DRAM 312 - August 2016

DRAM

312

DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

DRAM MAGAZINE August 2016 ISSN 1470-241X

@dramscotland

/dram.scotland

the

2016

incorporating the

DRAM AWARDS

ALL THE 2016 AWARDS FINALISTS

EDINBURGH GIN

EDINBURGH GIN CRAFTING THE GIN RENAISSANCE

CRAFTING THE GIN RENAISSANCE www.ianmacleod.com • uk@ianmacleod.com • 01506 852 205 www.ianmacleod.com • uk@ianmacleod.com • 01506 852 205

DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

the

2016

incorporating the

DRAM

WELCOME

I

just love this time of year because I get to see some great bars and pubs when judging The Scottish Bar and Pub Awards and of course this month we also have our roundup of this year’s finalists - see pages 25 to 30.

What I don’t love is the fact that I’ve been out of the office for the past four weeks, but my very capable team have been on the case. I, of course, thoroughly enjoyed my lunch date with Ken McCulloch.

See what he had to say on pages 20 - 22 but it was Mairi Clark that took herself off to see the new Topolabamba and Cadiz in Edinburgh, while Katharine Gemmell visited Jarvies in Yoker and the Fork & Field in Mid Calder.

Katharine also reports on our 2016 Mixxit Bar Apprentices - see page 33, while it was a joint effort on our Soft Drinks feature on page 17.

Next month’s magazine should be a cracker too.

Susan Young Editor susan@mediaworldltd.com

AWARDS

CONTENTS August

2016

FEATURES

17 20 25 33 34

FLAVOURSOME FACTS ABOUT SOFTIES Lots of interesting facts about Soft Drinks.

THE AMAZING SUCCESS STORY OF KEN MCCULLOCH

Susan Young interviews Ken McCulloch.

SCOTTISH BAR & PUB AWARDS 2016 The 2016 Awards Finalists.

OUR 2016 MIXXIT BAR APPRENTICES Katharine Gemmell introduces the candidates.

DESIGN FOCUS

Mairi Clark & Katharine Gemmell check out Fork & Field, Topolabamba, Cadiz and Jarvies.

REGULARS

4 @dramscotland

/dram.scotland

9

NEWS

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

BRAND NEWS

All the latest brand news.

DRAM AUGUST 2016 3

BUZZWORKS TO OPEN IN KILWINNING

Hospitality group Buzzwork holdings is to open a new bar and restaurant, named The Corner House, in Kilwinning this summer. Work has begun on the pub, which will be located on the site of the former ‘Stag & Hound’ right in the heart of the town. £750k has been invested in the project, which will see the former venue transformed into a modern and stylish establishment. It will offer a relaxed eating experience in a comfortable environment and will focus on simple, flavourful dishes. Chairman Colin Blair commented, “We are really looking forward to returning to Kilwinning, where we started our family business 38 years ago. It is a fantastic town, with a great community and we have lots of great memories from operating there all those years ago. We’re really excited about The Corner House. It will be a stunning venue – beautifully designed, cosy and comfortable and welcoming to all. We are sure it will be a great addition to the town and one that we can all be proud of.”

The Randev Brothers present two new venues Bubbles and Rahul Randev of the R Group have officially opened The Larder in Glasgow’s Bearsden. The restaurant offers around 92 covers and features booth style seating and an outside terrace. Bubbles told DRAM, “It is different to any of the R Group’s other places.” The concept behind the restaurant is based on fine food and small plates. He said that they want to offer a top end experience in all aspects of the restaurant. Meanwhile, the two brothers are busy on another project in Lenzie. The Grove is set to open in mid-August and will be in a similar vein to their restaurant Garvie & Co. The establishment will feature separate areas for the bar and restaurant, and also has a third area which will function as a bakery come daytime eatery. The bakery will serve brunch and lunch from 10am and will then go on to serve dinner.

4 DRAM AUGUST 2016

W HOTELS TO MAKE SCOTTISH DEBUT IN 2021 Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. have announced that it will debut the iconic W Hotels brand in Scotland with W Edinburgh opening in 2021. The hotel will be a part of TH Real Estate’s Edinburgh St James scheme which is set to be finished in 2020. The hotel will offer 214 stylish guestrooms, including 20 suites and one Extreme Wow Suite (the W brand’s version of the Presidential Suite). The rooftop will feature a destination bar and outdoor terrace, offering guests and locals 360-degree panoramic views of the historic skyline. Michael Wale, President, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa and Middle East said, “W Edinburgh’s location at the pulsing heart of the new Edinburgh St James development, combined with its innovative design, contemporary interiors and the W brand’s signature programming, will create the perfect setting for the second W hotel in the United Kingdom.”

WETHERSPOONS STARTS WORK ON FORMER PICTURE HOUSE JD Wetherspoons has started work on the site of the former Picture House music venue in Lothian Road, Edinburgh.

The pub operator aims to open the pub, to be named The Caley Picture House, by the end of the year with a total of 70 new jobs being created. The company is investing £2.5m in developing the disused site into a pub and it will be split over two levels.

Wetherspoon chief executive John Hutson said, “The former Picture House has a rich history, however the building has been derelict for more than two years. We believe that people in the city will be pleased that the building is being restored and once again put to good use.”

NEWS

WWW.DRAMSCOTLAND.CO.UK

SAY BONJOUR TO LIBERTÉ The minds behind the bar that famously changed its name from Vesbar to Yesbar in the midst of the Scottish Independence referendum, have opened a new venue. Suzanna and Jim McLaughlin's newest venture, named Liberté, is a bar and bistro positioned on Glasgow's North Street on the site of the former pub The Black Sparrow. The owners have continued their political theme, with the name being taken from the slogan of the French Revolution. The menu exhibits a marriage of both French and Scottish flavours, as a nod towards the Auld Alliance.

Alongside this, is an extensive fine French wine list and exclusive cocktails on offer.

NEW MILNGAVIE RESTAURANT AND BAR SET TO OPEN The Finsbay in Milngavie is set to open its doors to customers later this month. The newest venture from Billy Milligan, of Pacific, sees him team up with former Glasgow Warrior Alasdair Kellock. The new cafe, restaurant and bar will offer 60-70 covers. Billy Milligan told DRAM, “The name is inspired by the place of the same name on the Isle of Harris - as this where my mum was born. It’s a nod to the Scottish twists that we will have in the pub like Harris Tweed, and Scottish ingredients in our food and cocktails. But we are not exclusively a Scottish themed place – we just want to show subtle hints of our heritage.” The design will be vintage 70’s kitch featuring pieces like g-plan sideboards. The restaurant bar will also host events such as quizzes, live music and work with Alasdair’s rugby connections to bring events from Scottish rugby. A variety of gin, beers and whiskies will be available.

n.b. bar & hotel

Veeno opens first Scottish branch Italian wine cafe brand Veeno is set to open in Edinburgh. It’s the first Scottish wine cafe for the group, which already has seven to its name.

Veeno was founded by two Italians living in Manchester who missed the Italian aperitivo – the ritual of drinking, nibbling and relaxing after work. Veeno Edinburgh will offer an extensive wine list and authentic Spuntini imported strictly from Italy. Nino Caruso, cofounder & director of Veeno said, “We’re delighted to be introducing the concept of Aperitivo to Edinburgh and is an exciting leap as we cross the border in to Scotland, our current venues have really created a buzz and we feel that Scotland is really missing out!”

Punch invests in the Highlands

Pub and hotel operator Punch is investing almost £800K in three Highland properties. The three newest venues to be invested in are The Blacksmiths pub, Culloden; The Eagle Hotel, Dornoch and the Corriegarth Hotel, Inverness. The venues are to be transformed into quality contemporary venues with a modern twist. The Blacksmiths will undergo a £200K makeover concentrating on its food offer. It’s hoped this will appeal to an individual, or couple, that Punch is looking for to take on the reigns of the pub. The Eagle, Dornoch’s oldest established hotel, will benefit from a £275K spend in early October, and £292k is planned for the Corriegarth Hotel.

Speratus Group has sold The Illicit Still in Aberdeen and The Golf Tavern in Edinburgh to G1 Group. The sales free up £500,000 which it plans to invest in its remaining units Nox and Paramount in Aberdeen, Auld Hundred, 99 Hanover Street and Copper Blossom in Edinburgh. It also plans to open a Boozy Cow in Stirling that will join the bars in Aberdeen and Edinburgh.

A ‘new concept of Indian cuisine’ is being promised at new Glasgow restaurant Horn Please.

Situated on Berkeley Street, the amusing name actually comes from the fact that in India ‘Horn Please’ is written on the back of Indian trucks to help people overtake. The food on offer is an ‘amalgamation of traditional global cuisine with Indian influences and contemporary presentation.’

Edinburgh restaurant Rollo has opened another location on the city’s Broughton Street, as a sister to its Stockbridge venue. The new place will be similar to its sister, offering a boutique wine bar and intimate restaurant experience. Rollo is a family owned business venture between Architect George Rollo and wife Alison, a sculptor, along with their fashion designer daughter Ailsa.

Glasgow’s first dedicated gin bar, Gin71, is set to expand with a third branch opening in the capital. The venue will be based in the New Town area of Edinburgh on Charlotte Square. The venue is owned by Paul Reynolds, who also has Glasgow establishment VirGINia. Gin71 offers customers a range of artisan gins and prides itself on their vast and in-depth knowledge of the products they sell. Details remain unclear at the time of press about when it will open, but sources say that it will be very soon. Watch this space.

DRAM AUGUST 2016 5

NEWS NEW TOP ROLES FOR CASH FOR INNIS & INVERARITY MORTON GUNN INVESTORS Inverarity Morton has gained three major new additions to its management team - recruiting a new Finance Director, HR manager and Trade Marketing Manager.

New Finance Director, David Taylor, has been a Chartered Accountant for the past 21 years and joins the management team with an impressive resume; including 10 years experience as Regional Finance Director for BMI Healthcare and an 11-year tenure as Finance Director with Landcatch Limited.

Sarah Lamont takes up the newly created role of HR Manager. She will manage all company recruitment and also work with departmental line managers to implement best-practice policies and employee relations. Lamont joins the team with HR experience with NHS Forth Valley, First Bus and Sky. Finally, the position of Trade Marketing Manager has been filled by Maresa Clancy. Clancy joins the team from a marketing background in hospitality and events, and recently spent four years as the marketing executive for Atlas Hotels.

Stephen Russell, Managing Director of Inverarity Morton said, “The company has undergone a lot of rapid change over the last few years and all the work that has been done since has been to surround ourselves with the right support systems, the right infrastructure.

David will be absolutely instrumental in delivering on our business strategy and Sarah to ensure that, as the company grows, everyone within it feels like they are contributing to the ongoing success of the business and feeling valued for that contribution.”

A year after raising £3m in capital, independent Scottish brewer, Innis & Gunn, is issuing the first annual interest payment to its BeerBond™ investors.

