DRAM 311 - July 2016

DRAM

311

DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

@dramscotland

DRAM MAGAZINE JULY 2016 ISSN 1470-241X

/dram.scotland

INNOVATION AT THE KING’S ARMS . JOHN MACLEOD . DESIGN FOCUS

Maxxium UK is proud to be a sponsor of the

Scottish Bar and Pub Awards

CRAFTING SUCCESS IN SPIRITS.

TOGETHER.

Maxxium UK Limited, Castle Business Park, Stirling FK9 4RT Tel: 01786 430 500

®

WWW.MIXXIT.CO.UK

DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

WELCOME

W

hat better month to run our lager Info Gram – not only has the sun come out, but there’s nothing more refreshing than a cool pint. Check out some facts and figures to share with your customers on pages 17 and 18.

This month we have a bit of a design focus with Mairi Clark checking out Mousetrap in Edinburgh and The Shilling Brewing Company in Glasgow.

Meanwhile Annabelle Love caught up with John Macleod of Crabshakk fame, who has just extended Table 11. She also wrote our design feature on pages 41 and 42. I did do some work… when I interviewed Joe Teixeira of Harry Ramsden’s fame.

But I have also been concentrating on our awards, and with so many entries is some task whittling it down to four finalists, never mind getting out to the do the judging. But we have a team of great mystery shoppers who are out and about at the moment – so look out for their wee calling cards!

I’m looking July will see me hitting the road.

Look forward to catching up with old and new friends.

Susan Young Editor susan@mediaworldltd.com dramscotland.co.uk

CONTENTS July

2016

FEATURES

17 20 27 29

/dram.scotland

Lots of interesting facts about Lager.

GOING FOR THE HOLY GRAIL!

Annabelle Love interviews John Macleod.

HARRY BRIDGES THE GAP!

Susan Young caught up with Joe Teixeira.

DESIGN FOCUS

Mairi Clark checks out The Shilling Brewing Company, The Mousetrap and VinYard 28.

REGULARS

4 9

@dramscotland

FREE FLOWING FACTS ABOUT LAGER

43

NEWS

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

BRAND NEWS

All the latest brand news.

SUE SAYS

Straight talking from our very own Editor.

DRAM JULY 2016 3

King’s Wark gets off to a flying start King’s Wark, the Star Pubs & Bars pub taken over

by PG Taverns earlier this year at The Shore in Leith, has doubled its turnover since the take-over. Explains boss Iain Pert,“When we took over we decided not to change the name, but we did give it a spruce up. We also improved the drinks offering by putting in a wide range of gin, and used a consultant chef Iain Sim to get the food back on track. We’ve gone down a Scottish route with the menu putting in pub favourites like fish and chips, but doing it really well. In the three months that we have had the pub we have doubled the turnover, which we didn’t really expect to do.”

THE CENTURY BAR OPENS AT GLENEAGLES The iconic bar at Gleneagles Hotel now has a new-look and a new name – The Century Bar. The hotel has also added a new bar called Auchterarder 70, so called after the hotel’s original telephone number.

Auchterarder 70 is located the Dormy Clubhouse and has striking views over the 18th hole of the King’s Course.

There’s also been a revamp of 35 bedrooms and adjoining corridors.

Owner Sharan Pasricha comments, “We’re delighted to launch these exceptional spaces which simultaneously acknowledge our rich heritage whilst marking a new chapter in the Gleneagles story. As part of the evolution of the brand, we wanted the designs to reflect all the unique Gleneagles elements – the stunning views, the art deco origins, the country pursuits – which have inspired generations of guests, but we also wanted them to breathe new life into the hotel.”

HANOVER TAP TAKES SHAPE The Jekyll & Hyde Pub on Edinburgh’s Hanover Street is under going a refurbishment and is due to open as The Hanover Tap at the end of July.

The gothic-styled pub, which was bought by the Stonegate pub company in October, will be completely stripped back and repositioned as a more modern, friendly welcoming pub, according to its general manager Danny Roe. He told DRAM, “Our refurbishment will be in the same design of Stonegate’s Town Pub and Kitchen style.” He continues, “Despite the rumours that we are becoming ‘another craft beer pub’, we will actually be serving a broad range of drinks, of which craft beers will be some, but we will definitely be a 4 DRAM JULY 2016

normal pub.”

The Hanover Tap will have quality pub food, and will also carry Sky & BT Sports. Its design will be contemporary, using distressed wood and soft furnishings to make it more appealing to women. It is also improving its cocktail offering and offering smoothies and coffee, although its opening times will only change by an hour, opening at 11am.

The pub’s function room, which has 6 beer taps, will be refurbished and used as a general customer area, and it will be available for hire. The Hanover Tap will continue to run as a Free Festival venue throughout August, but in September it will revert to Stonegate’s Rhythm of the Week template, where it will run an initiative every day of the week to attract trade.

£1M INVESTMENT BY ENCORE BARS IN NEW EDINBURGH NIGHTCLUB Encore Bars, owned by Eddie Fox and Eddie Fox Jnr, is investing £1 million opening a nightclub called Bourbon, on the site of Suva in Edinburgh's Frederick Street.

Bourbon, an 800 capacity club, will also boast a bar which will offer food in a partnership with The Ninja Kitchen. The bar will be open seven days a week from midday until 1am.

Meanwhile the club will consist of two self-contained club rooms and will initially open with three club nights on Monday, Friday and Saturday, but is expecting to launch six nights over the Festival period and Freshers Week.

Naomi Gibson, marketing and sales manager for Bourbon, told DRAM, “The design we have for Bourbon is very eclectic. With the basement positioning of the club, we're using lighting in as many ways as possible to inject as much light as possible. The club and bar will be a mixture of old meets new. We have separated the nightclub in to three self contained areas. One will be the bar, the other two will be club rooms, each with an individual bar.”

Bourbon is expected to open the weekend of 16th July.

NEWS

WWW.DRAMSCOTLAND.CO.UK

Two new pubs for Mark Lappin’s One Leisure Group

Hippo Beers, the independent craft beer shop situated in Glasgow’s West End, and owned by Derek Hoy and Alec Knox, has opened its first bar on Sauchiehall Street called the Hippo Tap Room.

Located in the former Cocktails & Burgers, the bar has 10 keg lines, of which 8 will rotate, 3 cask lines and nearly 70 bottles and cans in the fridges. It will open from 12pm every day, with a food menu leaning heavily towards Mexican.

Derek Hoy, co-founder of Hippo Beers, said, “It has taken a couple of years to get here, as we were looking for a premises that was free-of-tie, so it was great when the lease for this premises came up.

When we started off by selling craft beer, there was nowhere to buy it, but now more and more people are enjoying craft beers. The Hippo Tap Room is definitely going to be a destination bar.”

Mark Lappin’s One Leisure Group has bought the Partick Tavern in Glasgow’s Partick from Colin Beattie and has also entered into a tenancy with Star Pubs and Bars at Finnieston. The news comes as his tenure at Maggie Mays at Trongate comes to an end.

Mark told DRAM, “Our lease at Maggie Mays came to an end a while ago, and subsequently the premises was sold to Stephen Whyte and Oli Norman’s company. They did invite me to take a stake, but I decided to do my own thing. I did sell them the rights to Maggie Mays for a nominal price. Meanwhile I had been looking around for a while, and I got wind of the Partick Tavern and the opportunity to buy the freehold was too good to pass up. This is my own, but Paul Bright and Gerry Tartaglia, who are shareholders in the Finnieston pub which was Bannisters, will also be directors here. Although it will be Gerry that runs the Partick Tavern which will be called, “Bag o Nails’, after its refurbishment. It was the first place Jimi Hendrix ever played in.”

The Partick pub will open mid August while the old Bannisters (and Mark was keeping the name under wraps for the time being) will open at the end of August. Says Mark, “I’m aiming for it to be open in time for The Who concert at the Hydro.”

He concludes, “I’m delighted to be growing the company, and doing what I love, which is creating live music venues which offer good food and drink.”

THE PLACE TO BE IN FENWICK The Honest Pub Co owned by Ian McAnally and Craig McLaughlin has celebrated its first six months at the Kings Arms in Fenwick by opening a Chippy for villagers. Having spent £40k with Star Pubs & Bars refurbishing the pub, the enterprising duo have added a fish and chip shop to the business.

The new venture meets a gap in the market for take away food in the village saving residents a seven mile round trip to Kilmarnock. It will also stock grocery basics such as a bread and milk to help villagers out when Fenwick’s only shop is closed. cover story The Honest Pub Co has invested £10k in top of the range kitchen equipment to ensure they serve an authentic product.

The takeaway has its own serving hatch at the back of the pub complete with an unlicensed seating area. The launch coincides with the introduction of a new fish menu at the pub.

Star Pubs & Bars managing director Lawson Mountstevens said, “It’s great to have been able to support the Honest Pub Co in their transformation of the Kings Arms. This latest development adds another valuable income stream to their business.

They have done a brilliant job, proving again the enduring popularity of a well-run and invested great traditional pub.”

Pictured on the cover is Ian McAnally, Charlene McCartney, the pub’s manager and Kirsty Hill (a waitress from Kilmarnock and one of the chippy’s new recruits).

Have you heard?

Fergus McVicar’s as-yet-unnamed restaurant in the former Old Salty’s premises in Finnieston looks likely to open at the end of July, after extensive building work. The kitchen for the premises is going to be open plan, and will be located behind the bar. He has also, it is rumoured, lured a head chef from one of the restaurants run by celebrated Israeli restaurateur, Yotam Ottolenghi, to head up its kitchen.

