Venue Insight Magazine - December/January 2017

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VENUE

INSIGHT

A P L AT F O R M F O R T H E H O S P I TA L I T Y I N D U S T RY DECEMBER/JANUARY

2017

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Expert Insights

NEWS FROM THE ALMR

looking ahead to 2017 The main focuses of the ALMR’s attention in 2017 will pertain to employment challenges and rising costs.

We will be working closely with the Government to try to boost confidence among consumers, operators and investors, as a bedrock of stability.

Enhanced Benchmarking Report to reflect dynamic sector The ALMR has launched the 11th edition of the annual ALMR Christie & Co Benchmarking Report survey and is calling on licensed hospitality businesses of all trading styles to contribute.

The annual report, produced in partnership with specialist property adviser Christie & Co, provides a complete overview of operating costs for pubs, bars, nightclubs and restaurants and is used extensively by the ALMR in its lobbying efforts.

This year’s survey is more comprehensive than ever and seeks additional information on wage rate increases, business rates revaluations and businesses Brexit prospects.

ALMR Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said:

“The annual Benchmarking Report is one of our most valuable tools and the most comprehensive and authoritative of its kind.

“This year’s survey is more detailed than ever and will give us meticulous information on wages, business rates and businesses’ prospects as we move towards Brexit. This will provide an extra dimension to the Report that will be invaluable during these uncertain times.”

Neil Morgan, Managing Director –

Kate Nicholls ALMR Chief Executive

Pubs & Restaurants at Christie & Co said,

“As we approach the end of what has been an eventful year for both the sector and the global economy, the ALMR Christie & Co Benchmarking Report has never been more essential, enabling owners and operators alike to assess the performance of their businesses and plan effectively for the future.

“The 2017 Report will include for the first time the impact of the Brexit vote and introduction of National Living Wage on sector performance, while providing comprehensive data which will prove invaluable for those seeking to appeal business rates as well as to manage their business effectively.”

ALMR’s “united voice” in 2016’s turbulent landscape The ALMR’s presence as a united voice for the eating and drinking out sector has helped to steer the out-of-home sector through a year of uncertainty, guests heard at the trade association’s annual Christmas lunch in London in December.

Addresses from Chief Executive Kate Nicholls and Chairman Steve Richards described the ALMR’s successful lobbying and continued membership growth across the sector in a year of uncertainties.

Kate Nicholls said: “2016 has been a turbulent year, in which we have had to navigate an unexpected and challenging landscape. A time when it has never been more important to speak with one clear, loud, united voice. The ALMR has

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been working for a Brexit deal that best serves our sector and our members, putting food and drink front and centre of a new industrial strategy.

Today, we announce two further initiatives.

First, a new online tool developed with CPL Training, called ALMR People Search, to help businesses more easily check people’s right to work, as post-Brexit migration policy is developed. Secondly, an ALMR diploma, developed with HIT Training, CPL and BIIAB, drawing existing work-based qualifications and in-house training in one fully integrated learning platform to deliver industry best practice apprenticeships from entry level to leadership, meeting employers needs and underpinning career development.”

Pubs, bars and nightclubs can provide the UK’s economy with a boost and can help drive growth in local economies across the UK. This will only occur if there is a sense of certainty that allows employers to invest in their outlets and their staff. The ALMR has been in close discussion with the Government discussing the impact of Brexit for the country’s bars and nightclubs. A key concern for employers will be for the right of their non-UK EU members of staff to remain and work in the UK. Workers from the EU make a huge contribution to our country’s hospitality sector and it is vital that they be allowed to remain and continue the valuable work that they do. The ALMR will be making sure that the voices of our members, and the wider sector, are heard.

Continually rising property costs, particularly business rates, will continue to be a cause for concern for many bars. Despite some key wins this year in the area of transitional relief, property costs continue to be an issue for businesses and many pubs and bars saw their rateable value increase at the last revaluation.

According to the latest ALMR Christie & Co Benchmarking Report, property costs excluding rents are now at an average 6.5% of turnover.

We are still looking for root and branch reform of business rates to ensure that they are equitable, affordable and do not penalise venues for success.

There will be opportunities to grow and the late night sector in particular has an opportunity to expand and continue its good work. Here’s to an exciting and prosperous 2017!

Contents Hello

and welcome to our New Year issue of Venue Insight Magazine, THE must have publication for the UK hospitality industry.

I think it’s fair to say that 2016 has been a crazy and unpredictable year to say the least. Let’s hope that 2017 brings calm, peace and balance to all.

As always there’s something for everyone here. We’re jam packed with hospitality news, awesome products, trends, lifestyle and education around bars, pubs, clubs, events, restaurants.

If you’re looking to get to a trade show early in 2017 it can only be The Great Hospitality Show in Birmingham (NEC) 23rd – 25th January. We wrap up our preview of this fantastic event.

Why not take a trip north of the border to The SECC Glasgow 15-16 March for ScotHot? It’s bigger and better than ever! Find out all you need to know within.

It just leaves me to say – thanks for the amazing support you have all shown Venue Insight in 2016 and here’s to a happy and healthy 2017.

Editor David Sullivan editor@venue-insight.com 01634 568927 Publication Manager Dan Scudder dan@venue-insight.com 01634 568928 Account Manager Jon McIntosh jon@venue-insight.com 01634 568928 Design Karl Speller design@venue-insight.com 01634 568927 publisher Robert Robinson Crystal Design & Media Ltd 01634 568925

David Sullivan - Editor

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Features

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4. The ALMR 7. Guild of Beer Writers 10. Star Brands 12. Amigos

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16. The Winter Social 23. ScotHot 28. Great Hospitality Show 31. LeisureBench Ltd 34. 7 Stylish New Year’s Cocktails

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35. Brockmans 75

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42. Interview with Claudio Giambrone - South Bank 44. Visit Guildford 46. Maidaid Halcyon

Crystal Design & Media Ltd and the publication Venue Insight Magazine assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material or the accuracy of information received.

All material will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication under copyright and within the editors rights to edit and offer comment.

All editorial contributions are to be sent to: editor@venue-insight.com

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Friends of Venue Insight: 38.

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Guild of Beer Writers recognises talent with annual awards

‘Hat trick’ for new Beer Writer of the Year Author Pete Brown has been named Beer Writer of the Year 2016 at the British Guild of Beer Writers’ annual awards ceremony, staged on 1 December in London.

The Award represents a ‘hat trick’ for Brown, who also took the title in 2012 and 2009.

Beer Writer of the Year is the top award in the Guild’s annual competition for writing about beer and pubs, which this year received more than 150 entries across nine categories.

Brown won two categories - for the best writing in trade press and in national media on his way to the top prize.

and the history that has shaped them. He has a talent for finding the most interesting nuggets in material, and spinning them to create stories that won’t just appeal to the already-converted, but which will pull in a broader audience.”

One of this year’s judges, Dave Myers, of Hairy Bikers fame, said, “There is some seriously good writing about beer and pubs out there and discovering it was a delight.

The best writers combine a sure grasp of their subject matter with a talent for storytelling, so as a reader you want to taste the beer they’ve drunk, visit the pub they’ve been to or meet the brewer they’ve interviewed.

Breandán Kearney, last year’s Beer Writer of the Year and Chairman of judges for the 2016 competition, said,

“Many of the winners and finalists are producing outstanding work that deserves to reach a wider audience and I hope that the added recognition from the Awards helps to secure this.”

“The Awards recognise the UK’s most talented communicators about beer and pubs across a range of channels from books to blogs, press to podcasts. Judges had difficult decisions to make in choosing the finalists and winners from a field of high-quality entries.

Kearney and Myers were joined on the judging panel by: Rebecca Smithers, consumer affairs correspondent at The Guardian: Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers and Roger Ryman, Head Brewer at St Austell Brewery.

“We’re delighted that prizes have been awarded not just to established beer writers, but to new, less-known communicators, as each entry is judged on its merits and its ability to further the Guild’s mission of extending public knowledge and appreciation of beer and pubs.”

The Awards ceremony also saw the Guild’s Brewer of the Year title go to Richard Westwood, MD of Marston’s Brewing Company.

Westwood has worked in the brewing industry for 40 years, rising from lab technician at Wolverhampton & Dudley to take the helm at the UK’s largest brewer of cask ales.

He added, “Pete Brown is a worthy Beer Writer of the Year. Whatever he’s writing about, he is unfailingly authoritative, not just about beer or pubs, but the wider world in which they sit

Presenting the Award, Guild Chairman Tim Hampson said, “Richard is committed to producing classic beers such as Pedigree and

Banks’s Mild, while retaining the traditions of the five breweries owned by Marston’s.

In addition, he has encouraged the development of innovative new beers such as the company’s Revisionist and single hop ranges. He has worked in collaboration with other brewers and is constantly looking for new ways to ensure all beers are served as brewers want them to be served.

“But more than this, Richard cares about beer drinkers. He has empowered consumers by encouraging them to have a greater understanding of the importance of the ingredients of beer.”

The winners and runners up in each category were announced at the Guild’s annual dinner, this year held at the Park Lane Hotel on Piccadilly. More than 200 guests enjoyed a four-course dinner prepared by the hotel’s Head Chef Andrew Bennett, with each dish accompanied by a specially selected beer: Bad Seed Brewery’s Hefeweizen; Beavertown’s Black Betty IPA, Serpent from Thornbridge Brewery and Ampleforth Abbey’s Dubbel.