Interest payments total £211,500, with hundreds of investors opting to take their return in BeerBucks, redeemable in beer at Innis & Gunn’s online shop. In total, 1,105 investors bought BeerBonds™ in Innis & Gunn.

The first tranche of investors received their payment on July 15, and the second tranche will receive theirs on August 12. Launched last year, Innis & Gunn’s BeerBond™ campaign sought to raise £3m, by offering a four-year, fixedterm bond.

Capital raised by the BeerBond™ mini-bond programme enabled Innis

& Gunn to acquire The Inveralmond Brewery Limited, in Perth in April this year, embarking on significant investment to support its innovative brewing processes and continue its reputation for experimentation with ingredients and flavours.

As a thank you to all the BeerBond™ investors, a mural on the brewery wall with all their names is set to be unveiled next year following a significant investment to double the capacity at the brewery over the coming six months.

Additional beer tanks will be added to the brewery to facilitate the expanded production volumes and also to supply the growing number of its Innis & Gunn Beer Kitchen retail outlets, already open in Edinburgh and Dundee.

PROMISING RESULTS FROM CONVIVIALITY PLC

Conviviality Plc, the company that now owns Matthew Clark, has revealed its final results for the year ended 1 May 2016. It has reported revenue up 137% to £864.5m (FY15: £364.1m); gross margin up 1.3% points to 11.5% (FY15: 10.2%) and adjusted EBITDA1 up 135% to £30.2m (FY15: £12.9m). Adjusted profit before tax was up 124% to £21.7m (FY15: £9.7m); while debt reduction was ahead of plan with net debt of £86.1m (FY15: net cash £1.2m) and bank leverage of 1.96 times reflecting the acquisition of Matthew Clark in October 2015.

The company also revealed that its Integration plan ran ahead of expectations for both Matthew Clark and Bibendum PLB Group with Conviviality Retail, Matthew Clark and Bibendum PLB all trading well during the acquisition processes.

Matthew Clark highlights included a 4.9% increase in revenue 6 DRAM AUGUST 2016

from 7 October to 1 May to £497.0m (corresponding prior period £474.0m); an 18% increase in adjusted EBITDA to £18.1m (corresponding prior period £15.3m) and a 2.9% increase in outlets supplied and new customers.

Diana Hunter, Chief Executive Officer of Conviviality, said, “These strong results reflect the hard work of our employees, Franchisees and suppliers. Our franchisees in the Off-Trade and customers in the On-Trade remain at the heart of our business as we continue to work together to blend their entrepreneurial skill with the branding, range and wholesale expertise of Conviviality.

The experienced management team in place, coupled with the well invested and compelling businesses with market leading expertise and current trading in line with expectations, gives the Board confidence for the future.”

For Scotland’s Best-selling ale and an unbeatable range of craft-brewed beers…

Shouldn’t you be talking to Belhaven?

Belhaven Best is Scotland’s best-loved Best, with 35% market share of keg ales* We also sell all other brands your customers want to see within beers, wines, spirits and minerals ● Award winning Belhaven Black and an unrivalled range of cask and craft beers means there’s a Belhaven beer to suit every bar ●

●

To discover more about our range or to arrange an appointment with your local Sales Account Manager:

Best Talk to Belhaven... Call 0845 6075325 *Source: CGA

•

•

COME IN THREES

IRISH WHISKEY IS WORTH £37.3M, UP +5.6%, AND ACCOUNTS FOR 3.1% OF ALL WHISKEY SALES*

CONTACT HALEWOOD WINES & SPIRITS FOR FURTHER DETAILS *NIELSEN

DATA

Enjoy Responsibly

www.halewood-int.com

BRAND NEWS

ALL THE L ATEST BRAND NEWS

Beer Second round for Inveralmond’s dram fine beer collaboration Another collaboration between Perthshire-based craft beer maker Inveralmond Brewery and The Glenturret Distillery has kicked off.

The brewery and the distillery have issued a second batch of Ooskabeer, which sold out just weeks after being launched last November. Ooskabeer blends the distilling skills of The Glenturret Distillery, home to The Famous Grouse Experience in Crieff, with the brewing skills of Inveralmond, located in nearby Perth, to produce a slowly matured beer infused with the delicate aromas and flavours of whisky.

Inveralmond provided premium Scotch Ale which was then slowly matured in Glenturret’s whisky barrels.

Ooskabeer Batch #2 has been partly distributed in Switzerland, with the remaining 100 cases available for sale direct to the public by Inveralmond and

Glenturret Distillery. After the success of Ooskabeer Batch #1, Inveralmond is encouraging craft beer lovers to get their orders in quickly.

Fergus Clark, Managing Director of Inveralmond Brewery, commented, “Ooskabeer is the perfect coming together of two Perthshire companies who live and breathe great products and heritage. Glenturret provided the casks while we added our brewing expertise and our premium Scotch Ale. We’re always looking to experiment with our beers and this one was a great success, having been snapped up by distributors in the UK and Europe. The infusion of malt whisky gives the beer an extra warmth and richness. Such was the demand that we’ve launched Batch #2, which we know is going to be just as much of a hit.”

MEET A MATE WITH KOZEL BUT MAYBE NOT IN SCOTLAND! Scotland may be set to miss out on a new promotion from Czech beer brand Kozel. It wants to make it as simple and easy as possible for customers to meet a mate for a pint and has launched its new ‘Tap Out’ button - A huge red button that, when pressed, will arrange for a taxi to pick customers and a friend up and take them to the finest Kozel serving establishment in their area where two pints of the refreshing beer will be waiting. The buttons have just gone on trial this week and if successful will be rolled out later this year. Not sure how they will get on in Scotland thou’... it will be easier getting a free taxi ride here than a free pint due to licensing laws.

TENNENT CALEDONIAN LAUNCHES GLUTEN FREE T Tennent Caledonian has launched Gluten Free T, a new 5%abv premium lager which is now available across Scotland in select pubs and bars. Gluten Free T appeals to a wide range of consumers and is an option for Coeliacs, those who are Gluten intolerant and those who avoid Gluten as a lifestyle choice.

The Gluten free market in the UK is valued at £210 million and is the second biggest in Europe. The launch comes as research shows that 73% of consumers feel more could be done to cater for those who look to avoid Gluten.

The brand was initially launched in Italy in 2014, and the brew picked up a silver award for taste at the 2015 International Beer Challenge and a gold medal at the World Beer Championships in the USA in 2014. Gluten free T is currently available in 300ml bottles in the Scottish OnTrade.

Keith Lugton, Tennent Caledonian Master Brewer, said, “Gluten Free T has already been a great success in Italy. We’ve had excellent feedback from customers who have chosen to stock our Gluten Free T lager so far, and look forward to seeing how the brand grows in the coming months. Providing a diverse range of options has never been more important when catering for modern consumers.”

JAMES CLAY TO IMPORT TWO ROADS BREWING CO BRANDS James Clay has announced Connecticut based Two Roads Brewing Co has joined its expanding portfolio.

Beer fans across the nation will be able to enjoy Ol’ Factory Pils, a continental pilsner that boasts lemony notes, along with Lil’ Heaven, a session IPA with flavours of tropical fruits, specifically passion fruit, grapefruit and apricots; Worker’s Comp, Honeyspot Road, an IPA that uses wheat as the dominant malt backbone to accentuate the citrusy Pacific Northwest hop character.

DRAM AUGUST 2016 9

BRAND NEWS Cider

Beer

ABERDEEN’S ONLY MICRO-BREWERY LAUNCHES Strongbow launches new The only micro-brewery in Aberdeen, Fierce Beer Ltd, has officially launched following a six figure investment into its new headquarters.The brewery was established in April 2016, with £250,000 of investment by Dave Grant, managing director, and David McHardy, operations director.

Originally a home-brew sized business operating from Great Western road last year selling products to local craft beer bars, Fierce Beer is now located at its micro-brewery site in Kirkhill Industrial Estate in Dyce, Aberdeen. It boasts eight beers within its core range that can be found in bars across the UK from John O’Groats to London. Says Grant, “We are delighted to have made this push into the brewing industry and have invested a lot of time and money

into the brewery to ensure the highest quality of produce is used when creating our beers. Fierce is all about the flavour and we’re really looking to excite people’s palettes with our new brews.”

The company has also recently decided to lease the premises next door due to further expansion, with plans to open an off-sales bottle shop, offer tasting tours, and provide extra storage space to store barrel-aged beers.

Some of the beer names include Ginja Ninja, Cranachan Killer, Dirty Sanchez as well as its latest brew to launch mid July, Fuego Feroz - a spiced pale ale with habanero chilli and fresh lime.

Fierce Beer, which is the only registered brewery in Aberdeen, has also been voted the best brewery in Scotland for the past two months on Untappd, an app craft beer enthusiasts use, to rate beers.

Budweiser goes electronic Budweiser has announced a three-year, global partnership with Tomorrowland, one of the largest international electronic music festivals in the world. For its UK summer campaign, Budweiser is taking some lucky fans on an exclusive Journey to Tomorrowland – giving them the opportunity to join them for an epic journey as they travel to the festival and enjoy a series of new and unique music experiences once there. The brand has linked up with Dutch DJ and producer Tiësto. Andrew Goldstone, Tiësto’s manager, said of the campaign, “By teaming up with Budweiser, which is a brand that has a long history within global music culture, we will be able to share Tiësto‘s music not only with the Tomorrowland festival-goers, but with fans worldwide in an exciting new way.”

Budweiser’s sponsorship of Tomorrowland is reflective of its ambition to connect more deeply with millennial consumers through one of this generation’s main passion points, music – focused on creating and providing experiences for consumers that deliver meaning and value to music lovers.

10 DRAM AUGUST 2016

‘Let’s Own It’ campaign

to rally the nation behind Team GB for the 2016 Olympic Games Strongbow has launched a multi-million pound marketing campaign, as part of its exclusive sponsorship of Team GB ahead of Rio 2016. With an evolved brand positioning ‘Let’s Own It,’ the campaign issues a rallying cry to the nation to get together and roar on Team GB this summer. The campaign will run across a range of media channels including TV, radio, digital and social.

The new TV ad will run until the end of August with a 30-second spot that highlights the tension, excitement and elation of cheering on Team GB. Cindy Tervoort, marketing director at brand owners Heineken said, “We want to bring back the excitement we all felt during London 2012 and rally the nation to get behind Team GB. The pride and enthusiasm we experienced as a nation in 2012 was incredibly special, and we anticipate that our campaign will help the nation feel it once again.”

Bourbon Buffalo trace brings the wild west to the Edinburgh Festival Buffalo Trace Bourbon has backed an interactive film festival for the Edinburgh Festival. The High Noon Theatre & Saloon, aims to give the Kentucky Straight Bourbon a high profile at the festival. Guests will be encouraged to come along in costume, and will be greeted by actors in full western gear. At key points during the screenings, the actors will interact with the films, including the saloon scenes integral to the genre, when authentic Buffalo Trace cocktails will be served to the audience. Held at the Lucky Liquor bar on Queen Street, and taking place from August 8 to August 14, the High Noon Theatre & Saloon will include screenings of classic westerns The Magnificent Seven and The Good, The Bad & The Ugly, cult comedy Blazing Saddles, and acclaimed Quentin Tarantino film The Hateful Eight. Each £15 ticket will include two cocktails, bourbon samples and popcorn during the screening, and the western theme will continue with saloon-style service in the bar afterwards.