Fergus was reluctant to confirm all the details but he did tell DRAM, “It is going to be very different in style to the other places I’ve done.

I’ve been talking about diner/bar style, but I’m actually thinking more diner than bar.” Fergus also owns Chinaski’s in North Street and Tabac off Buchanan Street.

DRAM JULY 2016 5

NEWS IT’S FAB AT MCPHABBS Maxxium identifies £585m potential spirit sales for trade

McPhabbs on Glasgow’s Sauchiehall Street has been given a sympathetic refurbishment since being taken over in April by Christopher and Louise Olivarius and Thomas Preston - Three Grand Ltd, who own also own Firebird and the Big Slope, which are also nearby The pub, part of the Punch estate, now has more of a quirky interior with lighter colours and some bright aqua accents. The function room downstairs is now known as Easy Tiger, and is entered via a deceptively clever secret door that is camouflaged by a painting.

The menu has also been restyled with an Asian slant featuring dishes such as prawn laksa, soft shell crab burger and pork belly tacos as well as traditional pub food.

Outside the external seating area at the front has been completely re-paved and its furniture has been replaced, offering a bigger, more comfortable outside area.

Maxxium UK is embarking on an acceleration campaign to grow the sales of spirits over the next five years in both the on and off trade.

The spirits distributor has used findings from its largest ever category research project to develop 'A Winning Mixx' that it hopes will unlock the full potential sales of spirits which it has identified as a £585m sales growth opportunity for the on trade.

Maxxium has invested over £1 million in consumer and shopper research and analysis to identify the barriers to purchase, such as taste, strength, poor knowledge and issues with trial, which it believes can be removed resulting in increased sales. Six growth drivers have been identified; Discovery, recruiting non-spirits drinkers; Adventure: drive value by encouraging confident drinkers to trade up and for all spirits drinkers to broaden their repertoire; Refreshment: provide longer, lasting serves for occasions where refreshment is the motivation; Sharing: use spirits to bring both small and large groups where socialising is the motivation; Perfect experience: ensure perfect serve both in-home and at-bar; Positive spirits: educating and building the understanding of spirits.

Mark Riley, managing director of Maxxium UK, said, “A Winning Mixx presents a sustainable sales growth opportunity across the spirits industry.”

Part of the 'growth enablers' involved brands embracing technology as customers make more purchasing decisions using technology. Maxxium will also be optimising its promotions to establish how to achieve maximum return on promotions by analysing price points and mechanics.

More than 7,000 adults – both spirits and non-spirits alcohol drinkers – were surveyed, focusing on their purchasing behaviour in restaurants, bars and retail outlets. The survey also looked at their attitudes towards alcohol, specifically spirits.

TRADE OPTIMISM GROWING, SAYS SLTA SURVEY Scotland’s licensed trade is increasingly optimistic about their economic future and are committed to maintaining standards in the industry, according to the latest quarterly research from the Scottish Licensed Trade Association.

Over half of the respondents (56%) said that their business performance had either remained the same or grown by 10% in 2016, compared to the same period last year. Sixty eight per cent were optimistic that their business in June would either be the same or have grown by 10% year/year.

Despite economic pressures, the trade is committed to investment in people, with 95% of the trade investing or continuing with the training they have. As expected, rural or countryside locations continue to feel the most pressure, with 50% reporting year on year decline.

Food continues to be a growth area, with 45% of the market showing year on year growth. The rise of craft beer has also 6 DRAM JULY 2016

been reflected in the survey. Half of the respondents said they had experienced an increase in craft beer sales, nearly double the number of premises that reported a rise in total beer sales (26%).

Three quarters of respondents had increasing concerns about Government legislation, with 75% citing it and minimum wage legislation as their biggest challenges.

Paul Waterson, chief executive of the SLTA said, “For the first time we asked retailers about their investment in training, and despite the challenging economic conditions we are delighted to see retailers continue to invest in the future. Far from being a stop gap job, we are being successful at attracting people who want a long-term clearly defined career path. We see ourselves as an integral part of delivering Scotland’s ambitious food and drink plans.”

The quarterly Business Insight Survey from SLTA is made up from responses from over 700 on trade outlets from across Scotland.

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BRAND NEWS

ALL THE L ATEST BRAND NEWS

F1 VOOM FOR HEINEKEN

Beer

AMSTEL GOES ON TV IN UK Amstel has launched a new TV advert showcasing its Amsterdam provenance, marking the first time the lager brand has advertised on UK television. The ad, which aired during the Euro 2016 England/Slovakia game, tells the story of Jaap, the owner of Amsterdam’s smallest bar, and his ambition to turn it into Amsterdam’s biggest. Despite his bar only seating six people, Jaap spends his spare time collecting chairs. At home, he has over 400 chairs crammed into every nook and cranny. But for Jaap and his wife, living with so many chairs is

worth it…because once every few years, when the canals freeze over, Jaap’s tiny bar sprawls out onto the ice and becomes Amsterdam’s biggest.

It’s a place where the whole of Amsterdam comes together for an incredible time over a glass of Amstel.

David Lette, UK Brand director at Heineken, said, “Amstel has seen double digit growth in the UK on- trade each year for the past five years and shows no signs of slowing down. This new ad will showcase what we stand for, which is bringing people together for quality moments.”

F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, CEO of the Formula One Group, has been quoted as saying “When I have a beer, I have always been happy with a Heineken.” Now he has another reason to be happy with the news that Heineken has taken the three-year sponsorship of F1. Heineken won’t begin its sponsorship of the 2017 F1 season until next year but it will have visibility this year at the newly renamed Formula 1 Gran Premio Heineken d’Italia 2016, in Monza. It will have the presence for the entirety of its three-year F1 deal which sees Heineken become F1 Event Title Partner of three Formula 1 Grands Prix (GP). It will also have a significant presence at several additional F1 Events chosen by Heineken and Formula One Management. Heineken will be the exclusive Global Beer Partner of Formula 1 and will also have substantial pouring, activation and access rights across the majority of F1® Events in the FIA Formula One World Championship.

However. Heineken will not be visible on any F1 cars. The brand is creating fully integrated global campaigns around the sponsorship including an ‘Open your World’ manifesto and “If You Drive, Never Drink” campaign. David Coulthard and Sir Jackie Stewart will be ambassadors for the respective campaigns.

Bernie Ecclestone, added; “Heineken is a premium international brand with a super reputation for first class marketing. I am very pleased to welcome them to the Formula One family.”

CARLING BACKS DUNDEE UNITED

Tennent’s launches new founts Tennent’s Lager is launching six new founts.

The new founts feature iconic artwork from the brand’s 130 years of brewing history and include images of the Tennent’s Lovelies, the two pint glasses, ‘ThirsTy’ slogan, animated pint, the alphabeT and an art deco image of the brewery. More designs will be released so they can be tailored to suit the style and audience of Scotland’s diverse range of pubs, clubs, restaurants, hotels and entertainment venues. The founts will be previewed at T in the Park next month, and then rolled out across 150 pubs and bars across Scotland, with a full roll-out to follow later in the year.

In what is a market first, the fount casings are interchangeable, allowing the brand to

offer unique founts to help customers create a real talking point at the heart of their bar.

The introduction of the new founts follows the recent launch of Tennent’s newly designed glassware to the on-trade.

Paul Condron, Marketing Director at Tennent’s said, “We wanted to bring something new and exciting that would engage drinkers and further demonstrate our commitment to the Scottish on-trade. When we shared our ideas with customers and consumers, this design immediately stood out and the reaction was fantastic. The finished product is even better than we expected. The new founts will create a real talking point on the bar and ultimately drive sales which is what it’s all about.”

Carling is to be the official beer partner of Dundee United Football Club. For the next two seasons Carling will be granted exclusive pouring rights at Tannadice Park and the marketing rights to promote the association to the club’s global fan-base.

The new partnership marks the next chapter in Carling’s long-standing support for both Scottish and UK football.

Recently this has included Carling owner Molson Coors’ successful partnership with Sky, offering subscription discounts to publicans; plus the recently announced three-year sponsorship deal with the Premier League.

Molson Coors Director of Sales and Operations for Scotland Hugo Mills says, “We’re really excited to announce this new partnership with Dundee United, a Scottish club with a strong following and a rich heritage and history. The partnership presents us with an opportunity to connect with the team’s passionate fans and underlines our ongoing commitment to engaging with drinkers across Scotland.”

DRAM JULY 2016 9

BRAND NEWS Whisky

HI Spirits takes on Paddy Irish whiskey Hi-Spirits will now distribute Paddy Irish Whiskey, the world’s fourth biggest Irish whiskey brand, in the on and off trade and travel markets. It follows the acquisition of the Paddy brand by US spirits company Sazerac in May. Dan Bolton, managing director of Hi-Spirits, said, “Paddy is a wonderful fit with our existing portfolio. Both Irish and American whiskey have seen strong growth over recent years, and being able to offer our customers Paddy alongside the Buffalo Trace American whiskey portfolio is a significant development. We have a very successful track record in growing Sazerac brands, including Buffalo Trace and Fireball, in the UK market. The addition of Paddy, coming hot on the heels of Sazerac’s acquisition of Southern Comfort and Tuaca earlier this year, means it’s an exciting - and busy - time for Hi-Spirits.”

Wemyss Malts Midsummer launch

Wemyss Malts has just released a gathering of nine new single cask whiskies ranging from 18 to 27 years old to commenorate midsummer.

