DRAM issue 325

DRAM

351

DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

@dramscotland

DRAM MAGAZINE December 2019 ISSN 1470-241X

/dram.scotland

20

BECKHAM DROPS IN ON GEMMELL BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS FOR REPUBLIC BIER HALLE

DECADE REVIEW • IAIN & FIONA DEMPSTER INTERVIEW • LIQUEURS

DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

WELCOME

A

s we say goodbye to another decade, we have extracted some pivotal moments from the past ten years. As well as scouring all 120 issues, we also spoke to some key figures in the trade to find out which of their memories burned brightest and why.

Our cover story features Colin Barr and son Joshua who recently celebrated two decades of Glasgow’s Republic Bier Halle. Snaps from the party are on page 42.

Elsewhere in this issue is a liqueur category focus where we’ve pulled together the usual stats, plus fun facts and figures, as well as talking to the trade to gauge what’s tipped to be big this Christmas. Turn to page 13.

I spent a very entertaining morning with Iain and Fiona of The Horseshoe Inn, Peebles, and if you turn to page 10 you can read why.

Plus what a bumper issue for design features, with four in total - Chaakoo and Buck’s Bar in Glasgow, Amarone in Aberdeen, and Blackfriars, Inverness. They start from page 27.

Here’s wishing you all a very merry and profitable Christmas.

Jason Caddy, Editor jason@mediaworldltd.com dramscotland.co.uk

CONTENTS December

FEATURES

13 17

22 33

/dram.scotland

LIQUEURS

Facts and stats about the category - plus some Christmas forecasts.

REVIEW OF THE DECADE

Some of the standout moments from the last ten years.

LICENSEE INTERVIEW

Iain and Fiona Dempster of The Horseshoe Inn, Peebles.

DESIGN FOCUS

DRG unveils its refurbished Amarone in Aberdeen.

REGULARS

4 6

@dramscotland

2019

35

NEWS

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

BRAND NEWS

The latest brand news.

SUE SAYS

Straight talking from our very own Publisher.

DRAM DECEMBER 2019 3

Happy 21st Gamba Glasgow’s Gamba restaurant, owned by Derek Marshall, has just celebrated its 21st anniversary. To mark the occasion it has launched an initiative called ‘Gamba Gives Back,’ which will see Derek host practical skills workshops with any school, community or restaurant that would like to develop its team, or learn more about cooking with seafood.

Said Derek, “Reaching 21 years at Gamba is a great achievement for me and I would like to extend my experience to those in the industry or in schools to help chefs and young people learn to cook more with incredible Scotland seafood.”

The restaurant has also recently received its 2020 Michelin plate and has been included in the Good Food Guide for 2020.

Derek is pictured celebrating the anniversary with his team.

HOTEL PLANS FOR TRONGATE Glasgow City Council has confirmed that plans have been submitted to demolish the former Royal Bank of Scotland at 178-186 Trongate/11 Hutcheson Street Glasgow to make way for a hotel, pub and shops. The demolition would also include The Oriental Bar on Hutcheson Street.

Bowlarama in Business After months of meticulous planning and many, many sleepless nights, the balls are now rolling at Ian McColm’s Bowlarama on Glasgow’s Glassford Street, formerly Tiger Tiger.

Ian told DRAM, “I must have viewed every old snooker hall and car park in Glasgow, and I viewed this property before BREXIT, just to give you an idea of how long it’s been coming, plus the landlord changed over this time.”

He continued, “We needed a building that could accommodate 30-metre lanes and most Glasgow buildings fall short at 27 metres. We’ve got four lanes in all, plus a whole corner of Bowlarama is taken up with a Tiki Bar and nightclub too.”

It also boasts a snug and a 80-cover restaurant as well as the Bowling alleys which all feature high tech Vector HD scoring and sophisticated neon lights which can be tailored to each player.

Best of all it has a 3 am licence seven nights per week.

FIREBIRD REBORN AS GLORIOSA Unlike the mythical phoenix, Glasgow’s Firebird didn’t rise from the ashes after its recent refurbishment. It has been re-born with a new name and focus. The Yorkhill unit, on Old Dumbarton Road, is now a restaurant and wine bar called Gloriosa - and it’s a threeway business partnership between Derek Sutherland, who was the man behind Firebird, Rosie Healy, formerly of Alchemilla, and Lily Brown (both pictured).

Lily told DRAM, “We’ve freshened up the decor with an off-white colour

4

DRAM DECEMBER 2019

and flashes of colour, new lighting and furniture. We are going to be wine-led and Rosie will be using the wood-fired oven in a whole different way. It’s one thing to find an old unit and turn it around, but we were drawn to this unit because it’s a lovely use of the space and we have turned it into something more current.”

Glaswegian Lily spent a decade running a restaurant called Legs in London’s Hackney. She and Rosie planned their collaboration when she returned to Scotland last year.

NEWS Macmerry venue delayed

LUCKY 7 JOINS BUZZWORKS FAMILY Buzzworks Holdings has reinforced its commitment to its native Ayrshire by purchasing Lucky 7 in Kilmarnock.

The family-owned business also bought The Jefferson and the adjoining building earlier this year in the town’s Grange Street and also own The Longhouse.

Renovation is already underway to convert the three-floor property in Grange Street into the group’s HQ, and The Jefferson too is undergoing a make-over.

Kenny Blair, Buzzworks Holdings MD, said, “Kilmarnock is an area where we see so much potential and these two opportunities allow us to become a bigger part of the local community where we operate. So many of our team live in the surrounding area so it’s important for us to always retain

and build on that local connection.

“Not only will the purchase of Lucky 7 allow us to bring an exciting new concept to the local market, relocating our new head office to Kilmarnock town centre will also bring around 30 jobs to the area.

“Our new head office will feature an industry leading training academy, which we believe is key to the continued success of our business. We will be able to deliver great hospitality to customers across our portfolio with the foundations being laid in the heart of Kilmarnock town centre, as we plan to expand into other parts of Scotland in the coming years.”

The Lucky 7 premises will close for refurbishment, but all staff will be retained and offered positions at other Buzzworks venues while work is underway.

German Doner Kebab has opened on Edinburgh’s Lothian Road. The concept first launched in Berlin - where the doner kebab was invented - and it also operates restaurants in Glasgow and Dundee.

Did you know?

Hamilton restaurant Leonardo’s has has just opened another venture in Crookston in the Bank of Scotland building on Paisley Road West.

Macmerry Ltd has put back the opening of Nola from the end of December to January 2020 – its late-night bar concept below its King of Islington unit on Dundee’s Union Street. Co-director AJ Mcmenemy told DRAM, “It’s a 100-capacity subterranean late night cocktail bar and we aren’t going to get it opened in time for the festivities as originally planned.

The focus will be on customer service with mixed level seating and no dance floor. It will be open from 5pm to 2.30 am seven days. The interior will be constructed from a mixture of copper and wood.”

BON VIVANT GROUP TOASTS GROWTH Edinburgh’s Bon Vivant Group, which owns and operates venues like The Bon Vivant and The Devil’s Advocate, has increased turnover by 42% in the last year.

The group, which is headed by Stuart McCluskey, went from operating four establishments to seven last year, following £950,000 of finance from Allied Irish Bank (GB).

The group used the AIB (GB) finance to open two new venues: El Cartel on Teviot Square and Lady Libertine on West Register Street.

Bon Vivant Group also began operating The Register Club in the Edinburgh Grand, St Andrew’s Square, on behalf of the venue’s owners.

Antonia Jackson, finance manager of Bon Vivant Group, said, “This is a strong reflection of the hard work from our teams and the expansion, backed by AIB (GB). The team at AIB (GB) has been exceptionally supportive and understands not just our business, but also the wider picture in Edinburgh and across the trade.”

n Camerons Brewery has acquired three Bar Soba businesses from the BGF Group for an undisclosed sum. The purchase sees Camerons grow its retail managed pub estate to 34 sites. The Bar Soba sites are in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Leeds.

Camerons Brewery chief executive Chris Soley said, “All the current management team and staff will remain in place and this business will operate independently as a standalone business.” n Mr Ali and a business partner have opened a 30-cover Persian/Turkish/ Iranian restaurant on Glasgow’s Argyle Street in Finnieston, in the unit that was formerly The Kitchen Cafe. The duo also operatesa restaurant in Lanarkshire. n Leith-based start-up Stampede, previously known as BLACKBX, which offers digital growth services, has launched a £1M seed funding from investors including Techstart Ventures, and the Scottish Government.

