before he and girlfriend Sarah, now his wife, went on a 2-year Australian adventure. In fact, the duo nearly settled there.

However, before making any decisions, he took six months out and shadowed his dad Sir Ian Wood. Explains Nic, “I wanted to learn how to run a business, and who better to learn from? I offered to carry his bags, sit in meetings and travel with him. All I wanted him to do was share the reasons that he made certain decisions, so I could understand how he managed the business, and so that I could learn for myself how you ought to do it. I think at the end of it he offered me a job, but after seeing how mental his life was, I declined. But that was when the idea of setting up my own hospitality business took root. We got into the discussion about buying bars. I got very close to buying my first bar in Australia as I had been living there. We only decided against it

Signature Pubs, the group owned by Nic Wood, celebrated its 20th anniversary in July. Susan Young caught up with Nic, who has in his bio the fact that he has worked his way through his company from Barback to Barman, Cleaner, Assistant Manager, Manager, Area Manager.. to find out what the future holds.

A China Anniversary for

because the government there had banned the making of gambling machines - which were fundamental to the success of an Australian bar! So instead of a bar in Paddington, Sydney we bought one in Aberdeen.” It was the entrepreneurial spirit that his dad instilled in him that Nic is now trying to instil in his management team. He says, “I always try to encourage managers to think for themselves. To think about how they would run the business if it was their own? How would they spend the money? Mind you, it was a lot easier when I only had five units! Then, you sat and had a conversation with managers every other day. They got their notebook out once a week and if something wasn’t working, or changes were needed, we discussed what we could do and how could we make it work. There are still a few people who work with us who remember the way it was then.”

After buying The Rutland, the next big step was when he bought five former Maclay pubs in 2016. Two years later, he bought his brothers business which included the Boozy Cow chain, Nox and Paramount bars in Aberdeen and The Auld Hundred in Edinburgh. Says Nic, “When I took over my brothers’ business, that was hard. We almost doubled the size of my business overnight. Garreth wanted to go on a different path and set up a charity - he is now doing a fantastic job setting up operating theatres in countries all over the world for children. He has made a massive difference, that was always where he wanted to be.”

Over the subsequent years the business continued to flourish with Nic buying units as they came along, and he diversified into brewing by creating the Cold Town House brewery and brand.

Although the recession of 2008 was tough it wasn’t as tough as Covid. Says Nic, “Covid was a bigger shock, purely because we were sitting there with days to go, and you could see what was going to happen. In 2008 we got stuck in. We just got on with it. With Covid, we didn’t know what was going to happen, and we quickly realised that we were going to get screwed, when we had done nothing wrong. I had 700 staff but luckily things came into play for it to work.

Since Covid, Signature have offered on a couple of businesses but have not bought anything. He explains, “We haven’t bought anything in the last three years. That is not just because of Covid, but it is the aftermath of Brexit. When you talk about buying a new business the most intimidating thing, if starting from scratch, is finding the people to do it. We can’t find enough staff for 20 units right now - how could we manage taking on another and finding an extra 80 people? Over the 18 months there have been times when it has not been worth opening some units on certain days, because we have so few staff. Sometimes we need to shut a bar and move the staff to another one in order to ensure that we can trade profitably.”

Having said that Signature did offer on two venues recently – one was the former Film House on Lothian Road, which fell through because the administrators let the licence go and wanted a clean offer from the entrepreneur. Nic comments, “I was quite excited about our plans, but I didn’t want to invest without the assurance that the licence would be granted. However, in last 18 months, although we haven’t grown the business in terms of units we have strengthened the business with a real focus on training and retaining staff.

“When you go to places such as Newcastle it reminds you how more fun can be achieved when you make entertainment interactive. It’s not about encouraging people to get drunk but encouraging them to have more fun.