The single cask list includes “Arbor in Bloom” 1995 (20yo) single cask from Glen Grant Distillery, Speyside”; Summer Breeze” 1995 (20yo) single cask from Linkwood Distillery, Speyside; “Spiced Rum Baba” 1988 (27yo) single cask from Glenrothes Distillery, Speyside, “Banquet of Fruits” (21yo) single cask from Aberfeldy Distillery, Highlands and “Nuts about Pears” (24yo) single cask from Blair Athol Distillery, Highlands. William Wemyss, Founder and Managing Director at Wemyss Malts, commented: “As there are more hours of daylight today, we’ve released a larger batch of nine single casks to provide an opulent choice of drams to enjoy through the long evening light. From the topical “Summer Breeze” and “Fields of Barley” to “Arbor in Bloom” and “Banquet of Fruits”, all are ideal for joining in with the midsummer revelries.” Each cask is limited to only a few hundred bottles with suggested retail prices ranging from £80 to £150.

The Balvenie unveils the latest batch tun 1509 Balvenie’s Malt Master David Stewart MBE has expertly marries 31 casks to create a unique expression of craft with the Tun 1509 Batch 3. Following in the footsteps of the Tun 1509 Batches 1 and 2, The Balvenie Malt Master David Stewart MBE has now presented Tun 1509 Batch 3.

To create the much-anticipated Batch 3 of Tun 1509 – which will be limited to just 8,850 bottles worldwide with 835 in the UK – David drew on his extensive knowledge and expertly hand-selected 31 of the finest casks from the distillery’s precious aged stocks. He used 12 sherry butts distilled between 1989 and 1992, 11 American oak hogsheads distilled in 1989 and eight refill American Oak butts distilled in 1992 and 1993.

Commenting on the release of Tun 1509 Batch 3, David Stewart MBE said, “We have been overwhelmed by the positive reception and recognition that Batches 1 and 2 of Tun 1509 have received from the industry. We hope this limited release of Batch 3 will be received in a similar fashion as it possesses those familiar Balvenie characteristics that made previous batches so popular.” Higher strength at 52.2% and non-chill filtered, Batch 3 of Tun 1509 will be bottled in May and start appearing on shelves in the UK from 1st July 2016 at an RRP of £260.

OPEN HOUSE FOR FAMOUS GROUSE The Famous Grouse is running its Famous Grouse House for Edinburgh’s International Festival Fringe this August. It is also launching a ‘Famous Fridays’ headliner competition giving 4 lucky artists or bands the chance to win a headline slot like no other, and earn the right to say they have played at the Edinburgh Festival at the famous venue!

The George Street pop up bar will invite artists and bands over the age of 25 to submit their video entries to The Famous Grouse for an opportunity to win a prime time Friday slot and perform live on stage. The winners will be joined by some of Scotland’s best up and coming music acts and musical fringe performances at Venue 7, The New Town Theatre.

The Famous Grouse House is open daily from the 3rd to the 27th August, from 11am until midnight, with live music every day, situated outside New Town Theatre, Venue 7, 96 George Street.

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BRAND BRAND NEWS NEWS Cider

Gin

Scottish cider brandy from Thistly Cross

EDEN MILL TEES OFF WITH GOLF GIN

Strathearn Distillery and Scottish cidermaker, Thistly Cross, have created the world’s first Scottish cider brandy.

The spirit was released in small single cask batches of 200 bottles on the Summer Solstice. Ingredients in the spirit are sourced locally from the Scottish countryside and made into cider at Thistly Cross in East Lothian before being sent to Strathearn Distillery in the heart of Perthshire to be transformed into the final spirit.

Tony Reeman-Clark, founder of Strathearn Distillery, said, “Distilling cider was something I’d always been interested in, so I applied for a cider licence when I built the whisky distillery, just in case. The plan started to come together when I passed Thistly Cross on a train. I hadn’t realised that there was a cider maker in Scotland so, from that point, everything clicked into place. A few months later, Peter and I bumped into each other at an event in London and that’s when our cider brandy journey began!”

Peter Stuart, Head Cider Maker at Thistly Cross Cider, said, “Cider brandy tends to be produced in parts of the world with strong cider making heritage, such as the Calvados region in Normandy. Traditionally, Scotland hasn’t been thought of as a big producer of cider, but we’ve changed that perception in recent years. This, along with Scotland’s world-renowned spirits industry, spurred us on to try something new. We are both proud to be contributing to Scotland’s distilling heritage.”

SMIRNOFF CIDER GETS SET FOR AUGUST LAUNCH Smirnoff has entered the fruit cider market with two flavoured ciders mixed with Smirnoff vodka.

The new brand, Smirnoff Cider, will be available in two flavours - Raspberry & Pomegranate and Passionfruit & Lime, a lightly fizzed cider with a blend of crisp, fruit flavours combined with Smirnoff vodka. The 500ml bottles, will have an ABV of 4%, and will retail at £4.50 in the on-trade.

Packaged in a minimalistic clear glass bottle, the August launch will be backed by advertising and a digital and social media campaign.

Claire O’Neill, innovation commercialisation manager at Diageo GB, said, “There have been a number of innovations into the fruit cider category over the last few years, and as the market continues to grow in both the on and off trade channels, we still see that there is potential to grow the category even further. By entering into the Fruit Cider category under the strength of the Smirnoff brand name, and with two original flavour offerings, we’re confident Smirnoff will take cider to the next level.”

Eden Mill has added Golf Gin to its range of gins.

The new gin, inspired by the botanicals that grow in and around the coastal golf courses of Scotland, benefits from natural botanicals, including heather flower, liquorice root, red clover and juniper berries. The creation of the gin is also uniquely influenced by the ancient methods used by makers of golf clubs as it contains hickory wood - a botanical that gives the taste a bit of extra spice. Head distiller Scott Ferguson worked with the green keeper at The Royal Golf Course to discover a unique selection of botanicals for this limited edition batch.

Meanwhile the company has just won a design award for its core gin range packaging which was designed by Tangent Design. Tangent collaborated with illustrator, Pedro Oyarbide, to create a range of elegant illustrations depicting the ingredients used within each gin. The ingredients of each gin variant also inspire the colour palette for the designs. The gin range extends from classic Original Gin, to Love Gin, exhibiting botanicals of rose water, marshmallow root, goji berries and whole hibiscus flowers. Oak Gin, enhanced with sweet vanilla, spiced fruits and oak. As well as Hop Gin, a citrusy and unique flavour with a zesty freshness.

Commenting on the win, Founder of Eden Mill, Paul Miller said, “It’s fantastic that our bottles have been recognised in the design category.”

Rum GO COCONUTS FOR NEW MALIBU PINEAPPLE! Pernod Ricard UK have introduced Malibu rum variant Malibu Pineapple. It’s cocktail maestros mixed the ever-popular coconut rum with pineapple – and the suggested long serve is either with lemonade or orangeade. To celebrate the launch more than 1,000 phone boxes have been transformed into Malibu Pineapples – if you spot one, tweet or Instagram a picture to @MaliburumUK with #pineapplephonebox and #becausesummer.

DRAM JULY 2016 13

More quality live football More money in your tills

126

LIVE PREMIER LEAGUE GAMES VS 42 ON BT SPORT - PLUS NEW FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

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This season, we have more of the games that matter across more days of the week. That means more customers, staying longer, and spending more

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THOSE IN THE KNOW, KNOW

@MenabreaUK | WWW.MENABREA.CO.UK

Lager comes from the German word ‘lagern’ meaning ‘to store’.

Fr

ut

lowing facts ab f o ee

Tennent’s Lager was the official beer supplier to Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show in 1892, showing it had an early adoption of being involved in entertainment sponsorship.

Lager was first brewed in Scotland in 1884 by Hugh Tennent, at Tennent’s Breweries in Glasgow’s Duke Street. A year later, the first bottles of Tennent’s Lager came off the production line.

LAGER

Tsingtao, is distributed in the UK

by Halewood, and is heavily involved in Super bike sponsorship with its continued support for the Hampshire MV Agusta motorcycle racing team, which will see it compete in the MCE British Superbike Championship until the end of 2016. And you can win tickets to a round of the British Superbike Championships.

Check online at tsingtaobeer.co.uk/ competitions

In olden times, lager was known as a woman’s drink. Tenenit – the Egyptian god of beer – is female, as is the Zulu beer goddess, Mbaba Mwana Waresa.

Lager was discovered by brewers when they started the fermentation process in winter. They found that the ale yeast didn’t ferment well in the cold, so it found a different variant to hybridize with.

Heineken used the word ‘refreshment’ in its ads in 1974, which combined with unusually hot summers in 1975 and 1976, was the game-changer for the industry.

Suddenly lager started selling.

This summer Birra Moretti is sponsoring the Summer Nights festival in Glasgow in August at the Kelvingrove Band Stand. Acts appearing include Van Morrison, Idlewild, C Duncan, Primal Scream and Super Furry Animals

Coors Light is the fastest growing lager brand in the Top 10 in Scotland. The brand has seen sales rise 35%. And an agreement with the Universities of St Andrews, Glasgow and Dundee with Norther Services will see the brand become the official lager of more than 100,000 students.

35%

Italian lager brand Menabrea has teamed up with an Italian ice cream maker, La Gelatiera, to create a beerinfused ice cream.

The resulting “Grown up Gelato” tastes of ambrata lager and hints of Sorrento lemon and real ginger. It was launched by the brand using a bicyclemounted freezer full of the ice cream which made an appearance in Glasgow which resulted in hundreds of free tubs being handed out.

This autumn, Menabrea is launching ‘Brewspoke’ in Edinburgh, Manchester and London, which will give men the chance to own a beautiful fitted suit by inviting them to bring old suits to top tailors to have them trimmed and made to fit like new.