Other beers from the Award’s sponsoring brewers were sampled before and after dinner.

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

Brewer of the Year: Richard Westwood, Marston’s There’s A Beer For That Award for Best Beer Broadcaster Winner: Radio 4’s The Food Programme Silver Award: Lucy Stevenson and Louise Mulroy Badger Ales Award for Best Young

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Beer Writer’s Awards Beer Writer of the Year Winner: Jacopo Mazzeo Silver Award: Joshua Farrington St Austell Brewery Award for Best Beer & Travel Writer Winner: Mark Dredge Silver Award: John Holl Guild Award for Best Beer Writer Corporate Communications Winner: Carlsberg UK Shepherd Neame Classic Collection Award for Best Beer & Food Writer Winner: Mark Dredge Silver Award: Adrian Tierney-Jones Caledonian Brewery Award for Best Beer Communicator - Online Winner: Jonny Garrett Silver Award: Will Hawkes Fuller’s 1845 Award for Best Beer Writer - Trade Media Winner: Pete Brown Silver Award: Nigel Huddleston Adnams Award for Best Beer Writer Regional Media Winner: Alastair Gilmour Silver Award: Susan & Judith Boyle Molson Coors Award for Best Beer Writer - National Media Winner: Pete Brown Silver Award: Sophie Atherton The Michael Jackson Gold Tankard for Beer Writer of the Year 2016: Pete Brown The Guild is grateful to the following sponsors, whose support makes possible our annual awards and dinner: Adnams Established in 1872, Adnams combines innovation with tradition. Behind the walls of its Victorian-looking building, it has some of the most advanced and energy-efficient brewing equipment in Europe and constantly experiments with new, innovative techniques.

Adnams brews a range of beers which reflect its heritage but also challenge conventions.

They use locally-grown East Anglian grains of malted barley, rye, wheat and oats wherever possible and deploy a number of different hop varieties from Britain as well as across the world – all of which contribute to their beers’ individual characters. www.adnams.co.uk Badger Ales Badger Ales have been brewed in the heart

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of the Dorset countryside since 1777 by independent brewers Hall & Woodhouse.

As one of the leading independent brewers in the UK, Hall & Woodhouse is well known for its range of award-winning ales brewed under the Badger brand and its network of public houses throughout the South of England. The brewery is still owned and managed by the seventh generation of the Woodhouse family. www.badgerales.com Caledonian Brewery Since its founding in 1869, Caledonian Brewery – also known as ‘The Caley’ - has been renowned for creating some of Scotland’s finest beers and its pioneering spirit has ensured that this is a brewery never content to rest on its laurels. Innovation is at the heart of the Caley’s ethos. One of the original Victorian breweries of Britain, it’s the only one to still use direct open fired coppers.

At Caley they brew beer by hand, and that’s not just a nice phrase - it’s true, full leaf hop flowers and specialty malts are weighed and added by hand to the carefully crafted recipes.

Caledonian’s range of traditional craft ales comprising Deuchars IPA, Edinburgh Castle and Flying Scotsman is joined by its more contemporary craft styles, Three Hop and Coast to Coast and now Rare Red.

www.caledonianbeer.com

Fuller’s 1845 Fuller’s has been brewing at the Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, London, since 1828.

They are the only UK brewery to have three different beers named Champion Beer of Britain by CAMRA; collectively London Pride, Chiswick Bitter and ESB have received this accolade five times. Other beers in its extensive and wide-ranging portfolio include Honey Dew, Bengal Lancer, Wild River and Frontier.

Fuller’s 1845 is a strong, rich and fruity ale, specially commissioned to celebrate 150 years of the Fuller, Smith and Turner partnership. It’s a live, bottle-conditioned beer, skilfully brewed to mature over time. www.fullers.co.uk Molson-Coors For more than 350 years, Molson-Coors has been brewing, innovating and delighting the world’s beer drinkers.

With a long history of creating local and international brands, Molson-Coors’ global beer portfolio has more than 100 beers.

Always looking for ways to bring something new and exciting, their innovations are inspired by insights from customers and consumers.

www.molsoncoors.com Shepherd Neame Shepherd Neame is an independent family brewery and pub operator based in the medieval market town of Faversham, Kent.

Dating back at least 400 years, it is Britain’s oldest brewer and still creates its range of Kentish ales and award-winning lagers using traditional methods with 100% natural ingredients; chalk-filtered mineral water from the artesian well below its site, the finest malting barley and Kentish hops.

Its beer portfolio includes Spitfire Premium Kentish Ale and the new Spitfire Gold, Bishops Finger Kentish Strong Ale and Master Brew. More recent introductions include Spitfire Lager, the contemporary Whitstable Bay Collection and a new collection of limited edition No.18 Yard Brewhouse beers, named after its historic cask store.

It also brews a number of high quality international lagers under licence including Asahi and Samuel Adams Boston Lager.

www.shepherdneame.co.uk

St Austell Brewery Founded in 1851 by Cornishman Walter Hicks, today St Austell Brewery remains a 100% independent and family owned brewer and pub operator. Its brewery in St Austell produces many of the region’s most popular beers for sale in pubs, bars and supermarkets in Cornwall, Devon, across the UK and also overseas. St Austell brews beer with individuality, character and spirit which is true to its vision of what good beer ought to be.

St Austell’s sponsorship of Best Beer & Travel Writer Award is apt as Cornwall is the UK’s favourite domestic holiday location and its leading brand Tribute is now served on British Airways flights and in BA lounges all over the world. www.staustellbrewery.co.uk There’s A Beer For That There’s A Beer For That is a campaign to reignite Britain’s love of beer by focusing on the quality, diversity and versatility of beer. Backed by Britain’s Beer Alliance, the campaign is seeking to change consumers’ attitudes and behaviours around beer through a number of events, digital activity and media partnerships. It recently launched partnerships with Picturehouse Cinemas and the Telegraph Media Group to further change the image of beer, and place it where consumers can learn, trust and experience great beer and food pairings. www.beerforthat.com

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StarPro Feature

Introductory

50% off in January!!

StarPRO is celebrating the launch of their new line of professional cleaning products by offering its product range at 50% off its already competitive prices (excluding bleach).

StarPRO is produced by Star Brands Ltd, which has been producing high-quality cleaning products for more than 70 years.

The StarPRO range is offered at extremely competitive prices while still containing high-quality ingredients in its formulations.

StarPRO is able to do this because it has it’s own manufacturing plant here in the UK, and products are sold to customers direct via www.starprodirect.co.uk, shortening the supply chain and lowering costs.

StarPRO products have been split into eight colour-coded categories, which coincide with the COSHH guidelines for easy recognition and use.

Blue – General Products Includes products for cleaning general areas such as Hard Surface Cleaner, Window & Glass Cleaner, Furniture Polish & Cleaner and more.

Green – Catering Products Products safe for use in food/drink preparation areas. Includes Purple Beer Line Cleaner Concentrate, Catering Bactericidal Cleaner, Machine Dishwash Liquid and more.

Cyan – Hand Care Products Hand care products include a range of different hand washes (both foam and non-foam formulas) that are specially developed for applications where frequent hand washing is required. Added emollients work to protect hands from drying out and cracking when used repeatedly.

Magenta – Laundry Products StarPRO Laundry products include Bio or Non-bio Laundry Detergent Liquids (suitable for low-temp washing), Fabric Softener, and Oxi Fabric Stain Remover Powder.

Red – Sanitary Products Sanitary products include Daily Use Toilet Cleaner, Heavy Duty Toilet Cleaner & Descaler, and Thin/Thick Bleach. Toilet cleaners are available in convenient angled-neck bottles for better cleaning under toilet rims.

Orange – Odour Control Products StarPRO’s odour control products include an Air Freshener RTU Spray and an Odour Controller & Deodoriser Spray for deodorizing surfaces such as toilets and rubbish bins.

Yellow – Washroom Products Washroom products are designed to effectively clean washrooms in professional environments. Products include Bactericidal Washroom Cleaner and Washroom Cleaner & Limescale Remover.

Purple – Hygiene Products Hygiene products are powerful cleaners that work to significantly reduce the number of harmful pathogens on surfaces. Includes StarPRO Powerful Disinfectant Cleaner, available in 750ml RTU sprays or 5 litre concentrate packs.

The StarPRO range has been formulated to industry-accredited standards to remove dirt, cut through grease, disinfect and deodorise. Most products are available in 750ml sprays and 5 litre concentrate packs/refill packs.

www.starprodirect.co.uk 10

december/january 2017

PROMOTE YOUR BRAND in 2017

branded marquees branded bar tents branded inflatable & dome tents branded parasols & poseur tables flags systems banners custom branded products

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Drink News

All comments are provided by Christian Sarginson, Senior Brand Manager at Global Brands:

in scope but essentially focused on the UK’s burgeoning street scene. Amigos seeks to become the go to #streetcerveza.

Brands with authenticity, heritage and a compelling story are gaining more visibility in the beer market and are set to be a big trend in 2017.

Throughout last summer, Amigos supported ‘street culture’ by sponsoring the fantastic Urban Food Fest on Shoreditch High Street; gaining plaudits from publications such as Harper’s Bazaar who said they “loved” Amigos. Beyond this, Amigos has continued involvement with the street art scene in the UK, supporting a variety of art exhibitions and performances. The brand has continued plans for bigger and better activations in 2017 as part of the #streetcerveza campaign.