Stampede’s flagship product, a Wi-Fi based customer engagement and marketing analytics tool, is currently used by over 800 venues.

The new funding will allow the company to expand in the UK and internationally. n Marco Lazzurri, owner of Tabac on Glasgow’s Mitchell Lane, has begun work on the transformation of the former hairdresser next door which is to become an extension of the bar. It is expected to be ready this month.

DRAM DECEMBER 2019 5

NEWS CRU HOLDINGS BUY THE CLASSROOM Cru Holdings has bought The Classroom in Nairn from husband and wife team, Willie and Fiona Lean, who have owned the bistro since 2009.

Cru Holdings MD, Scott Murray, told DRAM, “As a company we share the same family values as Willie and Fiona did. It’s very much business as usual, and over the next few months we may make improvements where we see there’s a benefit. The Classroom is 10 years old, the same age as our business, and I actually live nearby and we really enjoyed frequenting it, and that was the catalyst to us acquiring it.”

Jonathan Clough, of Smith & Clough, who handled the sale, added, “I was delighted to handle the sale of The Classroom on behalf of Willie and Fiona Lean who have built a tremendous and much loved business. The deal was secured off market, and I am sure this will be a fantastic addition to Cru Holdings’s portfolio, and would like to wish them all the best with the new venture.”

All the Classroom staff are being retained.

SEOUL FOOD Entrepreneur Kevin Campbell has opened a second Bibimbap on Partick Bridge Street in Glasgow’s west end. The Korean restaurant includes a 25-cover mezzanine incorporating a BibimBBQ – a grill-it-yourself dining experience that allows customers to cook their own meals at the table.

Said Kevin, “Partick Bridge Street is the perfect location for our second Bibimbap site introducing the Korean Barbeque to the West End community. It has almost been 2 years since we first introduced Bibimbap to Glasgow and food-obsessed diners will now be able to tuck into our extensive menu featuring a range of traditional and modern Korean dishes”.

The original restaurant is at 3 West Nile Street.

Edinburgh’s Bruntsfield Place will welcome a new wine bar and restaurant called Decanter this month.

Ski-themed Pop-Up for St Andrews bar The Adamson restaurant and bar at 127 South Street, St Andrews has a unveiled new winter pop-up called Ski Lodge that has been decked out like an Alpine Lodge. It has Scandinavian-inspired chalets and will be open until mid-January and it also boasts fairy lights, faux fur rugs, and skis.

Julie Lewis, Managing Director of The Adamson said,”Our popular SKI Lodge is back - bigger for 2019. It’s a festive wonderland - fun and lively, and the perfect place for a pre or post - Christmas friends get-together”.

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DRAM DECEMBER 2019

American journalist Hunter S Thompson had his ashes fired out of a canon by Johnnie Depp at a cost of $3M. We understand that Mark Usher, owner of the bar of the same name, at 144 Perth Road, Dundee, is in the process of getting its food offering just right in order to go from only opening on Friday and Saturday evenings to a seven-day opening.

Mark also owns The George Orwell nearby.

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BRAND NEWS

ALL THE L ATEST BRAND NEWS

WHISKY Gordon & MacPhail reveals unique Single Malts for Christmas Gordon & MacPhail has unveiled a duo of special bottlings from its Connoisseurs Choice range.

The Connoisseurs Choice 1999 from Old Pulteney Distillery is joined by a Connoisseurs Choice 2004 from Glenlivet in a celebration of the Speyside and Highland regions.

The Connoisseurs Choice range, which marked its 50th anniversary last year, has featured more than 2,000 bottlings with releases from almost 100 distilleries from all over Scotland.

Stephen Rankin, Director of Prestige at Gordon & MacPhail said, “Passion for single malt Scotch whisky has been at the heart of our family business for four generations, with each sprit hand-selected from distilleries and matched with our casks before being patiently monitored throughout the maturation process, bottled only when it is ready. For more information visit www.gordonandmacphail.com

FRUIT WINES & CIDERS

CAIRN O’ MOHR PRIORITISES PROVENANCE

GIN NEW EXPRESSION FROM ARCTURUS To celebrate the second anniversary of handcrafted Highland Arcturus Gin, the first new expression has joined the family Arcturus Scots Pine.

Dan Rose-Bristow, founder of Arcturus Gin, said, “Following the success of Arcturus during its first two years, now seemed the right time to press ahead with the launch of a new expression.

Arcturus Scots Pine is nostalgic yet contemporary and perfect for this time of year.”

The limited edition 70cl bottles of Arcturus Scots Pine and 70cl bottles of original Arcturus are available to buy online at www. arcturusgin.com

AVIATION AMERICAN GIN CONTINUES ITS EXPANSION IN UK GIN MARKET Aviation American Gin has turned its attention to disrupting the UK gin market with a multi-million-pound investment. Daniel Mandelbaum VP of Marketing for Davos Brands, explains the reason for expanding the brands footprint in the UK market, “We want to disrupt the UK gin category by firmly establishing Aviation American Gin as a key player in the super-premium gin sector. The craft gin scene in the US is booming and Aviation is leading this growth with a quality spirit that gives traditional gins a run for their money. With these new listings we’re confident Aviation American Gin will reach lofty new heights.”

Bright Spirits unveils Gin Range

Since 1987 Cairn o’ Mohr has been brewing up country wines, using the berries for which the area is famous, wild flowers, fruits and leaves. Fruit wines, sparkling wines, ciders and bourtree juices using near anything that grows.

Owners Ron and Judith Gillies believe in sourcing locally, and living in an area flush with wild ingredients and some of the best fruit in the world it’s all there for the picking, with low food mile provenance that give a point of difference to establishments offering them to clientele..

Bright Spirits has launched its first range of gins: Pips, Peels and Roots to the UK on-trade.

Iain McClune, Managing Director of Bright Spirits, comments, “The inspiration for Bright Spirits came to me many years ago, whilst I was stocking a drink retailer’s shelves. I noticed that of all the new gin and spirits being released every week, there were none that put natural flavours first.”

PROMOTION

“ A P E R FECT S ERV E” This month we spoke to Kevin Webster, owner of Porters Bar in Dundee, who works closely with the bartenders, to find out how they best use the Edinburgh Gin Full Strength Range.

O

wner Kevin Webster opened Porters Bar on Dundee’s City Quay in 2015. Since then the bar has gone from strength to strength and its premium spirts range has played a big part in this.

One such range is Edinburgh Gin Full Strength - Rhubarb & Ginger, Lemon & Jasmine and Bramble & Honey.

Explained Kevin, “The popularity among our customers of the entire Edinburgh Gin range has been helped by the support we get from the representatives that I deal with from Ian Macleod Distillers, namely Dougie Wylie and Caitlin Malarky.”

He continued, “As well as being very visible and knowledgeable, they’re both incredibly hands-on, organising various gin tasting events in the bar – plus Edinburgh Gin also provided the furniture in our hugely popular outside area.”

So, how are customers drinking the Edinburgh Gin Full Strength range?

Said Kevin, “Since 2015, we’ve

doubled the amount of flavoured gins that we stock - we’ve even had to build onto the bar to accommodate them and keep up with demand. Our customers mainly like to drink it with tonic or lemonade. We also garnish the drinks with locally sourced fresh garnishes, like ginger. Our clientele is 85% female, age range 30-55, but Edinburgh Gin’s popularity isn’t confined to our female customers.

For example, a guy at a tribute night that we ran recently told me that he loved the Edinburgh Gin Liqueur Range and that he was looking to expand his repertoire as part of his upcoming Gin Flight that we were running. So, and based on our subsequent discussion, I recommended Edinburgh Gin Lemon & Jasmine Full Strength. He absolutely loved it.

“I also want to add that sales of the Edinburgh Gin Full-Strength Range are now level with our Edinburgh Gin Liqueur Range sales.”

Porters Punch Created by Porters Bar, Dundee • 50ml Rhubarb and Ginger full strength gin • Fever Tree Mediterranean tonic water • Lemon peel • 2 raspberries • Hint of fresh ginger.

VISIBLE SNACK PROFITS

To boost dwell time in your pub and generate incremental, high margin sales, it is vital to have a great snack offering. Savoury snacks, especially crisps and pork scratchings, are perfect partners to a drink as they complement the taste of beer, wine, spirits and fizzy drinks.

Tayto Group have Snacking Sorted with their extensive range of crisps and pork snacks including Great Taste Award winning Midland Snacks, No1 scratchings brand Mr Porky1, premium REAL Handcooked crisps and the old favourite Golden Wonder.