DRAM JULY 2016 17

Tennent’s are unveiling new founts this summer at T in the Park, which will be rolled out to pubs and clubs throughout Scotland thereafter. It’s the first major fount redesign in 8 years and they will feature iconic artwork from the brand’s 130 years of brewing history. The first founts highlight the Tennent’s Lovelies, the two pint glasses, ‘ThirsTy’ slogan, the animated pint, the alphabeT and an art deco image of the brewery. More designs will be released so they can be tailored to suit the style and audience of Scotland’s licensed trade.

From end of February 2014 to the end of February 2015 beer volume in Scotland declined by 2%.

The on-trade was down 4%. The downturn was partly caused by the introduction of new drink-drive legislation and last year’s poor summer. However since February sales have picked up again.

lowing facts abo f ee

Fr

ut

Tsingtao Beer also sponsors the Dragon Ping Pong events, unearthing talent from across the UK, and every now and again finding a new Dragon Master.

Brahma is Brazil’s oldest beer, this light lager is brewed in Rio and consumed in vast quantities.

Menabrea held a ‘Maestro

Classe’ at the Raven in Glasgow recently. Luthiers, people who make stringed instruments, came to the pub to talk about their profession, and the event was oversubscribed.

4%

LAGER

Lager ads from the 70s are still referenced today, such as “I bet he drinks Carling Black Label” and “Australians wouldn’t give a Castlemaine XXXX for anything else”.

1%

The rise of lager in the 1890s came from consumers wanting American and German lagers, so British brewers struggled to export its ‘beer’.

Carling is now the sponsor of the Premier League which will mean tickets and ‘money can’t buy’ prizes for the Scottish on-trade. Says Scottish boss Hugo Mills, “Most Scots back a premier league club, so this news should help drive footfall.”

Heineken forked out £28 million to have James Bond’s iconic vodka martini replaced with a Heineken in Skyfall.

18 DRAM JULY 2016

Lager only accounted for 1% of the beer sales market in 1961.

0.3%

Carling, the UK’s biggest selling lager, became Scotland’s number two by volume last year after growing by 22% in 2014. The brand, which is Scotland’s fastest growing standard lager, revealed it will be the official beer partner of Dundee United Football Club for the next two seasons. The new partnership, which also includes advertising space and full hospitality experiences for Carling guests, will continue to mark the next chapter in Carling’s long-standing support for Scottish and UK football.

Tennent’s is in 8 out of 10 pubs in Scotland and it accounts for almost 2 in every 3 pints of lager sold in the country. The company has 90 Trucks, which make 5,000+ deliveries a week.

According to Marketing Director of Tennent’s Paul Condron, “The latest market data from CGA highlights that in the last 12 weeks, draught lager in Scotland is declining at -3.2% However, we’re pleased to say our flagship brand Tennent’s Lager retains its position as Scotland’s favourite and has grown by 0.3% at a time when the top 10 other brands in the draught lager category have seen a decline.”

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20 DRAM JULY 2016

GOING FOR THE HOLY GRAIL! I

T is fair to say that the decision by John Macleod and his partner Lynne Jones to take a leap of faith – in their fifties – and open a seafood restaurant in a down-at-heel part of Glasgow just as the financial crisis hit, may have caused a few furrowed brows among their friends and families.

But eight years on, architect John (59) and yoga teacher Lynne (60) have certainly proved the naysayers wrong – the eponymous Crabshakk in Finnieston continues to flourish and their second venue, Table 11, just a few doors down, is also receiving rave reviews following its expansion and re-vamp back in March this year.

While John’s passion for design and also for fish – the latter spawned during his childhood, growing up on the Butt of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides – are key factors in the phenomenal success of both ventures, he insists that Lynne deserves just as much credit.

The couple also set huge store by their dedicated team of staff including head chef David Scott and Angela Sinclair (one of two general managers) – both of whom have been there since day one.

John trained at the Mackintosh School of Architecture in Glasgow and spent the 1980s working mostly on social housing then switched to focus on things like interiors, exhibition design, set design, and one-off projects. He spent a year working in California in 1995 before heading back to Scotland and working again on interiors, construction projects and, latterly, bar and restaurant projects.

But he had always harboured a desire to open a seafood restaurant and when a friend mentioned a property in the west end of Glasgow in 2008, he and Lynne decided to go for it.

John says, “It was slightly accidental really but I come from fishing people and I wanted to be part of that and I’d been talking Tabel 11 about the Crabshakk idea for a long number of years so we thought we would give it a go, even though we knew we might crash and burn. It was very much a decision for the two of us, whether we should do it and take the risk.

As it happens, it coincided with the collapse of Lehman Brothers – if ever there was a disastrous time for two rookies to launch a restaurant venture, we chose it. There was a lot of anxiety, maybe not so much with us, as with all our friends and family who must have thought we were going over the cliff. We were both slightly over 50 at the time but we thought, ‘Let’s go for it and see what happens and if it doesn’t work, we will do something else’.”

They spent five months transforming the former paper shop – aided by joiner Liam Duggan and metal worker Pat Moran – digging out the cellar to create kitchen space and building a mezzanine floor to boost their covers to 55. John says it was a “tight, wee team” and it certainly must have been – given that they were all working in a space which is only four metres wide and around 12 metres deep. Despite the constraints, John’s design, including a pristine bar in white

BY ANNABELLE LOVE

corian resin and reclaimed timber table tops gives the place a fresh, airy feel. Grainy black and white photographs – scenes from Lewis including him and his brother Iain (61) fishing as boys – complete the look and are an appropriate homage to island life.

John explains, “Every single bit has to have a wee function. It’s rustic modern. The forms are very clearly modern but we used friendly, tactile materials like reclaimed timber. There are very slick surfaces too – like the bar – and the two working together is a good combination. It looks like a place that sells seafood. I was also quite keen to condense the experience because of the size of the place.

What it does is, it sets up its own great atmosphere, very intimate, sometimes very noisy, very buzzy, which is what you want in this type of establishment.”

They opened on Friday, February 13, 2009 – not the most auspicious of dates – but his brother was there to drink the first Espresso they ever made (it was Iain’s birthday) and the Crabshakk was soon very much on the map.

John recalls, “The intention was that we would be helping a lot – Lynne had some experience running front of house and we got a lot of good advice from friends.

I wasn’t exactly sure what I would be doing apart from enthusing about the product but within a few weeks it was pretty clear that this was going to become a professional event and we were kind of slung out by the staff really. We just had a real blast for the first six months, everybody was working round the clock, we were really busy and it was a really exciting time. Lynne is very much part of the project. She is easily half of the powerhouse that drives this and to underestimate that, is to underestimate what it takes to start a business and to run one.”

The couple wrote the menu together and eight years later, it still has the same core dishes, including seared scallops with anchovies, home cured gravadlax and shellfish chowder, as well as 20 specials each day. The seafood comes from all over Scotland – from Shetland mussels to Uist crab and langoustine, all the way down both coasts, while the white fish comes through the main markets in the North East.

John says, “One of the great things about the menu is that so many people know it intimately and they have their own favourites. There’s no question that people can use the Crabshakk in two different ways, at an affordable level but it can also cater for someone who wants to have a luxurious time and we have a great range of wines which complement the products.”

They acquired their second venue – known as Table 11 because Crabshakk has ten tables and that initially had just one long table in it – a year later and were due to launch in 2010. John jokingly refers to it now as “the famously difficult second album” because on the eve of opening, a structural problem with the building it is in DRAM JULY 2016 21

Tabel 11

GOING FOR THE HOLY GRAIL!

came to light – and they were forced to close for two years. It finally opened in 2012, selling fish tapas-style dishes, but closed briefly at the beginning of this year after John and Lynne got the place next to it and knocked through to create more of a standalone restaurant, boosting their covers to 45. Fish is still the predominant ingredient but there is more of a twist - lobster dumplings in Laksa broth or charred monkfish cheeks with a corn and pineapple salsa – as well as mackerel and Loch Fyne oysters.

John says Table 11 is the same but different as Crabshakk – and it is easy to see why. The gleaming white bar and the wooden table tops are very similar but the way the space is configured and the lighting (including 1930s Czech factory scissor lights), inky black walls and lacquered sheets of metal gives it more of a mellow feeling, especially in the evening. He explains, “I like the fact that with the Crabshakk everything is contained in one volume, the nice contrast at Table 11 is that you have a bar and a dining room and I think people are enjoying that. You can see that the bar is there, you can see that there is a buzz, but if you want to have a quieter time, you can do so as well.”

John still works as an architect and recently finished working on an

22 DRAM JULY 2016

old Italian cafe, The Lido, back in his home town of Stornoway, but he loves being a licensee too and pops in to see the staff most mornings.

He says, “It’s been just an incredibly enriching experience for me and Lynne to have these places which hopefully give much enjoyment and pleasure, and also the relationships we’ve had with our staff are incredible. It’s been a thrill actually, and I think we’re very proud of what we’ve achieved in terms of the quality of the food too.”

He adds, “Restaurant design is about so many things – it’s not just about a place looking great. It’s about getting people to feel really comfortable where they are, regardless of which corner of an interior they are in.

“You’ve got to be careful that nobody is missing out. It’s a very, very subtle business, which is why it’s so all consuming, much more involving than many other interiors and building types. You really have to drill in to what makes customers feel they want to be somewhere – not what is peer to peer impressive.

“The combination of food, interiors, staffing and ambience – we all know that that’s the Holy Grail for everybody. If you start getting some of that magic you are lucky because it’s not easy to do.”

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DRAM AWARDS Compere Tom Stade It’s now the countdown to the 2016 Scottish Bar and Pub Awards.

