BQ Scotland Summer 2015

www.bqlive.co.uk

ISSUE TWENTY: SUMMER 2015

REBECCA’S IN THE LOOP Making connections and winning business LIQUID DELI ON TAP Tapping into liquidity HOT STUFF That’s spice the DIY way CAN DO - WILL DO Fighting for Scotland’s towns and cities ISSUE TWENTY: SUMMER 2015: SCOTLAND EDITION

CHANGING THE WORLD Bringing business acumen and big names together for better lives

BUSINESS NEWS: COMMERCE: FASHION: INTERVIEWS: MOTORS: EVENTS

SCOTLAND EDITION

BQ Breakfast - daily insight, news and analysis to help grow your business. Register free at www.bqlive.co.uk Business Quarter Magazine

£2.95

WELCOME

BUSINESS QUARTER: SUMMER 15: ISSUE TWENTY

CONTACTS

Welcome to BQ Scotland. This is our 20th edition. As ever, we hope you find something interesting to read. After five years, this is a landmark moment for our magazine in Scotland. Firstly, I would like to say a massive thank you to the supporters: our readers and our advertisers.

It’s also a personal moment for me. I’ve decided to step back as the Scottish founding editor and hand over to the calm and capable Peter Ranscombe, a consummate professional journalist. I wish him success in taking BQ Scotland to the next level. I started writing about entrepreneurs in the Scottish media back in 1996. At that stage, there was practically nothing written regularly in Scotland about our ‘enterprise’ economy.

Few people seemed interested in the stories of private companies. Start-ups? What a waste of valuable space! Business coverage in The Scotsman and the Herald was dominated by our listed companies, driven by stock market investment news. Coming from a feature writing background, I decided to be different.

In 1999, when I joined the Sunday Herald, as its first Business Editor, I set the tone by stating we would cover the emerging entrepreneurs in our country. We hit on something big and exciting. Eventually, we won plaudits for this – and others followed suit. We created something called ‘The Blue Chip Business Club’ which often gave emerging Scottish firms their first exposure in the printed media.

Some hardened critics say we were often too soft on these firms, but my view was that many were still formulating their strategies for growth. Most start-ups were never fully fledged. We sometimes wrote glowingly about firms who months later collapsed.

Such was life.

I recall quoting Tom Kelley, one of the US’s leading business gurus at the time, who said companies have to loosen up and share their success – and sometimes their failure – with other companies. “There’s a certain art and serendipity to great storytelling. It should be fun and informative. It should be about letting the bosses and workers express themselves,”

ROOM501 LTD Bryan Hoare Managing Director e: bryan@bqlive.co.uk t: 0191 389 8468

he said. I believe that still holds true today.

Honest story-telling, rather than scripted puffery is what really matters.

This is something that we continued with the creation of BQ Scotland in 2010. This was at the end of the recession and it was a hard slog. However, in the past five years, BQ Scotland has covered more significant business people in greater depth than any other publication. That’s a lot of insight about Scotland. I’m immensely proud of this. Today’s environment is so much more positive: everywhere you look now, Scotland talks about entrepreneurs. The Scottish Government has woken up to ‘enterprise’ as an essential element of Successful Scotland. However, if Scotland really wants to be an independent state – and the recent General Election results suggests there is a massive appetite for another referendum vote – then the whole country needs to embrace an enterprising, rather than a dependency, culture.

For me, I will be continuing my journey, writing about those unique and infuriating entrepreneurial humans and look to learn more about what makes them tick.

Meanwhile, I wish Peter and all the team at BQ Scotland success. Thank you to all for helping with BQ Scotland. You know who you are!

Kenny Kemp, Editor, BQ Scotland.

EDITORIAL Kenny Kemp e: editor@bq-scotland.co.uk Peter Ranscombe e: peter@ranscombe.co.uk DESIGN & PRODUCTION room501 e: studio@bqlive.co.uk PHOTOGRAPHY KG Photography e: info@kgphotography.co.uk SALES Contact Publicity e: info@contactpublicity.co.uk t: 0141 204 2042 David Townsley Account Director e: dave@bqlive.co.uk t: 0191 389 8513

room501 Publishing Ltd, Spectrum 6, Spectrum Business Park, Seaham, SR7 7TT www.bqlive.co.uk Business Quarter (BQ) is a leading business to business brand recognised for celebrating entrepreneurship and corporate success. The multi-platform brand currently reaches entrepreneurs and senior business executives across Scotland, the North East, Yorkshire and the West Midlands. BQ has established a UK wide regional approach to business engagement reaching a highly targeted audience of entrepreneurs and senior executives in high growth businesses both in-print, online and through branded events.

All contents copyright © 2015 room501 Ltd. All rights reserved.

While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, no responsibility can be accepted for inaccuracies, howsoever caused. No liability can be accepted for illustrations, photographs, artwork or advertising materials while in transmission or with the publisher or their agents. All company profiles are paid for advertising. All information is correct at time of going to print, June 2015. room501 Publishing Ltd is part of BE Group, the UK’s market leading business improvement specialists. www.be-group.co.uk

Associate sponsor

SCOTLAND EDITION

03

BQ Magazine is published quarterly by room501 Ltd.

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

CONTE BUSINESS QUARTER: SUMMER 15 SUNNY SIDE OF INDIE STREET

Features

30 HOT STUFF Belinda Roberts’ new venture is cutting the mustard

20 CHANGING THE WORLD Josh Littlejohn is using his business acumen to work with the poorest and enlist the rich and powerful

26 REBECCA’S IN THE LOOP A young entrepreneur is connecting businesses and customers with Love from Indie Street

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

36 LIQUID DELI ON TAP BQ talks to Demijohn, an Italian concept translated to Scotland

72 CAN DO - WILL DO Regenerating towns through an entrepreneurial spirit

76 ON SPARKLING FORM We spotlight MacIntyres, a jewel of a business

04

26 CUTTING THE MUSTARD

30

TENTS SCOTLAND EDITION

42 COMMERCIAL PROPERTY

Looking at Scotland’s bricks and mortar

CAPTAIN’S SECRET WEAPON

54 WINE Tim McCready balances the merits of Spain and France

Regulars

56 BUSINESS LUNCH Fiona Richmond takes a break with Karen Peattie

62 MOTORING Donald Emslie gets behind the wheel of an Aston Martin Vanquish

06 ON THE RECORD SNP must come clean on university funding and profile of financial minnow

12 NEWS Who’s doing what, when, where and why in Scotland

18 AS I SEE IT Be safe and trust your employees

66 FASHION

36 A JEWEL IN THE TOWN

Varratos - rugged, dark and not for skinny boys

70 HIGH LIFE Michel Janneau makes himself Cristal clear

80 BIT OF A CHAT With Jock Yuler

05

76 BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

ON THE RECORD

SUMMER 15

>> Nicola Sturgeon’s Achilles Heel Kenny Kemp says that Scotland’s education system faces a major challenge over the continuation of free tuition fees in the wake of fiscal autonomy Scottish education is the backbone of our country’s economic strength and prosperity.

Our universities, with their research, development and innovation, are the drivers for this growth and enterprise.

Yet amid the noise of the SNP’s triumphant victory in the UK General Election in May, with the 56 SNP MPs now ensconced on benches at Westminster, the truth about Scotland’s deteriorating educational situation has been conveniently ignored. Across Scotland, many young people were persuaded to vote for SNP because they were convinced their free university education separated them from their English counterparts. However, the true cost of free tuition is now coming home to roost, and threatens serious long-term damage to Scotland’s economy.

Last year it cost Scotland £735m for free tuition, bursaries and grants with 137,295 full-time students receiving support and with 127,090 receiving tuition fee support. The cost of this has risen from over £400m in 2005.

Funding for these loans is provided by HM Treasury from what is known as the Annually Managed Expenditure budget. However, for every £1 of loan paid by HM Treasury, it costs the Scottish Government 29p from its DEL budget to cover the cost of subsidising interest on the loans and the cost of loans which may eventually be written off. These loans would need to be fully funded by Scotland in the event of full fiscal autonomy.

Each student gets the equivalent of £5,350 per year. Yet the participation of Scots commencing study at Scottish universities has increased only slightly to 32.1% from 32%.

The Scottish Government spends £2.546m on education, while the 32 local authorities spend roughly a further £5bn a year, totalling around £7.65bn a year. Per head in Scotland, in 20122013 this is £1,441, compared to £1,360 in England and £1,365 in Wales. Northern Ireland does better where its spend is £1,558. Nicola

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

Sturgeon and the SNP must come clean on how they will fund free university places if they have more fiscal powers. Expect the SNP cohort in Westminster to argue the case for free tuition fees to be introduced across England and Wales, because this is the only way out for a policy that can only undermine Scotland’s long-term academic performance. The Student Award Agency for Scotland (SAAS) say the free tuition fee system has significantly tackled the inequalities in Scottish society and we are better educated and more successful, renowned for our research and innovation. This might well be true up until now, but the SNP is failing to explain how this can be sustained under full fiscal autonomy.

want at Scottish universities. This is true in medicine and dentistry. This is because the leading Scottish universities have had to find foreign students, including more English candidates, willing to pay the full price for the places. At Edinburgh University, the number of students undertaking a key STEM physics degree has increased, yet the number of domiciled Scots has been restricted by quotas. This at a time when Scotland requires more scientists. Surely something for Carol Monaghan, the SNP’S Education spokesman at Westminster, to consider. After all, she was a physics teacher in Glasgow before being elected.

Elsewhere, the relevance of the four-year arts

Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP must come clean on how they will fund free university places if they have more fiscal powers.

It is now well recognised that Scotland’s education system has fallen way behind other similar Northern European nations, with levels of literacy and numeracy dropping and examination results falling back. However, it is no good blaming the ‘English Tories’, this failure is the responsibility of the Scottish Government in Holyrood. Meanwhile Scotland’s leading universities have also been up in arms about reductions in funding, despite success in attracting UK-funded research grants.

There is now a quota system in place for Scottish-domiciled young people aiming for university. It means that many able young Scots, with the correct qualifications, have been denied places to do the courses they

06

degree in Scotland must also come under some scrutiny too, when similar qualifications in England take three years.

At the time of the Robbins university expansion in the 1960s, most students in Scotland undertook a three-year ordinary degree, and another year for honours.

Now the four-year degree has become the accepted norm, despite the intellectual status of the student.

Top-level education is vital for modern Scotland and its economy. It appears that the education policies of the Scottish Government, while arguing for more fiscal autonomy, are Nicola Sturgeon’s Achilles Heel. Sections of the academic community in Scotland are watching with some deep concern. n

SUMMER 15

ON THE RECORD

>> A mighty minnow in the lending game Mark Thomson has a firm hand on the tiller of one of Scotland’s oldest financial institutions, the Scottish Building Society.

He talks to Kenny Kemp The Scottish Building Society might be a minnow, but it is an important financial institution North of the Border. The society, which started in 1848 as the Edinburgh Property Investment Company, becoming the Scottish Building Society in 1929, still uses physical passbooks, where savers can keep an eye on their savings. It has no intention of binning them soon. Based in Dalry Road, in Edinburgh, it has 70 outlets (six branches and 64 agencies) across Scotland, merged with the Century Building Society in 2013, and recently won plaudits from the Financial Conduct Authority’s chairman.

“I think it is important that the Scottish Building Society and the likes of the Airdrie Saving Banks are still there as a viable alternative to the larger banks. We operate in lots of niches which work for us, but might not be economical for the bigger High Street lenders” says Mark Thomson.

He has been chief executive for two years, arriving a year earlier as chief operating officer, from Scottish Widows Bank.

The borrowers and savers are all members of the mutual society, which has assets on the balance sheet of £285m.

“We are very much smaller. We are about long-term value. Loads of people talk about it but we endeavour to do this through customer service and availability of products.”

He is not interested in ‘hot money’ chasing higher investments rates on bonds and the society does not do ‘teaser’ rates, which have been the price comparison websites’ staples.

“We are looking for members for life. We want them to stay. So if you stay with us we will do our best to give loyal members the better interest rate products. We are trying to do simple financial products that people can understand. The best way to ensuring good conduct is to make things transparent, so

07

everyone can see what you are doing.”

The balance sheet has been reshaped, moving away from its 4% ‘hot money’ bonds to more appropriate products across the board. This enabled the society to raise the interest for the 8,900 instant access customers up to 1%.

“The harmonisation was about giving everyone a fairer rate. It is also much easier to administer, which then feeds into our cost base.”