Having the right range of snacks is key but display is crucial in capturing those profitable incremental sales. We know that snack sales increase by up to 80% when they are made more visible2. Use the bar top, back bar or back wall as your shop window for pubcards, display trays and clipstrips to show your snacks range.

Pork snacks are the ultimate bar snack, Matt Smith, Marketing Director at Tayto Group says, “Pork scratchings are bought on impulse, with over 80% being consumed with a drink3. Our research found, 72% of responders said they bought pork scratchings in the pub4. So, merchandising pork snacks where they are highly visible will drive impulse sales.”

Make REAL Handcooked stand out at the bar with our Free POS: l BACK OF BAR DISPLAY UNITS l BAR RUNNERS l DRINKS COASTERS l CLIP STRIPS 10

DRAM DECEMBER 2019

“For a successful snack range, it’s really important to try something different… don’t just stick with what you know.”

“REAL Crisps are our best-selling crisps. They have lots of flavour and importantly, they have great margins. We really like that the customers can’t go and buy REAL Crisps at the corner shop next door, making them feel special.”

Andy Southern, P.S. Snacks

TO ORDER YOUR FREE POS VISIT:

www.realcrisps.com/trade

Top Tips 1. Stock quality brands that offer more and provide a range of flavours that tempt trial.

2. Position snacks at eye-level. Pubcards and clipstrips are a fantastic space-saving way to display your snack offering and drive incremental sales.

3. Snacking is an all-day opportunity, ensure bar staff ask every customer if they would like a snack to go with their drinks. It’s an easy way to engage with your customers and encourage sales.

Sources: 1. Kantar Worldpanel | Total GB | Pork and Mr Porky | Spend (£000) | 52 w/e 19-May-19. 2. CGA Strategy Research 2016/2017. 3. Norstat | Online Access Panel | 6,137 GB representative respondents | Mar-19. 4. Wirral Sensory (100 Pork Scratching Consumers, June 2018.

OPEN A BOTTLE, START A CONVERSATION glengoyne.com Welcome to this month’s column, brought to you in association with Glengoyne, which asks hospitality professionals to shoot from the hip and speak about what comes easily and naturally. This month, we caught up with James Anderson, General Manager at Gleddoch House Hotel.

What was the last app you looked at?

YouTube looking for some acoustic playlist for late night working to get the P&L done!

If you had an extra day in your week how would you spend it?

I would have an extra Sunday and spend it with the family. It is important to get that work-life balance right and we often neglect one for the other.

How often do you check out new bars?

Ideally, every couple of months. It’s prudent to keep up with the trends and new innovative ideas, Also, it’s a great chance to relax and enjoy the other side of the bar.

If you had more time to do anything in your job, what would it be?

As a General Manager, I believe you can always spend more time in departments engaging with the team and the customers - they go hand in hand for the success of any business. It is important to recognise and reward both guests and the team for service and custom.

What’s been the biggest change in your job in the last two years?

Customers are more price conscious. This provides us with new opportunities and challenges, but I guess that’s what hospitality is about, and you need to embrace this and take the challenge head-on.

What’s the most inspirational thing a customer has ever said to you?

Never waste a day - and that there isn’t a bad whisky. Both equally as inspirational!

What can a good bartender not live without?

Conversational skills. It is important in the modern day that not only can a bartender create a drink, but really capture that good old-fashioned spirit of hospitality of letting the guest share all their problems and daily stress as they unwind with a drink. You also want the bartender to be able to tell a story about a drink that really capture the guest’s imagination.

Is there anything that you do that other bartenders could benefit from knowing?

Educate. We take time out once a month to train the team because constant brand training empowers the team to be creative. Einstein said, ‘A bartender is like a pharmacist with a limited inventory’ - so the onus is on us as leaders to continue to stock that ‘cabinet’ in order for the team to be knowledgeable.

What’s the funniest conversation that you’ve overheard?

It was actually a best man at a wedding, sitting on the bride’s dress after being to the bathroom and not wiping properly. Let’s just say it was colourful!

How much time do you spend on social media?

Probably an hour a day - I am terrible at scrolling through YouTube to watch pointless videos.

DRAM DECEMBER 2019 11

TIA ESPRESSO MARTINI 25ML TIA MARIA 25ML ESPRESSO 25ML VODKA 5ML SUGAR SYRUP GARNISH WITH THREE COFFEE BEANS WW W.TIA MARIA.COM DRINK RESPONSIBLY

Liqueur comes word from the Latin ich wh e er ac liquif means “to dissolve or melt.”

TIA MARIA WAS INVENTED

BY DR EVANS IN JAMAICA JUST AFTER WORLD WAR TWO. IT IS A COFFEE LIQUEUR MADE USING JAMAICAN BLUE MOUNTAIN COFFEE BEANS.

The history of liqueurs can be traced back for centuries and historically derive from herbal medicines prepared by monks. Liqueurs were produced in Italy as early as the 13th Century. One of these early liqueurs is Chartreuse, made by monks from an ancient recipe and the only liqueur in the world with a completely natural green colour.

The liqueurs market is worth, per says CGA, £820m de tra of ms ter in r yea at ing clin de is sales and otland Sc If y. ntl rre cu -2% imately accounts for aprox t’s still 10% of sales, tha 2m. an impressive £8

THERE ARE FO UR BIG PLAYER S IN THE LIQUEU R MARKET: JÄGERMEISTER , SOURZ, DISARONNO, AND BAILEYS .

THESE BRANDS COLLECTIVELY MAKE UP MOR E THAN TWO THIRDS OF TH IS CATEGORY.

Non-cream liqueur sales have not been so rosy this year but people are spending more. According to CGA data to the end of June, and although non-cream Liqueurs account for 10.6% value share of the spirits market in the UK on-trade, the category is down 2.5% on last year, while its volume share is 11.2%, down 4.4%.

Liqueurs A liqueur is made from a distilled spirit that has been flavoured with fruit, cream, herbs, spices, flowers or nuts and bottled with added sugar or other sweetener.

There has been an early uptake in liqueur sales this year compared to last year. The Edinburgh Gin liqueurs are huge – especially the Rhubarb and Ginger and Raspberry – despite no big push from the brand. Coffee liqueurs are also selling really well.

Cosmo McMullan, Bar Manager, Tabac, Glasgow

Cesar Ritz was so impressed with Grand Marnier that he was among the first to introduce it at his hotels.

seen Sourz has sales an uplift in ta to of CGA da 19.

15.06.20

Liqueu rs are aged us f o r long ually not ingred after ients the ar may h ave re e mixed, bu sting during t pe their produ riods allow ction flavou to rs to marry .

takes its name Boë Gin Liqueur Boe and legend from Franz de le ssor Franz was ofe Pr has it when edicinal tonic he in search of a m irit with juniper sp l ra ut mixed ne ted gin. cr berries and ea

DRAM DECEMBER 2019 13

Grand Marnier, , created in 1880 ef Ch by ed us was Escoffier as an ingredient for his iece culinary masterp .

Crepe Suzette

Tia Maria currently has a striking new TV campaign running with the strapline One of a Kind.

We are using a lot of Edinburgh gin liqueurs for fizz-based cocktails that are now growing ‘legs’ despite it being the winter, whereas once upon a time they were reserved for spritz summer cocktails.

“Gin liqueurs - my goodness, we can’t keep up with demand for them. It’s predominately women who stick to gin liqueurs all night, with maybe one wee Prosecco. Sales of liqueurs like Glayva are starting to pick up but as yet there’s been no support. Last year, Glayva sent us wee chocolates to present on a plate with each serve and this went down really well with customers. However, we have 200 malts and that’s what our customers tend to stick to rather than go down the whisky liqueur route. ” Gillian Kirkland, Owner, The Piper Bar, Glasgow

1605:

Liqueurs

Michael Nawrot, GM, Twenty Princes Street, Hotel Indigo, Edinburgh

Francois Hanniba l d’Estrees (Mars hall of Artillery for gave an ancient ma King Henry IV) nuscript entitled ‘An Elixir of Long Life’ of a Chartreuse mo to the monks nastery in Veuvert . In 1703 the rec the manuscript wa ipe contained in s fully unravelled an d the first Chartreu se was made.

ABOUT DISARONNO...

In 1600, many families would distill their own liqueurs and digestives. The Reina’s were just one of those families and Giovanni Reina rediscovered an innkeeper’s old recipe for Disaronno from Renaissance times, so legend says.