SmithCloughAdvert_Blank.pdf

1

22/11/2013

14:03

• Over 25 years business sales experience • Well respected within the marketplace - service • Unrivalled Director-led • Competitive fee structure

THE BLACK BULL INN, DARVEL

• Long established & well performing public house • Prominent trading position within heart of town centre on A71 • Public Bar, Games Room & Lounge Bar • 2015 net sales c.£200k, producing strong profit levels Includes well-pre sented, 3-bed accommodation • Same owners for 14 years. Retirement sale • Large Customer car park. EPC Rating F FREEHOLD: OFFERS OVER £195,000

0141 404 0087 0131 202 6034

THE BADGERS BROOK, BROXBURN

CROWN BAR, PAISLEY

THE EGLINTON INN, BEITH

TOKYO JOE, GREENOCK

FREEHOLD: OFFERS OVER £190,000

LEASEHOLD: NIL PREMIUM

FREEHOLD: OFFERS IN EXCESS OF £220,000

LEASEHOLD: OFFERS OVER £55,000

• Well established & busy public house • First time on the market in 28 years • Public bar and lounge bar/function area upstairs • T/O, y/e 2016 is c. £230,000 & profit c.£50,000 • Potential to utilise or develop upstairs further • Ideal for first time buyer or multiple operator • Main street location. EPC Rating G

On behalf of Rosemount Taverns • Well-presented lock up public house • 10 yr lease tenancy available with favourable terms • Public bar and lounge bar • Ideal opportunity for first time buyer • Located within Paisley s West End • Prominent roadside location opposite Crematorium • EPC pending

• Prominent and established village inn • Same ownership for 14 years • Public & lounge bar, games room/ function area • Ideal for first time buyer, private operator or chef proprietor • Good local support - Car park and smoking area • Wet led with limited food menu.

• Potential to increase food. EPC Rating G

• Well established & well performing Bar & Grill • Recently refurbished to a high standard • Prominent town centre trading position • Seating for approx. 100, plus walled beer garden (50) • Sales c.£10,000 p/w gross.

• Potential to increase trading hours • Currently run completely under management • EPC Rating pending

THINKING OF SELLING YOUR BUSINESS ? CONTACT US FOR A FREE MARKET APPRAISAL Director

Director

Craft Cocktails just got Smarter • • • • • •

Untitled-3 1

…Just press the button

P E R F E C T C O C K TA I L S

– in as little as 3 seconds

SURGICAL PRECISION

– no waste or spillage

PREMIUM INGREDIENTS

– great tasting cocktails

No capital outlay required.

E A S Y T O O P E R AT E

– by any employee

Call us now to find out about our pay as you go plans!

U N R I VA L L E D C O N T RO L

– no margin for error

B O O S T S P RO F I T S

– from first cocktail sold

01753 290353 Or visit www.tenderonecocktails.com

18/07/2016 12:06

DRAM AUGUST 2016 11

WELCOME To Scotland’s Most Inclusive Pubs canal station

clockworkbeercompany.co.uk facebook.com/TheClockworkBeerCompany

canalstation.co.uk facebook.com/canalstation

The Dog House doghouseballoch.co.uk

lairdanddoginn.co.uk facebook.com/lairdanddoginn

dramglasgow.co.uk facebook.com/dramglasgow

thesteadingedinburgh.co.uk facebook.com/thesteadingedinburgh

wheelinnperth.co.uk facebook.com/wheelinnperth

We welcome all our guests with excellent food, a range of beers and fine wines, SKY TV, and friendly service.

And some guests get a special welcome, with localised hearing loops, adapted furnishings, special cutlery/crockery and easy accessibility.

PLUS a sensory room and garden, adult changing place and kids play areas at The Wheel Inn. All our pubs are audited by DeafBlind Scotland.

We’re investing more to become Scotland’s most inclusive pubs.

TH I S T L E P U B C O M PA N Y I I I – S E R V I N G TH E W I D E S T C O M M U N I T Y

BRAND BRAND NEWS NEWS Whiskey

HALEWOOD GROUP STRENGTHENS LINKS WITH WEST CORK DISTILLERS Halewood Wines & Spirits has purchased a significant stake in West Cork Distillers, the producer and global distributor of The Pogues Whiskey, to further strengthen its partnership in jointly developing and distributing the innovative Irish whiskey portfolio. Halewood already distributes West Cork’s products in eight markets and plans to jointly expand its global reach. The West Cork range has achieved acclaim with its West Cork Blended Whiskey, comprised of 25% Single Malt Irish Whiskey and 75% Grain Irish Whiskey, finished in sherry and bourbon casks respectively. A 10 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey, aged in sherry casks, adds further refinement which will be joined by small batch release of a 12 year old sherry cask whiskey later in the year.

The deal looks to capitalise on increased consumer interest in imported Irish whiskies, which are in growth both in terms of value and volume, and with the North West of England and Scotland being

key drivers of Irish whiskey consumption, Halewood is perfectly positioned to take advantage of this trend.

Stewart Hainsworth, Chief Executive of Halewood Wines & Spirits, commented, “Halewood continues to grow its spirits portfolio with craft products that offer the trade, and consumers, a point-of-difference from the mainstream brands. West Cork Distillers reflects our entrepreneurial attitude to develop new products and increase distribution both in the UK and internationally.”

John O’Connell, MD and co-founder of West Cork Distillers added: “This partnership offers a great opportunity to take the business forward. It strengthens our offering in new markets whilst supporting our existing, and greatly valued, distribution partners to greater degree through the development of a cohesive marketing strategy. We are looking forward to the future; Halewood is a great partner to have in your corner.”

Cocktail CHEERZ TO THE NEW TENDERONE COCKTAIL MACHINE Cheerz nightclub in Aberdeen became the first Scottish bar to install the TenderOne cocktail machine this month. The TenderOne cocktail machines provide speedy, consistent, and efficient means of creating great tasting cocktails at the touch of a button, with the largest machine dispensing up to 32 different ingredients via individual lines.

Awarded the Hotelympia prize for technology innovation just before its UK launch, the machines were designed to fit into the bar in much the same way as a beer tap, with the ingredients stored neatly in the cellar.

The machine’s surgical precision means there’s absolutely no waste or spillage, and the software allows you to create your perfect recipe in as little as 3 seconds. For less experienced bar staff the dispenser has a touch screen, which illustrates how to build or shake the cocktail, and which glass & garnish to use. For more information visit tenderonecocktails.com

BECKHAM BACKS NEW SKY CAMPAIGN Sky is encouraging greater footfall to Sky Sports venues, with a new TV ad featuring David Beckham.

The new campaign promotes the communal atmosphere of pubs promoting them as an ideal destination to enjoy live sport. The ad, say the company, ‘further cements Sky’s commitment to driving custom for the on-trade.’

David Beckham experiences the excitement, drama, and surprises of an entire football season in just 60 seconds. It sees Beckham head off on a morning jog only to find himself running through scenes from ten months of football, enduring changing weather conditions, celebrating with fans, dashing in and out of a pub and at one stage being chased by a dog.

This coming season, Sky Sports will show even more Premier League football, with 126 live matches including, for the first time, Friday Night Football.

David Beckham, who has worked with Sky since 2013, said, “Filming the ad was great and the finished piece is a really clever way of showing that you never know what might happen in football. I always enjoy working with Sky Sports and I’m proud to be associated with their football coverage.

Gin ANGUS GIN PRODUCER PLAYED ITS PART IN SENIOR OPEN

Scotland’s smallest gin producer, founded just two years ago by Angus entrepreneur Kim Cameron, was selected as drinks partner for the 2016 Senior Open Championship presented

by Rolex at Carnoustie Golf Links at the end of July. ‘Gin Bothy’ artisan gin, handmade by Kim in small batches at Peel Farm, Kirriemiur, was served to golfers, VIP’s and members of the public throughout the tournament The award-winning gins are infused with soft fruits sourced from across Angus and Tayside and with botanicals and grain spirit from nearby Glamis Kim Cameron, founder of Gin Bothy said, “The opportunity to introduce Gin Bothy to thousands of visitors keen to experience the best of what Scotland has to offer, from golf to gin, is fantastic for a small brand like ours and we’re truly delighted.”

DRAM AUGUST 2016 13

OF THE BIG PREMIER LEAGUE GAMES with more top picks than ever before, exclusively live on Sky Sports.

LIVE FOOTBALL with new Friday night fixtures, plus Saturday, Sunday & Monday games, exclusively live on Sky Sports.

CUSTOMERS through the door, staying longer and spending more.

SEE O T E C A L P Y L THE ON

& C I T L CE RS

E G N A RSPFL HOME GAMES

SPFL top e r o m s a h s t r Sky Spo ll Old Firm a d n a t r o p S T picks than B live. PLUS, ly e iv s lu c x e s ue games SPFL derbie g a e L r ie m re P a tr we’ve got 10 ex . So by joining Sky you s on Friday night to more pub-packing rd can look for wa ore money in your tills. moments and m

TO HEAR ABOUT OUR LATEST OFFERS,

Call 08442 414 650 Statistics quoted refer to the whole of the 16/17 season. Friday night matches include 10 premier league matches throughout the season and a variety of other matches from other leagues.

Sky Sports requires a Sky subscription, equipment and installation. Further terms apply. Calls to Sky for non-Sky Talk customers cost 7ppm plus your provider’s access charge. Correct as at: 21.07.2016

The most recent Britvic Soft Drinks Review valued the soft drinks market at an incredible £6.7 billion within the licensed trade and leisure sector, selling 1.9bn litres in 2015.

The sugar tax will be imposed according to the volume of sugar-sweetened drinks companies produce/import, with an expected 18p and 24p levied per litre depending on the sugar content.

Premium mixers are showing very strong growth, and there are now nearly as many tonic brands to choose from as there are gins!

1/ 5

AG Barr is launching a new no-sugar brand in response to the government’s new tax on high-sugar soft drinks.

Irn-Bru XTRA is the first prominent launch in 35 years, and is a reaction to its share price plummeting when the sugar tax was announced.

It also recently redesigned its cans for only the eighth time in its 115 year history.

Soft Drinks 75%

2015 saw the rise of premium soft drinks, growing by 75% in the sector.

More than one-fifth of adults now say they do not drink alcohol. So there is no better time for the ontrade to stock premium, great tasting soft drinks.

The first marketed soft drinks appeared in the 17th century.

They were made from water and lemon juice sweetened with honey

SUGAR FREE

With people more concerned about the health agenda than ever, sugarfree and low-calorie versions of soft drinks have been hot news accounting for over a quarter of sales in the licensed and leisure trade.