The agencies give the society reach across Scotland for savings, and there are now opportunities to build the mortgage side by attaching advisers to the agencies. While the big banks have been closing branches in smaller towns.

“We are looking at improving our signage and branding to let more people know we are in their communities. I want to invest in the agencies that want to help us grow our business,” he says.

After the demise of the Dunfermline Building Society, Mr Thomson sees opportunity in places such as Falkirk and Dunfermline for mortgage business. There are regional variations on the mortgage loans sizes across Scotland, with Aberdeen and its outlying districts the highest.

“We can do first-time buyer products. Our normal mortgage is loan to value up to 90%. We have great experience of young professionals and we have a tie-up with ICAS and we are currently speaking to another body in Scotland. Our professional mortgage can go up to 95%.”

“We always look at the person. Our USP is that we are able to individually assess the mortgages. The algorithms that are set within the wider clearing bank system cannot cope with the complexity of lending to selfemployed or irregular income streams.”

The society has introduced a ‘Lifetime Mortgage’, with no repayment date, to help retired people to stay in their homes for much longer. This keeps equity in the property for dependents provided the monthly fees are paid. The society is a mix of older experienced hands, and new blood from outside.

“Scottish Widows was from a standing start, and part of a larger parent, whereas the society is the oldest building society in the world. At Widows, it was about maximising growth, here it is about sustained growth and looking at both sides of the balance sheet,” he says. n

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

ON THE RECORD

SUMMER 15

>> Glencoe marathon is a corporate challenge in October One financial advisory business is putting its staff and supporters through their paces to help young people Corporate social responsibility helps companies stand out among competitors and has become pivotal in raising brand awareness and in building trust with customers and staff.

Cornerstone Asset Management is one of Scotland’s leading full-service independent financial advisory firms with offices in Edinburgh and Glasgow. The firm engages in charitable initiatives that support business objectives. This year Cornerstone is focusing its fundraising efforts on youth development with the sponsorship of the 2015 Glencoe Marathon Gathering in October.

Laurie Dempster, one of the founders of Cornerstone Asset Management, says: “A business focus shouldn’t be solely on financial growth. Companies should look beyond what directly impacts them and take a strategic approach to corporate social responsibility.”

Laurie and partners have built the Cornerstone Asset Management brand which both customers and staff can relate to on a personal level, this is why the firm, which focuses on private client wealth management and corporate financial planning, chose to support the Glencoe Marathon Gathering in aid of two charities: Venture Scotland and Project Northern Lights taking place on Sunday, 4 October 2015.

Laurie continues: “I’ve volunteered with Venture Scotland for many years and recognise the contribution that the charity, as well as Project Northern Lights, makes to supporting youth development in Scotland, so it was a natural progression for

Cornerstone to get involved from both a monetary and volunteer perspective.

“It literally costs thousands to put each youngster through development programmes and with one in eight under 25s now unemployed, we hope that our support with this fundraising event will help raise awareness of the charities and make a difference in helping more youngsters into employment, training and education.

“As an additional means of raising funds for Venture Scotland and Project Northern Lights, we’ve created a new corporate challenge for 2015 called the Cornerstone Canter. If you’re not up for tackling a marathon, this is a great alternative for non-runners. It’s a challenging hike with outstanding views and offers a brilliant challenge for the business community to put forward a team with colleagues or friends whilst raising money for good causes, so we’d encourage people to enter and have a go.”

With over 25 years’ experience, Venture Scotland is a leading provider of personal development, using the medium of outdoor activities as just one aspect to enable young people to discover their strengths. The volunteers help young people, primarily in areas of social deprivation in Glasgow and Edinburgh, face and tackle issues to progression, helping them maximise their opportunities and develop crucial workplace and life skills.

Project Northern Lights creates partnerships and opportunities to support under-served young people in Scotland to become actively

Companies should look beyond what directly impacts them and take a strategic approach to corporate social responsibility engaged in employment and education.

Now in its third year, the annual Glencoe Marathon offers a range of events. It’s the first marathon to run through the landscape linking Glencoe with Glen Nevis. Taking in the Devil’s Staircase, a grueling 500-metre climb over the eastern edge of the truly fearsome Aonach Eagach Ridge, runners will be rewarded at every turn with views of some of the most stunning and dramatic mountains in the Scottish Highlands.

There’s also the Mamores Half Marathon, the Glen Nevis 10k and new Cornerstone Canter. The Cornerstone Canter joins the marathon route at Kinlochleven and follows the half marathon journey with a 13.1 mile challenging hike for non-runners through the Mamores finishing at the foot of Ben Nevis.

For more information or to enter a team please visit www.cornerstoneam.co.uk and www.glencoemarathon.co.uk. n

0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 10 10 0 10 0 0 10 0 0 0 10 0 10 0 1 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 10 0 10 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 10 0 10 10 0 10 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 10 0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 10 0 10 0TT HO1E0A ILPL 1U0 K00 1CI S0O M0O PP1AE0NN0I E1S0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 10 0 0 10 10 0 10 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 10 0 10 0 1 10 0 10 0 10 0A N D I S 1F0R0E 1E 0T0O 1E0N0T E1R0 0 10 0 10 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 10 10 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 10 0 10 0 10www.bqlive.co.uk/IP100 0 10 0 10 0 10 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 10 0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 10 0 10 0 1 0 0 10 0 10 0 1 1 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 10 0QUARTER | SUMMER 150 0 10 0 10 0 10 10 0 1BUSINESS 1 0 0 1 0 0 10 0 1 10 0 10 0 10 0

IP 10 0

THE UK’S INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LEAGUE

RECOGNISING THE VALUE OF IP IN YOUR BUSINESS

08

corporate events

Fir

20

%

st

off tim da e yd b ele oo ga kin te g rat s e*

Design your event at The Lighthouse Ideally situated in Glasgow's city centre, The Lighthouse spans six floors and offers flexible event spaces from small meetings up to larger dinners.

Contact us today to check availability: 0141 276 5365 events.thelighthouse@glasgow.gov.uk thelighthouseevents.co.uk

*Quote "BQ Magazine" when booking to take advantage of this offer.

UNLIKE OTHERS, WE TAKE INNOVATION SERIOUSLY And that’s why we’ve created Base.

Our online brand management tool gives you back control of your marketing, saving time, money and resources.

It’s a no brainer.

Welcome to Base.

Sounds too good to be true? Call 0141 221 2233, or visit www.basebrandmanager.co.uk

base

™

you’re in control.

COMPANY PROFILE

SUMMER 15

The Ailsa course

Take your business to the next level at Trump Turnberry The name Turnberry is indelibly linked to golf. Home of four Open Championships, including the famous 1977 Duel in the Sun between Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson, and with the iconic Turnberry lighthouse guiding golfers around the coastline stretch, it truly is a golfers paradise It’s now also the perfect destination for business minds to come together, for team building activities and a place for decisions to be made and ideas to be created.

In 2014, Turnberry was renamed Trump Turnberry as new owners the Trump Organization sought to put their stamp onto the property. Now, 12 months later, their influence over this historic building is certainly starting to materialise.

The first phase of the renovation is now complete, with the refurbishment of the meeting spaces and the creation of two new function suites within the hotel.

The Ailsa Craig Suite, one of the new spaces to be created has grand views through large picture windows overlooking the Championship golf courses and beyond. With cleverly installed AV

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

and a large television screen, it is perfect for a delegate grouping of approximately 140 theatre style.

The Caledonia Ballroom is a large, sparkling space featuring a selection of glittering chandeliers and is ideal for a selection of larger scale conferences and events, with a theatre capacity for up to 200 people.

Located next to The Caledonia Ballroom are three smaller meeting spaces, all named after local areas – The Alloway, The Carrick and The Kyle.

These rooms are perfect for break out spots, organiser meeting areas or for additional space for storage. The Alloway is also suitable for use as a small boardroom for up to 10 people.

Also new to the resort is the Old Tom Morris Suite, in a tribute to the legendary four time Open

10

Champion. This room is the ideal space for pre-dinner drinks ahead of a function in The Caledonia Ballroom.

To really wow your guests, why not consider an exclusive use booking of the hotel? This option provides a real flexibility on space, allowing for functions such as drinks receptions to be held in areas that would not be possible if the hotel had other guests, such as the Grand Tea Lounge & Bar. With a renewed focus on corporate sales, the resort has boosted its head count within its sales team. Heading up the team is newly appointed Director of Sales, Gillian McNeilly, who has a wealth of experience from previous roles within Hilton, The Old Course, St Andrews and The Hotel Collection.

Also new is Paulomi Debnath, an Account Director

SUMMER 15

from the Corinthia, who will be based out of London with a role aimed at growing the MICE market. Shalane Breen joins from Elior as an Account Executive, in a new position focusing on local market activity, and taking on a business development role is Laura Findlay, who joined the team from Scottish Widows. They join Angus Watson, who continues to look after the resort’s leisure business Stephen Walker, Director of Sales & Marketing said: “It’s a truly exciting period for us here at Trump Turnberry and we are thrilled to have such a high standard of talent join us.

“With our exceptional new meeting and event space, we recognised the need to increase our sales team to go out and meet with clients, old and new, and share with them all our latest news and updates. Ultimately, we want to drive a higher market share and encourage more corporate business to visit the resort and see for themselves how incredible their event would be at Trump Turnberry.”

The next phase of the resort’s grand refurbishment is due to begin at the end of September, following on from the Ricoh Women’s British Open. This detailed and sensitive project means that the hotel building and the Championship Ailsa course will close until June 2016.

During this time, elements of the resort will remain open, including the Spa at Turnberry, the Turnberry Performance Academy, the Trump Villas and the Championship Kintyre course. When it reopens in June, each resort bedroom and all public spaces will have been redesigned and reappointed to the highest in luxury standards.

There are also plans for two new ballrooms, including The Crystal Ballroom, on the site of the current 1906 restaurant, and also for the promisingly spectacular Donald J Trump Ballroom which will be a completely new function room, with a capacity of approximately 500 people.

Ralph Porciani, General Manager, commented: “We are in the midst of another exciting chapter in Turnberry’s varied history and a renovation that will surpass any that the resort has seen before.

“The building itself is over 100 years old and requires specialist, sympathetic work to take place that will make sure the essence of Turnberry remains as it undergoes this major refurbishment.

“It is so encouraging to see our wonderful staff and customers so excited. Being part of this significant milestone has given South Ayrshire a

COMPANY PROFILE The exterior of the hotel and clubhouse

The Ailsa Craig Suite

wonderful sense of uplift and we are all looking forward to opening the doors in June next year.”

The resort is also celebrating the reopening of the Trump Turnberry clubhouse following a multimillion pound investment. Every element of the building has been upgraded, with every tile on the roof cleaned and restored to its original red. The professional shop has almost doubled in size and each bathroom now features the Trump signature marble. The clubhouse is also home to two meeting spaces, The Tom Watson Boardroom and The Champions Suite. Both feature views over the Championship links and celebrate Turnberry’s rich golfing history.

Also new within the Trump Turnberry clubhouse is a new restaurant, with a menu offering exceptional dishes from local suppliers. The Duel in the Sun is the world’s newest 19th hole and is the ideal venue for post golfing drinks after a corporate golf day on the Ailsa course.

As well as its desirable coastal location, Trump Turnberry is set within 800 acres of wild and

11

beautiful Scottish countryside. However, delegates are able to arrive with ease, with excellent road and rail links close by. For those coming from further afield, three main airports are within comfortable travelling distance, with Prestwick Airport is just 30 minutes away, Glasgow Airport less than an hour and Edinburgh, two hours away.

To find out more or to arrange a site visit, please contact our group sales team on 01655 333 996.

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

NEWS

SUMMER 15

Entrepreneur makes £18m, investors can take their returns in beer, while another brewery uses fat cats to raise funds, and a 35-year-old sound system business goes for growth >> Gael signs up Flybe SCOTTISH software developers Gael, a subsidiary of the Ideagen plc, has secured a six figure, five year deal with a UK commercial airline.

Flybe, which has a fleet of 64 aircraft and flies to 178 European destinations, will implement Gael’s Q-Pulse, Gael Risk and Performance Monitor products under the umbrella of Gael Insight.

>> Drinking to growth

>> Canada - bound Canadian airline WestJet has launched its daily, direct service from Glasgow to Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is the first time the airline has served an airport in the UK and it is only its second transatlantic service following the launch in 2014 of direct flights to Dublin. A WestJet tartan adorns the tail of its Boeing Next-Generation 737-700 aircraft operating on the route.