The Reina family closely guarded the secret formula, passing it from one generation to the next. In the first years of the 20th century, Domenico Reina decided to start producing Disaronno Originale. This year Disaronno sales have grown 5% according to CGA

DISARONNO FIZZ 50ml Disaronno 1 Lemon squeezed Pour into an iced glass balloon glass Topped with soda water Garnish with lemon Disaronno Fizz 50ml Disaronno 1 Lemon squeezed

14

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balloon glass Topped with soda water Garnish with lemon

Garnish with lemon

Jägerme ister is w orth £265m in the UK on trade bu t the bra nd has decli ned by -1 5% year on year d CGA data ue. to 15.06.2 019.

“It’s difficult to single out a single liqueur that I think is going to do well this Christmas, but one which is showing early promise is Briottet Pamplemousse.”

Ryan Montgomery, Indigo Yard, Edinburgh

Last years’ best selling liqueur was a mulled wine blend cross brew called Braemble. This year It’s our Espresso Martini blend and our Irish Coffee.

Barry oattes Kelvingrove Cafe Glasgow

e Baileys is th eur u liq only cream r u fo p in the to gh u o h lt A liqueurs. g, in lin ec d sales are f e o performanc rs eu u liq m a cre o d ver has improve s. n reent mo th

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2010

RECESSION...BUT FIGHTING FIT

OPENINGS WITH PIZZAZZ

We were still in the grip of recession but the trade was in fighting mood and still celebrating milestones.

This is the year that Billy Lowe marked 30 years in the trade. It was also the year that Renfrew’s Glynhill Hotel turned 40. The Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow also got its big renovation and re-opened with a Grand party. James Rusk and then partner Louise (now wife) opened The Butcher’s Shop in Glasgow’s west end, and Jamie Oliver opened his first place in Glasgow (2019 saw his empire go under). Boteco opened – and plans for its birthday party are underway as I write this. The man of the moment at Bramble was Ryan Cheti who has gone on to become one of the UK’s most successful mixologists, bar owners and authors. Mike Lees was MD of Tennents and Ian Norman was Trading Director North for Heineken.

2013 Zizzi opened in Glasgow’s Princes Square, while over in Edinburgh Angels Share Edinburgh was debuted by Billy Lowe.

Tony Crolla’s Vittoria on The Walk in Edinburgh turned 40 in 2011, while Alistair Don at The Doublet in Glasgow celebrated 50 years in the trade. June 2011 marked DRAM’s 250th issue.

2011 - Minimum Pricing Bill In November of this year, the Scottish government introduced the Minimum Pricing Bill to the Scottish parliament. Min price of 50p per unit for alcohol was set in May 2012 as part of the Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) (Scotland) Act 2012.

It finally was implemented in May 2018.

REVIEW OF THE DECADE As we stand at the threshold of a new decade, here’s a look at some of the milestones from the last ten years.

BYE BYE CURFEW In 2010 Aberdeen City Council lifted its 2am curfew and licensees across Scotland were urged to use toughened glass, despite it only being mandatory for late-night operators.

LET’S TALK NUMBERS DRG announced record profits of £34.8M, meanwhile Buzzworks turnover rose by 15.6%, from 12.8 to 14.8M. The year 2018.

Great Scott!

REFERENDUM 2014 This was the year of the Scottish referendum of course. Some pubs reported 20 per cent in takings as people went to pub to debate the issue

Elaine Scott retired from The Ben Nevis in Glasgow in 2018.

She had run the pub since 2005.

But her career spanned 35 years.

Murphy’s Law In 2011 Frank Murphy and family took over the reins at The Pot Still in Glasgow, carrying on the legacy left by the departed Ken Storrie in 2011.

2014 THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES The Glasgow Commonwealth Games led to £282m worth of tourism, according to official research by The Games Visitor Impact Study, carried out on behalf of Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Life and Glasgow City Marketing Bureau. It found that 690,000 people travelled to the city to attend the games. Hotel occupancy in Glasgow reached 95%.

DRAM DECEMBER 2019 17

“The 2017 Glenfiddich Festival is my highlight. It was born that year from a desire to thank the hospitality industry in Scotland who work tirelessly throughout the year and support Glenfiddich. We’ve always struggled with accommodating on-trade guests in great numbers at the distillery, so the festival seemed like a superb opportunity. From humble beginnings of just 35 guests to now, 1500 gather each year to enjoy music, food and entertainment perfectly tailored to the hospitality industry.”

Mark Thomson, Glenfiddich Ambassador to Scotland

CIDER STILL ROSY In 2013 cider was worth £240M in Scotland (Mintel).

Kopparberg demonstrated 140 % increase in sales in Scotland on equivalent 2012 sales.

2015

Greene King, owners of Belhaven, acquired Spirit Pub Company in a deal worth £774M and Gleneagles was purchased by private investment company Ennismore Capital from Diageo for a reported £150M. Matthew Clark, meanwhile, was sold to Conviviality Retail following a £200M reverse takeover deal. It went into administration in 2017 and was subsequently bought by C&C.

THE LOWE DOWN Billy Lowe sold Edinburgh units Le Monde and Angels Share to Glendola Leisure Group in a multi-million pound deal. The rumour was he planned to retire... but no. He then bought McSorleys and opened Black Ivy in Bruntsfield in 2016.

REV OF THE D

Employees unite 2019 saw The Isle of Arran resort of Auchrannie became the first in Scotland to be owned by its employees.

The resort had been owned and operated by the Johnston family since 1988 and is valued at £4.3m. An Employee Ownership Trust now holds 100%

2016 BARCLAY REVIEW

The Barclay Review was commissioned by the Scottish government. It was introduced to reform the business rates system in Scotland in order to better support business growth.

Eastern Promise 2019 This was the year that operators Norrie McInnes opened 226 (formerly Bairds)in the Gallowgate and Andy Gemmell invested in Glasgow’s East End with the opening of The Gate. The icing on the cake came in October when David Beckham dropped by for a chat and a photo opportunity with Mr Gemmell when in Scotland promoting Haig.

THE DEPOSIT RETURN SCHEME It was announced this year (2019) that a Deposit Return Scheme will be introduced towards the end of 2020, once the legislation is passed. The deposit, 20p, will be added to the price of a single-use drinks container bought from a shop.

Pubs and restaurants will not have to charge the deposit to the public but the licensee will gave to pay it in advance and it will be redeemed when returned.

PUB MONTH 2012 was the year when DRAM launched its Pub Month initiative, during September. It was an initiative that was widely supported in the media to get more people in to pubs.7 00 pubs signed up for it.

In 2011 Buzzworks opened its £800K Scotts in Largs.

2011 was the year Mike Murphy of Tennents stepped down as MD.

NAME CHANGE

Wm Morton bought Inverarity Vaults in 2011 and in In 2012 MD Stephen Russell unveiled Inverarity Morton as the new name for the recently merged Wm Morton and Inverarity Vaults. At the time the company had a combined turnover of £50M.

In 2018 Licensee Neil Connolly announced the sudden closure of his Glasgow basement bar, Moskito, after a sale fell through.

The much-loved Bath Street bar first opened in 2000.

18

DRAM DECEMBER 2019

2013 Molson Coors and Matthew Clark sign deal whereby Matthew Clark distributed Molson Coors free-trade distribution in Scotland . C&C acquired 50% equity stake in Wallaces Express. Marblehead began distributing Quintessential Brands portfolio in UK

CLUTHA 2013 was the year a helicopter crashed into The Clutha Bar in Glasgow killing all three crew and seven of the bar’s customers.

A total of 31 people were injured.

2014 DRINK DRIVING LIMIT The Scottish government reduces the drink driving limit from 80mg to 50mg per 100ml of blood, which came into force on the 5th December.

INVERARITY MORTON COMPLETED ITS PURCHASE OF FORTH WINES IN 2013.

THE NEW COMPANY HAD A COMBINED TURNOVER OF £75M AND 200 WORKFORCE.

TAYLOR MADE Hotel Indigo Glasgow was opened by Maurice Taylor.

It was owner IHG’s third UK property previously housing Glasgow’s first power station.

THE START OF POPUPS?

IN 2010

Heineken launched Jacques - a female friendly cider!

Ian McColm opened The Tiki Bar in Glasgow.

Jim Young left Belhaven and Paul Miller left Molson Coors.

Oli Norman and Stephen White bought Sloans in Glasgow - the two parted company in 2019.

Lisini opened Dalziel Park.

2010 saw Edinburgh City Council grant a record 87 occasional licences for pop-ups at the Edinburgh Festival, which got a lot of people’s backs up at the time.