Nic Wood

“We used to be able to take our pick of experienced staff, we had a good reputation as a good company to work for and you could get people through the door. Hospitality recruitment, as everyone knows, is a real issue for us all. There is just not enough staff to go around. Now we are employing 18-year-olds with no bar experience – they just need to demonstrate that they have a bit of chat. We then train them up. That costs us more time and money, and obviously because we are investing more in them, we want them to stay with us longer. So, retention is very important, and we incentivise staff with bonuses and such like. We are also considering putting a training facility in the basement of our HQ.

“I hadn’t given two hoots about politics before Covid. Then, I ended up getting stuck into it. We were a founding member of the Scottish Hospitality Group, which we set up because we were so frustrated. Talking to politicians was just brutal. We were trying to talk to people and quickly realised that they did not care – or certainly the person that they were giving the information back to didn’t care. The amount of conversations we had trying to get them to see things from a hospitality point of view and how they could do things better, which could have fundamentally cost them less money, but they were not interested. I realised our politicians basically don’t understand how the economy works – for first time in my life my eyes were really opened to the quality of politicians in Scotland and how poorly anything we said was received, even when we could show them the benefits.”

“What frustrates me most is the fact that politicians could help fix this problem, but they just blame each other. Why does Labour always blame the Conservatives and the SNP always blame Westminster? I was more impressed by the Lib Dems at the recent election, they seem to be much more positive in trying to come up with ideas, rather than slagging people off – and they actually said that’s why they thought people voted for them. Quite frankly it doesn’t matter whose fault the recruitment issue is – we have to fix it. The problem is all the things that the government is saying is not helping us get staff now.

“What could be done right now? They could cut down the cost of sponsorship and open it up. That is my top wish. We could be developing programmes with other counties such as with India, the Philippines, Australia, Canada, New Zealand or offer two year work permits like Australia does.

“Hospitality gives people great life skills - the ability to converse, negotiate, and deal with situations - which you wouldn’t learn on a phone chatting to your pals.

“We have gone one step in the right direction by trying to big up hospitality to young people, but now we almost have to big up the perception of hospitality to parents. We need to make them proud to say their son or daughter works in hospitality. That is part of the problem.”

The second acquisition he attempted was that of the Caledonian Brewery. “We wanted to keep it as a brewery. Our Cold Town brand is getting a lot of recognition and we are bursting at the seams at Powderhall. When we first took that on, it seemed huge, and we had lots of spare space. We would have moved the brewery from Powderhall and put our offices there too, however, the owners decided to sell it for a residential development instead.”

He also admits that before Covid they had started thinking about adistillery, and had gone quite far into the process. But these plans are on hold for the time being. But he admits he, and his team, love coming up with new ideas. “We had plans for a distillery before covid - distilling everything from vodka, to gin, and whisky. We’ve talked about wineries, or, buying barrels and bringing them across and bottling ourselves.

However, not all ideas make sense, and that’s why we haven’t done them yet. It’s great to have good ideas, but sometimes the practicalities are complicated.

“I get eyeballs from everyone when I suggest doing things like buying a farm and producing our own beef from A-Z!”

He has also considered buying a bar down South. “When you go to places such as Newcastle it reminds you how more fun can be achieved when you make entertainment interactive. It’s not about encouraging people to get drunk but encouraging them to have more fun. We have been debating whether to open a bar there. Politicians there seem to have better appreciation with regard to how hospitality works. They understand that pubs are meant to be places where people go and have some fun.”

Now Nic has 20 years under his belt at Signature and 20 units, I askedhim what was next? “You always ask me what’s next, I’m not sure. In another 20 years I’ll be 70! I am not one for giving out compliments, but I’ve got a great team. I feel they are committed for the long term – we’ve been with each other through the ups and downs, and we all work well together. We are certainly looking for new venues, and new projects.” So watch this space.

Experience EVOLUTION 23, a drinks event like no other. Join us on Tuesday 5th September, from 12 noon until 5, at the iconic PLATFORM in the heart of GLASGOW.

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pm

29th AUGUST 2023

This issue we reveal all the finalists of the Scottish Bar & Pub Awards 2023 and there are finalists from Inverness to Largs. Voters nominated their favourite pubs online and our mystery shoppers went surprisingly enough ‘mystery shopping’, before our judges also had their say. The finalists appear on the following pages. Good luck to them all.

CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD

EMERGING ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

Craig Scott

Bartenders Lounge

Mel Cranston

Scotts of Rose Street

Brandon von Rensburg

Tempura

Sandy McGregor

The Forester’s Arms

WHISKY BAR OF THE YEAR

MIXOLOGIST OF THE YEAR

The Boudingait Cupar

Prime Inverness

Coia’s Cafe Glasgow

Mini Grill Glasgow

Ardshiel Hotel Campbeltown

The Pot Still Glasgow

The Piper Whisky Bar Glasgow

The Tipsy Midgie, Edinburgh

Scott Keith Siberia

Adrian Gomes The Tippling House

Vlad Valentin Banco di Roma

John McIntosh Chop House, Aberdeen

David Howie Buzzworks

SIMS WISH EVERYONE THE BEST OF LUCK IN THE SCOTTISH BAR AND PUB AWARDS

WHISKY GURU OF THE YEAR

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We wish them every success on the night!

Cameron Ewen The Balmoral

Thomas McDonagh Bon Accord

Colin Hind Tipsy Midgie

Adam Norquoy Dundonald Links

HOSPITALITY EMPLOYER 2023

BEST OUTDOOR AREA

GIVING BACK AWARD

BUTCHER & FINE FOODS

ARE PROUD TO SUPPLY SBP / DRAM AWARD FINALISTS

WE WISH THEM THE BEST OF LUCK ON THE BIG NIGHT!

ABR Fine Foods. We have a proud history in the Meat Industry dating back to 1953. We are specialists in Supplying Hotels and Restaurants throughout Central Scotland and have a fantastic reputation within the Hospitality Sector.

Black Ivy Edinburgh

Hugos Bar & Pavilion Dalgety Bay

The Fox & Willow Ayr

The Ivy Lodge Aberdeen

Auchrannie Hotel Arran

Cru Holdings Inverness

Buzzworks Ayrshire

Manorview Howwood

Graham Chalmers Radisson Red

Zach Sapato Mikaku

Craig Scott Bartenders Lounge

The Harris family The Original Rosslyn Inn

ARB BUTCHERS

SUSTAINABILITY AWARD

St Luke’s & the Winged Ox, Glasgow

King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow

The Keg Paisley

Stephen Adams Vienna’s

Rory McGinley Two Fat Ladies

Carys McGhee Tree House/T-Bar

Olivia Wong Stravaigin

Buzzworks Ayrshire

The Old Workshop Aberdeen

Lisini Uddingston SWG3 Glasgow

FAMILY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

BEST DRINKS OFFERING

NEW BAR OFTHE YEAR

Thirty Knots Edinburgh

The East End Fox Glasgow

Bartenders Lounge Aberdeen

King Cons Stirling

The Criterion St Andrews

Malo, Glasgow

The Fox & Willow Ayr

Scotch & Rye, Inverness

Black Ivy Edinburgh

The Original Rosslyn Inn Roslin

The Oak Tree Inn Balmaha

The Woodside Hotel Doune

info@therestaurantagency.com

We are delighted 2023 has already brought in some new o ers and we are keen to add to our portfolio of success so why not market your business through us?

are delighted 2023 has already brought in some new o ers and we are keen to add to our portfolio of success so why not market your business through us?

Ian Brown Food + Drink Gi nock, Glasgow

Renowned South Side Glasgow Restaurant

Same owners for 12 years+/ 40+ Covers

Full Premises Licence + well equipped kitchen Trading space and services all on one floor (66.25 sq m.)

Residue of 25 year lease to 2041/Rent £22,500 p.a.

Leasehold: O ers over £75,000

Ref: 19553/EPC G

Apiary Restaurant Newington Road, Edinburgh

Popular longestablished Restaurant

Same business owners nearly 10 years

www.therestaurantagency.com

Full Premises Licence/138 sq. m

Up to 60 Covers (on one level inc. Kitchen) Hot Food Consent/Rent £30,000 p.a. with new lease ext.