Canada is Glasgow’s third largest international market with 37,000 trips made each year by Canadian visitors. The non-stop flight has a journey time of five hours 15 minutes, and will fly daily until 24 October 2015.

>> Welch sells to Michelin Blackcircles created by entrepreneur Michael Welch, featured in BQ Scotland in 2011, and Entrepreneurial Scotland’s Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year in 2014, has been sold for £50m to Michelin. Michael Welch has gained an estimated £18m as his share and stays on with the French company. Blackcircles. com, based in Peebles, employs 50 people.

Welch, 36, built it up to annual sales in 2013 of £28m, with annual growth of around 20%

since 2008. The first three months of this year have seen revenue rise by 34% on the same period last year. The company developed a ‘click and fit’ business model which helped grow the tyre business of independent garages across the UK. The company announced that it was looking at ways to extend its growth, including a float on a stock exchange, private equity investment, or a sale. The deal with Michelin is expected to extend the Blackcircles. com band across Europe.

Innis & Gunn has launched a mini-bond to raise £3m for the creation of brewery, bottling line and barrel store in Scotland. The Innis & Gunn BeerBond is a four-year, initial fixed-term mini-bond offering an interest rate of 7.25% gross interest per annum for investments from £500. UK investors can also opt for the BeerBucks BeerBond™, which offers an equivalent of 9% gross interest rate per annum, with the return taken in the form of ‘BeerBucks’, which can be redeemed against beer at the Innis & Gunn online shop.

Last year Innis & Gunn sold over 20 million bottles of beer and is the second biggest supplier of craft beer to the UK off-trade.

>> Takeover Scottish Friendly Assurance, one of the UK’s biggest financial mutuals, has taken over the business of the oldest registered company still actively trading in the UK. The proposed transfer of the business of Marine & General Assurance was announced by Scottish Friendly on 3 February.

0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 10 10 0 10 0 0 10 0 0 0 10 0 10 0 1 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 10 0 10 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 10 0 10 10 0 10 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 10 0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 10 0 10 0TT HO1E0A ILPL 1U0 K00 1CI S0O M0O PP1AE0NN0I E1S0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 10 0 0 10 10 0 10 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 10 0 10 0 1 10 0 10 0 10 0A N D I S 1F0R0E 1E 0T0O 1E0N0T E1R0 0 10 0 10 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 10 10 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 10 0 10 0 10www.bqlive.co.uk/IP100 0 10 0 10 0 10 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 10 0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 10 0 10 0 1 0 0 10 0 10 0 1 1 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 10 0QUARTER | SUMMER 150 0 10 0 10 0 10 10 0 1BUSINESS 1 0 0 1 0 0 10 0 1 10 0 10 0 10 0

IP 10 0

THE UK’S INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LEAGUE

RECOGNISING THE VALUE OF IP IN YOUR BUSINESS

12

SUMMER 15

NEWS

>> Fund recapitalises

>> Café grows

>> Power system JV

The University of Edinburgh has approved a £6m recapitalisation of its in-house venture capital fund Old College Capital, providing growth and development finance for companies associated with the university. The fund was established in 2011 and works in partnership with investors who are interested in high growth potential businesses.

Café Klaris Limited, a high quality sandwich and coffee shop, has taken a retail unit on the ground level of Atria One on Morrison Street, on a 15 year FRI lease. Café Klaris is the second café-style outlet from proprietor Marcos Alvarez who also runs Waka Café on North Castle Street in Edinburgh.

Weir Oil & Gas and the Rolls-Royce Power Systems company MTU have formed a joint venture company to oversee the development of a power system to make hydraulic fracturing operations more efficient.

Weir is the leading manufacturer of hydraulic fracturing pumps, and MTU is a market leader in heavy-duty industrial diesel engines. The new venture will serve as a one-stop shop for the oil and gas exploration industry for sales and service of a system that will be used for hydraulic fracturing operations during the well completion stage of shale oil and gas projects. The agreement was announced at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston.

>> Dredging sale The joint administrators of X-Subsea UK Ltd have announced the sale of the specialist dredging and excavation assets owned by X-Subsea UK Ltd to James Fisher Subsea Excavation, a subsidiary of FTSE 250 company James Fisher and Sons plc, for an undisclosed sum. The buyer has a presence in Aberdeenshire, with facilities at Oldmeldrum.

>> Exova acquisition

>> Brew Dog’s fat cats Scottish craft brewery, BrewDog reached the £5m milestone in just 20 days of its crowdfunding scheme, Equity for Punks. To celebrate raising a fifth of its £25m target in less than three weeks, BrewDog dropped taxidermy ‘fat cats’ carrying the Equity for Punks prospectus from a helicopter over the City. This breaks the previous record set by BrewDog in 2013, when it raised £4.25million (less costs) in just over six months. Co-founders James Watt and Martin Dickie took to the skies in a BrewDog helicopter, dispatching taxidermy ‘fat cats’ carrying share offer prospectuses, approved by the Financial Conduct Authority in accordance with the Prospectus Rules made under Part VI of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.

Edinburgh-based Exova Group plc, the global testing, calibration and advisory services provider, has acquired BM TRADA, a certification and building products testing services firm, for £22m. The acquisition adds around 340 personnel operating in 16 countries, bringing Exova’s network of specialists worldwide to over 4,400, and also extends the company’s range of certification services and markets served. BM TRADA generates revenues in excess of £20m.

BrewDog dropped taxidermy ‘fat cats’ carrying the Equity for Punks prospectus from a helicopter over the City

Expansion to follow MBO A sound system company, celebrating 35 years in the business, is planning further expansion following a multi-million pound management buy-out. The Warehouse Sound Services, a leading audio provider, whose clients have included, the BBC, Paramount Pictures, Edinburgh Festival Fireworks Concert, Muse, Biffy Clyro and Simple Minds, is the largest single employer in the audio industry in Scotland. The Warehouse employs 20 staff across its Edinburgh and Glasgow branches with a turnover in excess of £3m. Former sales director Derek Blair, who joined the company in 1994, completed the management buyout from directors and founders Cameron Crosby and Allan Brereton, who have retired.

0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 10 10 0 1 0 0 10 0 0 0 10 0 10 0 1 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 10 0 10 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 10 0 1 0 0 10 10 0 1 10 0 10 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 10 0 10 0 1 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0TT HO EA ILPL 1U0 K00 1CI S0O M0O PP1AE0NN0I E1S0 0 10 0 10 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 10 10 0 10 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 10 0 10 0 1 10 0 10 0 10 0A N D I S 1F0R0E 1E 0T0O 1E0N0T E1R0 0 10 0 10 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 10 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 10 0 10 0 10www.bqlive.co.uk/IP100 0 10 0 10 0 10 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 10 0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 10 0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 10 0 10 0 1 0 0 10 0 10 0 1 1 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 10 0 10 10 0 10 10 0 10 0 10 0 BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 01 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 10 0

IP 10 0

THE UK’S INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LEAGUE

RECOGNISING THE VALUE OF IP IN YOUR BUSINESS

13

NEWS

SUMMER 15

>> Growth baked-in Family business McGhee’s Bakery is investing £3m in an extension to its Glasgow bakery increasing production by 33%.

The Port Dundas based firm is celebrating its 80th year after serving up a hat-trick at the recent 2015 Scottish Baker of the Year Awards. The extension to the bakery at the M8 Food Park is due for completion in spring 2016.

>> Malters’ profits up Berwick-upon-Tweed headquartered Simpsons Malt Ltd has reported turnover of £156m for 2014, fractionally down on the previous year (£158m for 2013). Profit before tax in the year ended 31 December 2014, increased to £9.4m compared with £7.5m in 2013. The rise is mainly due to reduced processing costs as a result of improved malting barley quality.

The family-owned company has continued to invest heavily in its maltings, both Berwick-upon Tweed and Tivetshall St Margaret, as well as in the company’s supply chain infrastructure. A total of £5m was invested during 2014 (£6.6m in 2013).

41% same, 39% down).

According to Mr Buchan: “Our member companies hope for an amicable solution to the EU question, with Britain remaining in membership under more beneficial terms.

We also feel that it is not in the best interests of the engineering manufacturing industry to have to wait until 2017 for the referendum. May or autumn of 2016 would be a much better proposition for companies considering investment in the UK, and of course Scotland.”

Donald MacRae, chief economist for the Lloyds Banking Group Scotland, said that manufacturing has had a difficult recession and after output plunged in 2008 it has shown a weak recovery. But overall output remains 5.8% below the pre-recession peak.

>> Tenants move to Atria The Co-operative Group was the first retail occupier announced for Atria Edinburgh and is due to open for business later this month. The building is also home to office tenants such as PwC, Brewin Dolphin, Aon, IBM and Green Investment Bank, and is one of the most sustainable and energy efficient properties in Edinburgh. Marcos Alvarez from Café Klaris said: “We are very excited to be launching our new café outlet in Atria Edinburgh. The striking building was a clear choice for us given its location in the Exchange and its close proximity to main retail thoroughfares.”

>> Oil hits engineering The engineering industry in Scotland has seen another drop in orders and output.

Bryan Buchan, chief executive of Scottish Engineering said: “The result of our second survey this year has, undoubtedly been heavily influenced by the ongoing issues in the oil and gas sector and by multiple anxieties in the run up to the General Election.”

While orders across the sector have decreased slightly (29% up, 39% same, 32% down) this has not been reflected in staffing levels which have remained similar to the previous quarter (19% up, 60% same, 21% down).

Export orders have fallen further (20% up,

>> New partnership to make waves Two leading organisations in ocean energy research have pledged to work together to measure and understand the impact of turbulence on wave and tidal energy devices.

FloWave Ocean Energy Research Facility at Edinburgh University and Canadian marine turbulence specialists Rockland Scientific will work together to develop tank-scale turbulence measurement technology.

The two firms – which already completed a first round of technology testing in 2014 – announced the collaboration agreement at FloWave during an ocean energy trade mission from Nova Scotia organised by Scottish Development International, the international arm of Scottish Enterprise and the Nova Scotia Department of Energy.

0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 10 10 0 10 0 0 10 0 0 0 10 0 10 0 1 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 10 0 10 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 10 0 10 10 0 10 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 10 0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 10 0 10 0TT HO1E0A ILPL 1U0 K00 1CI S0O M0O PP1AE0NN0I E1S0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 10 0 0 10 10 0 10 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 10 0 10 0 1 10 0 10 0 10 0A N D I S 1F0R0E 1E 0T0O 1E0N0T E1R0 0 10 0 10 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 10 10 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 10 0 10 0 10www.bqlive.co.uk/IP100 0 10 0 10 0 10 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 10 0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 10 0 10 0 1 0 0 10 0 10 0 1 1 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 10 0QUARTER | SUMMER 150 0 10 0 10 0 10 10 0 1BUSINESS 1 0 0 1 0 0 10 0 1 10 0 10 0 10 0

IP 10 0

THE UK’S INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LEAGUE

RECOGNISING THE VALUE OF IP IN YOUR BUSINESS

14

Scotland’s fastest growing digital creative agency First there was one, now there are twenty. That’s 38 more hands to help you with the digital, creative and campaign services you need for your brand.

TM

madebrave.com #teammadebrave

NEWS

SUMMER 15

>> Agency first for the Albus After celebrating its third birthday in March 2015, MadeBrave® has moved into a new studio in The Albus building in Glasgow’s Bridgeton.The award-winning design agency, founded by Andrew Dobbie, has announced a turnover of £647,000, up £227,000 on last year, with a projection for its fourth year of £1.2m. Having doubled in size since January 2014, the business has now moved to a studio in the East End of Glasgow three times the size of its previous premises in Wasps Studio’s South Block in Merchant City.

The Albus building on Eastgate, Bridgeton, is part of a regeneration project by Clyde Gateway to transform the city’s East End and build upon a Commonwealth Games legacy.

The property, designed by JM Architects, was a winner at this year’s Scottish Property Awards, securing the Architectural Excellence Award (Commercial Buildings).

MadeBrave® will be an integral part of the rejuvenation of the area as the first company to take up residence in The Albus. Fionna Kell, Senior Manager, Inward Investment & Property Marketing, Clyde Gateway said:

“This award-winning building was conceived and designed to attract exactly this kind of creative company and their move is testimony to the entrepreneurial culture of the East End. MadeBrave’s relocation to the area is the latest in a number of firms choosing to establish and grow their business in Clyde Gateway and we look forward to welcoming others”.