2015 Milestones HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THIS WAS THE YEAR THAT THE EVERGREEN ‘UNCLE’ BOB TAYLOR OF MOLSON COORS TURNED 70. MUST BE ALL THAT CYCLING. IN 2015 WETHERSPOONS REPORTED A £1.5BN SALES RECORD.

VIEW DECADE

IN 2012

David Johnson and Karen Calvert opened The Papermill at Lasswade.

Waverley TBS went into administration.

TheHanging Bat in Edinburgh opened.

IN 2013 Distell bought Burns Stewart Distillers.

IN 2016 Storm Desmond wreaked havoc in Scotland during the December of 2016. In its wake, the Old Bridge Inn, Aviemore was flooded.

Buzzworks moved outside Ayrshire and opened The Coach House in West Renfrewshire. Since then it has opened in Edinburgh at Port Edgar Marina and has a new venue planned for Linlithgow.

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In 2011 there was a lot of activity on the acquisitions, mergers and new appointments front. Heineken UK sold McEwan’s and its Younger’s Ales to Wells & Young’s who subsequently sold them to Marstons. Gleneagles ongoing £17M investment premiered the £2.5M Dormy clubhouse this year.

Billy Lowe sold Frankenstein’s in Glasgow and Edinburgh to Glendola.

John Gemmell of Heineken UK was promoted as Trading Director North. John Gilligan joined Tennent’s as Sales Managing Director.

2015 EASY, TIGER

C

M

Y

George Clooney joined David CM Wither at Tigerlily, for lunch.

Actually he was in town for a Social MY Bite charity do. But it certainly made a splash and the news. CY CMY

2010

AN OLYMPIC YEAR FOR INVESTMENT This was the year of the London Olympics. It was also the year that Diageo announced a £1bn investment in the Scotch whisky industry.

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www.simsautomatics.co.uk DRAM DECEMBER 2019 19

TEN YEARS LOWS, BLOWS AND HIGHS

Donald MacLeod, Holdfast: “All in all its not been so much another Decade of Decadence but 10 years of Lows, Blows and extreme Highs.

Lows: this period was obviously the selfinflicted global banking crisis and financial meltdown of 2009 which destroyed much of Scotland’s struggling Hospitality Sector and Licenced Trade. No-one, myself included, was spared when the banks used Government bail outs to fund their pogrom, a financial witch-hunt against their loyal business customer.

By 2014 their inexcusable raising of interest rates and devaluing of financially sound businesses almost forced my group of companies into administration. We survived, just, but I had to strip my company

back to the bare bones, in order to do so.

Thankful in the end that in doing a deal with these robbers, I didn’t lose my home, family, business and dignity, as sadly many in trade did” Blows: “Being forced to scale back CPL Live in 2008. The cumulative effects of bank bullying and having no lending facilities to ease cash flow meant in 2015 I was sadly forced to pull the plug on Juan Chihuahua, my Mexican restaurant on Sauchiehall St. In 2017 due to the crazed decision making of Aberdeen Licensing Board, who gave pubs the same late trading hours as clubs,caused a huge resultant drop in door income which meant I had to the close the doors on Aberdeen Garage. This was a great blow both personally and to the city’s club and live scene.”

Highs: “Well, without a doubt that is the continued growth and success of both The Garage, 25 years young, and the Cathouse, Glasgow, which this year celebrates its 29th birthday (both magnificent achievements).

For the past 3 years, they have both excelled and went from strength to strength, year on year. Pulling in a record numbers of punters and live performances. So much so, as a company, we have never been more profitable. And it goes without saying that I am extremely grateful and proud of all my HoldFast team, Club management and staff for making it so. And long may that continue, for another 10 years at least!”

Collin Barr, Republic Bier Halle: “I’ve run so many style bars over the years that have came and went but the Bier Halle turning 20 has been a big highlight. Another highlight has to be going in to business with my son Josh.

I remember going to see Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and walking in to The Bier Halle afterwards and sitting there was its star Frances Mcdormand, who won the best actress Oscar that year for her performance, and her film producer husband Joel Coen, who also won an Oscar that year. I asked the staff if any of them had approached them but nobody else had recognised them. I went over and asked if they were okay and enjoying their evening and they said, “yes”, and that it was their second night in the bar!”

Mark Lappin, One Leisure Group: “My standout moment has to be the opening of The Hydro in Glasgow in 2013. It brings an extra 60,000 people per week into Glasgow which is great for the trade - and especially operators in Finnieston. Basically it got right everything that the SEC got wrong, like great acoustics and all the bars in the right place. “ Fraser McIlwraith, Dark Art Drinks: “In the last ten years there has been a big rise in the expectation of the customer experience. Good food and drink are no longer enough - the customer is demanding more and more and it’s up to operators to deliver wonderful experiences.”

Milestones in 2019 It was a year for milestones. Media World, publishers of this very magazine, turned 30. Although the publisher herself is a just a tad older! The Garage turned 25 as did Stravaigin, both of which we marked with interviews with the always-entertaining Donald MacLeod and Colin Clydesdale and wife Carol Wright. Then there was The Bruce Group over in Edinburgh, which has this year been operating for 20 years, and we also interviewed its directors, Kevan Fullerton and Scott Piatkowski, who spoke about their plans to expand from 22 units to 100 in the next three to five years. And of course our Cover boy, Colin Barr, celebrated 20 years at the Republic Bier Halle.

20

DRAM DECEMBER 2019

GONE BUT FORGOTTEN

NOT

2010 Ken Storrie, licensee at The Pot Still in Glasgow, died suddenly.

Arguably Scotland’s first foodie, Ronnie Clydesdale, whose legacy lives on in son Colin, also died.

Iain Murray of The Ship Inn, Irvine passed away and Donna Mortimer Ballantyne, daughter of James Mortimer, lost her battle with melanoma.

2011 Alan Mawn died suddenly at the age of 54. Pinxto and Velvet Elvis were two of his Glasgow west-end venues.

David Urquhart retired as Joint MD of his family business Gordon & MacPhail in 2012. He first joined the company back in 1972 and was also a past-president of the BEN. He died in 2015 after a hard fought battle with cancer.

2013 John Waterson died aged 87. He was one of the bestknown and most respected figures in the licensed trade in Scotland. Not only did he once own great Glasgow pubs, like the Burns Howff and the Pot Still, but he was also active in trade politics. He was a pastpresident of Strathclyde LTA and the Scottish Licensed Trade Association.

2014 Billy Peterkin, who ran Glasgow’s Seventh Heaven, and other ventures, died after being hit by a car on his stag do in Spain.

2015 Dave Smith, who was Manager of Glasgow’s Horseshoe Bar from 1983 until his retirement in 2003, died at this year. He took the turnover of The Horseshoe from £5K a week to £40K a week during his tenure.

2016 Duncan Robertson, who opened the original Candy Bar with Scott McKay, tragically died.

2018 Joe Conetta, who founded DiMaggios, died at the age of 72 and Steven Baxter, son of Rangers and Scotland legend Jim Baxter, who also followed his father into the pub trade, died of a heart attack aged 49.

In 2019 the trade lost two of its old guard this year – Harry Hood of The Lisini Pub Group and John McQue of The Tartan Arms in Bannockburn.

Harry was on his A-game right up to the end, being on the phone to our Publisher picking holes in the proposed deposit return scheme.

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JASON CADDY IN CONVERSATION WITH IAIN AND FIONA DEMPSTER OF THE HORSESHOE INN, PEEBLES – A FINALIST IN THE CRITICS’ CHOICE CASUAL DINING AWARD CATEGORY AT THIS YEAR’S SCOTTISH BAR AND PUB AWARDS.

LICENSEE INTERVIEW

I

ain and Fiona Dempster acquired the lease on The Horseshoe Inn, Peebles, in May 2018. They’ve spent just shy of £100K on a refurbishment, including upgrading its eight rooms.

And you might say that this couple was destined for success. They first met 25 years ago when Iain was licensee at Bar Sirius in Leith. Fiona was a regular but they were both in relationships so the stars weren’t aligned and it just wasn’t their time to come together either personally or in business. Fast forward 15 years and after meeting at a gig they married two years ago. They now live on-site at The Horseshoe as part of the lease-purchase agreement with freeholder, Borders Steel Works.

Iain is originally from Penicuik, Fiona from Joppa, Edinburgh, and the pub is actually in a wee village called Eddleston, just outside Peebles. We chatted over a coffee, and right from the get-go Iain and Fiona were charming, funny, and professional right down to their fingertips.