Leasehold - Offers over £65,000

Ref: 10807A/EPC G

Habitat Café

The Square, Aberfeldy, Perthshire

NEW

Award Winning Café/ Bistro

SCOTTISH BAR OF THE YEAR

INDEPENDENT OPERATOR

DOG FRIENDLY PUB OF THE YEAR

OUR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT & INSPIRATIONAL WOMAN RECIPIENTS AND CONTRIBUTION TO THE INDUSTRY; PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR AND AWARD FOR SUCCESS WILL BE REVEALED ON THE NIGHT

Behind the Wall Falkirk

Indigo Yard Edinburgh

Brewhemia Edinburgh

The Record Factory Glasgow

The Forth Inn Aberfoyle

The Mercat Bar & Grill Nr Musselburgh

The Hillend Tavern Dunfermline

The Old Smiddy Cathcart

Behind the Wall

R4 Group

Boteco Group

The Rocks Leisure Group

Worq Group

BAR APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR

Helina Adams

Bonnie & Wild

Paton Allan

Smokin Fox

Alex Dewitt Bartenders Lounge

Christina Davidson

Signature Pubs

Marcus Gordon

Siberia Bar

James Piper Gleneagles Townhouse

Jamie Hadden

The Fox

Bryony Baxter Revolution, Aberdeen

Emily Eason King Cons

Logan Eason

Oscar’s

Rebekah Allan

Bonnie & Wild

Hotel For Sale / May Let

The Four Marys Linlithgow

The Old Smiddy Cathcart

Malones Aberdeen

Sportsterz Glasgow

The Camphill Vaults Bothwell

AW A RDS

WHY JOIN THE SCOTTISH HOTEL AWARDS?

The Scottish Hotel Awards are instrumental in showcasing Scottish hospitality excellence to guests wanting to experience the very best of Scotland.

★ Awards membership secures the independent endorsement of your business on a global stage

★ As a showcase of Scottish hospitality excellence, Awards membership affirms your commitment to providing impeccable service and a unique guest experience

★ All members benefit from the extensive, targeted international reach of Scotland magazine, BRITAIN – The Official Magazine, and Discover Britain magazine, engaging with over 700,000 potential visitors across the portfolio’s print, digital, email and social media platforms

★ The annual Awards Gala Dinner in April 2024 is the ultimate celebration of your industry, offering an opportunity to network with your peers and cement your status as leading hospitality providers to a worldwide audience

To become a Scottish Hotel Awards member OR for more details on exclusive membership opportunities, please contact: natasha.scroggs@chelseamagazines.com

SCOTTS GREENOCK

Custom House Way, Greenock PA15 1EG

DESIGN FOCUS BY NICOLA WALKER

Scotts Greenock opened its doors in June and the coastal bar and restaurant is not just a great addition to the area, but a must-see in terms of design and its amazing location. This venue is Buzzworks Holdings’ nineteenth addition to its growing portfolio and first venture into Inverclyde. Situated atop the new £19.2 million Greenock Cruise Ship Visitor Centre it boasts world-class views across the River Clyde.

It was designed by award winning designer Jim Hamilton, with BJM as contractors.

When you enter through the unassuming staircase you really have no idea what awaits you. Then the doors open to panoramic views and a bright, airy space that is designed to fit its surroundings, down to the very last detail.

Jim Hamilton says, “Myself and Colin Blair had some real fun with this one.” “Personally I really like the arrival experience, the build-up to the room beyond, via the carpark with the new iconic Richard Murphy building as the backdrop, with no real hint of a hospitality venue neatly tucked away on the top floor. The building also houses the George Wylie museum, and a ferry terminal servicing some of the biggest cruise ships in the world. After a skip up the staircase and through the welcome area, the natural vista that meets you across the island bar to the River Clyde is pretty magical.