MadeBrave® attributes most of its bulk success to being a full-service agency, able to support clients with all aspects of their design, digital, marketing and social media needs. Celebrated brands such as Aggreko, Bowmore Whisky, Springbank, Linn Products, Air Space, The SSE Hydro and Mary’s Meals are on its client list. While for the second year running, it has entered into a partnership with the innovative TEDx brand as the Official Creative Partner.

MadeBrave® was started by Andrew Dobbie in March 2012 with an idea, £1000 of personal savings and a newborn baby at home. Just three years on, the agency is now 20 strong and needs a bigger space to continue to grow and service the client base. Andrew, who is now on the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce Council of Directors, spent almost 12-months

looking for the perfect space before finding The Albus building.

“There’s a great buzz around Bridgeton at the moment and we’re excited to be part of the area’s regeneration and future,” he said. “As for the building, The Albus is great - it just feels very MadeBrave® and as you can guess, we’ve had a lot of fun putting our own creative stamp on it.”

The team has already settled in to the new premises and look forward to welcoming new members to MadeBrave® as it continues to grow.

More information is available at madebrave.com

Their move is testimony to the entrepreneurial 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 culture 0 10 0 of the 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 East End 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 1 0 0 0 0 1 10 0 10 0 0 10 0 10 0 10 10 0 10 0 1

10 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 10 0 10 0 10 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 10 0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 10 0 10 0TT HO1E0A ILPL 1U0 K00 1CI S0O M0O PP1AE0NN0I E1S0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 10 0 0 10 10 0 10 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 10 0 10 0 1 10 0 10 0 10 0A N D I S 1F0R0E 1E 0T0O 1E0N0T E1R0 0 10 0 10 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 10 10 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 10 0 10 0 10www.bqlive.co.uk/IP100 0 10 0 10 0 10 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 10 0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 10 0 10 0 1 0 0 10 0 10 0 1 1 1 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 0 10 0QUARTER | SUMMER 150 0 10 0 10 0 10 10 0 1BUSINESS 1 0 0 1 0 0 10 0 1 10 0 10 0 10 0

IP 10 0

THE UK’S INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LEAGUE

RECOGNISING THE VALUE OF IP IN YOUR BUSINESS

16

SUMMER 15

NEWS

>> BQ people on the move Bank of Scotland has appointed Jim McFadzean as a area director within its global transaction banking team. Jim has taken up the position to lead a six-strong team of invoice finance specialists based out of Edinburgh.

Philip Rodney, chairman of Burness Paull

Virgin Money has appointed Glen Moreno as chairman. Glen was appointed as a non-executive director on 1 January 2015 and succeeds Sir David Clementi who retires from the board on 30 June. Glen will also serve as chairman of the nomination committee.

Chris Roche has been appointed chief executive officer of Aridhia, succeeding cofounder David Sibbald, who takes up the role of chairman at the pioneering health informatics company.

Sarah Jardine has been appointed as the new chair to lead Scottish Enterprise’s Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service board.

Currently director of manufacturing for Optos Plc in Dunfermline, Sarah has led the Optos facility through its excellence programmes.

Law firm Brodies LLP has bolstered the service to clients in family issues, as well as matters with an international dimension. Partners Shaun George, Richard Smith and Lisa Girdwood who are all accredited family law specialists have joined the personal & family department. They will bring with them their 12-strong team, including associates Donna McKay, Lydia McLachlan and Nicola Kerr, senior solicitor Susie Mountain and solicitors Zoe Wray, Rachael Latcham and Louise Borrowman.

Eden Scott, a leading Scottish recruitment business, has appointed Ian Grant as director of its Glasgow business. Ian joins Eden Scott

after working for Search Consultancy for over eight years.

Property consultant CBRE have appointed Camille Casey as senior surveyor within the Glasgow capital markets team and promoted Martyn Brown to director.

Camille, who joins following relocation from the Edinburgh office, worked within the national agency and development team while Martyn has been working on capital markets for four years.

Lawyers Maclay Murray & Spens has boosted its real estate practice, with the appointment of Aberdeen-based David Rose and Alexis Condie, who joins the firm’s Edinburgh team. It follows the hire of Jill Reid, the former general counsel and company secretary of Dana Petroleum Limited, who joined to lead its oil and gas team in Aberdeen.

National legal business DWF has appointed real estate partner Moray Thomson to its planning team in Glasgow. He joins from MacRoberts, where he was head of planning.

Livingston-based Cyberhawk Innovations has appointed David McIntyre as chief financial officer. An experienced CFO and chartered accountant, David has most recently been finance director for Maintenance Management Limited, a private equity-backed business service company.

Accountancy firm Campbell Dallas has appointed Shaun Young as director of employer solutions in a move to expand the services available to clients.

Shaun will develop a new employer solutions service line within the tax consultancy group.

Law firm Burness Paull has re-appointed Philip Rodney and Ian Wattie as chairman and managing partner until 31 July 2018.

Philip and Ian have led Burness Paull since the firm was created out of the merger between central belt based Burness and Aberdeen firm Paull & Williamsons in 2012.

If you’d like to include someone on the move, please email editor@bq-scotland.co.uk

17

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

AS I SEE IT

HOW TO STOP DATA DAMAGE WITHOUT SUSPICION OR STIGMA “Can I trust my employees?” is a question that makes me feel uneasy. Yet over the past few years the issue of cyber security incidents caused by employees, or those inside an organisation, has been highlighted in the media repeatedly.

The loss of intellectual property, patient or client data, or other business critical data has a huge economic and reputational impact. With only 11% of businesses reporting that they feel they’re safe, insider threat is a key cyber-security threat that needs to be addressed.

On the surface, it seems like business leaders may need to start mistrusting all employees at all levels within their organisations.

If this assumption is the basis for implementing an insider threat program, then it’s likely that the uncomfortable topic of addressing this issue will go un-met and businesses remain at risk.

In our experience, it’s not necessary to take this view. Instead, the issue should be thought of more as an exercise in

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

employee education, security best practice, and the creation of a security-aware culture.

The majority of data breaches or losses are caused by accidents. An accidental data breach can be caused by an ordinary user not following policies or training. For example, a user not using encryption with thumb drives. Or a privileged user not properly configuring a server or other resource that leads to data being exposed to leak or allowing those who do not have permission to view sensitive data. And then there’s shadow-IT. The rise of Dropbox and other services that provide ‘shadow’ operational capabilities are the bane of many an IT director, who have to play a constant game of whack-a-mole in order to identify and stop users from using these services.

By viewing this problem from the perspective of who or what may pose an insider threat, it’s possible to implement the necessary policies, processes and technologies in order to help properly train staff, implement the proper controls and

18

AS I SEE IT

auditing systems that will identify both the accidental and malicious insider.

A number of options are available to businesses, and they typically involve a blend of policies, processes and technologies. As with all cyber security programmes, they must start at the board level as each department needs board sponsorship to help implement the blend of policies, processes and technologies required.

For example, policies and training are important to help stop the accidental insider breach. The use of data controls are important to ensure that people are stopped from accessing areas of information they shouldn’t have access to, but these need to be supported by the proper use of auditing technologies to ensure that both policies and controls are working as expected. Boards must also understand that security is not just a problem for IT to solve. For example, proper leaver processes needs to be implemented, and departures need to be communicated to IT.

By putting all of these pieces of the jigsaw in place you will be able to easily detect and correct accidental behaviour before it leads to a significant problem for your business. You will also have the added bonus benefit of identifying and stopping rogue employees intent on stealing data in the rare, but highly damaging, event that there is one in your organisation.

Nobody wants to believe that the people you’ve hired, worked with, and earned hard-won business victories with might steal from you. Yet, accidents do happen.

By implementing some fundamental best practices and a security-aware culture you will help improve the education of your workforce and catch the highly damaging cases of insiders trying to steal your valuable business information.

Jamie Graves is the chief executive officer of ZoneFox, a software company based in Edinburgh’s Code Base, that specialises in endpoint threat visibility. www.zonefox.com @zonefox ■

Nobody wants to believe that the people you’ve hired, worked with, and earned hard-won business victories with might steal from you

19

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

XXXXXXXX

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

SUMMER 15

20

SUMMER 15

CHANGING THE WORLD: ONE BITE AT A TIME Josh Littlejohn is a determined young Scot who has turned the business community on its head. BQ Scotland Editor Kenny Kemp meets a social entrepreneur with an extraordinary flair for making connections

21

ENTREPRENEUR This magazine has always tried to keep a lid on hyperbole. After all, the ‘I kent, yer faither!’ put-down is ingrained in our psyche to ensure no-one gets above their station in life. Yet however you look at it, Josh Littlejohn is an utterly remarkable 28-year-old Scotsman.

Already he has made an indelible impact on our nation.

He is the creator of Social Bite, the social enterprise soup, sandwich and baguette chain in Edinburgh and Glasgow, which is helping the homeless find useful employment, now expanding into Aberdeen and Dundee, and he is the originator of the Scottish Business Awards. What is so special about this has been Littlejohn’s breathtaking chutzpah, moving the black-tie events calendar into the stratosphere, firstly by getting former US President Clinton as a guest speaker, then luring Sir Richard Branson to one of the biggest black-tie dinner gatherings in pre-referendum Scotland. Then he trumps this by creating the most amazing media frenzy with the invitation of Hollywood A-lister George Clooney, award-winning actor and director of the Monuments Men, to come to the awards at the EICC on 12 November this year. Wow! When we meet in the Social Bite shop in Rose Street in Edinburgh, this softly-spoken bearded business figure is disarmingly open and honest about his achievements. He was brought up in Blair Drummond, near the Stirlingshire safari park, and attended McLaren High school in Callander. His father, Simon, set up the Littlejohn’s restaurant chain which began in Stirling and spread to other Scottish cities.

The chain was sold when Josh was at primary school, so he never worked in any of his dad’s establishments.

“When we were younger, my brother and I grew up in relative privilege because my father was a successful businessman. I always had a strange relationship with wealth in that way. I was certainly embarrassed by it. If my dad was dropping me off at school in his convertible sports car, I would be so mortified. I would hate to be thought of as the rich kid. I used to get him to drop me off around the corner and I’d walk in.”

Josh and younger brother, Jack, used to give their father a hard time.

“We used to try and get him to give his >>

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

ENTREPRENEUR money away. In hindsight, it was harsh because he came from a working class background and his motivation in becoming successful was to provide a good life for his family,” he recalls.

“I left school at 17 and went travelling to Ecuador. I spent three months in Quito working on a project with street children. It was an amazing experience. When I came back from that I was quite idealistic.”

“My angst against wealth translated itself into a notion that I wanted to change the world.”

He raised £3,000 by washing cars and through sponsorship to buy his ticket and joined Outreach Internationals, working in a centre for the working children, many of them orphans. He helped them with basic education, teaching them to read and write but he admired their resilience. He returned to Scotland to Edinburgh University, studying politics and economics.

“I came back really charged. But the idealism over four years at university got chipped away. I didn’t feel inspired by the teaching at university.

It wasn’t the fault of any of the lecturers, I just got into the student culture of drinking loads, sleeping in, missing my lecturers. I was never really that engaged.”

He graduated in the teeth of the recession and there were not many jobs around. He wasn’t interested in becoming a lawyer or a doctor and ‘chasing the earning league table’. He was attracted to working as an economist in overseas development and applied for a UK civil service job. He spent weeks preparing, reading the key text from cover to cover and was down to the final stages in London. He passed the economic test with flying colours, but failed on the assessment of his interpersonal skills.

“After six months of this process, I got a one sentence email saying that I was unsuccessful. I was a bit deflated by that. I didn’t want to sign up for this whole graduate milk-round process.”

It was then that he decided to make his own entrepreneurial opportunities.

“I never really wanted to start my own business but I retained my belief that I wanted to do something to change the world. I never had a great interest in getting a corporate job.”

He brainstormed a few ideas and decided to set up an events business.

“It was steady steps. I was 21 and single and

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

SUMMER 15

22

SUMMER 15

I never really wanted to start my own business but I retained my belief that I wanted to do something to change the world

23

ENTREPRENEUR probably trying to find an attractive girl-friend.

So I decided to set up a fashion show. A great opportunity to hang around with attractive girls! I put on a fashion show in August in Edinburgh calling it the Festival Fashion Show, in a venue below Le Monde.”

He got in touch with all the local High Street retailers, then approached some young women in the street and charmed them to join the team as models for the catwalk. It was a superb chat-up line and it did very well.

“We sold it all out. I had such a good time doing it and I made £3,000. I thought ‘Wow, there’s something in this entrepreneurship’. I thought it was so cool. That was the start of my addiction to this process of coming up with something and seeing it become a reality.”