Despite the government’s plan to introduce a tax on sugary drinks, research

by Mintel shows that consumers aren’t much keener on the idea of a sugar tax than the soft drinks industry – it found that half of adults are against initiatives involving taxing unhealthy food, compared to over a third who are in favour of these initiatives.

Fentiman’s botanically brewed beverages has been in the soft drinks business for over 100 years and is still owned by the Fentiman family.

The founder, Thomas Fentiman, landed the recipe for the first drink, a ginger beer, as security for a loan – the rest is history.

When it comes to soft drinks, 44% of consumers are more likely to choose premium offerings and 41% of soft drink consumers look for more unusual flavours.

Started by husband and wife team Kit and Shireen Morris in 1989, Bottlegreen has been making refreshing, clean, crisp flavours for over 27 years. Bottlegreen’s range of sparkling presses, cordials and mixers are completely natural and with a bottle of 275ml pressé coming in on average under 90 calories, offers the consumer the perfect soft drink that they can enjoy guilt-free. With invigorating flavours such as Cotswold lemonade & mint and mango & coconut there is something to satisfy all taste buds!

DRAM AUGUST 2016 17

Juice drinks, pure juice and mixers saw the largest growth in the soft drinks sector. This is due to the growth of spirit consumption and cocktails in the licensed trade.

The first diet soft drink was sold in 1952 and was marketed for diabetics not dieters.

The UK consumer has become more social according to Britvic's Soft Drinks Review with one million more adults choosing to eat and drink outside the home. This is good news for soft drinks sales and restaurants, hotels and food-led pubs – as these outlets contributed to 96% of the growth of sales.

96%

Soft Drinks

The leading brand of soft drink in the licensed trade for 2015 was Coca-Cola with £564m in sales. In second place was Pepsi with £463m and in third place was Diet Coke making £406m.

J2O has released a new limited edition flavour exclusively for the on-trade this summer. The flavour, called Flamingo Fling, is a blend of white grapes and floral lychees , which creates a tropical twist. The bright bottle plays on the name as it features a striking pink flamingo design.

5.5%

Rising sales of soft drinks in the licensed trade were predominantly driven through packaged soft drinks. Sales in packaged drinks grew by 5.5% compared to only a 3.1% increase in draught sales.

18 DRAM AUGUST 2016

Pepsi faced an international marketing blunder in China during the 60’s when the slogan “Come alive with Pepsi” was translated into “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave”.

Scotland’s first ever tonic water, Walter Gregor’s, has been awarded a prestigious Grampian Food Forum Innovation Award. The tonic water, which is made by Summerhouse Drinks, is based in Fraserburgh, and it is made by combining quinine from cinchona bark with Scottish water and botanicals.

Tonic water originally existed as a way to deliver quinine – an antimalarial drug. In the 17th Century, a British officer in colonial India invented the legendary gin and tonic when he realised that alcohol helped the medicine go down. Nowadays, the role is reversed as a sweeter formulation of tonic water helps the alcohol down instead.

Coco-cola is the most widely understood term in the world after ‘OK’

Franklin & Sons soft drinks and mixers use all ­natural recipes that are specifically designed for the adult palate with a complex three-component flavour profile.

Each variant goes through a different production process.

From handpicking their Yorkshire Rhubarb and freezing the produce within 12 hours, to steeping the Dandelion & Burdock together for 3 weeks to optimise the strength of flavour.

4.3% This year's Britvic Soft Drinks Review found that soft drinks generated value sales of more than £4.1 billion in the licensed channel. This number is up 4.3% from last year.

Producers of Walter Gregor’s Tonic Water & Summerhouse Drinks Lemonades

www.summerhousedrinks.com

An award winning bar or restaurant needs happy and loyal customers who keep coming back.

Mii-Promo from Markadis is giving bar and restaurant owners across Scotland happy guests who return with their friends time and again.

Understand what your customers enjoy and build their loyalty with the Mii-Promo system from Markadis.

And Good Luck to all the Dram Awards Finalists!

Contact us on 0203 476 0025 or go to www.markadis.com and find out how Mii-Promo can build you business.

DRAM AUGUST 2016 19

20 DRAM AUGUST 2016

FROM BOARDING SCHOOL RUNAWAY TO HOTEL SUPERSTAR!

THE AMAZING SUCCESS STORY OF KEN MCCULLOCH

BY SUSAN YOUNG

K

en McCulloch is one of the few remaining ‘bon viveurs’ in the hospitality industry. Susan Young caught up with him at his latest hotel Dakota Lux in Glasgow You know it is going to be a good interview when you are greeted with a glass of pink champagne, and you know it has been a good interview, when you are told at the end, “That didn’t feel like work.”

So said Ken McCulloch when we met for lunch last month at his newly opened Dakota Lux in Glasgow.

In fact, the lunch flew in, due in no small part, to Ken’s ability to tell a good story - something that he perhaps picked up from his father, well known impresario Archie McCulloch, who had been a journalist in his early days, and a founder of Scottish Television.

His mother, well-loved singer Kathie Kay, sang with the Billy Cotton Band Show, and my mum was a big fan. In fact when I mentioned interviewing Ken, my mum told me she used to work with his brother Stewart on the Glasgow Eastern Standard and he once got her an invite back stage at the Old Empire Theatre where Kathie Kay gave her a signed photo. (she’s still got it)!

Stewart always apparently had good yarns to share, some of them about Ken and his inventive ways of running away from boarding school.

Ken admits to some misdemeanours, but a plus side of running away from boarding school was the fact he got to be a day boy. At school he also developed a love of music and in fact played guitar in a band. But music was not to be his career. Despite the fact his upbringing was all about showbiz, when he left school with no qualifications, it was Ken himself who came up with the idea of going into the hotel industry. Says Ken, “It was always a bit crazy in our house, but it was great fun. I was the youngest, but I can recall clearly standing outside our house in Blanefield and looking at what my mum and dad had, and my brother’s sports car and saying to myself, I want that lifestyle, how am I going to get it? It just came to me. Hotels. I knew my dad must have known some good hoteliers, and asked him to put a good word in for me, and he did with British Transport Hotels (BTH), which at the time ran the likes of the Central in Glasgow and Gleneagles.”

He continues, “If I had taken an academic route I thought it would have taken about five years to get myself through Uni, so I gave myself five years to get myself established.”

AT BTH I started at the bottom in the kitchen as a commis chef, and after three and a half years, I had worked in the kitchen at the North British, the Central’s Malmaison restaurant and Gleneagles. I learnt a lot there, in fact maybe I didn’t realise how much I had learned, until I went to run one of my dad’s places on Cumbrae.”

He explains, ‘My dad had his finger in a lot of pies and he had clubs. I had been considering going to Paris, but then dad told me his kitchen guy had walked out at the Cumbrae Club. So I said to myself, I could do that. I didn’t realise it at the time but it was the best decision I ever made choosing Millport over Paris! It was the making of me, and it let me earn some decent money, which also boosted my confidence. So much so I decided to buy myself a Porsche. I was driving them when no-one had heard of them. I still drive one today and in fact own a couple.”

Following on from the Cumbrae Club his father introduced him to

Reo Stakis and he joined the Stakis Group as a trainee Assistant Manager but it wasn’t long before he was made General Manager of his first hotel at the tender age of 23. Says Ken, “It was scary.

My first hotel was in Kirkcaldy, my second one in Falkirk, but I had a blast. BTH taught me to do things properly and Stakis to do it commercially.”

After Stakis he opened La Bonne Auberge, a wine-bar underneath The Beacons Hotel in Glasgow. His partner at the time was Maurice Taylor, who owned the hotel, but in 1976 they dissolved their working relationship. Says Ken, “Maurice and I weren’t the best combination.” He then, in his own words “blagged” his way into Royal Exchange Square and opened Charlie Parker’s. He explains, “I noticed that people didn’t have anywhere to go to dress up in Glasgow. But I was skint. In fact I was so skint that my then girlfriend, a ballerina, paid for me to go on holiday before we started working on it. But I managed to get the cash from the bank, and when we got back from holiday we got the keys and got it open. Mind you the Evening Times then tried to close it down, because a couple of their journalists were turned away. They got a high court injunction because they said we discriminated, but we managed to keep it open because we allowed minors in to eat. I think the folk that made the most out of Charlie’s were the boutique owners. Folk really dressed up to go to Charlie’s and bought new outfits every week. It really took off.”

He breaks off our conversation to press his ‘doodah’ - a small, and thin, round object on our table with a button, which apparently emits a vibration to wee gadgets all the staff carry. It allows Ken to contact his team without moving from his chair. This time he had summoned them because the guy at the next table was looking like he needed some help. He did... directions to the loo!

This invention called his ‘doodah’ is part of the staff’s induction now. Says Ken, “I’ve got very used to it, and it settles me down.

If I see something that needs attention I can draw their attention to it discreetly. In fact I really miss it when I go somewhere and it’s not there.”

After a quick top up of our drinks, Ken continues, “I sold Charlie’s and two other restaurants to Grant Forrest a few years later, took some time off, and when I came back I met John McKenzie, then the MD of Alloa. He was really my mentor - a tremendous guy.

He was like a schoolmaster, and he believed in me. We formed a joint venture company he had the site and we had the talent.

We did The Belfry and the Buttery and the day before it opened McKenzie suggested we buy Rogano, one of Glasgow’s best-loved restaurants. John said to me, “Why don’t we do Rogano?” and the very next day he put in a bid for it. I went to America to get some ideas and in Chicago I saw a lot of things that inspired me.

I was working so hard that my girlfriend said that if I didn’t take a step back I was going to kill myself. My problem was I didn’t really trust designers so I didn’t use a big design team, but the designer I did use at the time had designed me a great office in Glasgow.

So I had a great office but no staff. My girlfriend told me to see a student from Dundee who would help take the strain off me.