“This section of the waterfront in Greenock where Scotts is located

is fantastic, and we wanted to make sure the new Scotts played its part. It’s top floor perch affords an amazing vista across the wide expanse of the Clyde to Helensburgh and beyond. The guys on site described the view out of the huge panoramic windows being akin to that of a David Attenbourgh documentary - they have seen pods of dolphins, otters, a huge variety of birds, sailing boats, tugs, cruise ships, scores of fishermen and much much more.It’s also testimony to good architectural thinking by Richard Murphy’s team, in establishing some very strong core values in terms of affording visitors the luxury of incredible views from some amazing vantage points.”

“Being a new build project always has its advantages, and as part of the greater Buzzworks team we were in very early which allowed us the luxury of being able to shape the fundamental components within the scheme, to make sure it worked within Buzzwork’s exacting demands.

“Covid delayed the overall construction phase, but as things opened back up it did allow us time to observe the surroundings through all of the four seasons, which certainly helped to inform many decisions in terms of how the venue should shape itself to suit different times of the year, as well as different times of the day.”

“We also added in quite a few subliminal nods to Greenock’s proud history as a shipyard town and trading port, including shipping

palettes, corten steel, and artwork by Col Hamilton that nods to times gone bye, but not too far in the distant past, but hopefully also helping to re-launch a new chapter in Greenock’s rich history.” And that they have. Beautifully upholstered, soft, colourful chairs and booth seating create a sea of burnt orange, blue and teals - an almost water meets land meets sky feeling. Above your head the ceiling is adorned with latticed pieces of wood and large glass and wicker pendant lights - adding to the feel of bringing nature inside. Cylindrical lamps and leafy plants also grace the ledges and floors, and there are small touches, like plush fabric added to panels at the rear of the booths. This all goes to show that no details have been omitted in the design and it is this, that brings the whole feel of the place together.

Sweeping floor to ceiling glass windows make the venue bright and welcoming during the day but Jim adds, “Large windows that give so much payback in daytime, can sometimes act more like large dark mirrors pools at night which reflect more of the interior than the vista beyond. We worked hard to combat this, and have tried to create visual warmth and comfort using specific lighting and art, also helping to ensure that the bar and restaurant look great at times when the weather is not so good outside. We always work hard to bring the ambient lighting down into the key levels and areas where it can help to set the right tone and ambience for

We would like to wish The Coach House and Buzzworks Holdings

We would like to wish The Coach House and Buzzworks Holdings

Proud to have been involved with another fantastic Buzzworks Venture SCOTTS GREENOCK

every success for the future with their new venue.

every success for the future with their new venue.

AV Systems Lighting CCTV HD Systems

AV Systems Lighting CCTV HD Systems

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BUZZWORKS TEAM ON THE OPENING OF SCOTTS GREENOCK

customers..”

The bar itself, is clearly an impressive centre piece, with a steel gantry, rich blue and grey tiling, a beautiful marble top and surrounded by teal bar stools which match the rest of the luxury seating. Jim tells me, “The island bar is a cheeky wee nod to an imaginery vessel that we could envisage being launched down the Clyde like many of its ancestors, albeit we stopped short of launching it with the obligatory champagne bottle smash, maybe an opportunity we should still try.

“We also made sure that the relationship between the bar seating and the bar itself was spot on to encourage socialising within the heart of the room, and we always try hard to avoid having any bad seats in the house- we tried to knock them out of the scheme.”

“The tone of the area to the left of the bar is deliberately more casual in appearance, contrasted by the opposite side of the front room which is a little richer in terms of materials, with both being in sync in terms of service and panoramic views. The aim as always was to make Scotts appealed to as broad an audience as possible, and cater for all times of day - breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”

At one end of the venue the wall has been reimagined as a beautiful abstract piece of artwork, by Coll Hamilton acting as a backdrop to the private dining area, it has nods to the ship building heritage of the area. Whereas at the other end, through a huge glass door, is a substantial terrace graced with rattan chairs and comfortable garden sofas. However it is the view that really sets this area off. The interiors are as stunning as the vista and the extensive menu features a blend of traditional and modern dishes to suit all tastes. Even if you are just popping in to enjoy a coffee or a casual drink, Scotts is the type of place where you will want to come back again and again.