Fiona brings with her over 25 years hospitality and retail experience, while Iain also has fellow Edinburgh bars The Beau Brummel, The Stage Door, and Finlays under his licensee belt. He also worked as Operations Manager for backpacking hostel company, Beds & Bars, which then gave way to leasing The Leadburn Inn – immediately before Peebles beckoned.

Said Iain, “The Horseshoe opportunity came up when we were ready to move on from The Leadburn, so the timing was perfect.

We’ve worked hard to build up the business at The Horseshoe in the last couple of years and, touch wood we have been received very favourably in the village. We have priced ourselves very favourably and inclusively as a Scottish country pub. Take today. We have 50 booked in for lunch and that’s not unusual.”

He continued, “It was operating as a fine dining restaurant, for 15 years - and we are talking £100 per head and most people needed a chippie afterwards. But back in the day it was a great pub and that’s what we have taken it back to and people have been beating down our door since we opened. The village was effectively without a pub because customers weren’t allowed in for just a drink, so I guess that they’re glad to have an accessible Horseshoe back again” So what changes have they made? Said Iain, “Inside, we have added a lot of reclaimed furniture from the likes of eBay, like the pews from a place in London called Toad Hall and into which are carved some of the characters from the books. It’s all quite quirky.”

Were they in agreement about The Horseshoe being the right move for them? Said Fiona, “We just knew as soon as we walked into the place that it was the right place we were looking for - what we had been looking for for some time in fact. Once we got the keys, we decorated the bar and the rooms and the next stage of the refurbishment is the bathrooms. We did think at the time, ‘are we doing the right thing?’ and ‘who’s going to come and stay?’ But it’s worked out so much better than we ever could have hoped for.

Business clients, couples – we get a wide range of guests, and from as far-flung places as Australia and New Zealand. And they usually always come in for dinner and a few pints.

22

DRAM DECEMBER 2019

DESTINE FOR SU “We also get a lot of business from the nearby Barony Castle.

Oftentimes they’re staying there but prefer the bar here, and then the next time they come to stay in the area they choose to stay with us.”

As for Fiona’s background, she also has a wealth of customer-facing experience on her CV. She explained, “I worked on cruise ships in my 20s, for Cunard on the QE2 and on Tall Ships in the Caribbean, primarily on the bars. It was a great way to see the world but I couldn’t do it now. Then I worked in retail for 20 years, running a clothes shop in Edinburgh. I know the value of good staff and we have 20 of them at The Horseshoe, many of whom have been with us a long time, plus returning students at holidays.”

Iain has been in the trade since the age of 22 and lays claim to

BY JASON CADDY

ED UCCESS being somewhat of a trail-blazer back in the day. He explained, “I started at Tennent’s back in 1989, and back then I was Tennent’s Taverns’ youngest licensee when I managed pubs for them.”

What has been the biggest change in the trade in all the time that he’s been operating pubs? Said Iain, “In this village, we’re it. We have to make it work for the locals as well as being a destination for food. Things have changed a lot since my Beau Brummel days.

All I had to do then was open the door, put the signs out and it was busy. Nowadays it’s very much a case of pub-bad. And it’s up to us to turn this perception around. Fiona is more front of house and she makes it look so easy, yet there’s such a skill to it, and whatever ‘it’ is she has it in spades.

“And it’s so important that everybody feels looked after because

there’s been too much demonisation of the trade in recent years.

Supermarkets were using alcohol as a loss leader and then people would pre-load and then go out with the licensee getting it in the neck.”

“Plus our costs go up and up, and it’s hard to retain margins without alienating the customer. We use local suppliers and our meat and veg can be traced back to the field.”

But there have also been some constants from his career that he still employs to this day. Said Iain, “The Beau Brummel was my first pub. It was a Tennent’s managed house and this was a great learning curve and I got fantastic support from the likes of Karen Forrester, who I believe is now MD of TGI Fridays, and Paul Burns our area manager, who’s since retired. I was the doorman for three years before becoming a licensee.”

“It was more of a coaching environment rather than a classroom one and I carried this on over the years in my pubs. The Stage Door and Finlays, both were incredibly busy venues. I was sent to The Stage Door to clean it up even though I wasn’t all that keen on it at the time. It was what I call an ‘old school’ clean up. I had an ex-SAS doorman who could talk the hind leg of a donkey.”

He continued, “Then, in 1995, I opened Bar Sirius in Leith with head chef James Harrison, who I worked with until I sold it in 2005. He went away and did his own thing. After I sold Sirius I worked for Beds and Bars as Ops Manager across Europe.

Then, when I took on the lease at The Leadburn Inn, West Linton in 2013, I phoned him up and said ‘what you up to?’ and he said ‘when do I start? James controls the engine room (kitchen) at The Horseshoe now. The plan had always been to buy when The Horseshoe lease came up for grabs.”

He continued, “The locals are delighted with what we have done.

One member of the community council said, ‘a village needs three things: a school, a kirk, and a pub and now we have all three.”

They’re also very hands-on when it comes to social media, and, incidentally, they were very popular the last time they graced the DRAM’s Facebook page, with a great many of you liking and commenting on the post.

Said Iain, “The tills report directly to my phone and we also both do our social media. I likewise know the importance of good publicity.”

What do they do away from the job and the glare of the trade press? Said Iain, “We spend seven days here and have to go away to get away. We are just back from a cruise that took in Vancouver, Victoria, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and L.A.” Said Fiona, “We like going to the Bakehouse restaurant in West Linton. We also like to just grab something to eat when we go to a gig. I also really like The Grill on the Corner in Glasgow. We’re off to see Rod Stewart at the end of the month, which I’m looking forward to.”

And speaking of music, Iain is also the bass player in a heavy metal band called Medusa Touch – and they were signed by a record label last year and Fiona shares this passion for music too. Crikey, if it wasn’t for that gig they wouldn’t have found each other again and the trade would be one great bar-restaurant down. n DRAM DECEMBER 2019 23

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Winter Cocktails Mulled Bramble

Espresso Martini

Ingredients

Ingredients

• 50ml Edinburgh Gin Bramble & Honey • 25ml Red Wine • 100ml Apple Juice

• • • •

Method

Method

Warmed up together on a stove.

Garnished with cloves.

Garnish with three coffee beans.

Making Spirits Bright Come in from the cold and brighten your spirits with our simple festive twist on a classic Cosmopolitan.

Ingredients • 30ml Bright Spirits Roots Gin • 15ml ginger wine • 10ml cinnamon syrup • 45ml cranberry juice • 15ml lime juice

Method

25ml Tia Maria 25 ml Espresso 25ml vodka 5ml sugar syrup

Classic Gin and Tonic Ingredients • • • •

Sprig of Thyme Fresh blood red orange slice Pinch of dried hibiscus flowers Chilled quality tonic water

Method For our signature serve, fill a balloon gin glass with copious amounts of ice and a good measure of Tobermory Hebridean Gin.

Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and add plenty of ice. Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass.

DRAM DECEMBER 2019 25

Winter Cocktails The Perfect Negroni

Some Like It Hot Toddie Ingredients

Ingredients

• 35ml Pickering’s Original 1947 Gin • 125ml Cloudy Apple Juice • 1 Teaspoon of Honey • Squeeze of Lemon (juice & zest) • Handful of Cloves / Star Anise

• 25ml Whitetail Dry Gin • 25ml Campari • 25ml Sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica, Cinzano Rosso, or Punt e Mes)

Method

Method

So m E LI KE IT HoT To dd ie

In a mixing glass, give all three ingredients a few quick turns over very cold ice until blended.

Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice block or sphere and garnish with an orange twist or slice.

ts

IngredIen Gin Add cloudy apple juice, honey, a generous squeeze of nal 1947 • 35ml Pickering’s Origi l Cloudy Apple Juice • 125m lemon, cinnamon stick, a few cloves and star anise into y • 1 Teaspoon of Hone of Lemon (juice & zest) Squeezemixture a clean metal milk jug. Heat••the using the milk Anise Handful of Cloves / Star foaming wand. Remove fromM ethe heat and then add the thod e of lemon, squeez us honey, a genero Add cloudy apple juice, and star anise into a clean gin and stir thoroughly. Garnish with a cinnamon stick cinnamon stick, a few cloves e using the milk foaming mixtur metal milk jug. Heat the and stir heat and then add the gin and a lemon twist. wand. Remove from the lemon twist. a cinnamon stick and a thoroughly. Garnish with

ils

18

DRAM Winter Cockta

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28

DRAM DECEMBER 2019

93-95 Academy St, Inverness IV1 1LX

BLACKFRIARS DESIGN FOCUS BY JASON CADDY

S

tar Pubs & Bars and operator Billy McAneney have unveiled the new-look Blackfriars, Inverness, following a record £1.36M spend from the Heineken-owned pub estate business in Scotland. The investment, enabled by a £422,606 grant from The Inverness Townscape Heritage Project, likewise created 20 jobs.