Amigos Tequila Beer is a golden, easydrinking beer with the zing of South American limes and the flavour punch of Mexican tequila. Inspired by Mexico’s sense of vibrancy and passion Amigos’ identity relishes in its Mexican character by proudly declaring on its logo that it is a beer “con sabor a tequila”.

This Spanish translation of “tequila flavoured beer” deepens the association with Amigos’ tequila flavourings, which derives from the Mexican agave plant.

Coming under the #streetcerveza umbrella,

Amigos’ marketing campaign authentically supports street culture in all its guises; from street art, to underground music and events, to street food. The campaign is international

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In October, the tequila flavoured beer hosted a number of parties in celebration of Dia de los Muertos. Taking place in some of the UKs most exciting venues; a basement tequila den, a warehouse complex and on a boat, and showcasing some of the most exciting talent in underground music from The Bug to Josey Rebelle. Each party encapsulated the #streetcerveza ethos – made by the people for the people.

Amigos Tequila Beer

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News

CPL Online develop bespoke mobile app for iNTERTAIN

The ‘Pulse’ app was launched in July to improve training and engagement across iNTERTAIN’s sites.

CPL Online has revealed details of the bespoke mobile project developed for iNTERTAIN, one of the leading brands in the late-night hospitality sector.

In July, the new ‘Pulse’ app was introduced to streamline company training and increase engagement amongst site employees. Working closely alongside Nina Marshall, iNTERTAIN’s Head of HR, CPL developed two unique features – ‘Mojos’ and ‘Chunks’.

Within the app, ‘Mojos’ are created by general managers to carry out a comprehensive review of employee training progress. The other bespoke feature – ‘Chunks’ – are designed to deliver bite-sized e-Learning sessions for site staff.

The accessible nature of mobile learning means staff are able to access training ‘on the go’ – during work downtime or beyond working hours. Thanks to animation and gamification technology, an increase in engagement levels have also swept across the company’s workforce.

In an engagement survey carried out by 58% of iNTERTAIN’s workforce, it showed that 87% of employees said the app had increased their engagement in training.

Since the launch, CPL has already recorded

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over 12,600 logins into Pulse.

company culture.

One of the app’s most useful features, the Financial Dashboard, highlights where iNTERTAIN can make substantial costsavings. Using CPL’s big data platform, the Dashboard processes all data recorded in each Mojo and Chunk, to churn out real-time and predictive analysis on company training procedures.

From an HR point of view, the Financial Dashboard has opened up a world of invaluable insights. In the long-term, it’ll help us attain high standards of efficiency and business management. We are really excited about the next phase of Pulse, which opens up even more opportunities for our employees to manage their own internal career path.”

The appraisal system is also helping iNTERTAIN streamline its recruitment strategy. For new starters, probation reviews are undertaken at month one, two and three. Over time, the data accumulated in the probation reviews provide the basis for key trends and patterns. For example, if data insights show that a consistent number of new employees are leaving inside their first month, management can review internal procedures and examine the correlation.

Nina Marshall, who was a driving force behind the development of ‘Pulse’, said:

“Since the launch in July, Pulse has fast become embedded in our learning and development strategy. As well as improving the accessibility of training, Pulse is making staff more engaged in their learning.

Thanks to CPL, we have a bespoke app that connects with our staff and embodies our

Andrew Rannard, who was appointed CPL’s Account Director in April, said:

“We were delighted to be announced as iNTERTAIN’s Supplier of the Year.

As always, iNTERTAIN are fantastic to work with.

The effect of Pulse has already been felt across the company – boosting staff engagement and improving training procedures. Nina played a crucial role in the development, especially with the concepts of ‘Mojos’ and ‘Chunks’. It’s a fresh approach to L&D that enthuses employees to push on and improve. Not only that but combined with our big data system, it’s helping iNTERTAIN save time and money.”

YOU CAN’T ARGUE WITH EXCELLENCE Richard Hill MBE WORLD CUP WINNING TEAM 2003 BRITISH AND IRISH LIONS 1997 - 2005 ENGLAND RUGBY TEAM MANAGER 2016 MAIDAID BRAND AMBASSADOR 2016/17

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SUPPliER

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Winter Social Feature

THE WINTER SOCIAL 2017: PHASE ONE LINE-UP REVEALED NIC FANCIULLI // SETH TROXLER // SVEN VÄTH STEVE LAWLER // HOT SINCE 82 // ALAN FITZPATRICK ANDREA OLIVA // DENSE & PIKA // MARK FANCIULLI TIM GREEN // BAS IBELLINI + MORE TBA The Winter Social Kent County Showground, Maidstone 11th March 2017

www.thesocialfestival.com

Returning to Maidstone next March 11th, The Winter Social has announced the first wave of names for its third edition.

For all press enquiries please contact:

Revealing another heavy-duty line-up that sees festival regular Seth Troxler join Sven Väth, Steve Lawler and festival founder Nic Fanciulli, The Winter Social maintains the same party ethos as its summer counterpart – The Social – offering high quality sound with back to back house and techno in an impressive warehouse setting.

Festival & Event Info:

With Hot Since 82 confirmed to return for the latest installment, the fine-tuned stages will also be backed by Alan Fitzpatrick, Andrea Oliva, Bas Ibellini, Tim Green, and Mark Fanciulli, making the all-dayer a must-see entry into the year ahead. Only an hour’s train journey from London Victoria station and fully covered come rain or shine, The Winter Social looks set to confirm its position as an opening highlight of the season in music once again.

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carina@listen-up.biz or liberty@listen-up.biz Date: Saturday 11th March 2017 Times: 12:00 – 24:00 Location: Kent County Showground, Maidstone Ticketing info:

www.thesocialfestival.com Line-Up: Alan Fitzpatrick Andrea Oliva Bas Ibellini Dense & Pika Hot Since 82 Mark Fanciulli Nic Fanciulli Seth Troxler Steve Lawler Sven Vath Tim Green

Drink News

Spirits soar at Robinsons, thanks to Brockmans Gin One of the oldest family brewer and pub operators in the country has embraced one of the newest gins on the market – and it is proving a tonic for spirits sales.

The multi-award winning Robinsons Brewery has successfully operated for almost 180 years and has nearly 300 tenanted and managed pubs,

inns and hotels across the North West of England.

David Bremner says he anticipated other craft

and new style gins would also sell well. “I thought

Martin Miller’s would sell as well with its garnish of

strawberries and black peppercorns, but in practice we’ve only seen a quarter of the sales for this offering compared with Brockmans”.

He puts success for gins and vodkas down to

“encouraging our pubs to become fruit shops!”

The Group is keen to celebrate tradition –

Recognising that ice and a slice doesn’t resonate

brewed to a recipe first created in 1899; yet its

each product in the correct way makes all the

one example being that its Old Tom beer is

secret of success is that it is also forward thinking and able to combine the very best traditions with the very latest thinking and products.

Gin is a case in point. Spirits remain a relatively small

any longer, Mr Bremner believes that serving difference. “Brockmans with grapefruit and

blueberries is delicious,” he says. “It helps staff and customers start thinking about gin and different gins in a way that they hadn’t before.”

part of the offering but Brockmans Gin is helping

To get the message across to the pubs, the price

Marketing and the Spirits Buyer for Robinsons and

point of purchase there is already a perceived taste

to boost spirits sales. David Bremner is Director of based at the Brewery in Stockport, Cheshire.

list includes recommended garnishes so that at

Above: The George & Dragon pub and the Horse Shoe Inn.

which has been available to them all year and 48 offering Sipsmith.

difference even for those licensees who are not

Some of the Group’s outlets will be running gin

collection is up 98% and Brockmans Gin is now

Brockmans will be taking part in the Group’s Trade

Sam Hargraves, Regional Sales Manager for

10 more established gins in its wake. We now

and David Bremner predicts this will be a useful

says: “We are so excited to see how Robinsons

David Bremner says: “Our connoisseur gin

number 3 (based on the last 3 months) leaving have 55 stockists of this gin so we still have plenty of opportunity to grow the brand within our

familiar with Brockmans yet.

Show at St Helens Stadium on the 14th of March showcase for the brand.

portfolio. They all love Brockmans – we do tastings

The Group offers a portfolio of 25 gins and the

and it helps that our Telesales Manager,

having more than 5. All of top 12 pubs, inns or

with the managers. Brockmans was my favourite Rachel Trusdale, was such a fan that she was buying it for herself from local retailers even before we stocked it.”

The managed division of the Group was only recently revived. “Having started the managed division two

biggest gin stockist lists 16 gins with 83 outlets hotels stock Brockmans with the most successful of all, the George and Dragon in Holmes Chapel, selling and astonishing 10 litres in the three months since Brockmans was listed in the Cheshire pub in September 2016.

years ago, we plan to drive the Brockmans message

The Tenant there, Martin Barnes, says that

strongly,” says Mr Bremner.

good growth, they stock every gin that Robinsons

to these landlords to help promote sales even more

Volume sales across the group for spirits have

increased by 11% so bucking the market trend.

According to David Bremner, “Brockmans has only

been with us for 3 months and already it is the 4th biggest seller and will soon be the 3rd best seller,

overtaking Sipsmith and behind the heavy-hitting

because they recognise that the gin sector is in offers. “Our staff love it and our customers love it. Brockmans has a distinctly different bottle

and a significantly different flavour. Those dark berry flavours really come through. We serve it

with blueberries and grapefruit in a nice glass so customers often Instagram it and that spreads the word.

brands Hendricks and Tanqueray.