While our mystery shoppers and judges are out trying to figure who is worthy of the top accolades, you may want to be looking out your outfit for the our 21st bash with our theme this year being distinctly Brazilian in nature.

We may not be in Rio, but we sure are trying to make our event feel like you are there.

Our compere for the evening is Tom Stade, while we will be entertained by Brazilian dance troup Eletrica. So get out your feathers, put on some green and yellow and get ready to samba!

21Years of celebrating excellence

Tuesday 16th August, Hilton, Glasgow Book your table now! ÂŁ1100 per table / ÂŁ110 per ticket inclusive of VAT

Limited tickets available on a first come, first served basis.

Call 0141 221 6965 to purchase yours.

Food wholesaler of the year Drinks wholesaler of the year Beer brand owner/distributor of the year Spirit brand owner/distributor of the year

in the Scottish Licensed Trade

Punch own a number of venues across the east of Scotland are pleased to showcase our new Investment with Harry Ramsdens at The Three Bridges, South Queensferry.

Our investments span across a number of developments across Scotland within its leased & tenanted pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels.

Operations director Brian Davidson said: “We have over 200 sites in Scotland and are committed to working in partnership with our publicans to build a flourishing pub and hotel estate. Scotland boasts a wealth of talented entrepreneurs who are looking to develop their own business, and we can offer a range of quality sites together with the backing and support of a major national operator.”

Over recent months, Punch has invested £500k in developing the 16 bedroom Crown Hotel in Stornoway and £1 million in the 24 bedroom Portree Hotel on the Isle of Skye. Both venues are finalists in the Scottish Hotel Awards 2016.

During 2016, the company plans to further develop key hotel sites in the North, Central Belt and Borders along with a number of pub sites throughout Scotland.

Not for you?

But you know someone who’d be perfect…

You could earn £3000 if you recommend someone who takes a Pub with Punch.

T & C’s apply.

For further information regarding Business Opportunities contact Sandi 01283 501999 or view our website at www.punchtaverns.com

HARRY BRIDGES THE GAP! Pictured: Joe Teixeira (center), Mike Glancy (left) and Michael Brown (right)

INTERVIEW

BY SUSAN YOUNG

HARRY RAMSDEN’S IS NOW OPEN AT SOUTH QUEENSFERRY’S THREE BRIDGES, BUT MORE TO THE POINT IT IS THE FIRST PUB THAT THE COMPANY HAS OPENED IN SCOTLAND. SUSAN YOUNG CAUGHT UP WITH BOSS JOE TEIXEIRA, CHIEF EXECUTIVE AT BOPARAN VENTURES LTD - THE COMPANY BEHIND HARRY RAMSDEN’S AND OWNED BY RANJIT SINGH BOPARAN - TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HARRY RAMSDEN’S PLANS FOR SCOTLAND.

H

arry Ramsden’s at the Three Bridges is now open for business. The move marks Harry Ramsden’s first foray into the Scottish licensed trade, with partners Punch. And to mark the occasion, boss Joe Teixeira paid a visit to South Queensferry for the opening party.

The brand may be better known for selling fish and chips rather than alcohol, but that is set to change as Joe reveals that this could be the first of many pubs for the company.

He told me, “We opened one in Chesterfield in March, but this is our first in Scotland and our largest. We looked at a number of Punch outlets but we really wanted one that we felt would show us at our best, and this is the perfect location.”

The new Harry Ramsden’s at The Three Bridges certainly is a fine looking pub. Boasting a conservatory and bar area, it also has an upstairs area, which will be used for private functions. The whole venue looks bright and airy, and has been well finished.

While the view from The Three Bridges is spectacular, the tradition of fish and chips by the seaside is in with the bricks.

Says Joe, ‘I fell in love with it, and it was in good condition and really it was a perfect fit. We have invested in enhancing the premises, for instance we have put new decking outside which we think will make it more user friendly in the summer.

It feels like being beside the seaside.”

The company is on an expansion drive and this new pub is the first of quite a few that Joe is planning. But it hasn’t all been plain sailing. Joe explains, “I was brought into the company in 2011 with a simple brief to reposition the brand. First of all we did some consumer research. We needed to find if the brand was still relevant. It was, although the research showed we needed to invest in it. So that is what we have done. I have spent the last three years repositioning Harry Ramsden’s and turning it round.”

He continues, “2015 saw us get ready to position ourselves for growth, and this year it is all about delivering growth. Our ambition is to open 15 new places, in a variety of formats.

But the pub format is a key driver. By 2020 we aim to have 300 sites and we have designated Scotland as a priority market. We would like to have 30 here, and we are looking at prominent locations in city centres, for instance the Royal Mile. But we will stretch the brand to fit in with the locality of the places that the pubs are. We won’t lose sight of what a pub means to the locals.”

The new feel Harry Ramsden’s doesn’t just offer fish and chips, but is now more of a casual dining offering. Says Joe, “We offer everything from salads to burgers, but we don’t do pizza. In local areas we will tweak the menus.

DRAM JULY 2016 27

HARRY BRIDGES THE GAP! For instance, here we have battered Haggis on the menu.

It’s all about the customer and what they want. Our motto is “the customer is at the centre of everything we do.”

He has honed that philosophy during his extensive career in retail. He worked his way up from being a graduate trainee at Whitbread, through various companies including Burger King, Bella Italia, Greenalls Pubs and Restaurants, where for a time he was Operations Director, and De Vere Hotels. He continued to rise through the ranks with each appointment before deciding to branch out on his own and bid for the Pitcher & Piano estate. But, as Joe explains, it wasn’t all plain sailing. “Although I got a lot of support from the City - and we were close to completing the deal - then came September 11. The world basically changed.

Investors became nervous and the deal fell through.”

Instead, he joined John Lewis and worked for Gareth Thomas, who at the time was trading director.

Says Joe, “He really enthused me.

I thought I would stay 2 or 3 years but instead I stayed 10. It was a fabulous organisation to work for and it was definitely the best organisation I’ve ever worked for in terms of looking after its people and its principles.”

Joe became Head of Food Service for the customers and staff restaurants and the Waitrose Cafe. He also set up the John Lewis food halls. When his mentor Gareth retired, Joe stayed on for one more year. Says Joe, “When Gareth retired, he said to me, “You are good enough to be CEO.” So I started looking around for a new role and this one appealed to me. Boparan Ventures had bought Harry Ramsden’s and was looking for someone to turn it around.

But after I started working with the company, I realised that Harry Ramsden’s was in a worse state than even I imagined.”

He explains, “Harry Ramsden’s biggest challenge was to rejuvenate the brand without losing its DNA. We had to make it relevant to people today without losing its loyal customer base. When I took over, 80% of its customers were above 60 years old, now 40% are over 60! More families come and 10% of our customers are teenagers.

The brand was also perceived as being “poor value”. It’s not that it was expensive, but our research showed that the food portion sizes were too small. So we increased our portions 28 DRAM JULY 2016

from 12oz to 14oz and our sales went up right away.” He continues, “We do quite a bit of research, but you have to have a gut feeling. It may not, however, always resonate with the customers. That’s why you need to have fresh ideas. Of 10 new ideas, perhaps only one will work. I have to admit, I get impatient. I like things turned around quickly.

That’s why I believe in recruiting the right people. That’s definitely my biggest challenge. You can spend millions on getting the right look, but you have to have people who can deliver the vision.” Joe has always been a hands on boss, and he still is. He says, ‘I can’t engage with every customer, but I expect my staff to engage with their customers. We use NBA Analytics, which gives us real-life feedback. It analyses all online activity - including Twitter and Facebook - that refers to us, and this information is sent directly to our operations director on a daily basis. We are the first people in the UK to use it. I get the details sent to me on a weekly basis and present it to the board – the good, bad and the ugly. The majority of my customer complaints are resolved within seven days and I analyse our customers complaints every week. It keeps everyone on their toes, no one wants to do a bad job. When it becomes a chore for people to go to work then it is time either to re-energise or move onto a new challenge. If someone Three Bridges is slipping we can resolve it in ¾ of the cases. In my view, there are bad managers not bad staff.”

Joe also believes in working with familiar faces. He has worked with Mike Glancy now Commercial Director at Boparan Ventures Ltd for 25 years, while his Head of Food is Michael Brown, a Glaswegian who also goes back some way with him. In fact, Joe tells me, “He’s actually in the kitchen helping with the food for tonight.”

Joe expects to be in Scotland a lot more over the next few months as he looks for new locations. Says Joe, “We have people who go round and assess properties, and then Mike Glancy puts together a commercial proposition and I’ll come up and have a look. It does involve a lot of travelling, but then, some folk say I’m more Scottish than them, despite being Portuguese! But really I’m more of a Londoner. I do love Scotland and I think there is lots of potential here.”

92 W George St, Glasgow G2 1PJ

THE SHILLING BREWING CO. DESIGN FOCUS

T

he Shilling Brewing Company (SBC) opened its doors in Glasgow with much fanfare last month, and owners Glendola Leisure have spent upwards of £1.5 million on its creation.