She came to see me and when the door opened this wee soul was standing there with her portfolio, which was nearly as big as she was. Her work at the time was horrendous, she had been at DRAM AUGUST 2016 21

THE AMAZING SUCCESS STORY OF KEN MCCULLOCH Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design in Dundee, and another luxury hotel. Says Ken, “The Columbas Hotel and Monaco her dad had a cafe in Dumfries but her stuff was mainstream art were amazing. But if you thought things through you wouldn’t do school. I asked how she felt about working for me some of the anything. You have to be crazy enough to want to do it.” time directly and some time working on the design. She came They then came up with idea of Dakota. Says Ken, “The Dakota right back at me and asked what the split would be and I said was named after the Douglas DC3, it used to be the air craft for spend 50% of your time working with me, and 50% of your time the New York to Chicago route. Then the war came along and on the rest.” it was used as a training aircraft for Brits who were learning That student was Amanda Rosa, who went on to become Ken’s to fly. At the end of the war the DC3 went back into service wife 21 years ago, and who still designs his venues to this day. but by now it was more affordable for people to travel. Before Says Ken, “She is amazing. You don’t mess with Amanda. What that it was only the rich and famous who flew. The partnership you see is what you get. She came to work at the Buttery and the with Coultard faltered, but what has not faltered is Ken’s belief Belfry, and I always remember 10 years on when we were walking in Dakota. Says Ken, “I’m very invested and I am a doer. You have along the Champs-Elysées in Paris and the phone rings, and at to have a passionate belief in what you do. Two and two does not the other end of the line is the main man behind the International always make four. You have to live it and see things through even Design of the year contest and he told Amanda she had been if other folk bail. We are not here to make up the numbers or to voted International Designer of the year. She deserved it. Her muck about. I believe in ‘Why not.” ethic is never over budget and she is meticulous, her attention to He continues, “We call Dakota at Eurocentral the 8th wonder of detail is fabulous. the world. How did we know every road was going to lead to it? It With Amanda by his side the two of them embarked on one was just a huge hunch. In fact the property guys that I had got to of greatest achievements, know from my Charlie’s days said transforming the former it was very much ‘left field’, but ONE OF THE HUGE PROBLEMS Cavendish Hotel in Glasgow’s when I had my office in Monaco WITH HOSPITALITY TODAY IS west end into One Devonshire - a it was cheaper to go to Nice by THAT MUMS AND DADS STILL luxury boutique hotel which was, helicopter than by cab, so when I at the time, the most luxurious got here and thought about going SAY TO THEIR KIDS, ‘WHEN ARE hotel in Scotland. to see Eurocentral, it seemed a YOU GOING TO GET A PROPER The enterprising duo opened it in normal thing to do, rather than a JOB’. BUT IF YOU ARE ANY 1986, after parting company with flash thing, to take a helicopter.

GOOD AT HOSPITALITY AND Alloa which was under threat of From the air you could see how YOU WORK HARD, YOU CAN DO acquisition. He didn’t ever regret people would get there.”

VERY WELL IN THIS BUSINESS. the move. Says Ken, “I was in a There is also a Dakota in Edinburgh cab recently and we were passing and the recently opened luxurious Devonshire, the cabbie asked me, version Dakota Lux in Glasgow.

KEN MCCULLOCH “did you do that?” It is one of the Ken says, “It has been tougher things I am most proud of. But I remember a friend of mine, than I thought opening here. It means so much more when it is in who is still a friend, taking me aside at the opening and saying, your home town and it is more difficult. It is definitely a destination “sunshine, you’ve blown it! People don’t get it.” “You mean you venue. But the staff here are great.” To prove the point he invited don’t get it I said!” He tells me about a Talking Heads album called his pastry chef who had just created the most exquisite soufflé. ‘, ‘Stop Making Sense’. “I think the more sense you are making, the to join us. He tells me, “I know most of my staff, and I talk to them less sense you make. Sometimes you have to bite the bullet and like they are individuals.” I would vouch for that. do what you believe in. I wanted to change people’s perceptions He adds, “One of the huge problems with hospitality today is that of Glasgow and I think we did that. Even today Devonshire is still mums and dads still say to their kids, ‘when are you going to get without a doubt, still regarded very highly.” a proper job’. But if you are any good at hospitality and you work Next on the agenda was Malmaison Hotel Group. The first hotel hard, you can do very well in this business. You can work anywhere opened in Edinburgh in 1994. Instead of a top-end hotel, it was a in the world and you would always be employable. It’s a fact good chic but a less expensive option for travellers. This venture was people don’t get sacked, but sometimes people sack themselves” backed by the Arcadian Hotel business, and when four years later I asked him what his proudest achievements had been – and the group was sold to Patriot, Ken’s investment reaped some apart from creating his businesses, he told me, “Being one of the £55m. founder members of Connoisseur Scotland, and winning Hotelier The lifestyle that he had so coveted as a youngster was his, of the Year from my peers.” and much more. He and Amanda moved to Monaco to enjoy the My mum also told me that his brother Stewart came to work one fruits of their labour. But... only two years later he obviously got day and said “I’ve sold my Chihuahua for a horse. My dad says it’s the itch and purchased the Abela Hotel, with business partner got good form.” One thing is definitely for sure... there is nothing racing driver David Coultard, which became the Columbas Hotel, wrong with Ken’s form!

22 DRAM AUGUST 2016

THE AMERICAN WHISKEY FAMILY.

FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1934.

W W W. M A R U S S I A B E V E R A G E S. C O. U K

Results Driven Recruitment Support Focused on successfully sourcing the top industry specialists across middle to senior management and head chef positions throughout Scotland for the Hospitality, Food and Drinks industry.

Let us cherry pick for your business needs Please contact us for an informal, no commitment chat where we can establish how best to assist in your company’s recruitment.

Telephone: 0141 816 0116 email: info@firstachieve.com

www.firstachieve.com

24 DRAM AUGUST 2016

r e s o u r c e

the

2016

incorporating the

DRAM AWARDS

2016 FINALISTS This issue we reveal all the finalists of the Scottish Bar & Pub Awards 2016 and there are finalists from North Uist to Penicuik. Voters nominated their favourite pubs online and our mystery shoppers went surprisingly enough ‘mystery shopping’, before our judges had their say. When it came to voting for your favourite wholesalers, we called some 800 pubs across Scotland. So a big thank you to everyone who kindly answered our questions. Here are all the finalists, with the Flow Entrepreneur of the Year being revealed on the evening alongside our Lifetime Achievement recipient. Good Luck everyone.

21Years of celebrating excellence in the Scottish Licensed Trade

DRAM AUGUST 2016 25

the

Whisky Bar of the Year

Customer Service Award

The Ballygrant Inn, Islay

Cross Keys, St Andrews

The Douglas Hotel, Arran

The Grill on the Corner, Glasgow

Pot Still, Glasgow

Usquabae, Edinburgh

The Mill House, Stewarton

Orocco Pier, Edinburgh

Social Media Award

Award for Innovative Business of the year

Buzzworks Life, Ayrshire

Hutchesons Bar & Brasserie, Glasgow

Gallery 48, Dundee

The Leadburn Inn, West Linton

Manorview Hotel & Leisure Group, Howwood

Orocco Pier, Edinburgh

The Mousetrap, Edinburgh

Proud Mary, Glasgow

26 DRAM AUGUST 2016

201

incorpora

DRAM A

016

ating the

AWARDS

Gastro Pub of the Year

The Drake, Glasgow

Mhor 84, Callander

Old Bridge Inn, Aviemore

The Tower, Crieff

Cocktail Bar of the Year

Social Responsibility and Community Award

DRAM!, Glasgow

Southside Social, Edinburgh

The Wheel Inn, Scone

Dog Friendly Pub of the Year

Badger & Co, Edinburgh

Blue Dog, Glasgow

The Barn, Oban

The Ben Nevis, Glasgow

Chez Mal Bar, Glasgow

Heads & Tails, Edinburgh

The Lord of the Isles, Lochgilphead

The Steading, Edinburgh

DRAM AUGUST 2016 27

the

Entrepreneur of the Year

Award for Success

Best New Venue

Boclair House, Glasgow

Crossbasket Hotel, Blantyre

St Luke’s, Glasgow

Wine by the Glass Award

The Chester (Graham Wood), Aberdeen

The Kingsmill (Tony Storey), Inverness

Manorview (Steve Graham), Bowfield

The Marcliffe (Stewart Spence), Aberdeen

Island Pub/Bar of the Year

Granite Park Restaurant, Aberdeen

The Jefferson, kilmarnock

The Drift Inn, Arran

MacGochans, Mull

Scotts, Troon

Seamill Hydro, West Kilbride

The Old Inn, Isle of Skye

Westford Inn, North Uist

28 DRAM AUGUST 2016

201

incorpora

DRAM A

016

ating the

AWARDS

Independent Bar of the Year

Bar 91, Glasgow

The Record Factory, Glasgow

Bloc, Glasgow

Smoking Goat, Ayrshire

Craft Beer Bar of the Year

Bar Apprentice 2016

Chris Allen The Boozy Cow, Aberdeen

Joseph Robertson Tigerlily, Edinburgh

Drew Gray Lulu’s, Edinburgh

Loren MacGregor The Busby Hotel, Glasgow

Gavin Millar Elliots, Prestwick

Marc Connelly The Torrance Hotel, East Kilbride

Jack Morlin Sandy McNally The Boozy Cow, Edinburgh Tikki Bar, Glasgow

Quality Award

6 Degrees North, Glasgow

The Bier Halle, Glasgow

Airlie Arms, Kirriemuir

Inn at Torbex, Stirling

The Crafty Pig, Glasgow

Ox 184, Edinburgh

MacGochan’s, Isle of Mull

The Piper Whisky Bar, Glasgow

DRAM AUGUST 2016 29

GUIDE

Pub of the Year

Best New Bar & Restaurant

The Atlantic, Glasgow

Gallery 48 Dundee

Angels, Uddingston

Goblin Ha’, Gifford, East Lothian

The Leadburn Inn, West Linton

The Anchor Inn, Broughty Ferry

The Mill House, Stewarton

The Dram Lifetime Achievement

Food wholesaler of the year Bidvest

Brakes

Dunns

Reid’s

Dunns

Gordon & MacPhail Inverarity Morton

Matthew Clark

Belhaven

Heineken

Tennent’s

Diageo

Gordon & MacPhail Maxxium

Finalists

Drinks wholesaler of the year

Beer brand owner/ distributor of the year Molson Coors

Spirit brand owner/ distributor of the year

30 DRAM AUGUST 2016

William Grants

Suppliers of Quality Fresh Produce to the West of Scotland and the Highlands

We would like to wish Neil and the team at MacGochans the best of luck in the 2016 awards.

Quality Counts!

Fort William Oban Unit 2/3, Annat Ind. Est., Old Tweedmill, Soroba Road, Corpach, PH33 7NA Argyll PA34 4HQ Tel: 01397 772 141 Tel: 01631 563 711 Fax: 01397 772 151 Fax: 01631 565 136 Email: sales@jmbreckenridge.co.uk www.jmbreckenridge.co.uk

Good luck to The Mill House from the team at Transition.

Waverley House, 16 Lawson Street, Kilmarnock KA1 3JP Tel: 01563 573200/531411 • Fax: 01563 530220 Email: post@transitioninteriors.co.uk www.transitioninteriors.co.uk

Good luck to all the finalists in the Scottish Bar and Pub Awards.

08444 993 444 • wellocks.co.uk  twitter.com/wellocks

 facebook.com/wellocks

DRAM AUGUST 2016 31

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

32 DRAM AUGUST 2015

®

WWW.MIXXIT.CO.UK

the

Bar Apprentice 2016 The DRAM Mixxit Bar Apprentice Scheme is back for its 11th year and looking for Scotland’s best new bartender. The competition aims to extend our apprentices cocktail and mixology knowledge and learn all about the history and distillation process of a number of different spirits – all taught by some of the country’s top mixologists. The apprentices will then face a panel of judges and the participant who performs the best wins the prize for Mixxit Bar Apprentice of the Year. This accolade will be announced at the glitzy SB&P Awards Ceremony on Tuesday 16th August at The Hilton, Glasgow. Let’s meet this year’s contenders…

1

2

Chris Allen, 22, Aberdeenshire The Boozy Cow, Aberdeen

Joseph Robertson, 21, Edinburgh Tigerlily, Edinburgh

Chris admits that he has done every job in hospitality from KP up to the position of bar supervisor which he holds now. Chris likes learning all about drinks and has already learned a new skill this week – how to crack an egg! Chris is sure that bartending is the job for him and plans to make a career out of it.