We also serve a Brockmans Bramble sometimes,

“Brockmans is the gin that opened up the category

that one of the George and Dragon team,

to the sales teams. We recommend the Brockmans

Perfect Serve Gin & Tonic, garnished with blueberries and pink grapefruit zest. Brockmans is the gin brand that has the biggest impact and we’ve done that by putting the right gin in the right glass with the right ingredients.”

18

december/january 2017

as a special”. The point of different is something James Gwyn, loves. “He’s vowed to make it our best-seller – just because he loves it,” says Martin Barnes.

So far, 55 pubs have taken Brockmans in just a few months – compared with just 52 listing Tanqueray

masterclasses for consumers in January 2017.

Brockmans’ UK distribution agency, Indie Brands, Brewery is promoting Brockmans internally. It is

interesting that, with the right product served in

the best possible way, a traditional pub group can buck the trend in its spirits sales. It’s definitely a trend to watch.”

The perfect serve Brockmans Gin & Tonic as served by Robinsons is made as follows:

Select and chill wide glasses – with a stem if it’s a

very hot evening

Chill good quality tonic water as this helps

preserve the efferevescence

Pour Brockmans Gin over large ice cubes in the

chilled glasses - small ice cubes melt too quickly

Add the chilled tonic water carefully either by

pouring over a bar-spoon or by pouring gently to

help preserve the sparkle

Stir very gently

Add a twist of pink grapefruit peel

Finish with a garnish of blueberries.

David Bremner’s ‘fruit shop’ offering seems to be creating a zest for gin sales.

Links www.robinsonsbrewery.com www.brockmansgin.com www.indiebrands.co.uk www.georgeanddragoncheshire.co.uk

Drink News

Hairy Biker joins Guild of

Dave Myers

Beer Writers becomes first Honorary Member

The British Guild of Beer Writers has presented its first honorary membership to Dave Myers – one half of the Hairy Bikers TV chefs duo – in recognition of his sterling work to promote beer and pubs.

As well as his various TV series with Si King, which included The Hairy Bikers’ Pubs That Built Britain earlier this year, the honorary membership also recognised Myers’ contribution to the Guild of Beer Writers’ 2016 awards. He served as one of this year’s judges, helping to select the award winners from the 150-plus entries submitted.

Accepting his honorary membership from Guild Chairman Tim Hampson at the Guild’s recent awards dinner, Myers said, “This was totally unexpected, but very welcome. I’m delighted to become part of an organisation that promotes beer and pubs: two great British institutions that I’ve always been happy to support.

“Judging the Guild’s awards was a pleasure; I was delighted to discover a wealth of seriously good writing about

20

december/january 2017

beer and pubs by some talented communicators and I hope that by becoming involved with the Guild I might be able to help push more of their excellent work out to a broader audience.“ Hampson said, “The Guild wanted to occasionally honour the work of people outside our membership who have fulfilled our mission ‘to extend public knowledge and appreciation of beer and pubs’.

“Dave was a dedicated and enthusiastic

judge of our Awards, as well as being a powerful advocate for beer and pubs through his TV programmes and books.

We’re delighted to make him the Guild’s first honorary member.”

The Guild announced its winners for beer writing and communication in nine categories, as well as the overall Beer Writer of the Year, and Brewer of the Year, at an awards ceremony in December.

Scottish hospitality & tourism united

The Signature Programme

“ scottish tourism week

#ScotHot17

TM

�

March 2017. 6 events, 3 days, 1 unique blend - A Spotlight on Food, Drink, Tourism & Great Hospitality

Find out more and register today at www.scothot.co.uk

ORGANISED BY

Scottish hospitality & tourism united

Bigger and better than before:

ScotHot is Back ScotHot, Scotland’s leading trade event for the food, drink, hospitality and tourism industries, is returning to Glasgow in collaboration with Scottish Tourism Week.

Registrations for the event are now live.

Taking place on March 15th and 16th 2017, at Glasgow’s SECC, it promises to be the sector’s trade event of the year, with exhibitor numbers already up on previous years.

Toby Wand, Managing Director of Fresh Montgomery, said:

‘’The industry’s appetite for ScotHot just continues to grow year on year. As a place where businesses can trade and head hunt, and a platform for chefs to showcase their skills and experts to trade knowledge, it’s a beneficial experience for all. We are delighted that ScotHot will once again be the centrepiece of the opening of ‘Scottish Tourism Week’ and expect to welcome over 100 brand new exhibitors that haven’t been at the show before. We are looking forward to a packed two days of activity, bigger and better than ever before.”

New features for 2017 include Staff Canteen Live, which will showcase the culinary skills of some of the UK’s leading chefs, and Liquid Academy Live which will host a number of inspiring speakers demonstrating innovation in Scotland’s drinks industry.

The Signature Programme March 2017. 6 events,

“ scottish tourism week

The Scottish Culinary Championships, #ScotHot17 sponsored by Compass Group, is back for its 32nd year, highlighting the skills of Scotland’s 3374 SCOT HOT 17 Ads A4.indd next generation of top chefs. Scottish Chef of the Year and Scottish Junior Chef of the Year are just two of the accolades that will be awarded.

TM

”

- A Spotlight on Food, D

Find out more and register to www.scothot.co.uk 3

The Spotlight Stage, sponsored by Scottish Tourism Alliance, will feature expert speakers from hospitality and tourism businesses, who will share their experiences and insight on some of the hot topics of the moment.

Marc Crothall, Chief Executive of Scottish Tourism Alliance, said: “We are delighted once again to be bringing ScotHot under the umbrella of the national Scottish Tourism Week (STW) programme, co-ordinated by the STA, placing the 2017 spotlight firmly on tourism, food, drink and great hospitality.

“This important trade show, one of five STW Signature events, is the perfect complement to our own National Tourism Conference.

We look forward to building on the success

december/january 2017

23

ScotHot Feature

of our 2015 partnership with ScotHot and in 2017 we are delighted to have been given the lead to develop a Spotlight Stage programme that will add to the show’s offering and form part of the our own Signature Conference agenda. This will be a great way to kick off the annual tourism week programme.

The food and drink experience is such a fundamental part of our tourism offer and one which thousands of visitors travel to Scotland to enjoy every year.

“Our 2017 partnership with ScotHot will provide the anticipated 8,000 colleagues from industry with a ‘one stop shop’ conference and exhibition experience, offering further value for those travelling afar who have come to hear national and international guest speakers, giving them the opportunity to meet suppliers, network and of course take back knowledge and inspiration to their Tourism businesses.”

ScotHot brings together suppliers of food and drink; catering equipment; décor and design; tableware and technology products with chefs and buyers from hotels, restaurants, bars, catering outlets and tourism destinations.

With a heritage dating back over 40 years, ScotHot runs every two years and now takes

24

december/january 2017

place as part of the Scottish Tourism Week’s ‘Signature Events’ programme. This includes the Scottish Tourism Industry Conference; Scottish Tourism Week Dinner with a Difference and the ‘Oscars’ of the Scottish tourism industry, the Scottish Thistle Awards.

For the latest show news, exhibitor information and to register for the show please visit:

www.scothot.co.uk Twitter: @ScotHot2017 #ScotHot17 Facebook: Fresh Hospitality LinkedIn: ScotHot group For more information about Scottish Tourism Week, visit:

www.scottishtourismalliance.co.uk

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The Great Hospitality Show

Innovation, Insight & Inspiration at the Great

Hospitality Show 2017 Insight, illustrious guests, show-stopping attractions and innovative products all wrapped up in a world-class welcome, await this coming January when the UK’s largest exhibition for foodservice and hospitality returns to the heart of the UK. The Great Hospitality Show is strengthened by a team of ambassadors, each representing a different facet of the show. Hot off the press is the news that, joining chef and champion of kitchen skills Cyrus Todiwala OBE, Michelin starred restaurateur Andreas Antona, and Mike Coldicott, Director of kitchen design pioneers Tricon, will be Sally Beck, GM of London’s Lancaster Hotel and a passionate champion of young talent in the industry. Each will be involved with events in and around the show floor throughout the three days.

Brexit, skills, apprenticeships, sustainability, careers, trends, branding, productivity and retention, revenue management, marketing, ground-breaking products, kitchen design; throughout the three days, the beating heart of the show floor – The Business Briefing Stage – is set to welcome a host of debates and discussions on topics setting the hospitality agenda.

Just some of the highlights include: holder of two Michelin-stars, Tom Aikens, who will be joined by founder of the World Gourmet Society, Matthias Tesi Baur, to discuss what it takes to reach the very pinnacle of the profession.

The Brexit effect and skills shortage will

28

december/january 2017

Above: CESA Innovation Zone.

also be up for debate with Great Hospitality Show Ambassador, Cyrus Todiwala, MBE, leading a panel of industry experts including, People 1st Executive Director, Martin-Christian Kent and Chief Executive of the Institute of Hospitality, Peter Ducker.

Simona Pop, Head of Partnerships and Global Communication at mobile procurement solution specialists, Instasupply, will be demonstrating the profit potential of employing integrated backof-house technology, while Costa Coffee’s MD, Jason Cotta, will show visitors how his company maintains a loyal and hungry workforce of brand ambassadors.