Walking in, you’d be forgiven for forgetting that you are actually standing in a fully functioning brewery. The ceilings are high, the walls are cast in a luminous marble, and the sparkle from the copper on the bar mixed with light grey tones around the rest of the pub makes it more of a stylish bar or hotel lobby. But when you look on the left, as close to the ceiling as possible, there are eight tuns brewing one of the three house brews; Glasgow Red, Unicorn IPA or The Steamie. In front of them there is the bar gantry, which stretches three quarters of the width of the pub. The actual workings of the brewery are closeted behind dark grey panelling, while the bar itself is covered in a marble-effect covering. The panelling has a splash of bright blue dripping down it, which seems like an oversight until an explanation from Euan Robb, group sales manager of Glendola, who says, “I thought it was just

BY MAIRI CL ARK

a design thing, but when I asked about it, it connects with other parts of the design around the pub. There are four elements that make up beer; the blue signifies water, hops which are designed on the brocade, yeast which is used in the dough and malt which is both behind the bar and used in the beer. Having said that, absolutely no one has asked me about it since I found out!”

Along the bar there are three fount banks of 8 draught beers. Each tap is numbered, not branded, and at the front of the bank, there is a seethrough section where the customer can see the colour and transparency of each beer before they purchase. That’s not to say that Shilling is a pub that aims to cater for just craft beer drinkers. It still carries Tennent’s and Guinness and, while its range of gins, whiskies and wines is smaller than most pubs, it was the demystification of craft beer that was a key focus for Glendola when coming up with the concept of The Shilling Brewing Company. Euan says, “We wanted something very different from what people would expect from a brewpub. As you can see by the design, it’s very DRAM JULY 2016 29

female friendly and our HR and recruitment people were keen on getting staff who were passionate about craft beer.”

Looking around Shilling, you can barely recognise its predecessor, Horton’s. The mezzanine floor with a sweeping staircase is gone, and the entire interior has been stripped back to its beautiful Edwardian architecture. The pale cream marble build is now visible, and the entire pub benefits from the waves of sunlight that stream in from the floor to ceiling windows. The main floor of the pub is broken up by a pattern of tables. Two high, chest-height, long tables seating six either side, are matched with a dozen, wooden backed high chairs then a spattering of square, metal topped lower tables with either copper brown stools or black armchairs with SBC patterned cushions. Then flanked by another high table again, you’re led into the raised area by copper handrails, with sable grey curtains on each wall.

Both walls have a blue brocade covered banquette (where 30 DRAM JULY 2016

the hops feature), with square metal covered tables and black armchair. In the middle of the raised area, there are a mixture of square and round metal covered tables, with black armchairs. The wooden stripped floor has been stamped faintly with the SBC logo, randomly enough to look like the strips have been reused from packing crates.

The pièce de résistance, though, is in the raised area, A 20 ft painted unicorn painted in dark, gothic greys on the left wall dominates the room.

Says Euan, “A lot of people don’t realise that the unicorn is Scotland’s national animal.

When we started talking about it as a design, all the boys were thinking My Little Pony, but the result is vastly different!”

The far back of the pub houses the pizza kitchen serving artisan pizza, made fresh in a cupola oven using dough raised with brewers’ yeast. The pizza offering was a key part too.

Euan says, “We wanted to do food and thought what goes well with beer? Pizza.”

This whole area is open to the customers and there’s a trio

J. A. LEASK

architects 23C Dundas Street, Edinburgh, EH3 6QQ 0131 556 1020

admin@jaleaskarchitects.co.uk www.jaleaskarchitects.co.uk

Leisure Licensed Trade Interior Design Architectural Services Project Management

of tables if you want to have a closer look. Pizza is going to be offered until midnight on a Friday and Saturday, when the pub is open until 2am.

On the other side of the panelling, there’s another blue covered banquette, which would seat around six people.

Towards the bar, there’s another booth, this one slightly more in the recess. Says Euan, “We want people to have a choice of where to sit. Some people are fans of high tables when they’re eating while others are more settled at a table with armchairs, it’s about mixing it up.” There is no function room as such, but Euan is keen to say their tasting room, that is downstairs and sits a mere six people, is something they’re planning on packaging for customers. He says, “It’s got a widescreen TV, which you can hook up a projector or a laptop to. It’s not open to the public, but we will put together offers. We’ve actually had a few of our own meetings here.”

The entire construction job cost £1.5 million and took 16 weeks from the last week in January, which makes sense given that they had to put plumbing in for the brewery and strip the insides of Horton’s back. “So far, reviews have been good,” Euan says. “At the moment we’re competing with the football, but we’re still getting very busy. We’re very happy.”

To have a real live brewery in the city centre is certainly something to be happy about, and Shilling Brewing Company proves craft beer drinkers are just as styleconscious as the rest of the drinking population.

DRAM JULY 2016 31

Dreel Tavern SEEKS A STAR LICENSEE

KEY FEATURES • Tourist Opportunity • Even Revenue Between Food & Drink

With flagstone floors and beamed ceilings, the Dreel Tavern in the famous fishing village of Anstruther is bursting with character and charm. Its location less than 10 miles from St Andrews and great reputation for quality food and cask ale, mean it’s a top destination for tourists, locals and golfers alike. Its traditional exterior and prime location near the seafront give the Dreel Tavern huge potential to build on existing trade, especially from tourists.

• Support Package Available • Outdoor Trading Area

This pub is available with a fantastic support package including our Business Start-Up Agreement. The mix of food and drink on offer would suit a food-led operator with an eye for high standards, passionate about taking this historic pub forward with a focused offering. Engaging with both local people and the vast tourist trade is key, so an understanding of these different customer segments is also desirable.

TO FIND OUT MORE, VISIT STARPUBS.CO.UK OR CALL 0500 94 95 96 ESTIMATED LESSEE PROFIT

£24,953

180 Leith Walk, Edinburgh

THE MOUSETRAP DESIGN FOCUS

T

rainspotting fans beware. If you're planning a trip down memory lane by visiting the old pubs featured, swerve The Volunteer Arms. Although The Volunteer Arms, the fusty old pub where Begbie launched an assault has already had one makeover - when PG Taverns bought it in 2014 and renamed it The Cask & Still - its latest reincarnation will have the fans of the 'Volley Arms' distraught.

That's said, we think the boys from Trainspotting would like it.

BY MAIRI CL ARK

The bare skeleton of the Cask & Still is there, but there's been a fairly major refurbishment or should we say a de-refurbishment.

The Mousetrap, as it's now known, has achieved the kind of shabby, junk shop chic that other pubs have attempted for many years.

Even as you approach the 'dive bar', you know you're in for something a bit different. On the corner of Springfield Street and Leith Walk, quirky game-inspired graffiti decorate the exterior.

DRAM JULY 2016 33

On the Springfield Street wall, there is a duo of Pac Men, with a parodied quote from Trainspotting, “Picture the scene: The other f*!?$n' week down The Mousetrap...” accompanying an artist's impression of Robert Carlyle's Begbie. On the actual corner, there's a cartoon drawing of Top Cat. Entering the bar, your aural senses are battered with the sheer amount of images that surround you. It's was like stepping back into my childhood. An image of the patient from Operation is depicted on the ceiling, so large we struggled to get a photograph! All the art has been done by artist Will McEvoy, a local artist and a friend of the company. Iain Pert, director of PG Taverns, says, “He just kept coming up with ideas, it was almost like 'we're running out of space'.”

Used, empty spirit bottles line the window ledges, while each table holds a retro game, (think Trivial Pursuit, Kerplunk, Cluedo and Connect4). The bar front is lined with old floorboards, on which a spraypainted Mousetrap logo has randomly been embossed, but not in a formal way. The high-backed seats that partner each table are mismatched and scruffy, but work as the entire place looks shabby. Attached to the ceiling are – I'm told

by Iain – 300 real mousetraps, which brings us to the overall theme – retro games. It's almost a quiz in itself to try and guess which games have inspired each bit of décor.

Behind the bar, there's a Wheel of Fortune-style spinner that is used when customers ask for shots, it's a random shot they get. What's more, it's in a random glass. You get whatever glass the bartender takes off the shelf. It could be a jam jar, a Martini glass or a rocks glass.

In the far corner of the bar, there's a visual trickery piece of artwork of a Rubik Cube. Opposite the bar, there is a piece from Mousetrap, the arm that swings to knock the diver off his board.

As you go down into the games room, there's a Snakes and 34 DRAM JULY 2016

Ladders fabric board on the wall, next to a macabre, Mickey Mouse outline in blood red with a mousetrap on top, as if to mean he's been caught. The bath from the Mousetrap is to the right and the actual trap from the game enacts as a lampshade.

You're then led into a snug booth called The Jungle Nook that is decorated in various shades of green and purple, making a jungle setting. Inside the games room, you're bestowed with a vision that would make any game freak's day - five genuine, retro gaming machines Pac Man, Sega Mega rally, Operation Walt 3, NBA Pinball and multy player Super Mario Super Heroes. The wall adjacent is decorated like a level of Tetris, and a leather sofa takes the corner next to two tables and six chairs that offer a 'waiting area' for what is inevitably a popular part of the pub.

Pert says of the refurbishment, “We knew what we wanted to do, create a dive bar, but whenever you say that to people they think 'a dive' as in rubbish. We want this to be a 'living' bar in that it constantly evolves.

The Mousetrap name came from one of the staff, but we wanted it to be all about the games so it was perfect.”

The bar's food offering is in keeping with its theme. It only offers, what are essentially, cheese toasties. Each is named after a character from a game, and staff make them in the small catering kitchen behind the bar. “The whole idea is that it's very informal,” says Pert. It could be that you ask for a toastie and the staff are too busy, so they'll say 'come back in ten minutes'.

The evolution of the pub is such that The Mousetrap is looking at painting the tops of the tables with the actual game boards.

“That's how it should be,” says Pert. “Every time you come in, you should notice something new.”

The quirkiness of The Mousetrap has definitely caught gamers’ imaginations, but if you’re looking to catch the real thing, give Graham Environmental Services on the next page a call!