The venue is Billy McAneney’s fourth site with Star and the twelfth hospitality business in which he has an interest and the extensive refurbishment has sympathetically restored the outside of the Category B listed 18th-century building Matt Dyson, Star Pubs and Bars investment manager, told DRAM, “We put in £689K, Inverness Townscape Heritage Project invested around £422K and Billy McAneney put up £250K. This was a big spend and every single you can think of in this building has been worked on.

“Starting from the top, we put on a new roof and chimneys, which was slightly challenging given the Inverness weather and so it took longer than anticipated. Then we transformed what were three disused flats on the first floor into nine boutique letting rooms and they have all been fully kitted out and finished to a high spec. Each has its own individual décor and are named after famous Inverness people and places.

“All of the old windows have been replaced with double-glazing, and all the internal walls were taken back to the original stonework for that heritage look, plus we updated it with the tiles and booths and wall coverings and lighting. We’ve given the pub a striking, contemporary brasserie feel, with stripped floors, exposed brickwork and vibrant colours.

“Blackfriars has a fully functioning catering kitchen and will have a strong food offering. The pub’s exterior was also taken back to its original stonework, plus we invested in a new sign, plants and lighting.”

Star Pubs & Bars operations director for Scotland, Brian Davidson, added “Blackfriars is a historic building and needed a vast amount of work to restore it properly. The grant from The Inverness Townscape Heritage Project has made the work economically viable and helped DRAM DECEMBER 2019 29

DESIGN FOCUS us enable Billy to develop a multi-income stream business and a premium venue that does justice to the building. Billy is highly experienced in all areas of the hospitality sector. It has been fantastic to work with him on this project and bring Blackfriars back to life.”

To underline Blackfriars’ commitment to local produce, in the spring Billy McAneney is planning to install beehives and a greenhouse with a hydroponic system on a flat roof to provide honey, herbs and edible flowers for the pub’s cocktails and kitchen.

Said Billy, “Inverness continues to go from strength to strength as a city and a holiday destination. It’s exciting to be part of its renaissance.

We’ve tried to bring something different to Inverness in terms of design as well as to celebrate the area’s food and drink. Our aim has been to create a place that both locals and visitors enjoy and that caters for all occasions, whether it’s a light lunch, celebration dinner, or drinks or a coffee with friends.”

Speyside Property Services did the building work and shopfitting, and The Davidson Baxter Partnership were the architects, with signs by SR Signs.

Design highlights are the corrugated multi-coloured leather chairs and the wooden top tables and their painted cast-iron supports. The olive green walls set a calming tone against the pops of colour from those chairs and the bright cluster of lights and foliage above the bar.

The ground floor also benefits from a lot of natural light streaming in through huge windows. The gun-metal grey ceiling also works really well with the green walls, plus some of the walls have also been treated to a lick of grey paint.

There are also lots of traditional nods, like the row of what look to be pew-like seating and those exposed stone walls too of course, plus hanging on the walls are black and white pictures of Inverness.

The boutique rooms upstairs will also be a popular place to stay for visitors to the city because they’re comfortable, stylish and just have the right amount of quirkiness.

I was impressed with what Star has delivered here and considering this property was built around 1793 it feels like it’s in a safe pair of hands with Star Pubs & Bars and Billy McAneney as custodians.

Roll on the next phase of the project and that rooftop greenhouse. n 30

DRAM DECEMBER 2019

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AMARONE

DESIGN FOCUS

A

marone has re-opened on Aberdeen’s Union Street with, say owners DRG, ‘all the buzz of a restaurant in central Milan’.

Fire devastated the restaurant in November 2018 and the decision was taken to mount a full-scale refurbishment of the 300-square metre restaurant. It has been redesigned to incorporate the new cocktail bar and can now accommodate up to 200 diners, with two areas for private dining – including the “Primo Piano” mezzanine complete with its own separate bar. A new luxury cocktail bar to the re-designed restaurant.

DRG MD Mario Gizzi said, “It was a difficult decision to close the restaurant, but we felt that instead of doing a quick tidy up to repair damage, we had the opportunity to remodel the restaurant to offer a world class Italian eating

BY JASON CADDY and drinking experience in the Granite City.

“The designs are stunning, taking inspiration from the finest central cocktail bars in the world.”

Involved in the refurbishment were Dimension Shopfitters and Lecs Upholstery, with till systems by Posero Maitre’D. DRG also commissioned Concept Metals to work on the project.

Some of the design highlights that catch your eye when you first walk into the place include those glazed tile walls in a vibrant green that pop out against a more muted rich burgundy and softer sage greens. Likewise the open pizza kitchen and that central island tubular brass cocktail bar, flanked by all the intimate booths.

Here’s a quick walk-through in words. Once through the glass doors of this ground-floor space, you’re confronted

DRAM DECEMBER 2019 33

DESIGN FOCUS by that big beautiful island-bar with a corrugated wooden bar-front and white marble bar top, above which are goldcoloured wine racks. This is all set against a backdrop of a white ceiling, pendant lighting, some of which have white shades that look a bit like mint imperials, and wooden panelling on the walls – above which are is a line of smokyglass tiles at picture-rail height.

Along the walls on both sides of the square space are dark leather booths, plus around the bar are stools upholstered in leather. The floor here is tiled in a grey coloured tiles.

To the back of the bar, on the right-hand side, is the ‘window’ on the pizza kitchen, complete with a firedancing wood-burner, and customers are also able to pull

up a stool at this part of the restaurant, as here too has been furbished with a marble-top bar.

At the end of the unit is the main dining area – a splitlevel space, ground floor and mezzanine and a high ceiling complete with skylights. Along the wall without the mezzanine are arched smoked-glass mirrors that give the illusion of it having windows. There’s also some coral coloured fabric on the walls in between each one that look like curtains, and all set off by a plain wooden floor.

The furniture here and on the mezzanine is a mixture of rich rusty brown leather upholstered chairs and black booths and it’s a glass divide between the mezzanine and this area.

DRG operates 20 restaurants across Scotland and this one sits very well among all the other jewels in its crown. n

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61 Ruthven Lane, Glasgow G12 9BG

CHAAKOO DESIGN FOCUS BY JASON CADDY

T

he line ‘Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?’ from the song Mrs Robinson must be one of Simon and Garfunkel’s most recognisble lyrics and it’s not only the singing duo that is missing him. The former Di Maggio’s on Glasgow’s Ruthven Lane is also now minus him, plus his former wife Marilyn Monroe, following its transformation into Chaakoo West End. Hanging on the walls in the Ruthven Lane cafe where they used to be are now pictures of Gandhi, and other retro Bombay artefacts and pictures in this homage to a Bombay Cafe.

That’s because owners Topolabamba Group decided to move its Chaakoo concept west from the city where the original, on St. Vincent Street, continues to pack them in.

Involved in the design were McCabe Decorators, and Ian Graham Upholstery, with kitchen equipment by Catering World. Its seafood suppliers are Corrigan’s and Scotch Frost, while Custom Chemicals provide the bar’s cleaning products.

Said Paul Sloan, of the Topolabamba Group, is aware that this location is a little bit of a departure but he’s confident nevertheless that the concept will find its feet in this location. He said, “The challenge is going to be getting the message out there that we are in what might be deemed an out-of-the-way location. There’s nothing between The Bothy and Chaakoo, for example, so it might take a little longer for the Chaakoo brand to bed in compared to the take-up in the city centre.”

He continued, “We’re confident that the brand is strong enough to do it. We’ve re-upgraded part of Ruthven Lane with new lighting – plus we fixed the mono-blocks so no more puddles.”

Liam Shellcock is on the management team at Chaakoo West End and he showed me around on a late-morning visit as they were knocking the place into shape before opening, but which part of the design is clocking up the most amount of mentions from customers? Liam told me, “The new design has also become a real talking point with customers. They love all the artwork on the walls and the ‘Second Class’ and ‘Cattle Class’ signs on the booths (there’s no first-class!).

DRAM DECEMBER 2019 37

DESIGN FOCUS They’re also generally really taken with all the blackboards and the overall sense of fun the design incorporates.”