Bizare Bar Story: Being pulled over the bar by an angry customer

Joseph is the newest to the bar out of this year’s Mixxit group. What he likes most about the industry is the creativity you are encouraged to utilise, and the acknowledgement for hard work. What he likes least about it is the lack of sleep!

Joseph is excited to learn all about the history of drinks to use as a talking point with customers and a means to upsell.

Favourite Drink to Make: A glass of water

5

Drew Gray, 20, Bridge of Weir Lulu’s, Edinburgh

Loren MacGregor, 23, East Kilbride The Busby Hotel, Glasgow

Drew is the musical one out of the group and is currently studying Musical Composition at University. Drew loves using the shakers at work as he says that as soon as you start shaking, all eyes are on him. He has been working behind the bar for just over a year and believes that bartending has fantastic transferable skills you can use anywhere.

Funny Bar Story: Admits that there are far too many as he works in a nightclub - but most are not Pg!

Loren made the move from a job in Care to Hospitality and points out that the two vocations share interchangeable skills – they are all about communication and people skills. She cut her teeth working big events, such as the Commonwealth Games, before moving to The Busby.

Loren loves the interesting characters from all walks of life that you meet working behind the bar.

Favourite Cocktail: Anything fruity. Sex on the Beach is underrated!

6

Gavin Millar, 27, Irvine Elliots, Prestwick

3

Gavin started out as a bartender at his local bowling club pouring vodka and waters for the seasoned clientele. Gavin stresses that he just loves making things -so being a bartender is the perfect job to fulfil this passion. His pet peeve is untidy bars and will kick up a fuss if his co-workers don’t keep things neat. One day Gavin hopes to own a Speakeasy style bar.

Favourite Ingredient to use: Gin

Marc Connelly, 23, Glasgow The Torrance Hotel, East Kilbride

7

Jack Morlin, 22, Edinburgh The Boozy Cow, Edinburgh

4

Jack started working for bars as a PR and says this is where he learned all the ‘classics’.

He admits to being a lover of learning and is always keen to learn more about his trade.

Jack hopes to use the knowledge from the Mixxit Bar Apprenticeship to take back to his work so he can provide an even better customer experience.

Favourite New Cocktail: A Painkiller - Strong rum, Coco rum, pineapple & medicine!

Marc has progressed from working various jobs on the floor to now trying his hand behind the bar, and is excited to learn how to make cocktails. Marc is a star worker, earning Employee of the year at his establishment, and hopes to use this apprenticeship as a means to build his skills and help him work his way up.

Embarrassing Bar Story: Spilling tomato soup on a bride!

Sandy McNally, 23, Aberdeen Tikki Bar, Glasgow

8

Sandy recently graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering. Sandy loves the variety of bartending, as he says that no two days are ever the same. Sandy’s dream is to own a bar on the beach so that he can go surfing all day and work at the bar during the night.

He is looking forward to expanding his knowledge of Maxxium’s products range.

Favourite Classic Cocktail: Negroni DRAM AUGUST 2016 33

36 Bank Street, Livingston, EH53 0AR

FORK & FIELD DESIGN FOCUS

D

eep in the charming village of Mid Calder, an exciting project has been a-brew for the past 10 months. The project is causing such a thrill for locals that their Facebook page has been inundated with questions about when it opens. This is evident when I go to visit the venue, as heads keenly pop around the door to enquire when it will be finished. This project, of course, is PG Taverns new pub the Fork & Field. Meeting Iain Pert, I get a sense of just how large a project it was. He stresses that the reopening was not simply a case of revamping the former Torphichen Arms; instead, it was a case of an extensive redevelopment.

Located in a prominent position on the town’s Bank Street, the transformation is astounding.

Gone is the simple, small-town and slightly run down feel of the previous establishment and in its place has sprung a country inn styled gastro-pub which wouldn’t look out of place in Finnieston or Stockbridge.

The pub is Iain’s latest venture with business partner Gordon Gilhooley and Star Pubs & Bars.

The visual identity of a venue is very important to Iain. He tells me, “We take the visual identity and speak to the interior designers, and then we come up with a plan for the building.”

The visual identity brief originally showed a focus on a palette of primary colours; playing on the fork theme of the

34 DRAM AUGUST 2016

name and famous quotes, and from the minute you walk into the pub you can tell that they have stuck to the brief quite religiously – quotes cover the walls and feature at the entrance; blues, reds and yellows are everywhere; and various fork and field artwork is key. Iain Pert says, “All the design has been completed by DBP (Davidson Baxter Partnership) architects and designers based in Kirkcaldy. My wife Angela worked very closely with them and all the painted artwork that you can see is by the designers, but all the knick knacky things are made by my wife.”

The large and striking mural of a peacock, that takes centre stage in the pub, is a good example of the design collaboration that was involved.

Iain explains, “The peacock feature is in our logo and a huge part of our visual identity. It was drawn by our artist but then my wife suggested we should put real forks on it.” The unique pieces of bone china cutlery fixed onto the vivid feathers allows the bird to completely come alive. Once you notice the forks you suddenly find them appearing in every nook and cranny; so ingrained in a design or a mural that you don’t even realise they are real forks until you look a little bit closer. Iain continues, “The idea of the pub is that every time you come in you discover something different.”

BY K ATHARINE GEMMELL When you come in through the front door, right off the main street, you are greeted by the modern new bar finished in a deep navy blue and framed with a steel top. The bar is set within exposed brickwork which Iain proudly admits is all original. “It is unusual to have all original brickwork as you usually have to add something to it. But we were lucky that we didn’t have to add anything.” The gantry and glass rail is quite minimilist – consisting of just stripped back steel giving a skeletal outline. Added together with the spotlights and unshaded lights, it is reminiscent of a lighting rig at a theatre. It is almost as if the bartenders will be centre stage as they shake and serve their various drinks. Complementing this theatrical feel is the spotlighted bottle holders in the gantry. The bare light fittings hold empty bottles which allow the bottles to be transformed into lights themselves. Pert laughs, “When the designer sent me to pick up the lights I was expecting a huge box as it was very expensive. I got there and saw three flights of stairs and was thinking to myself that it would be a struggle to get them down. However, it turned out to just be a tiny wee box.” This definitely asserts that size does not matter – as the unique feature is a real highlight.

Meanwhile the steel bar top features large fork designs – practical to hide the joins and another ode to the pub’s name.

As Iain takes me around he shows me that it is the little quirks that they have added that gives the space character.

Unusually, the glass washers are not behind the bar and instead are in full view on the floor. This offbeat feature was more a decision of practicality than of making a statement.

He explains, “The bar is not that big so if we put the big glass washers there then it gives a lot more space to the bar staff.” But these practicalities are complimented by little nuances - a mural of drinks and spilt drinks is sweetly painted on the wall above the washers, which allows the washers to DRAM AUGUST 2016 35

not seem out of place right on the floor. Other little quirks include the mantelpiece being painted onto the wall instead of using a real one, and the big tables being made out of doors, shutters and windows.

It is true to say that the toilets of a bar and restaurant really tell you a lot about the place.

The design of the toilets in the Fork & Field really plays into the country style of the pub and the ‘field’ part of the name. The men’s urinals are styled like troughs, whilst the sinks are metal drums that have been cut in half and perch off a picnic style bench. Light fixtures are hung from a thick rope tied into thick knots as a farmer’s aide. All that is missing from the farmyard-chic environs is some tweed and a pair of hunter wellies. This vibe is continued in the ladies with gold peel trees climbing over the deep green walls, and little tufts of grass painted onto the bottom of the cistern. A similar trough feature that was used in the men’s is styled as a sink this time – with exposed copper pipes hung down as taps, poised as if ready for eating time.

As you continue your journey through the pub you are confronted with the substantial modern extension that frames both sides of the old facade of the building. They couldn’t 36 DRAM AUGUST 2016

get rid of the old facade due to the fact it is listed. However, the modern timber and glass amalgamated with the old white stone and double curved staircase give an interesting aesthetic – it truly is the old meeting the new. The large windows of the extension allow the light to trickle in from the mass of greenery behind the pub in a rather subdued way – it gives the feeling of being in a homely conservatory come greenhouse. It opens up onto a brand new beer garden which is a “right suntrap” according to Iain. He laughs, “I just look at the sun and get burnt so there is also a well-shaded bit.” Up the blue staircase and through the blue door will be home to six en-suite rooms, due to be ready in January. This oldmeets-new aesthetic will be continued with the design of the rooms. “The idea of the rooms is to have mix oldschool country design with technology. So you’ll get an iPad that will work everything but in a retro styled room.”

The space has been completely rejuvenated to create a modern country inn with an abundance of personal touches and quirks. If the current excitement at the opening of the Fork & Field is anything to go by, then I am certain that very soon the punters, just like the pints, will be pouring in.

Central Scotland’s premier supplier of fresh fish and poultry Proud to supply Topolabamba.

Wishing the team all the best for the future.

184 - 200 Howard Street Glasgow G1 4HW T: 0141 552 4368 F: 0141 552 4731 E: fish@bernardcorrigan.com

www.bernardcorrigan.com

DESIGN FOCUS

AN AWARD-WINNING LINE-UP These are just some of the outstanding wines in our range that struck gold at the International Wine Challenge 2016, the most prestigious global wine competition.

All are exclusive to Inverarity Morton in Scotland.

For more information or to place an order, contact 0141 620 6100 or sales@inveraritymorton.com www.inveraritymorton.com

EXPLORE. TASTE. LOVE. 38 DRAM AUGUST 2016

93 Lothian Rd, Edinburgh EH3 9AW

TOPOLABAMBA

BY MAIRI CL ARK

A

nyone who has been to Di Maggio Restaurant Group’s (DRG) Topolabamba in Glasgow, will realise that the design is as much a part of the experience of the restaurant as the food. The second branch of the successful Mexican-themed bar in Edinburgh is no exception.

Situated in Lothian Road, prepare to be bedazzled by Topolabamba’s colours! The long bar which stretches almost the length of the restaurant, is painted a startling azure blue, with the end nearest the door featuring a leather panel with the Topolabamba name lit in red.

Behind the bar, the red and white wall is covered in box shelving for the bar’s vast selection of tequila, while the dark wooden bar top is home to simple silver fonts. Steel spherical lights hang above the bar, while there’s further light given off by naked bulbs under some of the box shelves.

Down the centre of the first part of the restaurant run three booths seating four each, with black leather studded seating this is continued on the bar side.

Separated with skinny stainless steel strips designed in a vertical brickwork style, each table has either a bleached wooden table top or a light pine wood one. At the side of each booth, there are steel grills embellished with a trio of small ruby red love hearts to offer some privacy.