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JOHN VALLANCE The Seafood Experts Proud suppliers to VinYard 28.

Congratulations to Lawrence and the team.

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28 Vinicombe Street, Glasgow, G128BE

VINYARD 28 DESIGN FOCUS

B

ooly Mardys is a West End institution, but quite a small space, so it was intriguing to be invited by Lawrence McManus to see his transformation of the space into VinYard 28. In its original form, Bloody Mary’s, it was a hotbed of flirty, Friday nights and was one of the first places in the west end to really start offering cocktails to the masses. Lowlit candles and corners to skulk in, it hasn’t really shaken off that image. What McManus has done is completely open up the space by peeling it back to what it would have originally been: a 1930s building. The first change you notice is outside, gone is the wooden block fencing around the outside drinking area, to be replaced by quaint, white picket fencing, interspersed with decorative green shrubs. The picket fence was McManus’s idea. “The white picket fencing was something I wanted to do for a long time,” he says. “It was actually Simon (Green, McManus’s partner) who made it happen. He’s the one who makes things happen. We were a couple of nights away from opening, and I mentioned I wanted the fence. Once I explained the whole New England style, he got it. He’s one of those people who makes things happen, he doesn’t let anything stand in his way, so one day later, it was there!”.

Green is intrinsic to the way McManus runs the portfolio of businesses that now includes Old Salty’s in Byres Road, Epicures and Nick’s. McManus says, “I come up with the ideas, and he runs the businesses.”

Inside VinYard 28, the interior couldn’t be any different to Booly Mardy’s. The first thing you notice is that the cumbersome pillars that have been a feature at the far end of the bar for over a decade are gone, opening up a much larger seating area. “They were blocking the flow of the room,” he says. The bright airy cream walls have gone, replaced by a dark blue/grey colour that should make the room dark, but doesn’t. McManus credits the lighting for this. He says, “The lighting here was dreadful. We completely replaced everything bar the strip of ceiling lights at the far end of the bar. We’ve put dimmer

8

BY MAIRI CL ARK switches in which have been difficult to source because of the lights that we used.”

The lights are the start of a recycling story. The lights around the bar are actually old Czech station lights which were rescued items from Charlie Rocks, the predecessor to Old Salty’s. The antique lighting that lines the walls are the ones that are proving difficult to find dimmers for, but that – again is something that Green is dealing with.

The formal tables and chairs have been replaced with in the centre of the room four benches that each seat two with two tables paired with each pair. These benches are also refugees from another of McManus’s ventures. He says, “I got these tables made by Paul Hodgkiss when I had AntiPasto in Edinburgh. They’re beautifully made with slate inlays, so when I sold that, I thought ‘I’m not getting rid! I had already in mind the style I wanted for here [VinYard 28] so it was fortunate I had them in storage.”

The same goes for the colour on the walls, McManus admitted the same colour had been used on Nick’s, so he knew it worked.

The most dramatic change is the back wall, opposite the bar.

Each reinvention of the space has covered it up, but McManus was keen to put a real fire in the bar, and therefore had to strip the wall back completely. When his builders started to peel it back, they discovered the original stunning brickwork, dating back to when the building would have originally been a 1930s house. Amazingly, they discovered that there was already a real hearth that had been boarded up for decades. He says, “I had in my mind a real fire and had already challenged the builders to work out how we built one with a flue and everything, so that they found one saved a hell of a lot of work.”

The builders uncovered three-quarters of the brickwork, which was sandblasted, and then partially plastered to give a ‘distressed’ look. The booths put in place by Mark Tracey, who McManus bought VinYard 28 off, have been torn out, with the same burgundy leather banquettes realigned against the

Wishing Lawrence and the team every success.

Graham’s The Family Dairy, Airthrey Kerse Farm, Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire FK9 4RW Tel: 01786 833206

www.grahamsfamilydairy.com DRAM JULY 2016 37

Proud to supply VinYard 28.

Congratulations to Lawrence and the rest of the team

38 DRAM JULY JUNE 2016 2016

wall, facing tables and hard-backed chairs. The ledge at the window remains, with original Booly Mardy’s bar stools, but with a McManus twist. In the centre of the backing leather, the upholsterer has stitched a square of Harris Tweed. The same chairs are paired with high tables next to the toilets. There are more tables and chairs than before and that is indicative of McManus’s plan to make VinYard 28 a food destination venue. As a result, he has invested in more kitchenware and reorganised the kitchen to enable the bar to do actual meals rather than snacks. He says, “It had become somewhere that you wouldn’t think of going to for a meal, so I want that to change.”

Bar-wise, McManus has re-organised the bar, chopping five foot off the bar, to create a corner area at the window.

The wall behind the bar had been covered with a full-length gantry, so when that was taken away, the bare stone of the wall was discovered. A smaller gantry has been created and a trio of recycled wooden framed mirrors decorate the stone walls, which were sandblasted. The bar’s frontage has been recovered with a dark wood from Glasgow Wood Recycling and covered with a ‘bendy MDF’ that looks similar to corrugated cardboard, although more delicate. New bar chairs are sturdy dark silver iron with olive green leather cushions and backs.

McManus says, “I wanted to create a corner for people to sit in. There should always be a corner, so you get people vying to get the corner.”

McManus’s idea for a corner has already proved successful.

He laughs, “We already have a regular, Jack Ferguson. He’s 73 and was actually born in this building, and has drunk in all the bars in Byres Road, so he’s been telling us some great stories!”. As for the name? “I’m not a fan of numbers, but it worked in this case. The ‘Vin’ comes from Vinicombe Street and this is number 28, so... the yard came from the newly refurbished street and the changes that are taking place around here, so it’s our yard.”

DRAM JULY 2016 39

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GET INSPIRED

BY NATURAL DESIGN DESIGN FEATURE

BY ANNABELLE LOVE

I

T is not rocket science to suggest that how a bar or restaurant looks and see the creation and people in it, actually enjoying it – those are and feels has a major impact on the type of customers it attracts, probably my favourite parts of the job. whether or not they will keep on coming back – and ultimately how “We create interiors for people, we don’t create them for anybody successful it is. else but the customers going into them and enjoying them. We’ve So it is no surprise either that a whole industry has grown up around got to put something into practice and to see the consumer who we the design and development of new builds and the refurbishment of targeted for a specific unit spending time in a relaxed atmosphere everything from wee, intimate pubs through to luxury five-star hotels. or a dance atmosphere or whatever, that’s what gives you the buzz.

Much like trends in so many other aspects of our lives – clothing, food, “We treat ourselves as a consultancy, so we look at the demographics music – certain ‘looks’ are hot right now when it comes to the licensed of the area and our client’s needs through their offer and then we trade and others perhaps a bit more passé but take strands through that and the local area and one thing is clear, if you have a vision, there is so on and build a brief around that, taking into a talented designer out there who can make it consideration things like client base and what happen. else the area already has to offer. It’s all very Globalisation and the rise in foreign travel means much job-specific. that there are more cultural influences coming “We basically follow the client’s needs and through from other parts of the world and this hopefully produce a package to amalgamate can often be a source of inspiration for new bars, their offer and the interior into something that is restaurants and hotels. contemporary, vibrant and will attract people and Science also has a part to play – two years ago, do the best for them. We have to make sure we for example, a major study in London, the Campo are unique and not replicating other offers in the Viejo Colour Lab experiment, found that changing area so that we are putting our client at the top the colour and music in an environment could of the food chain.” improve the taste of wine by up to 15 per cent.

Adam, who works on projects valued at anything Red light and sweet music apparently boosted from £100,000 to around £4million, says he enjoyment, bringing out fruitier notes, while green The Atlantic takes inspiration from everywhere – and admits lighting improved freshness according to the he can’t help casting a critical eye over interiors 3,000 people who took part in the trial. even when he is out socialising.

There are plenty of fun elements to the process He adds, “Certainly if we’re looking at installation of opening up a bar, but the interior design aspect art pieces and all sorts we take them from can prove tricky and yet it is one of the key factors everywhere. You might see a post box one day, in making customers feel comfortable. for example, and think, ‘I could make that into a Recent trends were very much about the impact light fitting.’ of craft beers, with an emphasis on reclaimed In terms of current trends, he says that the materials like wood and steel and up-cycled industrial look is still proving popular – even furniture, rather than going for brand new though it might be regarded by some as a bit old everything. At the other end of the spectrum, New hat. Colonial influences and Scandinavian themes York-style bars were also popular, channelling a are also coming into design. more luxurious feel with marble, granite and LED Adam says, “A lot of people are still replicating a lighting used to set the mood. very hard industrial feel which I personally think Adam Tibbats, a director at Tibbats Abel, says his is a bit done and dusted but we have also seen favourite part of the process is literally walking a lot more vibrant colours coming through for into a place and ‘feeling’ the space before coming Boclair House Hotel the summer. We always try to create a lot of up with a series of ideas to put to the client – mood through lighting anyway but I think things and then going back at the end of the project and seeing how it has are moving into a more of a neutral palette but a lot lighter again, a actually come to life. lot fresher, punching the colour through the fabrics and the furniture, He also spends time considering issues like the demographics of an rather than these sort of dark timber and steel influences that are a area, the client base and what is already on offer. bit old hat. They can still look good though, especially if they are still Adam explains, “We are very conceptual and we do like to treat done well and maybe have another twist to them, whether it is a punk each job as an independent job and follow suit with the nature of twist or something like that.” the building, what will complement it in the best way. My favourite While the market is buoyant and has certainly improved over the part of design is the conceptual design, walking into a space for the last 18 months, money is not everything when it comes to design first time, feeling the space and working with how we feel it will best projects. In fact, if the budget for a small space is excessive it could suit the offer that the client needs and then conceptualising that and mean that the licensee will struggle to earn enough money to repay presenting it. Stage one, and then the final stage, when you walk in loans and investors.

