SUE SAYS

@dramscotland

/dram.scotland

My last Sue Says of 2020 and I hope that we don’t ever, any of us, have to endure another year like this one. It has been a journey and it is not over – but the news that the vaccine is rolling in has given us all a light at the end of the tunnel – I just wish we knew how long the tunnel was!

If you had told me a year ago that I would be presenting our awards virtually I would have thought you were mad... and no doubt if you had told me that 25 years ago there would have been more chance of me going to the moon! But there I was... learning all about zoom, platforms, eventbrite... thankfully Emma who used to work for me lent a hand, as did all my tech/social orientated family. But I do like to push the envelope a bit – and even they thought I was mad trying to do it live... and to get everyone on doorsteps... they were right, I must have been mad. Because it was incredibly stressful but a huge thanks to all my door steppers - and I think it was all worth it to see the look on the award winners faces... and their jammies... only joking.

Seriously thou’ it was great to see everyone and I don’t regret for one minute re-inventing the awards – because it is a drop in the ocean to what you guys have been doing. We keep saying everyone is in the same boat but it seems to me that the Scottish Government thinks we can keep afloat without any ballast – and for those in any doubt – ballast is material that is used to provide stability and in the case of our industry that ballast is financial support – the Welsh Government has stepped up to the plate, now the Scottish Government must do the same.

fight for it. I am just putting that out there.

How about our own FACTS -

Funding urgently required Action the furlough top-up now Cancel the cap on multiple operators Talk to the trade meaningfully Save our jobs

Food and drink suppliers to the trade have finally been recognised with a new £5 million fund, The Scottish Wholesale Food and Drink Resilience Fund. It went live on the 5th December but with a deadline of 12th December... here’s hoping everybody was right on it!

And finally – stand out moments from the awards... Louise Maclean receiving the award in her slippers with her lovely sons all dressed up; Frank Murphy appearing in his kilt at the door, Marc Ferrier in his shorts. Bev inviting the dog at the Brig and Barrel in to the shot, and Fiona Sweeney doing her Keith Chegwin with Jamie’s (West End Bar) mum – she had to hotfoot along from her house to life the trophy … but Fiona then headed to the pub where they were watching. John Black of The Fort – in the Karaoke room and there were many more. But best of all I managed to give Alan Tomkins the Lifetime Achievement – with the help of his wife Hazel, and also managed amazingly to surprise Donald Macleod with the Lionheart Award and of course Stephen Montgomery with his trade Champion accolade – he has certainly been that.

I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate Stephen Rankin, Director of Prestige at Gordon & MacPhail he has just been honoured as one of the 50 most influential people in British luxury... I’m sure his ancestors in the 125 year old family firm would be as proud of him as the current family are. I’ve never been one for getting involved politically – it’s not my bag – but going forward there is no doubt about it the hospitality industry needs represented at the very top – we need a minister or a political party that sees our worth and will Here’s to 2021... may it bring us health, viability and an end to this pandemic!

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