Perhaps the last word should go to Buzzworks Holdings MD, Kenny Blair who says, “Buzzworks prides itself in creating venues that provide delicious food, superb cocktails and outstanding service within a relaxed atmosphere, and Scotts Greenock will continue this trend, providing an excellent experience to all that come through our doors.”

Delighted to have worked on this project for Buzzworks. Wishing them continued success.

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COCO BOHO

George Street, Edinburgh

by Susan Young

Coco Boho, is a new late-night destination below Tigerlily on Edinburgh’s George Street. The venue, designed by Jim Hamilton, is owned by the Montpelier group, and aims to bring a new experience to the capital’s late night scene. The basement bar has been transformed to make the most of the space; and it now boasts an array of booths, tables for two and high tables to suit everyone’s taste. Glasgow based artists, Art Pistol have also created bespoke wall and ceiling murals to bring the space to life.

Montpeliers describe the venue as having a ‘rough luxe’ look. Explains MD Innes Bolt, “Jim Hamilton coined the phrase. An example of which are our walls which have been coated in Venetian plaster walls which look like concrete but feels much nicer to the touch.” He continues, “We haven’t updated the space for a while and times have moved on. We decided to adapt the venue and create a new late night bar which was accessible to everyone. People still want to stay out until 3am but they don’t necessarily want to pay door charges or book, which is why we no longer charge, and although we do take bookings, you don’t have to book.”

Designer Jim Hamilton who has worked with Montpeliers over the last couple of decades, played his part here too. He told DRAM, “The one thing about a basement bar is that it is always going to be dark, it will never be airy. Also with a late night venue when it is busy actually what people see is above head height, so what is above you becomes quite important. I kept it dark, took away the

detail and then played with art as a medium to give it a point of difference.

“We have also made the bar bigger and longer and have created a series of little spaces.”

Innes adds, “We moved the front door, put in new fixed seating and all new flooring. We have opened up the bar up and moved the DJ booth. Now we have four booths, two day bed areas, and there is a mix of glass, marble and wood tables which feature small lamps.”

The new late night bar aims to be high energy and with this aim it has recruited a carnival of musicians alongside artistes who will showcase bespoke energetic and interactive performances to keep customers entertained.

Says Jim, surprisingly for a designer, “I have been to some amazing places where the interior wasn’t the be all – it was the whole mix – service, drinks, atmosphere, and I think that is what Coco Boho provides.”

Innes concludes, “Coco Boho aims to appeal to those who want a casual drink as well as people wanting a more high energy night out. It is open from 8am to 3am and it will adapt as the night goes on. We have put a lot of thought and effort into creating a properly fun experience for our guests. From the training provided to our staff, to the décor and the planned events, everything has been carefully curated to provide our guests with a truly unforgettable experience.”

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SUE SAYS

Ihave been out and about this month visiting as many of our finalists as possible. However, I am just the cherry on the cake - the mystery shoppers are also out and about. With 30 years under my belt, my wee face is well kent... but I still like to see and update myself which is still why I prefer to have a visit too. It’s been a joy catching up with people and finding out what they have been up to. Our finalists are revealed this month, and it has been one of the most difficult years for whittling them down, especially as we had such a good entry. So well done to all the finalists.

I interviewed Nic Wood this month of Signature we’ve known each other for more years than I care to remember and he has always been a real champion of the Scottish trade. But honestly, I could have written a book, we covered so many topics, and there was just not enough space. I cannot understand why government business quangos such as the Tourism and Hospitality Industry Leadership Group don’t have a single member of the licensed trade on it - there are two hoteliers but not anyone representing a pub group. or indeed the licensed trade. I am sure this is an oversight which hopefully will be rectified next time around. Nic is cool, calm and collected, and with a business head honed from years of experience - he or someone of his ilk would be an asset.