DRAM JULY 2016 41

GET INSPIRED

BY NATURAL DESIGN Adam explains, “Everything needs to be thought of in terms of creating and I think they get real enjoyment from the positive feedback when good profit margins for the client and making sure they can get their their customers tell them how much they have improved a place, investment back over a period of time. We design anything from fiveparticularly when it’s a refurbishment rather than a new project. It star hotels to small budget pubs but obviously everything is specific can be stressful for them when it gets to the end of a project but to the volume of customers they are going to get through and their there’s a very enjoyable aspect to it too. We try and help with the offer.” enjoyable side.”

Just as with our homes, it is important to keep re-investing in a The benefits of designers and clients working closely together is venue to keep it looking fresh – but that can mean relatively simple perfectly illustrated by a recent collaboration between Gillian Morris touches like a lick of paint, fitting new flooring or having furniture reof the Davidson Baxter Partnership and Angela Pert, of PG Taverns upholstered.

Scotland Limited, on country bar The Fork & Field, in Mid Calder, Decor should obviously reflect the core values of Livingston. a bar, restaurant or hotel, so it is worth thinking Angela saved around £30,000 on furniture and about whether you want to create a homely, lighting by sourcing items herself – before asking family-friendly place, somewhere modern Gillian to cast her expert eye over them to make that will appeal to a younger crowd or a more sure they would still work with the overall vision. sophisticated, high-end offering.

She explains, “I spent hours trawling the internet, Jeff Taylor, Contracts Director at Select bookmarking stuff and taking lots of pictures Contract Furniture likes the fact that there is and I found alternatives, that in some instances so much diversity from a design point of view, were significantly cheaper. I found a wheel of because it means that every job can be totally lights, for example, that I’ve able to customise different – yet it still works. He says, “Generally myself with items that are really pertinent to speaking, the natural elements seem to be us. Gillian has been great to work with – she very much the theme and have been for a while is very approachable and her experience was – albeit tweaked a little bit. It’s about timber, invaluable. We worked really well together. natural colours, and splashes of accent colours.

“Doing up a commercial property is very “We deal with a wide range of clients from different to doing up a house. My advice would Badger & Co. restaurants and hotels – anything from three, be, don’t be afraid to shop around and don’t be four and five star – and obviously they’ve all got afraid to ask your designer questions.” very different ideas. Some people are looking David Johnston, Development Director of for exceptional value for money whereas others Montpeliers Edinburgh Limited, says it’s don’t mind spending a little bit more just to get important to be sure of what you want - and also that extra edge. You get so much scope and that to enjoy the process. is one of the beauties of the job to be honest.

He says: “It’s very important to know what your It also means that there is not a definite theme product offering is going to be and be 100 per and that makes it really interesting and exciting. cent sure that it is strong enough as a stand “Some people do want something a bit different alone food/drink offer before you start thinking and we try to encourage that because, from our about design. own personal point of view, we like to make every “It’s very easy to get bewitched by fantastic job that little bit different. We have a huge range designers, or the whole design process, and of chairs – literally thousands – for example, and your business ends up being more about that, depending on the individual client’s needs and than the actual product. the end look that they are trying to create we “Write a very strong creative brief. What are can find something that is going to work. We wedgwood the restaurant you trying to say about your product? Who are offer a bit of design element as well because we you targeting? What do you want it to feel like? have been in the trade a long time and we also Be quite exhaustive with that, so you are sure have designers working with us on jobs so there is more than one lot yourself what you are talking about. of input going in, which again makes it quite exciting.

“It’s very much about having a strong business plan and making sure “I think everybody likes to use their own ideas and you do see things all your design fits that, not the other way round. You have to know when over – whether it’s up here in Scotland or down in London – that you to hold your ground, but at the same time you are paying a designer might draw inspiration from. There is so much scope. You can take to be creative and challenging so you have to know when to listen to elements from one thing that you’ve seen and combine them with them as well. “It’s important to be confident in your business decisionelements from another. Very often clients have a fair idea what they making throughout the process. want but they may not have the expertise to put it all together.

“My biggest piece of advice would, be not to let it get on top of you and “A lot of clients now know that they don’t have to go for the ordinary to enjoy it - easier said than done sometimes!”

42 DRAM JULY 2016

@dramscotland

/dram.scotland

SUE SAYS

I

think we made a rod for our own back when we opened up the entries for consumers to vote in our awards... mind you, I never imagined Tom Petty would make it back from the grave to vote, or that Bruce Springsteen would put his oar in! Just goes to show you! So, yes we do check who has entered the nominations, which is a mammoth job too.

Next month, we will have all the finalists, but this month our mystery shoppers will be out and about, and the judges too. I have to say I love this part of the awards – getting to see new places, catching up with some familiar faces and travelling the length and breadth of Scotland. So roll on 16th August.

Talking about travelling the length and breadth of Scotland...

I went to meet Iain Pert last month at his new place the Fork and Field, formerly The Torphichen Inn... but silly me, I went to Torphichen in Torphichen and not the former Torphichen Inn in Mid Calder! Iain thinks I am a dumpling! I am! At least they are only 30 mins apart.

The recent Hospitality Industry Trust dinner at The Hilton was a great success. More than 400 guests enjoyed a slap up Indian meal which fitted with the Bollywood theme, and some great entertainment. The only fly in the ointment was at some point ‘Last man standing’ Ollie Norman said he was doing a cycle challenge between Scotland’s hotels.

Not to be outdone... the guests at my table, led by the MD of Tennent’s Alastair Campbell suggested we ladies did one too – well seeing we were drinking... pinky pledges to do a 400 mile charity cycle from Fallon Cowley (Manorview) and Lisa Wishart (Lisini) and me (albeit reluctantly) followed!

Since then I have roped in Anne Nixon from Kopparberg... it won’t be til next year … but if any one out there fancies sponsoring us to make sure we do it... please do!

Jim Grierson, On-trade Sales Director of Maxxium retired at the end of last month having spent some 30 years working with Famous Grouse owners Matthew Gloag and Maxxium UK. He will be sorely missed – he helped us set up the Mixxit Apprentice Programme some 10 years ago, and he and Jim Tulle also introduced me to the Ben. Jim and I have had lots of interesting discussions over the years, and you would be hard pressed to find anyone more dedicated to the trade than he.

His long-suffering PA Margaret Henderson has also retired. As well as a multitude of jobs, the one she probably least relished was as ‘keeper of his diary’ ...well she tried to keep his diary!

Very best wishes to them both from all of us here.

I’m looking forward to seeing Colin Beattie’s new-look Jarvie’s in Yoker. It burnt down last year and Colin has been busy renovating it. He tells me he has brought a touch of ‘The Hamptons’ to Yoker! Sounds interesting.

The Donna Mortimer Bannatyne Ball run by the Mortimer family to celebrate the memory of Donna, helps fund the Kilbryde Hospice. They raised a mammoth £164K – that is really tremendous. It was a great night too. See roundup.

Maybe Brewdog will have to re-think its PR strategy… how long can a brand boast about being anti-establishment and irreverent when it’s two founders, James Watt and Martin Dickie, have got MBE’s from the Queen? You can’t get any more establishment than that! Maybe they will revise their suggestions that their customers “ride toward anarchy”.

But then again, perhaps that’s why they have named their latest beer Paradox.

Brexit is now a reality and I am personally not sure what to make of it. I really didn’t think it would come to this. What will the impact be? To be honest I’m probably in the same boat as every business person, politician, banker, etc. Nobody knows what the eventual outcome will be.

Or whether it will save us or cost us. But on the day the result was revealed Revolution Bars, (RBG) which is in the process of going through due diligence with a pub estate in Edinburgh, informed the Stock Exchange… that it was in “discussions regarding a proposed acquisition of four bars in Edinburgh for approximately £16m. In the year to 26 April 2015, the bars reported an aggregate site EBITDA of £3.3 million. The proposed acquisition is expected to be significantly earnings enhancing for the group’s financial year ending 30 June 2017 and would enlarge the group’s portfolio of bars. It would also introduce a further brand, which the directors believe to be capable of being rolled out to other sites. The consideration is expected to be funded via new debt, a relatively small placing of new ordinary shares for cash and the issue of ordinary shares to the vendors. Discussions are ongoing and in light of the EU Referendum results may or may not result in any transaction, whether as described above or at all, being agreed.” Here’s hoping for all concerned that it is not the case! If it was, on it would be the first licensed trade transaction impacted by Brexit!

Cover Story - I have to say I love the fact that my local the King’s Arms in Fenwick has opened a Chippy… in fact I enjoyed the new menu the day of the Fenwick Gala Fete.

My local hostelry, which for the past few years has been less than successful, has had an injection of energy since the new owners took over. Of course I put it all down to the fact they now take dogs! And talking of dogs… we got more than 200 entries for Dog Friendly Pub of the Year…

Jock the dog is going to be busy.

DRAM JULY 2016 43

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ROUND UP

The Donna Mortimer Ballantyne Ball raised £164k for Kilbryde Hospice

Hospitality Industry Trust dinner at The Hilton Glasgow 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. dram@mail.com web. www.dramscotland.co.uk Editor Susan Young • Chairman Noel Young • Editorial Annabelle Love, Mairi Clark Advertising Lucy McGovern • Production Michael Rahme • Admin Cheryl Cook 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 2016.

Printed by Stephens & George Print Group.

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