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

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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.

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