He knocked on doors ‘a little harder each time.’

“I got more ambitious and took it more seriously. It evolved from that initial event. We set up Capital Events and rented a tiny office in George Street in Edinburgh.”

He recruited interns to work on commissions.

This was also good for meeting the girls, he laughs. One of them was Alice Thomson, who had dropped out of an events management degree. She saw the advert for this fledgling events business and came for an interview.

Within a week or two, Alice and Josh were also going out together.

“We split up recently after five years together.

Alice is the co-founder of Social Bite and everything we’ve really done, we did as a couple,” he says.

Alice and Josh conjured up more ambitious event ideas but settled on creating Scotland’s Christmas Fair in the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow. They sold stands to gift companies and found people were clamouring to take part in what they presumed was a reputable and established event. Tickets were free for the public.

“It worked pretty well. I thought exhibitions were a smart business idea because normally when you are putting on a one-off concert or event you have to fork out a lot for the main attraction. Whereas the exhibitors pay to attend. I thought you can’t lose. What could go wrong?” Amazingly, he then booked the SECC and decided to put on Scotland’s Ski & Snowboard Show in 2010. He approached the ski companies and the hotel groups to >>

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

ENTREPRENEUR support him but found it very hard to get it going without offering free stands.

“It was really tough. I had signed a £35,000 contract for the SECC, created a website and literature and needed to get the backing of some of the bigger players. It was a chicken and egg scenario with people asking who else is going.” We had to give away a load for free.

It was a crash-course in learning how to sell.

I was selling for my life when nobody really wanted to buy and I had this contract with the SECC, which could have made me bankrupt.

I was selling, selling and selling. I found it very, very stressful.”Eventually, he managed to persuade some to get on board and stayed afloat. Just. The second year was much better with the credibility of having pulled it off in year one – and a great snow in Scotland helped pull in the punters.

“We made a bit of money in the second year.

We had a superb season that year in Scotland.

So the ski industry was in a good place. We did deals for the Scottish resorts so that skiers would get free lift passes.”

Josh says in terms of business experience, it covered everything from sales, marketing and media buying, including television and newspaper adverts, and negotiating the cost base, then selling the tickets. “On the learning curve it was very good. We made about £50,000 profit on the second year.”

He admits there were some sleepless nights.

“The hard bit about setting up your own business is that there is perpetual stress that never goes away. There are so many good bits, but it is very draining. It’s a 24/7 thing.”

On the back of this, he decided to set up the Scottish Business Awards, a not-for-profit event, in 2012. He booked the EICC and wrote to all the top businesses, imploring them to take part.

“I thought it would work. But many people told me I was stupid because there were so many business awards already in Scotland. We were more ambitious and created our own gap.

We made it cooler,” says Josh.

He managed to persuade 800 leading business figures to sign up, including top entrepreneurs, such as Sir Tom Hunter, Michelle Mone, Sir Tom Farmer and Jim McColl. But he had no inspirational big-ticket guest speaker.

“I knew that it would be a very influential

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

SUMMER 15

audience.” He had a brainwave. Littlejohn had been reading Noble Prize winner Muhammad Yunus’s book describing the creation of a ‘social business’, and the setting up of the Grameen Bank, giving micro-loans, and how over 50 different companies had been created in Bangladesh. Many have gone on to make billions, yet Yunus has never owned a share.

Each enterprise was designed to solve a social problem such as financial exclusion in women, no-electricity in rural villages, or malnutrition in children. Littlejohn thought this was ‘one cool guy’ and wanted him to be the keynote speaker at the awards. In 2011, he wrote off to Yunus but didn’t get a response. He didn’t give up, he pestered him for a meeting. He and Alice and Josh then went out to Dhaka in October, spending a week touring around the social businesses, taking in Grameen Bank, the yoghurt factory and an eye-care hospital.

Unfortunately, the professor couldn’t make the awards dinner on 23 February 2012. Although, he came to Scotland two weeks after the awards to a spin-off event.

“He was impressed that we had shown so much commitment and gone to see him.

However, that trip changed the direction of our lives. We’d gone out there with a mission to persuade him to speak at our awards, now we left thinking this is such an inspiring idea.”

Josh and Alice returned to Scotland and dreamed up Social Bite in their George Street office. Meanwhile, they still needed a guest speaker and thought Sir Bob Geldof would be a perfect replacement. They booked him through a speaker agency, asking him to speak

24

specifically about Muhammed Yunus’s ideas. [“He came and did a really brilliant speech.”]

That evening, Josh met Sir Tom Hunter, who won the main accolade, which was the outstanding contribution awards. They kept in touch, with Josh informing him about Social Bite’s launch and progress.

At the first event, one of the charity prizes helped to raise money for Glasgow Caledonian University’s project with Prof Yunus and Grameen Bank. However, the top prize was to ‘Spend A Day with Bill Clinton in New York’. Previously, Josh emailed the Clinton Foundation and filled in the contact box. To his surprise, he got a reply asking about the event.

They offered a day with the former President.

The catch: they had to raise $60,000. Leo Koot, who was managing director of the TAQA oil firm, based in Aberdeen, was encouraged at the dinner to come up with the money for the Clinton trip. It gave Josh the opportunity to go back to the Clinton Foundation asking him to come to Scotland and speak. So, in its second year, Josh managed to book Clinton, emailing his new-found colleague Sir Tom, who was impressed with this.

“People assume that I did this through Sir Tom’s connection, but I did this myself.”

Recalling the success of the prize-draw, he went back to the Clinton Foundation, who said they would need to make a massive donation in up-front payment and instalments to get him to come to Scotland.

“I had a rush of blood to the head. I signed it and posted it back knowing I needed 25% up front, and more for the instalments,” he says.

SUMMER 15

He phoned around Sir Tom and other major business figures who all agreed to pay for their tables ahead of the event.

“Almost everyone we asked agreed, with Tom Hunter buying two tables, Jim Duffy of ESpark, and Andy Lothian in Dundee. This allowed me to pay the Clinton deposit.”

Clinton arrived on a Thursday and was to have a private dinner in the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh with Sir Tom Hunter and some friends. “I was on Rose Street in the Social Bite shop selling sandwiches and Tom Hunter phoned me up and invited me to the private dinner with Bill Clinton. He said, ‘Do you want to come?’ I replied; ‘Let me check my diary!

Yes, I’m available that evening.’ I sat next to Bill Clinton for three hours. He went off to play golf next day at St Andrews and then spoke at our awards. It was great fun.”

Josh even did the Q&A with Bill Clinton which was ‘a once in a lifetime experience.’

He admits there is a strange, parallel of worlds doing the Social Bite and Business Awards at the same time. There is the big glamorous stuff with the dinner and then with the minutiae of running a sandwich business. Last year it was Sir Richard Branson who graced the event and now this year’s is making the news with a Hollywood legend.

“Everyone is clamouring to be there. The difference is that people who have bought tables in the past were predominantly men.

They are now asking if they can get extra tickets to bring their wives and partners. This is one of the first business dinners that many wives want to make sure they are at,” he laughs. There will be around 1,900 in the EICC for another record-breaking event, hosted

by Rob Brydon with Chris Evans asking the questions. BQ Scotland is proud to be one of the sponsors. “The only real way you can do these things is if the people you approach are passionate about a particular cause. George Clooney is committed to a humanitarian charity called Not On Our Watch, which he cofounded with Don Cheadle and Brad Pitt. His charity has set up the Satellite Sentinel Project in the sky above Sudan, monitoring human rights abuses and fighting against genocide around the world. “He needs to raise a fair bit of money each year to keep that in the air. So he does a handful of these to fund this. We’ve

ENTREPRENEUR

People who have bought tables in the past were predominantly men.

They are now asking if they can get extra tickets to bring their wives and partners committed to support that charity for him coming to Scotland.”

He will also go to one of the Social Bite shops and a private lunch party for guests.

“We have raised money at the business awards to expand Social Bite and there are now four shops, with a central production kitchen in Livingston. We are soon to be opening shops in Aberdeen and Dundee.”

Michael Thomas is the head chef, with multiple Michelin star chef Mike Mathieson as the consultant.

“The reason we did that was because if you set something up on a social basis sometimes there can be an automatic assumption that the product won’t be good. It’s a bit of a charity café. We wanted to make sure that if you eat in here you don’t have to make any sacrifices on quality.” But Social Bite’s USP has been

25

the opportunity it has provided to homeless people to find a job and get a start on the work ladder. A quarter of the workforce have been begging on the streets or selling The Big Issue. Now 100% of profits go to the social causes, around £4,000 a month. This isn’t an easy task as many of the workers have multiple social problems, including having no fixed address, bank accounts or ID. “We pay them in cash, although most of them now have bank accounts and we have been helping them into housing,” says Josh, who has not been averse to letting some sleep on his own couch at home. “What is interesting is that the social space mobility of people at that level of society does not exist. It does not happen.”

The first homeless person taken on board was Pete, who was selling the Big Issue outside the shop. He plucked up courage and asked for a job. He was given a chance by Josh and Alice.

He was recently made a full-time employee, news of which received national newspaper coverage. Another, Ian, who was also selling the Big Issue in Rose Street for 14 years, has been recruited by Social Bite.

“That’s telling of the possibilities. Social enterprises have a crucial role to play in attracting people who are otherwise exclude and hauling them into the system,” says Josh, who says he has no ambition to go into mainstream politics.

Social Investment Scotland, which is connecting capital with projects in the community, have given Social Bite a £200,000 loan, while £175,000 cash for expansion in Aberdeen and Dundee comes from the Players of the People’s Postcode Lottery. Josh takes a salary of £20,000. “I’m trying to keep as much cash as I can in the business. Hopefully, my wages will grow a bit, but my plan is not to grow rich but be comfortable. I want to do something that stands for a different reason.

Josh and his brother, Jack, who is the regional manager, are taking on more people. The Littlejohn brothers are certainly doing their bit to change the world for the better. n The Scottish Business Awards are on 12 November 2015, at the EICC. Media partners are BQ. Contact a.mahon@capital-events.co.uk on 0131 220 8206.

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

ON THE SUNNY SIDE OF INDIE STREET BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

26

SUMMER 15

ENTREPRENEUR

Rebecca Christensen’s Love from Indie Street is ‘driving feet on the street’ and gaining traction for action across the capital, reports BQ Editor Kenny Kemp The entrepreneurial bug bites in the most unusual places. Rebecca Christensen knows we all like buying gifts for others. And we love receiving them too. It’s a national obsession.

The gift voucher industry is worth around £5bn a year in the UK, with corporate rewards in lieu of extra pay and bonuses making up around half of this figure. However, Ms Christensen, who lives in bijoux Stockbridge in Edinburgh, realised that much of this substantial amount of cash was going directly to the major retail chains – with the smaller independents simply unable to compete.

She had a brainwave. It was only last September that she set up Love from Indie Street in Edinburgh. It’s a digital business that’s on fire.

All over the capital coffees houses, independent florists, bike shops, restaurants and hairdressers and even a life casting company have signed up for Rebecca’s ‘Love From Indie Street’ website and her plastic card.

Over 60 companies are offering vouchers and discounts through the site.

Rebecca, originally from South Shields, who attended Glasgow University, learned that some of the very biggest players, such as Philip Green’s Arcadia Group, had a ‘restricted loop’ across the High Street where people were given vouchers that they could only use in the businesses within the loop. Increasingly, firms have been using vouchers to reward staff. A large loop offers variety that’s unavailable to a single retailer.

She decided to create her own plastic pre-paid voucher system and build her own ‘restricted loop’ of specialist retailers in Edinburgh. >>

27

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

ENTREPRENEUR

So instead of you having a £50 voucher to get a limited range of ornaments in a single gift shop, there would be a fuller range of retail offerings, including wine, beers, food, hair styles, flowers as well as gifts, all across multiple outlets. Everyone, it seems, is a winner. What’s not to like?

“We really have so much going on now. I know all the retailers personally and they all buy into the idea of high-quality, offering the best customer experiences. It has grown like topsy,” she tells BQ. Rebecca had already spent ten years working in financial services in Edinburgh, firstly with Standard Life in the press office during the heat of the demutualisation debate, and

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

SUMMER 15

then for seven years with Nucleus Financial.

However, like so many female entrepreneurs, it was the birth of her first child, Frankie, now two, that encouraged her to do something that was more compatible with her lifestyle in Edinburgh.

What she has been able to do is pull together this independent and disparate bunch of retailers into a more unified business group.