Aside from the tables in the middle, every banquette at the front of the restaurant is covered in a soft, caramel leather and paired with various coloured wooden chairs. At the

end of the aisle of tables, opposite the window, there is a double booth facing the window, again with the soft caramel leather. The front window looking out onto Lothian Road, has a window-length caramel leather banquette paired with separate tables in a pine coloured wood.

Similar to the Glasgow venue, the floor is covered in aged oak,while the bar area has Topolabamba’s specially commissioned Mexican-influenced tiles on which six caramel leather bar stools sit.

The beautiful thing about Topolabamba’s design is that every visit a customer makes allows them to discover another new gem detail they may not have noticed before; strips of rosary beads hang throughout and brightly coloured salamanders pop up in nooks and crannies throughout.

Crosses bedeck the pillars which are striped in red, yellow and green, while half the walls are stripped back to reveal brickwork, which have been stencilled with Mexican and Spanish words like ‘el borracho’ and ‘Mezcal’ (Spanish for a drunk and the Mexican drink made from agave).

On the left hand wall when you go in, 21 small wall lights have cleverly been made into miniature shelves where little plant pots sit, and as you head down towards the back of the restaurant, there is a recess of booths, with colourful bright naked bulbs creating a slightly cavernous feel. The stone walls have been panelled with pale wood, creating openings for religious pictures and artifical chillies, a trademark of Topolabamba. At the back before you move into the rear DRAM AUGUST 2016 39

of the restaurant, the wall is papered on one side with monochrome macabre looking skulls, and on the other purple and mauve skulls. The skulls are a theme replicated throughout the restaurant. On the wall, as you get into the kitchen end of the restaurant, half a dozen protruding skulls dot the wall. The leather banquettes in this part of the restaurant are now blood red, and two sets of booths flank a longer booth that lies against the wall, obviously to cater for a big party of diners.

The walls in the back part of Topolabamba, due to it having a higher ceiling, have been painted with two brightly coloured Mexican devil heads, and on the exposed stone walls there is

Scotch Frost are proud suppliers to Topolabamba and wish them every success in the future!

Scotch Frost is the leading supplier of frozen, fresh & ambient food products, drinks and packaging to the food service and specialist ethnic markets.

Telephone 01698 810099 (Head office) email sales@scotchfrost.com

www.scotchfrost.com 40 DRAM AUGUST 2016

cubeshelving, which hold a plethora of Mexican knick-knacks such as vases, crockery and tequila glasses and bottles.

The open kitchen allows customer to see the chefs at work and provides streaming light to what could have been quite a gloomy part of the restaurant. Throughout the restaurant the exposed venting can be seen, giving an almost stripped back, utilitarian feel. On paper, such a combination of clashing colours shouldn’t work, but here it does, as it is diluted with the steel and mixture of dark and light wood.

Although it is smaller than the Glasgow version, Topolabamba certainly provides a colourful addition for the Edinburgh restaurant scene.

We at Conetta Wholesale wish Topolabamba and Cadiz the very best of luck and we are also delighted to expand our long established relationship with Di Maggio’s Group

DESIGN FOCUS

CADIZ

Upper Floor, 77B George Street, Edinburgh

BY MAIRI CL ARK

C

adiz, the second of the Di Maggio Restaurant Group’s two new openings that we’re featuring this month, is as different as possible to its other venues. The 80 capacity restaurant, which is situated above Cafe Andaluz in Edinburgh’s George Street, stands out from the minute you enter through its dedicated side door. Its logo, the langoustine, may give you an idea of what food is being served, but the silver fish steel stencilling that features on the entrance hallway leaves you in no uncertainty. The sea is the inspiration throughout the restaurant, which seems apt given the Andalusian inspiration behind it. Pale blues and bleached whites make up the colour pallette, with simple silver complementing it.

When you enter Cadiz, it seems to be divided into two parts, whether intentional or not. In the first room, the main restaurant, the seating opposite the windows is made up of light blue leather banquettes, paired with wooden backed bucket chairs, with brown leather cushions. The four tables are topped with a natural wood with dark wooden edging. Throughout the rest of the restaurant, dark wooden tables feature with brown leather armchairs. Lighter DRAM AUGUST 2016 41

blue leather chairs are mixed with brown leather chairs around the circular tables.

The wall to the right has dark wooden panelling, above a light blue, ribbedback leather banquette, with light blue leather chairs opposite. Above the wood panelling, you can see the first gallery of black and white photographs, which feature throughout the restaurant and bar. Depicting sea portraits of fishermen catching lobsters, weather-worn faces and general atmospheric sea scenes, they again reiterate the sea theme and add a nice texturing finish to the simplicity of the dÊcor. To the banquette’s left, a matching banquette is strategically placed beneath a slanted mirror, which makes the room seem bigger than it is, and allows diners with their back to the restaurant a chance to people watch.

The wooden panelling is replicated in the floor, with a central square of natural wood panelling acting as a feature. The walls and ceiling of the main restaurant do not benefit from the original cornicing that is in the bar, so the walls next to the windows have been stripped back to show stone and the silver wall lights have decorative ivy spilling from behind them, giving a natural feel. Ship-style pendant 42 DRAM AUGUST 2016

lighting hangs above each table. The only booth in the restaurant is on the left when you enter and also features the light blue leather banquettes that are used in the main restaurant. Its rectangular table is also different with a dark wooden top and bottom with a steel filling.

Above the service station is an artistic arrangement of carved wooden fish, positioned as if in a shoal, complementing the langoustine logo which features on the two side walls.

While the main restaurant has a mixture of square and circular tables, with wooden bucket seats, the bar is markedly different with a marble bar-top on the left partnered with light blue and navy blue bar stools, alternately. Despite a strip of dark wooden flooring along the join of the rooms, the rest of the bar area has natural wooden flooring. A trio of white marble topped circular tables are placed facing out onto George Street, with a set of four pendant lights with light blue lampshades at each window.

For a relatively small space, mirrors are used to create the impression of a bigger space. The marble bar-side is lined with mirrors from the level to the ceiling which, with the whiteness of the marble,

makes great use of the sunlight that can sometimes be rare in Scotland. A floorto-ceiling mirror also features on the back wall, reflecting the light from George Street. The actual bar itself is also topped with white marble and its frontage is tiled with blue and white tiles, with a panel design of tiles through the middle.

Steel wine glass hangers feature above the bar, with the back gantry shelves used for storage of wine, against another mirrored wall.

The blue and white tiling also features beneath the bar side, and half way up the walls that adjoin the two rooms.

With the sleek, clean interior paired with so much sea imagery, all you really need is to be transported to Andalusia and you could be by the sea.

Central Scotland’s premier supplier of fresh fish and poultry Proud to supply Cadiz.

Wishing the team all the best for the future.

184 - 200 Howard Street Glasgow G1 4HW T: 0141 552 4368 F: 0141 552 4731 E: fish@bernardcorrigan.com

www.bernardcorrigan.com

EPOS • Back-Office • Corporate Solutions

Maitre’D is a proud supplier to

Scotch Frost are proud suppliers to Cadiz and wish them every success in the future!

Cadiz Edinburgh Maitre’D offers a complete EPOS and restaurant management solution • POS

Scotch Frost is the leading supplier of frozen, fresh & ambient food products, drinks and packaging to the food service and specialist ethnic markets.

Telephone 01698 810099 (Head office) email sales@scotchfrost.com

www.scotchfrost.com

• CVM Integrated Kitchen Video Monitor system • Complete Back-Office • Enterprise solutions • Mobile solutions

0800 074 5030 | www.maitredpos.com DRAM AUGUST 2016 43

45 Kelso St, Glasgow G14 0LF

JARVIES INN DESIGN FOCUS

P

icture The Hamptons, New England: the prime summer destination for affluent city dwellers in upstate New York, that is synonymous with old money and celebrities. Now picture Yoker: lying on the northern bank of the Glasgow Clyde; historically a hub of industry from the shipyards; and summed up by comedian Limmy in his infamous sketch as: “one of these places I only know from the front of a bus. Never been there, don’t know what it’s like, it’s just this pure fabled land that sounds like a pure mad egg yolk.”

The Hamptons and Yoker couldn’t seem further apart. However, Colin Beattie, who is never shy of a challenge, has decided to bring these two worlds together with a New England-inspired design for the new Jarvies Inn. Two years ago, a blaze at the pub meant that it was completely burned through. Owner Colin Beattie comments, “The whole inside was completely black. The walls, the floors, everything. We had to start from the beginning. We have put half a million pounds into the refurbishment.”

The old recognisable red sign and brown panelling at the front of the pub have now gone. Instead, the exterior boasts shades of sea blues and creams. Window displays frame both sides of the door featuring busts of Poseidon’s head, ships wheels, and lobster baskets - giving it a beach shack look even from the outside. The front door leads you into the spacious lounge bar that immediately evokes a New England riggers loft. The bar is the first thing that spreads before you, panelled in medium oak that matches all of the tables and chairs scattered throughout. The upholstery on the chairs, provided

by Derry’s Upholstery, is a mixture of tweed and brown and lightblue leather. A large barrel situated directly before you reach the

44 DRAM AUGUST 2016

bar plays into the boathouse vibe, but also serves a purpose. Colin believes it is important for any new customer to feel at ease with the space and the barrel set before reaching the main bar acts as a comfort zone; as opposed to what can seem like “the long walk”experienced by customers when entering a new space. The welcoming atmosphere that Colin wants to emit is boosted with an attractive sign that takes centre place in the gantry saying: ‘Service with a smile.’ The sizable gantry displays the array of spirits that they have on offer with Colin telling us that he actually invented the flying double optic bracket arrangement displayed, while the large industrial steel and chain light shades that hang down over the bar are evocative of machinery that you would find lying around a ship.

The new flooring features a clever use of rich mixed timbers teamed with terracotta and brown tiles that help define the bar area. The mixed timber allows the space to look bolder as it gives the illusion of more floor space. The walls are a combination of the same wood with a strong nautical theme; on one wall there is a large vintage map with an old-fashioned cutty-sark-like ship, and on the other is a huge compass. A new world-esque theme is evident, with pictures of settlers and pictures of the new America. Existing beside this is Native American themed décor: a traditional canoe with its oars and various pictures of head chiefs. Colin shares that these additions are not just to play into the aesthetic side of the New England vernacular architecture, but also represent something more informed. He says, “I really enjoy social history and with this design, I want to evoke memories of history. The design is framed around the history of the eastern seaboard and how these places came to be. The maritime theme will be something that a lot of the clientele will be

BY K ATHARINE GEMMELL familiar with because this area used to be a hub for shipbuilding. It’s something that The Hamptons has in common with the collective Glasgow shipbuilding areas – Yoker, Scotstoun and Clydebank. Also, they will know the history behind these pieces and will be able to look around and have conversations about the various things on the wall.”