In a Great Hospitality Show coup, one of the UK’s most admired and yet most enigmatic hoteliers, Ken McCulloch, will, alongside his wife, Amanda Rosa, be discussing a long and illustrious career as creator of One Devonshire Gardens and the world famous Malmaison. Amanda is the creative genius behind the design of many of the world’s most beautiful hotels, making this dual interview one not to miss.

with each product on display in a dedicated area throughout the three-day show for visitors to experience for themselves.

An overall winner will be selected by an esteemed panel of judges and announced on the Business Briefing Stage at 4pm on Monday 23rd January. Show visitors will also be able to have their say in a very special People’s Choice accolade – decided via a Twitter vote.

Yet more high profile industry heads have been added to the Great Hospitality Show’s highly successful business mentor programme which returns to help show visitors with a host of challenges including, menu development, PR & marketing, staff motivation, revenue management, technology, design & branding, kitchen management, legal and skills and development.

Elsewhere, the show is set to crown the industry’s ten best new products giving visitors an enticing first-look at the innovations set to make waves in 2017.

Submissions into the Great Product Awards are already open with Great Hospitality Show exhibitors – hundreds of hospitality’s most industrious innovators in the fields of Catering Equipment, Technology, Food & Drink and Design – entering new products.

By the time the show opens, the submissions will be whittled down to a shortlist of ten

Above: Tom Aikens.

The programme offers visitors completely FREE, bookable face-to-face business surgeries with some of the best in the business including, Senior Director at Michels and Taylor, Krupesh Patel, Client Services Director at Jellybean Creative, Susan Bolam, Founder of Rixon Associates, Kellie Rixon, MBE, Sodexo Prestige Chef, Gareth Billington and wine consultant, Alistair Morrell.

Above:

Staff Canteen Live’s full line up.

Right: Glynn Purnell.

Sessions can be booked from Tuesday 3rd January by visiting: www.hospitalityshow.co.uk with a number of ad hoc appointments kept by, which can be taken during the three days.

Visitors can pre-register for the Great Hospitality Show 2017 now by following this link: http://www.hospitalityshow.co.uk/ register-interest For further information please see:

www.hospitalityshow.co.uk and follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/HospShow for everything Hospitality

Andreas Antona

Jason Cotta

Mike Coldicott

Sally Beck

Simona Pop-Bio

Ken McCulloch

december/january 2017

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The Great Hospitality Show

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TEQUILA HERRADURA DRIVES PREMIUM TEQUILA GROWTH IN THE UK ON-TRADE THROUGH BUY-THE-BARREL PROGRAM Tequila Herradura unveiled the first barrel of Double Barrel Reposado tequila to ever be sold in the UK, at the opening of a second Crazy Pedro site in Manchester.

than doubled in the past five years and the Buy-The-Barrel Program will help to drive the category forward as well as ensuring that we can continue to provide our customers with truly exceptional experiences.

The barrel’s arrival in the UK marks the launch of Herradura’s new Buy-The-Barrel Program, which offers customers the opportunity to personally select their own bespoke barrel of Herradura Double Barrel Reposado tequila. The brand is the first tequila to ever offer such an initiative in the UK.

We’ve worked with Crazy Pedro’s owner, Lyndon Higginson, for many years and we are super excited that they will be the first UK bar to take this on. We have seen a rise in consumer demand for super-premium craft cocktail bars outside London and Lyndon and his team have always been at the forefront of pushing boundaries with their offerings, which highlights the demand for this type of collaboration around the UK.”

In partnership with Mangrove Global Ltd., Herradura is offering a unique experience, whereby customers are flown out to Mexico to visit Casa Herradura, the home of Tequila Herradura, which is estate bottled in the last remaining tequilaproducing Hacienda in Amatitan, Jalisco, Mexico. Whilst there, guests take part in a private tasting to select their own unique barrel as well as having the opportunity to sample the liquid at every step of the production process.

Nidal Ramini, Brown-Forman Head of Trade Advocacy, Northern Europe, said, “We can offer our customers bespoke and personalised services that set them apart from other bars and create a unique talking point. Sales of super-premium 100% blue agave tequilas have more

32

december/january 2017

Nick Gillett, Mangrove Global Ltd. Managing Director, added,

“Tequila Herradura has been a pioneer within the category, being first to market with a number of expressions throughout its history.

They have continued this tradition by launching the buy the barrel program.

This further enhances the quality 100% blue agave tequila offering from Mangrove and Casa Herradura and affords the accounts the opportunity to have a bespoke offering.

Crazy Pedro’s is a fantastic partner for this program and we look forward to continuing our partnership with them.”

At 40% ABV, every bottle of Tequila Herradura Double Barrel Reposado is made from 100% blue agave tequila that is rested in toasted oak barrels for 11 months. This tequila is then matured for an additional month in a brand new, toasted oak barrel, which provides it with a unique smoothness and complex flavour notes of cooked agave, dried figs and sweet aromatic spice.

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Drink Feature

7 s t y l i s h n e w y ear ’ s c o c k t a i l s Enjoy the New Year with these 7 stylish cocktails from Reka Vodka, Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, Drambuie, Montelobos Mezcal, Ancho Reyes, Monkey Shoulder Whisky, Hudson Whiskey and Q Drinks.

The Original Manhattan

Sailor Jerry’s Ginger Daiquiri

El Rey de Reyes

Q Drinks’ Mint Mule

2 parts Hudson Manhattan Rye ¾ part sweet vermouth 1-2 dashes (to taste) Aromatic bitters Orange peel

1 ½ parts Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum

½ part fresh lime juice

1 part Ancho Reyes Verde 1 part Ancho Reyes Original 1 part Fresh Lime Juice 1/3 part Rich simple syrup 2:1 Sugar:Water

4 slices cucumber 16 blueberries 6 mint leaves, plus a sprig for garnish

Add all the ingredients into an empty mixing glass and then fill with ice. Shake vigorously.

Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with candied ginger.

Add all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker, add ice, shake hard and strain into a cocktail coupe.

Add liquid ingredients to a mixing glass, and stir (don’t shake!) until well-chilled, and strain into cocktail glass. Using a Y-peeler or knife peel/cut a silver dollar-sized twist of orange peel and express oils from the twist onto the surface of the drink, and discard.

Garnish with a cocktail cherry (or 3!).

Hudson Whiskey, the first legal pot-stilled whiskey distilled in New York state since prohibition, sources 90% of its grains from within 40 miles of the distillery.

¾ part homemade ginger syrup

Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum is a Caribbean Rum blended with 100% natural spices and flavours.

Reyka Vodka is an Icelandic born vodka and provides a smooth and crisp base for both complex and simple cocktails.

2 ounces Voda 1 ounce lime juice 6 oz Q ginger beer 1 piece candied ginger

Muddle the cucumber, 8 blueberries and mint leaves in the bottom of a cocktail shaker.

Add a handful of ice, gin and lime juice into shaker and shake. In a highball glass add ice and strain the liquid. Top with ginger beer and blueberries, candied ginger and a sprig of mint.

Q Drinks are premium carbonated mixers.

Drambuie Starry Sonata

Thé Fumée (Smoked Tea Cocktail)

Reyka’s Icelandic Sparkling Apricot

1 ½ parts Drambuie ½ part Hudson Baby Bourbon ½ part Oloroso Sherry 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters Serve in a coupe glass Garnish with Star Anise

1 part Montelobos ¾ part dry sherry ¾ part jasmine tea infused Dolin blanc

1 ½ parts Reyka ¾ part apricot liqueur ½ part lemon Top sparkling wine

Combine all ingredients into a shaker. Strain and top with sparkling wine. Garnish with lemon peel.

Reyka Vodka is an Icelandic born vodka and provides a smooth and crisp base for both complex and simple cocktails.

34

Small pinch salt 1 dash Angostura

december/january 2017

½ part St Germain liquor 2 dashes grapefruit bitters Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass and stir well.

Strain into a nick & nora or martini glass, garnish with a dried flower.

Combine all ingredients into a shaker. Strain and top with sparkling wine. Garnish with lemon peel.

Reyka Vodka is an Icelandic born vodka and provides a smooth and crisp base for both complex and simple cocktails.

brockmans 75

A champagne and gin cocktail is surely the best way to celebrate the old year and toast in the New Year. The Brockmans 75, a contemporary twist on the classic French 75, is a sparkling choice to offer customers and easy to prepare in advance when you know the bar will be busy later.

The origins of the original French 75 remain a mystery. Some believe it to be a British classic, invented by Malachy ‘Pat’ McGarry of Buck’s Club in London, one of the clubs that provided inspiration for PG Wodehouse’s fictional Drones Club. Other accounts claim that when French and American members of the Lafayette Escadrille battalion had leave from the trenches in the First World War, they celebrated their victories at the Hotel Chatham in Paris with a cocktail named after the French Army’s powerful 75mm Howitzer field gun.

Different recipes for this cocktail were first recorded in 1922 both in Harry’s ABC

of Mixing Cocktails by Harry MacElhone and in Cocktails: How to Mix Them by Robert Vermeire. The latter version credits the drink to Mr MacElhone, although his concoction differed from the current form. It wasn’t until 1927 that the name ‘French 75’ appeared and it was popularized by The Stork Club in New York.