She’s organising a quarterly business gathering for them – at a Love Indie venue – where they are able to share experiences and enjoy artisan coffee and cupcakes. There are also pop-up events for cafes, bars and restaurants where the other members can showcase their wares.

She held a pop-up fashion show on Mother’s

28

Day. “Most people have an entrepreneurial idea, but don’t act on it. I decided to get going on this. It is very new and we still want to add more businesses and make connections. But we want to keep the quality up to ensure that all the companies are the best they can be.

For example, I think Narcissus, in Broughton Street, are one of the best independent florists in Edinburgh, that’s why they are involved.”

She has signed up hipster companies such as Brotique, a ‘style cave’ for men, owned

by Richard Murphy, a designer, and run by two trend setters Rich Edwards and Chris Meecham. “We’ve done a few events with Rebecca and it works extremely well in helping us build our profile. We’ve had a

SUMMER 15

chance to meet the other members of the Love From Indie Street group too. There’s a lot of shared interest,” says Richard.

“It can be quite a lonely job running a small specialist retail outlet. I think Love from Indie Street has helped pull everyone together and allows the smaller owners to free the potential of their brands,” she says.

Rebecca is planning to launch in Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen throughout the rest of the year. She has funded the growth herself and is now at break-even, while investors have been knocking at her door to see how the business might be franchised across the rest of the UK. The website has been the key and was given a fresh and modern slant by

ENTREPRENEUR

It can be quite a lonely job running a small specialist retail outlet

Kate George, a designer based in the Old Drill Hall in Leith. She now has a network of over 200,000 addresses of customers who have taken an interest or bought a gift or

29

services in one of the outlets. She is fanatical about Twitter to keep updating her audience and 80% of those following the business are younger professional women, an important demographic for advertisers and brands.

“I’ve been able to build the business because of social media. Without Twitter and Pinterest, it would take a great deal longer.

It’s amazing how quickly you can build a successful business today.”

It’s too early to say how far Love from Indie Street will go. But Rebecca is a determined and passionate entrepreneur who already has an incredible network of key people and retailers. If anything, it shows the power of delivering an idea, all within a year. ■

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

ENTREPRENEUR

SUMMER 15

MAKING MOVES WITH MARVELLOUS MUSTARD Belinda Roberts is well-kent as the founder of the entrepreneurial organisation, WeDO Scotland. So what is she doing in the kitchen with a bag of seeds and some vinegar? BQ Editor Kenny Kemp finds out more Behold Belinda beaming with business bravado. Belinda Roberts loves alliteration.

Blame her mother Wendy Jack – former red top and Herald freelance journalist – for all the word-play dexterity. Belinda’s latest venture is Marvellous Mustard, which she has set up with her friend and colleague Gill Eastgate.

Belinda Roberts is well-known to many across Scotland’s business community as the national treasure behind the creation of WeDO Scotland, one of the most active networks of enterprising people in Scotland. It’s Belinda’s drive that made it happen.

Belinda has had a successful career in recruitment. At 22, she was working in the City of London for the Bilingua Group, recruiting for Deutsche Bank using her Spanish and French skills, before returning to Edinburgh working with Search, moving into the oil and gas sector, working with Andrew Pert. At 27, she set up a sales and recruitment training business, BJR Consultancy, which morphed into management training business

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

OPT which she later sold. She undertook all the training for Direct Resources, owned by Paul Atkinson, and the senior management interview training in Luxembourg for State Street. Seven years ago she founded WeDO Scotland. Now ‘Rollicking Roberts’ is a practical entrepreneurial inspiration with the creation of another business.

“I’ve always wanted to build a product-based business, as opposed to a service-based one,” she says, sitting in the May sunshine outside Tiger Lily’s, the unofficial global headquarters of WeDO Scotland.

“Everything that I have done previously has required me to be somewhere in attendance.

I’m a massive foodie and I love cooking, which is how I switch off. My ideal is spending a whole Saturday in the kitchen cooking for friends. I wanted to do something in the food sector, although I didn’t know much about it,” she reveals.

Here, the inspiration of another WeDO Scotland success story weaves its magic.

30

In 2012, Ailsa Proverbs created The Big Cheese Making Kit. She was inspired by a TV chef making yoghurt and she went out to find a kit for making cheese. There wasn’t one on the market; so she invented it. Ailsa was helped

by Scottish Enterprise’s Business Gateway and is now making over 7,000 kits a month. She was awarded an MBE for service to the food industry after only 18 months in business.

“I saw what Ailsa did with the Big Cheese Making Kit and I thought there must be a gap in the market for some other sort of kits. She has done amazingly well.”

Belinda looked to the United States to see what kind of food kits existed, including sausage-making and cooking-kits.

“The one thing that struck me was a mustardmaking kit. It was ironic, because I was not really a mustard fan.”

In June 2014, Belinda phoned Gill, her friend, general manager and ambassador at WeDO, and explained her idea. Gill was interested, undertook her own research and was >>

SUMMER 15

31

ENTREPRENEUR

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

ENTREPRENEUR surprised at the size of the mustard market.

Gill felt there was certainly a gap in the UK, as two US firms were making kits that were too expensive to import. Gill was convinced it would work. Belinda, as head chef, set about experimenting with mustard seeds and vinegar to come up with several kits that would be handy and inexpensive to develop.

“It is one of the easiest things to make. You soak your seeds for 48 hours, then add the dry ingredients, put the mix into the jarsand it’s ready to use a week later,” says Belinda.

They undertook taste trials among friends who thought the tangy fresh mustards were so much better than the major supermarkets.

“We wanted to revolutionise the mustard world. We didn’t think having pictures of mustard would enthuse anyone, so we wanted to build a brand with some characters. Also people don’t use mustard so much for cooking in the UK, using it as a condiment. We wanted to encourage people to use it as a key ingredient in their recipes, whether a roast or even cheese on toast.”

The original Marvellous Mustard range was based on four characters: Hug Me Honey, Gorgeous Garlic, Cry Baby Onion and Boozy Woozy Beer, overseen by Henry, the head of the family, who is a wrinkly Frenchman.

Belinda undertook a food hygiene course, and they sought food business approval from City of Edinburgh Council and were up and running.

“We applied to be on NotOnTheHighStreet. com The website usually takes ten days to get back, but they got back to us immediately. We didn’t even have our website up and running at this stage. They loved our idea and wanted us to be on their site.”

Marvellous Mustard was launched on 17 October 2014 and the couple faced a surge of interest leading up to Christmas. The mini production line soon spread out with Belinda and Gill drafting in active mothers and aunties.

“We sold a lot in the lead-up to Christmas, but we were quite late in getting into the pre-festive gift market. It was all brand-new to us. It was a bit like the blind leading the blind! However, we were quick learners and enthusiastic about what we were doing.”

Marvellous Mustard was only a part of Belinda and Gill’s workload: they were still running

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

SUMMER 15

WeDO, with the entrepreneur’s major awards programme and events, the busiest time of the year. It was all very manic for the budding foodie entrepreneurs.

“Each kit retails at £22, including second-class postage. We were advised in the beginning that the point when an online sale drops off, is when you are expected to add extra for postage. We are also on sale on Amazon now” adds Belinda.

After the Christmas rush, the company has had time to re-assess and has been building its brand, adding two new lines.

“Up to Christmas it was the gift market we were looking at, now it is retail which is where the volume is that will allow us to scale the business. We thought honey would be the top seller. But Boozy Woozy Beer, where you add a beer of choice, was the best-seller, especially as gifts for men. That made us re-think the future flavours. The feedback was that it is difficult to buy presents for men. It’s difficult to get beyond the tie and socks. Because you don’t have to be a cook to make the mustard, that’s why we’ve been doing well. We decided to go down the beer route, and we launched Feeling Frisky Whisky, which has overtaken the

beer.” Since then they have launched Fine and Dandy Brandy, with Pack A Punch Port on the horizon, although Marvellous Mustard don’t supply the alcohol, you buy that yourself. “We have gone down the booze route because that is what has been selling.”

Belinda admits the sales are still extremely modest but it has been a great entrepreneurial adventure with room for growth. As BQ Scotland was going to press, they were in discussions about investors helping them expand more quickly.

They have also been given grant funding from Scottish Development International’s Make it To Market Fund, which covered 75% of costs so that it could be taken to international markets. “We will be going to a few trade and consumer shows over the remainder of the year to show off Marvellous Mustard. It’s been a massive learning curve, but a very good one.”

But this livewire is not sitting still. She’s collaborated with David Sole, the former Scottish rugby legend and executive coach, on a book called 21st Century Networking, published by Elliot & Thompson in October.

WeDO Scotland.com n

We wanted to revolutionise the mustard world. We didn’t think having pictures of mustard would enthuse anyone, so we wanted to build a brand with some characters

32

SUMMER 15

COMPANY PROFILE

‘Lean’ techniques are working to improve performance in unexpected places When it comes to efficiency, the Japanese have cornered the market for decades. The most famous approach to efficiency, or rather bluntly - the ‘elimination of waste’, is Lean – a philosophy labelled in the 90s and loosely based on the Toyota Management System which focused on eradicating wastage to improve customer value.

But that was car manufacturing, where parts of the production line were able to be replaced by machines – something not easily replicated (nor necessarily desired) in smaller manufacturing businesses, people-centred organisations, or service providers.

However, the Lean philosophy is sound and its principles are just as relevant for Scotland’s SMEs as they are for multinational corporations – there are many Lean techniques that are independent of organisational size and function. Efficiency is by no means an exclusive aspiration.

A step-by-step set of tools and techniques have been extracted by today’s Lean practitioners to improve the way different organisations deliver core services which are just as appropriate for smaller businesses and those that are more service or people focused.

The focus of Lean is improving the flow of work – whether that be in the delivery of a product or a service. By improving flow, elimination of blockages within the system can be achieved in a considered way. It’s all too easy to identify waste in a rudimentary fashion and chop it out – but without identifying the impacts that this would have on the rest of the organisation, or the ‘system’, the results could be counterproductive.

Lean can have a significant impact on quality improvement, reduction in cycle time and good customer responsiveness.

Of course, not all Lean Unfortunately, some take the Lean ideas translate from moniker a bit too literally, a manufacturing assuming that its aim is to environment to an officemake the organisation based or service driven smaller – resulting in organisation. Toyota job losses. It’s little is very different from wonder then that most businesses. some are wary of the However, the concept from the Lean approach beginning. However, can adapt simply this isn’t the case. because most modern Lean is about delivering organisations have bigger success, not multiple interconnections, smaller organisations. procedures within processes There are additional intangible within systems – and so on. benefits, including speeding up To identify a single ‘flow’ in most processes, culture change, joined James Thomson, Lean businesses might seem as easy as up working, supported continuous practitioner, and Manager finding a needle in a haystack. improvement and a greater Lean practitioners are particularly awareness and understanding of adept in picking up the threads of how an how the organisation works, how the end user organisation works and challenging existing benefits and how staff develop and are rewarded assumptions. They will identify the use of time and for their efforts. people, availability and model use of resources, Analysis, notably that done by Government suitability of existing resources for completing itself, shows that Lean does work and can improve key tasks, input required for current and desired how organisations operate. With an awareness outputs, potential for and instances or error, and of the need for improvement and a receptive spotting changes that could improve the status culture, Lean can help organisations see the quo, saving money at the same time as maintaining wood for the trees – and effect both inward and or improving output standards. outward benefit.

The Lean practitioner will also be able to identify patterns, or clusters of work and skills that may not have been previously grouped and that if reorganised, could contribute differently towards the success of the organisation.

Ultimately, that’s what Lean is about - achieving greater success through creating better flow of work through an organisation.

James Thomson is a Lean practitioner, and a manager at Scott-Moncrieff, leading business advisers and accountants in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Inverness.

Email: james.thomson@scott-moncrieff.com

Lean can have a significant impact on quality improvement, reduction in cycle time and good customer responsiveness

33

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

CAPTAIN’S SECRET WEAPON IS AN OILY VESSEL BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

36

Angus and Frances Ferguson are the duo behind the successful specialist deli business Demijohn, based on a traditional Italian idea and imported into Scotland. They tell Karen Peattie about their journey

37

As a captain in the Army, Angus Ferguson was used to making decisions and taking control of challenging situations often in perilous circumstances. So it should come as no surprise to find him in yet another precarious state – at the top of a long ladder changing a difficult-to-reach light tube in his unusual shop in Glasgow’s Byres Road.

Still fit despite retiring from the Black Watch almost 15 years ago, Ferguson shimmies back down the ladder at lightning speed, his maintenance work complete and the store looking shiny and smart like a soldier on parade. This is Demijohn, a ‘liquid deli’ based on the concept of a traditional Italian cantina where the customer takes their own receptacle and fills up with the wine of their choice.