The raised platform to the far-right of the lounge bar features a spectacular old mural of a polar bear and is lit up from a set of strip lights, making it loom impressively from anywhere you look. All of the design and pieces were chosen and assembled by designer Brian Donnelly, whom Colin has worked closely with in past projects.

Colin tells us that the raised platform will serve for more than just additional seating:“This raised platform will be where the band plays on their music nights. We will have all sorts of bands in - but we will never have karaoke,” he laughs. Back in the day Jarvies was renowned in the area for its live music, so it is nice to see that this tradition is continuing. An extensive food offering is planned to be served in the Lounge Bar, with the ubiqioutous hamburger and pizzas standing side by side with Scottish traditional fare.

Back to back - almost ‘but and ben’ style - with the lounge bar, lies the public bar. The public bar has a more traditionally masculine feel to it than the lounge bar, as you can tell that it is focussed more towards watching sports and playing pool. Walking in towards the pool table area reminds me strongly of an American sports bar. In contrast to the more solely nautical theme of the lounge bar, the lights don’t follow the same ship theme and are instead made of sporty red and green snooker lights. A huge Mohawk Lagers image rests on the faux-brick wallpaper, alongside a sports cabinet brimming with trophies, and old drinks

Proud suppliers to Jarvies Inn Wishing you all the best for the future!

85 Teaguy Road, Annaghmore, Co Armagh N. I.

T: 028 3885 1509 - www.derrys.com DRAM AUGUST 2016 45

ads clustered together on the wall. Besides these, there is also a nod towards Jarvies history, with pictures of old Jarvies football teams proudly displayed next to the trophy cabinet. This really gives you a sense that the pub has played an important role in the community throughout the years. It makes me feel just how special the redevelopment and re-opening of the pub will be to the community after being shut for two years. The front of the bar in the second room moves away slightly from the American theme and slips more towards a traditional Celtic feel, with fourpetaled symbols embossed neatly all around the bar. The seating

is also very different as it is made up of dark wood stools and red leather banquet seating – adding a more opulent dimension than we have seen. Colin’s ambitious project has created an incredibly imaginative interior that is unlike any of his other more classic Scottish places. Jarvies has now gone from a venue that previously catered to mostly a local clientele, to a place that I can imagine people flocking to from all over in order to get a taste of The Hamptons in Scotland. Perhaps now when Yoker is mentioned there will be no conjuring of the Limmy reference and only images of the glamorous New York island.

BRIAN DONNELLY Consultancy Deanhill House, Turner Place, Kilmarnock KA3 1RS 07970 196592 brian555donnelly@btinternet.com

Bands Dressing Room - Oran Mor, Glasgow.

46 DRAM AUGUST 2016

@dramscotland

/dram.scotland

SUE SAYS

A

s I said in my intro I really do love this time of year. For the last six weeks I’ve been all around the country, seen some great bars, pubs and restaurants, and of course I’ve seen some bummers too! With a public vote you never quite know what you are going to see, but ultimately it boils down to a warm welcome, great service, clean premises and a nice ambience. Cof fee machines that don’t work in the middle of the day I can put up with... even though I think how hard is it to boil a kettle? But cleanliness behind the scenes is just as important as the public facing areas.. and these days it’s more important than ever.

The awards on the 16th will reveal the winners and each and every one thoroughly deserves the accolades.

Considering we picked Rio as our theme for our awards over a year ago, it’s good to see that everyone is as positive about the place as I am.

Greene King’s current Leisure Spend Tracker has revealed that pub owners could experience a small boost from the Rio Olympic Games this month. Their figures show that over a third of Brits plan to watch some form of the event in a pub or bar. Surprisingly, the most popular event to watch outside the home is not the 100m final (c’mon Usain!), instead more than a third of UK adults said they would rather watch the opening ceremony.

The Mix xit Bar Apprentices were put through their paces last month at Max xium’s HQ. But while I thought it had been 10 years since Mix xit started it has in fact only been 9. But nex t year it will have been 10 years since Tom Hodgkins, became the First Award winning bar apprentice with Ryan Cheti being highly commended. It’s been great to see their progress and quite a few bar apprentices have gone on to own their own bars.

Roll on nex t year.

If there was an award for the best sign outside – it should be a pub in Burntisland... we thought this was great.

The biggest entry this year was for Dog Friendly Pub of the Year – more than 200 people voted for their favourite Dog Friendly Pub... but not only that most of the pubs we have visited in most categories were Dog Friendly too... the Kennel Club should be pleased.

A website called Musclefood.com has revealed that one of the best cocktails to enjoy if you are on a summer diet is a Bellini with only 95 calories. Just as well a Margarita is my favourite cocktail – I can cope with a 30 minute walk to burn the calories off!

But 16 minutes of sit ups would kill me!

DRAM AUGUST 2016 47

CLASSIFIED ADVERTS

signs doorplates banners plaques menu boards

Specialises in the supply and service of all types of espresso, cappuccino, filter, instant, bean to cup and bulk brew coffee machines to commercial customers throughout Scotland.

bespoke wallpaper window graphics vehicle graphics pavement signs point of sale

HERS S WAS • GLAS ERS WASH • DISH ES ACHIN • ICE M LERS LE COO • BOT T

Suppliers of Glass Washers, Dishwashers, Ice Making Machines & Bottle Coolers.

Over the last 27 years, we have supplied and serviced high quality coffee machines across a wide range of businesses and organisations, wherever coffee is served to the public.

Caledonian Espresso Service Unit 8 Dumbryden Industrial estate, Edinburgh, EH14 2AB Tel: 0131 453 1993 Mobile: 07919 173111 www.caledonianespresso.co.uk 48 DRAM AUGUST 2016

46 Dalsholm Road Glasgow G20 0TB. Tel: 0141 946 0444

www.simsautomatics.co.uk

CLASSIFIED ADVERTS

V Flexible Bains marie hot cupboard carvery unit with heated curved glass gantry overshelf. l Totally mobile on four castors. l Stainless steel construction. l Independent controls to hot cupboard,

top and heat lamps.

l 3kW loading fitted with 13 amp cable and

plug.

l Can be supplied with carvery, tiled or

glass inserts to suit required configuration.

Victor Manufacturing Ltd. Tel: 01272 722125 email@victormanufacturing.co.uk

www.victoronline.co.uk dram.indd 1

23/04/2015 14:21:00

®

Ramsay McGhee

Commercial Outdoor Equipment

Training & Sevices Ltd

All forms of Training for the Licensed Trade including the Personal Licence Holder Qualification, the PLH Refresher Course and the two hour Staff Course.

All other forms of Licensing Training available.

Training Courses throughout the Highlands and Islands and beyond Courses for individual companies, businesses, corporate bodies or other organisations can be arranged – please ask for details.

Tel: 01381 620 110 | Fax: 01381 621 788 | Mobile: 07770 37 37 72

Email: w.r.mcghee@btinternet.com www.ramsaymcgheetraining.com DRAM AUGUST 2016 49

ROUND UP GLASGOW’S FOOD FESTIVAL WITH A SOCIAL PURPOSE RETURNS

Real Food, Real Folk, the Glasgow food co-operative is set to put on its second Let’s Eat Glasgow! and it’s set to be double the size of last year’s event. The co-operative, made up of members including Cail Bruich, Crabshakk, Guy’s Restaurant, Mother India, Ox and Finch, Stravaigin, The Gannet and Ubiquitous Chip aims to challenge Glasgow’s traditional reputation for food while using their skills, passion for good food and ability, to raise funds to help those suffering from food poverty or poverty of awareness. This year’s event will take place in September at SWG3 in Finnieston. It will take visitors on a journey from ‘field to fork’. The venue, as last year, will be transformed into a bustling market with livestock display, restaurant zone and pop-up market showcasing the best food and drink from across the West of Scotland. Added to that, there’ll be a weekendlong programme of cooking and butchery demonstrations by experts and celebrities as well as live music throughout. Colin Clydesdale, Chair of Real Food, Real Folk, says, “In Glasgow, we can’t stage a festival like this without trying to do something about the very real food inequality still prevalent across our town. We are a long way from being a place where everyone has the choice and opportunity to eat well. By growing the size of Let’s Eat Glasgow! this year, we hope to double the number of visitors. We can then provide an even bigger showcase for social enterprises and raise money to help them in their work making a real difference across the city.”

Steve Graham, founder of Manorview, must be one of the fittest men in the licensed trade. He had to put back the judging for DRAM’s Scottish Bar & Pub Awards because he was doing a triathalon, and that was less than a month after cycling from London to Paris in 24 hours. Well done!

Jamestown Pub Raises £2,000 For Local Children’s Hospice Fenton’s in Jamestown, Alexandria has raised £2,000 over one weekend for Scotland’s Children’s Hospice Association (CHAS). In association with Kopparberg Fruit Lager, the pub hosted its fifth annual music festival which managed to raise the tremendous amount of cash that will go directly to children who attend and receive support from CHAS. The festival features 12 acts, 10 DJ’s and was supported by two bars and an outdoor stage.

The festival has raised around £10,000 for various charities over the previous years. Stephen Quinn, Marketing Manager for Fenton’s Bar said: “ We’re very happy and pleased to be able to hand over this cheque to Chas as I know it will benefit children & their families who need the expert support and guidance that Chas gives to families at the most difficult of times. A huge thank you also goes out to the customers and staff of Fentons who helped make the festival a success through their hard work and kindness.”

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, Katharine Gemmell 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.

50 DRAM AUGUST 2016

Perfection does not come about by accident Our passion for excellence drives us to continually develop new technologies to create the full range of delicious speciality coffees – from Ristretto up to Latte macchiato. Flexibly configurable coffee machines and accessories can be combined to create the perfect coffee solution with permanent water connection or sizeable watertank for any requirement from 30 up to 180 cups per day: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Pub and Bar In Barista Bars In Coffee Lounges To cater for employees In the events area In Office Floor Solutions

JURA Products Ltd Vivary Mill, Vivary Way Colne , Lancashire BB8 9NW Tel: 01282 868266 / Fax: 01282 863411 sales@uk.jura.com www.uk.jura.com

XJ9 Professional

GIGA X8 Professional

Just some of the great reasons to work with Punch and create a winning formula to running your own pub business.

Punch plans to invest more than £3 million in its Scottish estate over the next 12 months.

Variety of agreements

Flexible Ingoings

Hotel, Pub, Restaurant Portfolio

Punch hotels, pubs and restaurants are all in prime locations and our refurbishment schemes have been designed to make the most of the site’s heritage whilst celebrating locally sourced food and drink. From traditional wet-led sites to award winning gastro pubs, our Scottish estate has it all. As part of our support package, we will work closely with you to develop your business plan, making this a great opportunity for the right candidates to take the lead on running their own business.

Recently Invested, Clovenfords 1 Vine Street, Clovenfords, Galashiels,TD1 3LU

Come along to the Punch Annual Roadshow

Tuesday 27th September 10:00am – 3:00pm The Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh EH28 8NB To find out more call 01283 501999 or visit www.punchtaverns.com facebook.com/PunchPubsScotland