The Brockmans 75 • • • •

50ml Brockmans Gin 25ml Freshly squeezed lemon juice 15ml Sugar syrup Champagne, Prosecco or good quality English sparkling wine

Whatever the past history, let’s look forward to Christmas, New Year’s Eve and 2017 with an entirely new take on this enigmatic classic: The Brockmans 75.

The ingredients allow the blueberry, blackberry and Valencian orange peel notes in Brockmans Gin to shine.

The Brockmans 75 is stylish, delicious, sparkling, simple and celebratory.

These are just five good reasons to make it. We’ll let you and your guests think up the other 70...

You could give this drink either a British or continental European twist depending on whether you use French, Italian or English sparkling wine.

Recipe: Shake the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup with ice.

Strain into a champagne flute and top with the sparkling wine.

Garnish with a twist of lemon zest.

www.brockmansgin.com december/january 2017

35

Drink News

Cocktail boom drives Tails sales Booming cocktail sales are driving increased demand for the awardwinning Tails range of premium pre-mixed cocktails.

The revamp of the Tails range, with stylish new glass packaging and an updated line-up of popular cocktail varieties, has seen more on-trade operators than ever tap into the benefits of serving batched cocktails.

Figures from CGA Strategy show a 20% increase in the number of on-trade outlets stocking cocktails. Across pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels, 28% of sites now serve cocktails.* The Tails range of cocktails is crafted in collaboration with global cocktail experts including mixologists, master distillers and flavour experts, and made with premium spirits and ingredients.

The range now includes: Available in 1 litre bottles: Espresso Martini, Pornstar Martini, Amaretto Sour, Mojito, Cosmopolitan and Negroni; Available in 200ml single serve bottles: Elderflower Collins, Berry Mojito, and Moscow Mule.

The brand added to its roster of awards at the recent 2016 Speciality and Pre-mixed Masters competition in London. Tails Berry Mojito was named a Master in the PreMixed Contemporary Cocktail category, with Tails Elderflower Collins winning Silver in the same category. There was also Gold for Tails Moscow Mule and Silver for Tails Pornstar Martini in the Pre-Mixed Classic Cocktail category.

Tails managing director Nick Wall said: “We’re delighted with these latest awards, which reflect the work that has gone into developing our new Tails varieties, creating a premium range which is genuinely comparable with top quality made-to-order cocktails.”

Dan Bolton, Managing Director of Hi-Spirits, said: “Pre-mixed cocktails have an essential role as the spirits market continues to expand. Bars looking to reduce pressure on serving staff at busy times, casual dining outlets meeting customer demand for a diverse choice of high quality cocktails, and hotels providing a full drinks service are all recognising the value of a pre-mixed offer.”

The RRP for the Tails range is £3.00 for single serve 200ml bottles and £20.00

for 1 litre bottles.

For more information, please contact Hi-Spirits on: 01932 252 100 email: info@hi-spirits.com or visit: www.hi-spirits.com *CGA Mixed Drinks Report 2016

THE ONE GROUP REVEALS EXCLUSIVE COLLABORATION WITH DISARONNO An exclusive partnership between Disaronno and Radio Rooftop bars in London and Milan has been announced by international hospitality leader, The ONE Group.

To celebrate the Italian liqueur’s new limited edition bottle, designed by fashion house, Etro, Radio Rooftop bars will serve a new cocktail, Disaronno wears Etro, created by brand ambassador, Rod Eslamieh. London’s Radio Rooftop bar will also showcase a bespoke backbar Disaronno display to promote and highlight the serve to guests.

Head of Marketing for Europe and the Middle East at The ONE Group, Raymond Santamaria, commented:

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“We are very excited to launch this exclusive collaboration with Disaronno, a brand that shares our own ambition to deliver innovative and unique experiences centred on style and quality.

A natural fit for Radio Rooftop bar in Milan, we’re pleased to also bring a taste of Italy to guests at our London venue, whilst enjoying the iconic views of the city skyline.”

Disaronno wears Etro will be available from this week until the end of the year.

Method: shake all ingredients together Ingredients and double strain into Martini glass.

50ml Disaronno Garnish with chocolate powder.

10ml Mozart Dark Chocolate Liqueur Price: £12 / €18 5ml caramel syrup Location: Radio Rooftop Bar at ME London 50ml half/half www.radiorooftop.com

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37

Drink News

Be At One announces year of strong progress

NEW ‘PRESENTATION STYLE’ ENVELOPED

PYRAMID TEABAGS FROM DRURY

Group posts results for the year ended 27 March 2016 Be At One, the UK’s leading specialist cocktail bar group, has revealed its financial results for its most recent year – a significant period of growth as the business continued its national expansion.

The company, founded in 1998

by Steve Locke, Leigh Miller and Rhys Oldfield, continues to perform ahead of the market, thanks to its highly-differentiated consumer offer and unique positioning as the only operator of scale in the specialist cocktail bar market.

The Drury Tea & Coffee Company, London-based speciality tea blender and coffee roaster, has developed a new range of enveloped pyramid teabags. The new teabags are individually packed in single serve envelopes using high gloss foil to protect the tea and enhance presentation.

The new enveloped pyramid teabags are perfect for lounge service, afternoon tea and, in particular, will look magnificent at the heart of a bedroom beverage service.

Art Deco packaging The envelopes are beautifully designed in art deco style to reflect the imagery the company already uses for its other pyramid teabag ranges. The improved presentation and an extended range of varieties is aimed primarily at hotels, but will also appeal to high street coffee bars, tea shops and self-service outlets.

‘Pyramid’ for a reason The distinctive pyramid shape of the bag and the biodegradable mesh it is made from, permits the use of larger leaf teas

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and spices and allows the tea to brew more efficiently. Consequently, it delivers more taste, but without the mess associated with loose leaf tea.

Initially, there will be eight different varieties in the range, selected as the most popular from the full Drury range of over 30 pyramid teabags, which are blended and packed in-house at Drury’s premises on the Royal Arsenal development in Woolwich: • • • • • • • •

British Breakfast Imperial Earl Grey Camomile Peppermint Leaves White Tea with Rose & Pomegranate Chun Mee China Green Tea Lemon & Ginger Infusion Red Berry Infusion

“The Art Deco design and the presentation of the new envelopes is quite stunning.

They will look terrific in hotel bedrooms. Initially, we have selected a balanced range from our best-sellers, but that may well be augmented depending on demand.”

Marco Olmi, Director, Drury.

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: • Turnover increased by £7.3m (32%) from £22.5m to £29.8m • Continued outperformance of the market with LFLs +9 • Store adjusted EBITDA rose £1.8m (30%) to £7.5m • 6 new bars opened in period as group’s expansion continues • Gross profit margin built further during year to 72.6% • Company now employs more than 300 full-time bartenders Commenting, Steve Locke, Director, said: “We are a business that continues to define and lead the specialist cocktail bar market.

We have continued to grow over the past 18 years and are extremely proud that the Be At One experience can now be enjoyed in 14 cities across the UK. “While our business has developed and evolved, it is has also remained the same since it was founded in 1998, in that we have always been resolutely focused on the things that made our first bar in Battersea Rise so successful: excellent-quality cocktails, with warm, friendly service in a fun atmosphere, delivered by people who care.”

Drink News

SCOTLAND’S FIRST GIN DISTILLED WITH HAND-PICKED TEA OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED

blend produces a truly unique gin, characterised by its clarity, simplicity and confidence.

The Teasmith Gin inspired by the North-east’s pivotal role in the tea trade Scotland’s first premium gin distilled with hand-picked tea, inspired by Aberdeenshire’s rich history and links to the tea trade, is to officially launch this week.

The Teasmith Gin has been created by husband and wife Nick and Emma Smalley, from Udny Green in Aberdeenshire (pictured below), who have spent over a year learning the art of distilling to perfect their blend.

The artisan gin is now being distilled in Perthshire’s Strathearn distillery and a limited first batch of 560 bottles goes on sale this week, in time for Christmas.

More bottles will be produced early next year as Nick and Emma aim to expand across the UK as well as internationally.

Having witnessed, like many, a renaissance of their favourite spirit, the couple wanted to create a premium gin that uses botanicals intrinsically associated with Aberdeenshire, and through research discovered the nearby Newburgh estuary was once a thriving trading port, with tea being one of its biggest imports.

Nick first began experimenting with spirits by creating sloe gin as favours for guests at the couple’s wedding.

He said further investigation into tea trading in the North-east inspired the concept and recipe used to create The Teasmith Gin. “Some of the world’s most notable teaclippers were built in Aberdeen harbour, some of which played a major role in opening up the important tea trade routes with the Far East.

“But it was the story of a young man from

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Auchenblae, Aberdeenshire, who founded the first tea plantation in Sri Lanka in 1867 that intrigued us the most. James Taylor, known as the ‘Father of Ceylon Tea’, transformed the island into one of the finest tea growing regions in the world.

This little known tale really affirmed our decision to use tea as one of our key botanicals,” Nick added.

After identifying their trademark ingredient, Nick and Emma worked with tea consultant Beverly-Claire Wainwright to source a highly unique tea from Sri Lanka.

The hand-rolled tea from Amba Estate offers something truly different. It is a rare tea that has been developed with meticulous care, using only the finest leaf and bud, to create rich aromatic flavours.

Production is tiny and is made entirely by hand without machinery, in the same way that Taylor produced his very first batches of tea.