Paul McDonagh of the Bon Accord died in July. He was well known not just in terms of running a great pub, but he also was a great fan of whisky and was happy to share his knowledge with his customers and friends alike. He will be missed but it is great that the Bon Accord, his legacy, will carry on, as is. His son Thomas took on the mantle a few years ago and has proved himself a worthy successor.

The UCI Cycling World Championships 2023 in Glasgow may be a worthwhile experience, but many roads were closed including 46 major roads in Glasgow city centre, the west end and the east end. Key road closures included Great Western Road, University Avenue, Bath Street, Buchanan Street, Ingram Street, Sauchiehall Street, Cathedral Street, Argyle Street and St Vincent Street - whew! Do the powers that be not realise that the hospitality industry relies on passing trade, and that if they have to bring people in during the early hours of the morning to take in deliveries that there is a knock on cost? I’m sure they will respond that it will bring customers so any cost is outweighed by the benefit... but for that, you need to be able to get access. It’s not just city centres that are affected. On Friday the 4th (start of the weekend) in the Perth area there were road closures on

DRAM DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

PUBLISHED BY MEDIA WORLD LIMITED

e: news@mediaworldltd.com w: dramscotland.co.uk

the M90, A90, A85 and A9. The key route to tourism areas in the North... this is why business people should be on bodies that organise events like this. And there should be funds set up to alleviate any business impact.

I visited Meldrum House this month and saw for myself the fabulous Domes that they have put in. They really do add a wow factor, especially in the setting. But not only that MD Jordan Charles tells me that they have been a huge business success too. It’s a win-win.

The Harris family certainly have had much to celebrate this year, particularly the fact that their business, The Original Rosslyn Inn, has been in the same hands for the past 50 years. When I popped into the Inn recently both father and son were working, although Grahame tells me that he and Maureen are enjoying doing more travelling, now that Richard is running the ship. If you don’t know their story why not check out Youtube, Richard has made an excellent series of videos about the journey - 50 in total, but my favourite is Encore 49/50. Check it out.

I am asked all the time what my favourite pub is - and my response is always the same - I don’t have one, I have loads - and all for different reasons. But there is nothing better than when I discover a bar I love... and that happens all the time. As for people who ask me for recommendations when they are travelling in Scotland, I am happy to tell them where I would go, but I always advise them to check that they are open, particularly on Monday and Tuesday and whether they are serving food. As we all know this is due to staff shortages around the country. Sometimes I feel that we have taken a backward step and before long we will be back in the days when pubs shut for a few hours every afternoon. However, before this was to do with licensing, now it will be to do with recruitment.

Finally I was so sorry to hear that Chardon D’Or in Glasgow had closed and called in the administrators Brian Maule and his team, have worked tirelessly for 22 years creating an establishment that in my eyes was worthy of a Michelin star. The increasing cost pressures of running a fine dining restaurant when people have not come back to the office, expense accounts have been decimated, rates are back at full whack and energy costs have gone through the roof, took its toll not just on the business, but on the people running it. I’m sure, should he wish, he and his team, will have no shortage of offers. Wishing them all the very best.

Editor Susan Young • Chairman Noel Young • Editorial Nicola Walker, Nicola Young, Advertising Kimberley Andreucci, 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 2023.

Printed by Stephens & George Print Group.

THE MAGIC OF CAPRI

TRY IT MIXED!

DI CAPRI TONIC INGREDIENTS

50 ml Limoncello Di Capri

150 ml Tonic water

Sprig of mint

Lemon zest

PREPARATION

Pour all the ingredients into a highball glass filled with ice. Stir and garnish with a sprig of mint and a lemon zest.

DI CAPRI SPRITZ

INGREDIENTS

75 ml Prosecco

50 ml Limoncello Di Capri

25 ml Soda

Sprig of mint

Lemon twist

PREPARATION

Pour all the ingredients into a white wine goblet, add ice cubes and stir. Garnish with a sprig of mint and a lemon twist.

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