He continued, “Customers love how vibrant the space is and the fact that this space is so versatile – for example, Chaakoo daytime is completely different in the daytime to how it is in the evening when we lower the lights and turn up the music.”

I was a regular in Di Maggio’s West End and you couldn’t see the wall for pictures of Marilyn, plus the interior design used to be monochrome. Now, you can see the walls, which are painted in a kind of pistachio colour, because the pictures are arranged in airier clusters in among wall-lights.

The first thing I noticed, however, is that the big roaring fire embedded C in the pillar and which confronted you at the top of the stairs as you enter has gone, but the layout is pretty much unaltered. OnceM you are up the stairs, which, say ‘No tripping upstairs! All our Chai Tea is Y coming strictly without opium,” a precursor of the humour to come upstairs, there’s the servery to the right, in front of which sit aCMrow of deep-red leather booths. Hanging above them are pendant lights with classic white shades.

MY Look to the left and it’s the main expanse of seating, dark wood chairs and tables, and more booths. This all sits on top CYof a polished wooden floor throughout and then this gives way through CMY a squared-off archway to an extra seating area, with more of the same furniture, flooring, quirky pictures and lighting. The toiletsK are accessed via a central downward staircase that’s camouflaged with plants and blackboards, one of which talks about what is and what isn’t acceptable toilet behaviour.

There are many other tongue in cheek signs and slogans too, if you take the time to look - and this is a many-detailed interior design.

I also like the mirrors dotted around the place and the white brick walls and other quirky little touches like the wall-mounted pendulum clock. The ceiling is fairly low and has a covering on it in white with a subtle gold monochrome pattern.

DiMaggio’s West End may have occupied a special place in the hearts of Glaswegians and perhaps still casts rather a long shadow, but Chaakoo is bright, bold and different enough to step out of it and 38

DRAM DECEMBER 2019

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19/11/2019

10:30

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Congratulations!

Michelle, Michael and team on launching Buck’s Bar Trongate

96 Trongate, Glasgow

BUCK’S BAR DESIGN FOCUS BY JASON CADDY

W

hen I spoke to Michael Bergson about his second Buck’s Bar for Glasgow on Trongate (the first Buck’s is on the city’s West Regent Street) he and wife Michelle were visiting Venice for the first time for her birthday. But it was a whole different city that inspired the design of Buck’s Bar number two.

Explained Michael, “The design of Buck’s was inspired by the dive bars we love on the Lower East Side of New York City. It’s very much a feel-good 50s rock ‘n’ roll-themed focus.”

“On the walls are police mug-shots of stars that have been arrested, like Jim Morrison and David Bowie, plus we also have a great big neon displaying a quote from Neil Young that says ‘Better to burn out than fade away.’ Then there’s the cushions that have been made from old rock t-shirts.

“But my absolute favourite part of the design has to be the mirror that says ‘Sex, Birds & Rock ‘n’ Roll in neon which is obviously a nod to sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, with the ‘birds’ referring to the chicken that we serve because it’s so addictive.”

Prior to Buck’s the building housed a wee Italian restaurant called Isola Sarda and before that it was The Red Fox Cafe, so why did Michael and Michelle decide on this part of town where these other businesses weren’t able to sustain?

Said Michael, “Nobody’s been able to make it work and I also went for this part of town because it’s up-and-coming. It’s a great circuit

- from Merchant Square, Trongate and all the way to the Gallowgate and all the wonderful stuff that’s happening there. It’s also at the opposite end of town to where our other place is, of course.”

Molson Coors supplies the bar with various beers including Pravha, Coors Light & Blue Moon.

And now for our design verdict.

Buck’s Bar is compactly set over two floors - with bar and seating on the ground floor and exclusively seating on the mezzanine. Aside from all that Michael mentioned, the other design highlights include the wooden cladding on the walls. In fact, the entire bar is fairly wood-heavy and basking in the glow of all that red neon which makes it real cosy.

Another standout feature is the shiny gold patterned wall-covering ceiling, which looks distinctly retro to me.

The bar itself is also constructed entirely from wood, with the odd pop of this gold wall-covering ceiling on the walls. The back bar is made from black shelves on a red painted wall and in front of the bar on the underside of the mezzanine is a collection of classic gig posters from the likes of Blondie.

Up on the mezzanine is more wooden furniture, red walls and ceiling, plus multi-coloured fairy-lights and this where you’ll find that big red neon displaying Neil Young’s immortal quote about not fading away, and the memory of this wee bar should burn bright in the memories of the customers and keep them coming back for more. n DRAM DECEMBER 2019 41

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIER HALLE

R

epublic Bier Halle owner Colin Barr threw a big party at the Glasgow Gordon Street bar to celebrate its 20th birthday last month. He invited all those that have supported the bar over the years, like fellow operators and suppliers, and guests were treated to a hog roast and drinks. Colin also made a heartfelt speech about what the bar and the last 20 years have meant to him. Here are some snaps from the event.

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ongrats to Colin Barr and the team at the Republic Bier Halle on reaching 20 years. I remember the launch party... just.

But what a great turn out from the good and great of the trade and the customers that have supported him over the years.

Roll on the next 20!

Non-alcoholic drinks which taste like gin without the alcohol are becoming a new category in the drinks repertoire – notice they can’t be called a spirit or a gin (nae alcohol) no doubt that is giving the marketing fraternity a few issues, but now I am getting press releases about alcoholic tea. Me, I’m a fan of non-alcoholic air – do you think that will catch on?

I feel really chuffed when I get great service – and I have to say I take my hat off to the staff at the BrewDog pub opposite Kelvingrove.

I took my dad in recently with his siblings (average age 80) and they couldn’t have been nicer. Nothing was too much trouble and it wasn’t quiet. They were first class. I also had a bite of lunch at The Atlantic in Glasgow recently, manager Kostas wasn’t in, despite that the service was impeccable. Someone said to me that the mark of a really good restaurant manager is when he has the staff motivated to perform just as well when he is not there. He has nailed that.

I will hopefully have a meeting with Neil Bibby MSP coming up to talk about rates. He had to cancel recently because he was ill, but I am going to be putting the case for a debate in Parliament about the rates issues which is so adversely affecting the licensed trade in Scotland. He is a Labour MSP, and Labour’s manifesto suggests that the Labour Party would look to : List pubs as Assets of Community Value so community groups could buy local pubs under threat of closure and replace Business Rates with a land value tax: Review the evidence on the effect of minimum unit pricing of alcohol amongst other things. I think any politician that would take up the issue of rates and help get a solution would get the support of the whole trade. He or she could be our white knight. Because something needs to be done.

Christmas is fast approaching and it is the busiest time of the year for the hospitality industry. It is also when lots of alcohol is drunk by folk that may not usually imbibe, as you all know. According to research DRAM DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING PUBLISHED BY MEDIA WORLD LIMITED UPPER FLOOR / FINNIESTON HOUSE, 1 THE STABLES YARD / 1103 ARGYLE STREET, GLASGOW / G3 8ND t: 0141 221 6965 e: news@mediaworldltd.com w: dramscotland.co.uk Publisher-Editor Susan Young • Editor Jason Caddy • Chairman Noel Young • Commercial Head Justin Wingate • Advertising Julia Smith • Girl Friday Jocelyn O’Keefe Production Fiona Gauld, Jack Thompson • Admin Cheryl Cook 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 2019. Printed by Stephens & George Print Group.

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from commercial insurer, NFU Mutual four in five consumers (83%) expect hospitality staff to have the necessary training to effectively manage a verbally or physically abusive customer. Usually, they do, but sometimes in a busy venue, at a very busy time of year, staff can be stretched to the limit. It’s not an excuse, but it is a fact. An encouraging stat suggests 74% of consumers would physically or verbally intervene if a member of staff was being attacked by another customer. While these good intentions are commendable, they also present a challenge for businesses as such situations could very easily get out of hand. So be safe. If you haven’t had any training ask for it, and if you get into strife, get help. And if you are an employer why not do some refresher training on how to deal with problematic customers now.

We have just done our review of the decade … there was so much we missed out this issue - so we will do a follow-up next month too. Anyway - it’s been a quick year, here’s hoping the festive period is a good one. Here’s to 2020 and a new decade.

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FAWN FINDLAY FOUNDATION BALL Congratulations to Fallon Cowley and her team who hosted the first Fawn Findlay Foundation Ball in memory of her sister who died last year.

The inaugural charity ball raised cash for Sepsis Research and took place at the Grand Central Hotel. They raised more than £40,000.

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DRAM DECEMBER 2019

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