The black loose leaf Ceylon tea is distilled by itself to capture its unique flavour and is blended with a classic gin recipe featuring juniper, coriander, citrus peels and other carefully selected botanicals which have been double-distilled in traditional copper alembic stills.

The Smalleys believe this carefully curated

“It was the first time the distillery had used tea as a botanical so it was a real step into the unknown,” explained Emma. “The result is in the taste – a sweetness, like that of a high quality tea, with a subtle essence of mint.

“However, the gin doesn’t actually taste like tea - the tea leaves give a unique taste that is light on the palate with a distinct, crisp freshness, one of a kind really. So anyone who doesn’t like tea shouldn’t be put off!

“We’re planning to expand the Teasmith product range to further explore the unique flavours these specialty teas can truly offer.”

Nick and Emma have also worked with a local, internationally acclaimed design studio, FortyTwo Studio, to create a exclusive brand with a distinctively different concept and bottle design – to stand out from the crowd, on shelf and at home.

Nick added: “We have invested significant time and creativity into forming The Teasmith brand and a bottle design that we are immensely proud of. This is a personal passion of ours where we hope to maximise initial demand and produce exceptional infusions to intrigue and grow our customer base and distribution.”

With interest in this new gin already mounting through a strong social media following and weighty pre-order list, the first batch looks set to be a sell-out.

To purchase a bottle of The Teasmith Gin, visit:

www.teasmithgin.com A 70cl bottle retails at £37.50 and is also available at selected retailers in Aberdeenshire.

Chantelle Lighting provides luxurious, stunning light fittings for the hospitatlity industry

Featured images: Be At One, Nottingham

Q&A: Claudio Giambrone

THE MAN

BEHIND THE SOUTH BANK BRAND:

AN INTERVIEW WITH

CLAUDIO GIAMBRONE

When thinking about London’s South Bank, the things that immediately spring to mind are treelined riverside walkways, fashionable bars and restaurants, and a wealth of cultural and tourism attractions, from Southbank Centre to the National Theatre, London Eye, and Imperial War Museum.

One would struggle to believe that in a not-so-distant past, the area was renowned as ‘the wrong side of the river’ and its reputation was far from glowing.

Venue Insight recently sat down with Claudio Giambrone, Head of Marketing at South Bank London, the area’s Destination Marketing Organisation (DMO), to discuss the role that his organisation has played in transforming London’s South Bank from a derelict neighbourhood to the world- renowned cultural district it is today.

An edited version of the

interview follows:

How would you summarise your job, Claudio?...

I head up the South Bank Marketing Group, the non-profit DMO promoting London’s South Bank through the destination brand South Bank London.

Over the past 25 years, our parent organization, South Bank Employers’ Group, has helped transform a bleak and unwelcoming environment into an area that is home to over 30m visitors each year. My team also looks after South Bank Venues, the area’s Convention Bureau, which targets the Meetings industry, Claudio Giambrone, and South Bank BID (Business Head of Marketing, Improvement District), which delivers South Bank London. local services to over 170 businesses Photo credits © Lydia Evans in the area, such as improved transportation, greening and security.

How popular is South Bank as a visitor destination and what is your marketing reach?...

Our marketing efforts keep increasing year after year, supporting continual growth in visits and brand recognition.

One of our arts organisations – the Southbank Centre – is the UK’s third

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most visited attraction, as ranked by the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions.

The Coca-Cola London Eye, the world’s tallest cantilevered observation wheel, is the UK’s most popular paid visitor attraction. Recent surveys conducted by the Audience Agency show that South Bank’s brand recognition and satisfaction among visitors is as high as 97%, and our website and marketing communications serve an audience of 10.5m million visitors per year. In economic terms, South Bank is one of London’s key drivers for growth, generating over £240m in yearly visitor expenditure and contributing over £2.8m per year to London’s economy.

That sounds impressive.

What is the key to this success?...

I would probably pick two main things: a long-term commitment and shared vision amongst our members, and the value of working together, towards common goals and objectives.

To paraphrase Greek philosopher Aristotle, I believe that the power of a collective voice, as a whole, is greater than the sum of its parts. Pooling our resources is the only effective answer to getting the recognition we need for South Bank, in the face of ever-growing competition, both at a global scale and within London itself.

South Bank offers a plethora of visitor attractions and

things do to, ranging from high-brow, arts exhibitions and classical concerts, to skateboarding nights and face-to-face encounters with sharks. How do you manage to engage with such diverse audiences?...

It can be challenging as the area appeals to a huge variety of visitor groups, each with its own needs and travel motivations.

We strive to have a good understanding of who our visitors are, what makes them tick, or conversely, what barriers may prevent them from visiting, and then base our strategies on this insight.

Visitor segmentation enables us to tailor our messages and plan our communications around each of the audiences we aim to engage with.

Today more than ever, targeting your marketing and communications is crucial, as consumers are bombarded

with content – both online and offline and it is not always easy for a brand to emerge through the noise, especially if budgets are limited.

You’ve mentioned the need for tailored content, and indeed we are seeing a growing trend for DMOs around the world to evolve their remit, from simply providing visitor information to actively crafting and narrating a destination’s story. Has this been the case for South Bank?...

the right direction, for us it is important to continuously demonstrate the impact and value of our work to members and local stakeholders. I believe that a DMO’s remit is more far-reaching than putting bums on seats, helping restaurants fill their tables or sending event booking enquiries. There’s a tendency for marketers to focus on shortterm results, whereas it is important to try and be more aspirational and inspirational, and never lose sight of the bigger picture.

What makes South Bank a successful destination for the Meetings Industry?...

I think so. One of the biggest industry All of South Bank’s historic landmarks, changes we have embraced has to attractions and arts organisations double do with content curation and delivery. as event venues, providing many options We have moved on from substantially for unique events. Through our Convention being a vehicle that provides basic Bureau South Bank Venues, we target event visitor information and promotes local and conference organisers, building on the listings, to acting as the lead source area’s reputation for culture and creativity, that generates and curates bespoke its central location and excellent transport content, often involving our audiences links. Again, working collaboratively in the process. Storytelling is a huge enables us to package our offering in ways part of what we do, and it has enabled that have a stronger appeal to the end us to engage with our visitors at a buyer. So for example, if someone wants to deeper level, through a two-way hold a day conference at the BFI Southbank, communication system. we help with transferring their delegates to

and from South Bank on a Thames Clippers vessel. After the conference is over, Has social media played a part we may offer a champagne experience on in this role?... the Eye, or a hosted dinner at Skylon.

It’s all about collaboration.

Absolutely. We invest a great deal of time and resources in cultivating Can you share with us one our social presence and nurturing project you are currently our digital community. We stimulate working on and are particularly the conversation, take part in the excited about?... conversation, encourage user-generated content which then becomes part of our narrative. For example, we host We have quite a few interesting projects regular walking tours and events for our in the works, about to go live very soon.

Instagram followers, run South BankAmongst these, we’re working on a inspired poetry competitions on Twitter, rewards programme specifically aimed and organise outdoor photographic at those who work, live and study in exhibitions with material submitted by South Bank – who can sometimes feel our Facebook community. This approach excluded from what the area has to offer seems to work well for us. In just under due to a number of reasons, price being four years, our social community has one of them. We’re also working on a grown from a few thousand, to over a new destination website, which will quarter of a million. adopt advanced technology such as

geo-tagging or intelligent search bots which will provide bespoke navigation And what are the main

experiences to each user, based on challenges you have to deal their location, interests and usage with when managing a brand patterns. We’re developing it with like South Bank?...

E3Creative, ranked UK Digital Agency of the Year in the Digital Entrepreneur Awards 2016. We can’t wait to unveil Despite numbers tell us we’re heading in the finished product!

Venue Insight

An Army marches on its stomach…

And evidently so delegates!

When you need

to hold the attention of delegates at a meeting or conference for a whole day it is important to ensure they are well fed and well watered – so they remain alert, are not distracted by hunger, and equally are not going to need a siesta after a heavy lunch.

Guildford and Surrey’s conference and hospitality providers have given this aspect of their service considerable thought, and aim to provide the perfect fuel for productive and innovative discussions.

The Hogs Back Hotel and Spa Farnham has recently undergone a several thousand pound refurbishment and are now able to offer the option for delegates to dine in the meeting room and have a ‘working lunch’ so that fruitful discussion can continue with planning, goal setting or just the days hot topics – ideal for shorter meetings when time is precious.

Alternatively, delegates can dine in the relaxed and flexible Conference Bar area with comfortable sofas and armchairs, giving quality time-out over lunch. There are also private dining spaces for confidential meetings or space in the restaurant to make use of the excellent lunchtime buffet.

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For conference and events that go on into the evening the Hogs Back Hotel & Spa’s excellent Chef Palash Roy can either provide an exquisite menu to choose from with the option to links with add themes or activities such as a night of gambling on Black Jack Tables or go all the way back to the Roaring 20’s!

Regularly serving over 100 people “the most important meal of the day” they are experts at what sets up a delegate to make the most of their day brainstorming or presenting. A strong favourite lightly poached eggs on wholemeal toast, with a selection of fruit and yoghurts to follow, its filling, easy on the calories and even 1 of your 5 a day!

The Hogs Back Hotel and Spa acknowledges that in the last 10 years special dietary requirements are now more normal than ever.

Their kitchens cater for all dietary requirements, be it as simple as vegetarian or more challenging allergies.