Demijohn is somewhat more sophisticated and here there is no wine. Instead, there’s an amazing collection of unusual artisan spirits, liqueurs, oils and vinegars sourced predominantly from around the UK. Byres Road is one of four stores owned by Ferguson and his wife, Frances – they opened their first in Victoria Street in Edinburgh’s New Town 10 years ago and the others are in York and Oxford. The logistical end of the business >>

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

ENTREPRENEUR operates from the family’s farm and home in Galloway.

With a £1m turnover and ambitious plans to expand over the next decade, Ferguson takes time to reflect on his journey so far. “I loved the Army and grew up in a military family so I’ve always been used to travelling and living in different, exciting places,” he says. “But one of the best times of my life was living in Naples as a student in the early 1990s – I loved the culture and the way life revolved around food and drink, and I think that was the catalyst for Demijohn.”

So why did he leave the Army? “I’d had a great career and it wasn’t over yet – I could have progressed even further and was actually lined up for promotion,” he explains. “But you can’t go on forever and you have to consider your family and your future beyond the Forces.

That was always very much in mind.”

Although the idea for Demijohn was “floating about”, Ferguson was determined not to rush into anything without doing his homework.

“We were back in Scotland in 2002 and based around Edinburgh – that’s when I really thought about doing something a little bit different from the Army,” he says.

“Our daughter, Flora, was also born that year and she changed everything, and I kept thinking about my time in Italy and how the cantina concept might just work here if I found the right location,“ Ferguson goes on.

“Then we had our eureka moment. We were at a dinner party and a bottle of homemade bramble whisky liqueur was brought out. It tasted absolutely amazing.

“But it also got me thinking that there’s a whole army of enthusiasts out there producing amazing stuff, all these small micro-businesses all over the country – an underworld of small businesses making unbelievable things that people would love if only there was an outlet to sell them; products made by teachers, bankers and people who have changed direction in life, on their kitchen table or in their shed.”Not long afterwards, the couple took the plunge although it all happened “at quite a slow pace”. Ferguson admits to being “utterly terrified” at giving up a career with such great prospects and leaping into a world he knew nothing about, armed only with his passion and determination to succeed.

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

SUMMER 15

There’s a whole army of enthusiasts out there producing amazing stuff... an underworld of small businesses making unbelievable things that people would love if only there was an outlet to sell them Finding premises for the first shop was indeed a challenge and Scotland wasn’t necessarily the first choice. “We did a UK-wide study and even thought about London at one stage,” he explains. “But we were living in Kinross at the time so it wouldn’t have worked as a first outlet. We looked at places like Perth and St Andrews because we were keen to tap into the tourism market but they were both really expensive and quite prohibitive, really, to any SME or business start-up.”

Edinburgh, however, was perfect. “As our business model was more slanted towards catering for the gift market, Edinburgh meant we could capture the tourist market but also push that further into the business tourism market which is a great thing,” says Ferguson.

“For example, there’s a major surgeons’ conference in the city every year and when the keynote speaker jumps up on stage and

38

mentions an amazing shop he’s discovered called Demijohn, the value of that can have a massive impact on your business.

“Likewise, Glasgow is getting so many more conferences and big events now and although Byres Road isn’t in the city centre, the west end gets loads of visitors so people tend to stumble upon us then come back again, they tell their friends and so the cycle begins. We’ve also got the Hilton Grosvenor Hotel across the road, Waitrose which attracts a lot of the type of customers we’re targeting, the Botanic Gardens nearby and also Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum so it’s a great location.”

Byres Road opened in 2006, the year before the world changed. “The economic crash in 2007 was a real wake-up call for us but we survived,” says Ferguson. “How did we survive? Well, things had been going so very well for us that perhaps we were almost

coasting along thinking everything was great and how clever we were. So suddenly seeing footfall drop really made us sit up and take a long, hard look at the business.

“In fact, it was a brilliant lesson because it made us much sharper from a customer service perspective; we looked carefully at our pricing, our marketing and at the finer details of the business. We understood that we could never, ever afford to become complacent and take things for granted – you have to look at each new day as a challenge and be prepared for the unexpected.”

By 2009, Demijohn was ready to expand again with York offering a similar clientele to Edinburgh with that crucial business tourism footfall. Oxford followed in 2013. “We’re obviously looking to expand but we’re not interested in playing the numbers game,” says Ferguson. “First and foremost the location has

to be right and we’re at the stage now that distance isn’t so much of an issue because we’ve got people we can put into new stores to open them and get them up and running. Places like Cambridge and Bath could be an option.”

Meanwhile, Demijohn’s online business is robust and very much a key component of its success. “When a visitor comes into one of the shops the staff will always engage with them,” says Ferguson. “One of the benefits of personal engagement is that we can gently offer other information such as the benefits of online ordering or staying in contact with us via our regular email newsletter, The Demijohn News.

“We also collect customer data when at events such as the Scottish Game Fair at Scone Palace.”

Forthcoming events in the diary include

39

the Huddersfield Food & Drink Festival in August, Burghley Horse Trials in Lincolnshire in September and, in November, the BBC Good Food Show Scotland and Country Living Christmas Fair, both at the Glasgow SECC, CLIC Sargent Christmas Fair in Dumfries and BBC Good Food Show Winter at the Birmingham NEC. “There’s a huge revolution in the food and drink world just now and people just love going to events where there’s a big foodie element,” Ferguson points out. “We’re a small team so can’t go to as many as we’d like but where we do go it’s amazing to spend time talking to people who are so interested in our products and our back story – it’s all about provenance and each product has its own story to tell.”

For Ferguson, it’s also about staying ahead of the game. “We still offer something >>

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

ENTREPRENEUR fairly unique but there are other businesses snapping at our heels now,” he points out.

“So I’m glad I took the advice of a great chap, Jim Lang, at Business Gateway whose words will always stay with me. When we were setting up, he told me that it pays to be the first to do something because someone else will come along and do it if you don’t.

“So I suppose, in a way, it’s flattering that someone else is trying to emulate what we’re doing in business. Business evolves, especially retail. I mentioned Waitrose earlier but isn’t it fascinating to watch what retailers like Aldi and Lidl are doing just now? They’re really giving the mainstream supermarkets a hard time and why shouldn’t they? It’s good to mix things up and competition makes us all that bit sharper.”offering such a niche product means that Demijohn has had to up its game when it comes to marketing. “We’ve done a bit of radio advertising which has worked very well for us and we post videos on YouTube from time to time,” Ferguson explains. “We also employ a PR company and invest heavily in our website and social media – Twitter and Facebook. We have a blog and you can find cocktail recipes on the website and also food recipes, our Flavour of the Month and so on.

It’s a lot of fun and I think it’s important to enjoy that aspect of your business and we encourage our staff to have fun, too. We have a core team of 10 and 35 in total across the four shops, plus seasonal people, and while we don’t like losing people, we know that some will move on and, indeed, we have inspired some to move on.”

Ferguson refers to Hollie Reid, who has set up her own business, Lovecrumbs, in Edinburgh.

“We saw a spark in Hollie,” says Ferguson.

“She actually went down to York to open the shop there for us and discovered Bettys, the famous Yorkshire business,” he says.

“Working for us inspired her to open her own version of Bettys and we’re absolutely thrilled for her.”

Just looking at all the different bottles in the stores is an experience in itself. Ferguson often describes Demijohn as the “adult equivalent of a sweet shop” where you come in and gaze lovingly at the large glass demijohns filled with delights such as Organic Rhubarb Vodka, Gooseberry Gin, Butterscotch Cream

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

SUMMER 15

It’s what you might experience on holiday on the continent, where everything about food and drink is a pleasure and the pace slower. It’s what I’ve loved about a lifetime of travelling and I love now being able to share that pleasure with customers Liqueur, Bramble Vinegar and Walnut Liqueur.

Customers can also bring back their bottles for refilling. At 10am it’s probably far to early for a tasting but Ferguson insists, lining up half a dozen liquids including a rather splendid Gooseberry Gin Liqueur, his amazing Seville Orange Gin and Elderflower Vodka Liqueur.

Tasting the Limoncello Liqueur, Ferguson reveals that his supplier is currently creating a Grapefruitcello variant, and this will soon be available for Demijohn customers to purchase both in-store and online. It’s clearly not too early for an aperitif in Byres Road as a regular customer arrives to buy a gift for a friend, happily trying the Bramble Scotch Whisky Liqueur first. “Customers are encouraged to

40

taste before they buy and because the staff are primed to share recipe ideas and talk about the provenance of what’s in your bottle, a visit is rarely a quick in and out,” says Ferguson, describing the Demijohn approach to selling as a “whole new concept”.

He continues: “You’re not just picking something from a shelf, you’re learning about its ingredients and where they come from, taking time to discuss its provenance with our staff. It’s what you might experience on holiday on the continent, where everything about food and drink is a pleasure and the pace slower. It’s what I’ve loved about a lifetime of travelling and I love now being able to share that pleasure with customers.” n

SUMMER 15 SUMMER 15

COMPANY COMPANY PROFILE PROFILE

Take Take the the Strathclyde Strathclyde route route to to aa top top MBA MBA Strathclyde Business School’s MBA Strathclyde School’s MBA programme Business is highly-regarded.

The programme is highly-regarded.

The by business school is triple accredited business school is triplebodies, accredited by the three international accrediting AMBA, the three bodies, AMBA, EQUIS andinternational AACSB – andaccrediting it was one of the first to EQUISthis andaccolade.

AACSB –EQUIS and it and was AACSB one of the firstthe to gain assess gain this school accolade.

AACSB assess the business as aEQUIS wholeand while AMBA accredits business school as a whole while AMBA accredits the MBA programmes. the MBA programmes.

Students who choose our MBA programme can Students who choose our MBA programme can opt for full-time, part-time or flexible learning opt foroptions. full-time, flexible learning study Ourpart-time full time or programme is studied study12 options. full timeamongst programme is studied over monthsOur in Glasgow a group of over 12 months in Glasgow amongst group ofof international peers and involves nineamonths international in peers and involves nineand months of participation classes, group work personal participation processes in classes,and group work and personal development three months for the development MBA project. processes and three months for the MBApart project.

Our time programme is ideal for anyone who Our part time programme is ideal for anyone who

wants to fit the MBA programme around their wants fitthe thepart–time MBA programme around their career to and MBA is offered mainly career and the part–time MBAweekly is offered through evening class, twice withmainly four through evening class, twice weekly compulsory weekend schools spread with over four the compulsory weekend schools the their period of study.

Typically partspread timers over complete period part Atimers degree of in study. aroundTypically three years. majorcomplete strengththeir degree in around threeisyears.

A major strengthcan of the part time route that course members of the part time route is that coursethe members investigate issues at work through variouscan investigate at work through classes and issues put what they learn on the various MBA into classes and put what they learn on the MBA into practice immediately. practice immediately.

We also offer a flexible learning option which We alsoindividuals offer a flexible learning option whichown allows to direct the pace of their allows individuals to direct of theirthat own studies while providing the the levelpace of support studies while providing the level of support that an internationally recognised school can offer. an recognised school can offer.

Theinternationally Flexible Learning MBA offers a balance The Flexible Learning MBA offers a balanceand we between self-study and group interaction, between self-study and group interaction, and we encourage peer interaction and group learning encourage peer interaction and group learning

through workshops and seminars which gives through and seminars which gives those onworkshops the programme the opportunity to meet those on the programme the opportunity to meet with their peers. with their peers.

Whichever route you choose, there is a range Whichever routeavailable. you choose, there a range of scholarships To find outismore, of scholarships available. To find out more, www.strath.ac.uk/mba/scholarships/ visit www.strath.ac.uk/mba/scholarships/ visit This summer we are hosting a series of MBA This summersessions, we are hosting a series of MBA information visit the website for full information sessions, visit the for6118/6119, full details or contact us directly onwebsite 0141 553 detailssbs.admissions@strath.ac.uk or contact us directly on 0141 553 6118/6119, email email sbs.admissions@strath.ac.uk

A A triple-accredited triple-accredited business business school school that’s that’s around the corner… around the corner… and and around around the the world world Summer MBA open evening – 5.30pm Summer openand evening – 5.30pm 15 July, 12MBA August 9 September 15 July, 12 August and 9 September Strathclyde Business School’s triple accreditation status and international rankings place it in the top Strathclyde Business School’s triple accreditation echelons global business schools.