The Dorking Halls has flexible space so food

can be served in the same room as the meeting or a separate space or the Café/Bar area – all in agreement with their client’s wishes.

Evening dining events see Four Gables and Dorking Halls working together to create a ‘theatre’ required for the catering style the client wants from seated meals, buffets to food station offering Chef displays to great the right atmosphere.

Even though Dorking Halls doesn’t offer accommodation, early starts to meetings see a bespoke menu designed for breakfast – as well as the café menu with the ‘Good Morning’ menu offered daily. Special dietary requirements never faze the team, and recently hosted a Vegan two day conference with an evening reception.

The Holiday Inn in Guildford has its New Food For Thought Meetings Menus. They have thought about how the food that you eat can help support concentration, work performance and energy levels for a more productive meeting.

They have just launched their innovative new meetings menus which have been awarded the official “Food for the brain” accreditation, a non-profit charity dedicated to promoting the link between food and brain function. This is an

industry first and recognises that their menus have reached high standards of nutritional excellence. These special menus are packed full of energy boosting goodness to keep delegates focused for longer and provide a choice of healthy balanced dishes as well as classic comfort food and little treats. It is easy for delegates to make healthier choices with clear labelling and key nutritional info to highlight the benefits. There are always staff on hand, specially trained to advise guests with specific dietary requirements.

domain of Caper and Berry. Local produce is a priority for them, as is the appearance of the food – and in such a beautiful setting, there is plenty of space to go for a walk before the meet recommences – if delegates just can’t resist that extra dessert.

For details of these and other venues in Guildford and Surrey – go to:

www.visitguildford.com

Guildford’s Harbour Hotel has private dining options for delegates, as well as the renowned Jetty fish restaurant – perfect brain food!

Denbies Wine Estate is a unique venue nestled in the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – renowned for team building events and surrounded by stunning views, Denbies can cater for events up to a banquet for 500.

Local produce is the order of the day including meat, vegetables, chutneys and condiments, and of course the renowned award winning Denbies wine.

Catering at the historic Loseley Park is the

december/january 2017

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VENUES GUIDE 2017 www.visitguildford.com

CONFERENCE AND MEETINGS

TEAM BUILDING

CORPORATE EVENTS

ENTERTAINMENT

FOR MORE INFORMATION TELEPHONE: 01483 444333

Maidaid Halcyon As with the rest of the catering industry, warewashing technology is evolving all the time. As part of this progress, by developing machines that use ultraviolet light and a precise balance of wash time and water temperatures, Maidaid Halcyon is able to offer new levels of cleanliness and hygiene to users of its warewashers.

In these pictures: Maidaid Ice Machine, Glass & Dish Washer Machines.

The Evolution Range includes undercounter glasswashers, dishwashers and pass through dishwashers. Every model in the range is designed for the most demanding environments.

Maidaid Halcyon Sales Director, Julian Lambert says:

“The Evolution range not only has low water consumption and lower temperature levels of operation; a green cycle for economy and an intensive programme for brilliant cleaning of the dirtiest items, – it also has a Sanitising Cycle that has been specifically devised to balance wash time and water temperature in order to achieve a superb level of cleaning that achieves a rating of AO 30.

The features of the Maidaid Halcyon Evolution range are pretty unique within the warewashing market in the UK today – when it comes to cleaning and hygiene this is the best range in its price bracket available on the market today.”

Julian Lambert goes on to say: “Maidaid Halcyon can also offer the C, D and Amika ranges of glass and dishwashers that provide a suitable solution for the smallest country pub to major city centre venues. With over 40 years of experience in supplying warewashing solutions to the UK hospitality sector they are uniquely placed to provide a model that fits any sites criteria of capital budget and specification.”

“We are proud to work closely with an exclusive network of UK Catering Equipment Distributors that are capable of dealing with any general enquiry for a sites requirements and call on the expertise of the vastly experienced sales and technical specialists within Maidaid Halcyon” adds Lambert.

Maidaid has a superb range of automatic ice makers providing numerous types and size - ice cubes , granular ice, flake ice or the new and exciting pebbles that are sweeping the market due to its incredible versatility. Pebbles are ideal for cocktails, drinks for serving with fast food and are even ideal for display.

The Maidaid range caters for everyone, from small businesses in need of an attractive, compact model for a small

space, through to businesses with large scale demands.

Hotels, Bars, Nightclubs and Pubs, Sporting venues and Restaurants – Maidaid has the perfect product for every application.

Lambert says ‘What places Maidaid ice machines head and shoulders above the rest is their capacity to repeatedly produce top quality crystal clear ice from the most reliable machines due to the incredible passport that follows a machine during its manufacture and testing process.

Being fully tropicalized they continue producing quality ice even under the harshest conditions.

Lambert concludes, “There is a genuine belief within Maidaid Halcyon that as suppliers of both warewashing and ice solutions we truly understand a customer’s needs and strive to assist them with provision of the correct equipment, we are also dedicated to supporting the equipment and the customer throughout its life by offering first class service, technical and spares support.”

For details on this and all Maidaid Halcyon products please visit:

www.maidaid.co.uk

ShowSec News

MARK HARDING ADDRESSES CHALLENGES AT UK SECURITY EXPO 2016

MARK HARDING focused on primary evidence of a shortage of qualified security professionals when he presented to industry peers ahead of a fact-finding survey being conducted to provide a more accurate picture of the current situation.

In his capacity as Chairman of the United Kingdom Crowd Management Association, the Managing Director of Showsec addressed delegates attending the prestigious UK Security Expo 2016 which was staged at Olympia London recently.

That presented the opportunity for him to highlight the challenges which the industry faces due to a shortfall of SIA-licenced staff, while also outlining the aims of the survey which will be made available early in the New Year.

The UKCMA are working with the Football Safety Officers Association, who are leading the project with support from the Security Industry Authority, on a plan to try and obtain clearer information about the state of the industry.

“There are growing concerns about numbers of SIA-licenced staff throughout the industry, so we want this survey to benchmark the current situation,” said Harding.

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“We are canvassing both purchasers and suppliers for information and urge all to participate in the survey to provide us with a comprehensive result to help shape the way the industry moves forwards.

“SIA research shows there have been a diminishing number of licence renewals over the past two years, many of whom acquired their badge for London 2012, and forecasts suggest numbers will continue to fall.

“That will have implications in terms of the levels of security service that can be provided for venues and events, especially on peak days, weekends and for large scale one-off events.

“The Government needs to be aware of the reduction in renewals and its impact upon crucial operational aspects such as counter terrorism and crime reduction measures.”

He added: “We need therefore to gather as much evidence as possible from this survey so we can work together, as well as with the Government, on solutions which will attract and retain new resources for the industry.”

In drawing attention to one of the biggest challenges faced by the security industry, Harding also questioned the introduction of an apprenticeship levy in April 2017, believing instead that it should be focused on training.

“While I appreciate the apprenticeship scheme may work in some areas of the industry, it is clearly not a solution for meeting this shortfall,” he commented.

“The levy damages investment and may contribute to further shortfalls as companies are unable to develop and invest in pertinent training which would increase the numbers of licenced staff.

He added: “Members of the UKCMA have highlighted that the scheme is going to create a financial burden which will impact upon development.

“This is a vital project which may help to determine the pathway forwards.

We are all grateful to the FSOA, one of the most solution driven organisations in the industry.”

The survey has been tailored for two specific sectors, one for Suppliers and one for Purchasers, and the UKCMA are urging everyone to complete it to ensure that they obtain as much information as possible.

More information will be available on the UKCMA, SIA and FSOA websites in due course. marketing@showsec.co.uk

www.showsec.co.uk

Product News

FLUTE v COUPE – WHAT’S YOUR CHOICE? Is it better to serve your champagne, prosecco and other sparkling wines in flutes?

Or in coupes? Flutes seem to be the modern choice, but coupes have all the style and elegance of a bygone era. Whichever you opt for, leading glassware supplier, Artis, has lots of different styles to choose from.

COUPE OR FLUTE? The Coupe is the first style of glassware made specifically for serving champagne.

As such, it has a nostalgic and romantic image, reminiscent of 20’s and 30’s movie stars. The champagne coupe is designated for a more taste-oriented purpose.

Those who drink champagne from a wide bowl like this are more interested in the full body and flavour of the wine and not just the bubbles. The wide bowl of the coupe allows the champagne to open up to give a ‘fuller’ taste.

On the other hand, some experts say that

champagne must be served in a flute or tulip shaped glass. A flute is held by the stem so that your hands don’t warm the wine. This shape is said to enhance the aroma of the champagne and encourage the flow of the bubbles.

There are pros and cons to each style and you must be the final arbiter of what suits your establishment and your clientele.

What you can rely on, however, is a vast range of both coupes and flutes to choose from in the Artis catalogue. How about the best selling ‘Perception’ Coupe at £2.66?

The stylish Experts sparkling coupe at £2.63 or the Viitta, with its straight edge sides just £3.27. If you prefer flutes, take a look at the new Art Deco style Etore at £2.69 or the high end crystal Atelier trumpet flute for £4.84. You can see the full range of coupes and flutes in the Artis catalogue, which can be downloaded at: www.artis-uk.com/downloads Orders may be placed by telephoning: 020 8391 5544 or by email: sales@artis-uk.com

Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority [Telephone calls may be recorded and monitored]

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