To itlearn more status andofinternational rankings place in the top about ourof flagship which can be To studied a fullechelons global MBA business schools. learn on more time, part-time or flexible learning basis, we invite you about our flagship MBA which can be studied on a fullto attend one ofor our early evening sessions. time, part-time flexible learningpreview basis, we invite you to attend one of our early evening preview sessions.

To register for any of the evenings visit: To register for any of the evenings visit:

www.sbs.strath.ac.uk/apps/previews www.sbs.strath.ac.uk/apps/previews

41

University of Strathclyde is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, number sc015263 University of Strathclyde is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, number sc015263

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY

SUMMER 15

Deals slow but returns are still strong, Police HQ on the market, and calls to extend game - changing Help to Bay >> Strong returns in property Property deals slowed down in the first quarter of 2015, after the momentum from the first three quarters of 2014, according to the Scotland Property Quarterly by CBRE. With the notable exception of industrials, all sectors in Scotland saw returns edge downwards, with the biggest shifts seen in offices and high street retail. However, with all property, Scottish total returns in the 12 months to the end of Q1 2015 at 11.9%, Scottish commercial property is still generating strong returns for investors. Industrials was the only sector to see returns improve in Q1, an outperformance that has been driven by strong capital growth of 2.5% over the quarter and a 1.5% of rental value growth over the same period. In contrast both offices and retail have seen capital growth rates level off during this same quarter.

Retail was by far the weakest of the three main sectors as a result of a large reduction in the capital growth rate, which was just 0.2% in Q1 2015, compared to 1% in Q4 2014.

Total returns in Scottish retail were 1.6% in the first quarter of this year, a stark contrast to the 2.4% return of the previous three months.

Offices total returns also slipped in Q1 2015, with a return of 2.3% compared to 3% in Q4 2014. However, on a city level, office markets in both Glasgow and Edinburgh are showing signs of improvement and are now outperforming Aberdeen, which as recently as six months ago was one of the strongest performers. This is a trend which is likely to continue over the coming quarters.

Campbell Docherty, senior director at CBRE National Capital Markets, said: “While the Scotland Property Quarterly analysis for Q1 reports a slowdown in activity in investment volumes in Scotland, we believe this accounts for a lack of investment product and not a slowdown in demand.

“There were key deals transacted in all sectors, notably in office with the sale of Aurora, 120 Bothwell Street, Glasgow for £72m and Edinburgh Quay 2 for £24.5m.

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

“Shopping centre activity was bolstered by the sales of both the Sauchiehall Centre and Clyde Shopping Centre in Glasgow for a combined total of £115m and a strong institutional interest in Prestonfield Industrial Estate, Edinburgh, delivered a sale yield approaching 6%. We expect to see an increase in deal activity in Q2 with current large lot size offerings either under offer or recently placed on market. Princes Street in Edinburgh has three prime retail holdings all on the market with lot sizes totalling £50m and shopping centre and retail warehouse activity has been dominated by the recent marketing of Eastgate Centre, Inverness and Forge Retail Park, Glasgow. The office sale of Tanfield, Edinburgh in April and the market offering of 1 to 3 Atlantic Quay, Glasgow, in May will contribute to considerable Scottish investment volumes in Q2 and into Q3 2015.”

We expect to see an increase in deal activity in Q2

>> Significant expansion Drum Property Group’s set for significant UK expansion following the flotation of a new Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) on the London Stock Exchange.

The Drum Income Plus REIT, which has raised £31.9m on flotation, will target commercial property assets in strong regional locations across the UK. Shares will target a gross dividend yield of 5% on the issue price once fully invested. The company, set up by managing director Graeme Bone in 2004, has enjoyed a steady growth specialising in the creation of large development schemes and the construction and redevelopment of buildings across the UK, with a portfolio currently valued in excess of £1bn.

42

>> Strong figures The latest edition of Lambert Smith Hampton’s UK Investment Transactions report reveals that across Scotland total investment reached £575m in the opening three months of 2015, an increase of 26% from Q1 2014. UK institutions dominated much of the activity north of the border, investing £245.41m, while the Retail & Leisure sector accounted for 49.5% of the total volume invested in Scotland. In all 35 deals were completed in Q1 of 2015, eight more than the same period last year, while average deal size also increased from £16.8m in Q1 2014 to £16.42m in the first quarter this year. Some of the key deals in Scotland in the first quarter of 2015 included M&G Real Estate’s £72.36m purchase of 120 Bothwell Street, Glasgow from CS Euroreal; the £70m purchase of Clyde Shopping Centre, Clydebank

by Edinburgh House Estates from Helical Bar; and the purchase of the Radisson Blu Hotel, Edinburgh by Deka Immobilien GmbH from WG Mitchell in a deal worth £63.5m. Bill Binnie, Investment Consultant in Capital Markets with Lambert Smith Hampton in Glasgow, said: “Despite the uncertainty of the outcome of the General Election it is a strong set of figures in Q1 for Scotland. Across the UK, total investment as a whole climbed to £19.1bn in Q1 2015, 59% higher than the same time last year and a new record for a first quarter.

SUMMER 15

COMPANY PROFILE

How well do you know PD Ports?

Teesside is one of the UK’s main industrial centres, globally renowned for its chemical production and offshore activities, as well as engineering and manufacturing facilities, which typically dominate the landscape. The River Tees connects many of these sectors facilitating the movement of goods destined for import and export. At the heart of this activity is Teesport.

Teesport, owned and operated by PD Ports, is the third largest port in the UK by tonnage seeing around 40M tonnes annually, providing a vital trading link with both mainland European and global markets. Teesport employs around 550 people, many of which live within a three mile radius of the Port. PD Ports is one of the largest employers in Teesside with operations in Middlesbrough, Billingham, Hartlepool and Redcar.

The Port handles both bulk and container cargo.

Much of Teesport’s growth in the bulk sector is a result of its strong relationship with SSI UK to export steel produced at its plant in Redcar. Since the blast furnace was reopened in 2012, PD Ports has handled over 7 million tonnes of steel - the equivalent to 2885 Transporter Bridges.

The Port has seen considerable growth in container volumes of over 30% in the last five years and as a Group, has invested over £30M in 2014 to enhance and expand its facilities. This includes significant investment at its No 1 Quay at Teesport, which will enable larger vessels to be handled at any level of tide, and the construction of a dedicated rail terminal.

The container terminals at Teesport have the capacity to handle around 500,000 TEU (twentyfoot equivalent) which, spread out in a straight line would take over 25 days to walk end-to-end.

The Port’s container traffic is shipped around the world through global shipping lines, connecting Teesport to the major hub ports of Europe and over 13 strategic markets.

The state-of-the-art terminal operating system used at Teesport enables PD Ports to identify each container’s owner and stack these appropriately in the yard to provide an efficient and

Teesport - third largest port in the UK

responsive service to customers. This technical intelligence is complemented by a dedicated and skilled workforce.

Further services available to customers are delivered through PD Ports’ dedicated portcentric logistics business, PD Portcentric Logistics. This ranges from storage in a port-located warehouse, transportation to customer-owned facilities or re-working of cargo.

PD Ports currently work with Taylors of Harrogate to facilitate the management of its Yorkshire Tea brand. In 2014 a new warehouse was opened with Taylors of Harrogate at PD Portcentric Logistics’ site in Billingham as a larger alternative to Teesport Commerce Park where goods were previously stored. PD Ports invested £2.5M in the new facility giving Taylors of Harrogate a 105,000 sq. ft. space that is used to store the product and also to collate large bags of tea from different origins which will then assist in the creation of the blends at the Taylors of Harrogate headquarters.

The tea imported annually through Teesport equates to 4.5 billion cups of tea – that’s a fresh cuppa for two third of the world’s population.

As well as operating a thriving port and a successful logistics business, PD Ports is the statutory harbour authority for the River Tees,

43

from the Tees Barrage to the Tees Fairway Buoy at the opening to the North Sea. The Company is responsible for managing the river traffic for the ports of Teesport and Hartlepool, ensuring safe navigation and maintaining the required channel depth.

All the services that PD Ports provides in Teesside are integral to the UK ports industry, as well as the regional and national economies. The continued growth and investment in the Port’s people and infrastructure will enable Teesport to expand its opportunities on a global scale, ensuring a sustainable and bright future for the region’s port.

For more information call 01642 877000 email enquiries@pdports.co.uk, visit our website www.pdports.co.uk or follow us on twitter @pdports

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY

SUMMER 15

>> HQ on the market The former HQ of the Strathclyde Police in the heart of Glasgow City Centre is up for sale. At 1.371 acres, the offices as 173 Pitt Street comprise existing buildings totalling 190,000 sq ft on an entire ‘island site’. Police Scotland has recently relocated to their new purpose built facility at Clyde Gateway in Dalmarnock, therefore releasing Pitt Street to the market. Ryden is tasked with devising a disposal strategy and marketing the property to secure best value for Police Scotland. The Scottish Futures Trust is providing strategic support to Police Scotland on the project as part of a wider initiative to assist public bodies with disposal of their surplus assets.

>> Game changing scheme

>> Lessels property for sale An Edinburgh townhouse built by one of Scotland’s most distinguished architects is up for sale. 29 Drumsheugh Gardens was designed by John Lessels who was also responsible for residential properties nearby in Melville Crescent, Palmerston and Manor Places as well as Stobo Castle in Peebleshire. The 1877 grade B-listed townhouse covers 6,400 sq ft and has spectacular Victorian features including ornate cornicing, parquet floors and a wooden staircase.

The previous owner was BAA, who required a city centre base, but the current owners, Edinburgh Airport Ltd, are selling property which has been operating as a business centre.

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

Homes for Scotland has expressed frustration that the Scottish Government’s hugely successful Help to Buy (Scotland) shared equity scheme for larger home builders has almost exhausted the budget. The organisation’s reaction came after the Scottish Government published figures demonstrating that demand for the scheme has already resulted in 5,000 sales worth £1bn. Homes for Scotland chief executive Philip Hogg said: “The Help to Buy (Scotland) scheme has been a real game-changer for our industry, stimulating the construction of much needed new housing following the 40% plus drop in building witnessed since the downturn and creating vital jobs. However, it has been clear for many months that the budget was insufficient to meet demand. With no details or firm commitment on any future support forthcoming, buyers and builders here are now at significant disadvantage to those South of the Border and face months of uncertainty whilst the Scottish Government decides whether or not to launch a successor scheme.” He called on the Scottish Government to follow the lead of the Welsh Government which has pledged to extend its Help to Buy scheme without committing a budget.

The new chairman of Homes for Scotland, Jim Mather, a former Scottish Minister, called on the Government to ‘evolve’ its shared equity scheme in order to maintain the positive progress that has been made in supporting buyers. Mr Mather urged the Government to announce details of what new support will be in place after the planned end of Help to Buy (Scotland) in March next year so that both buyers and builders have the confidence and predictability necessary on which to base their purchasing and investment decision-making.

The Help to Buy (Scotland) scheme has been a real game-changer for our industry, stimulating the construction of much needed new housing following the 40% plus drop in building witnessed since the downturn and creating vital jobs

44

CORPORATE HOSPITALITY FEATURE A snap shot of venues across Scotland

Gran thegr

The Roxburghe Edinburgh

Five luxury hotels in Edinburgh and Glasgow, perfect for your next event.

Grand Central Hotel, Glasgow thegrandcentralhotel.co.uk

Blythswood Square, Glasgow blythswoodsquare.com

The George, Edinburgh thegeorgehoteledinburgh.co.uk

The Roxburghe, Edinburgh theroxburghe.com

The Bonham, Edinburgh thebonham.com

We are delighted to introduce our newly formed Scottish region, offering you the best in conference and events facilities from our Scottish properties and associated hotels; The George, The Roxburghe, The Bonham in Edinburgh and Grand Central Hotel and Blythswood Square in Glasgow.

From boutique boardrooms to magnificent ballrooms and meeting rooms perfect for seminars, private dining and drinks receptions, we have a fantastic collection of unique spaces to hold your meetings and events.

With a wealth of experience and a host of local knowledge, our team and our venues are perfectly placed to seamlessly handle all of your needs, whatever the event.

Inverness

Aberdeen

SCOTLAND Dundee

Glasgow

Edinburgh

Bespoke event packages available

Hawick

Visit our websites for more details and information.

Newcastle

Carlisle

Middlesbrough Kendal

NORTHERN ENGLAND Bradford

Scarborough

York Leeds Hull

Manchester Cheadle

Sheffield

Holmes Chapel

www.four-pillars.co.uk

www.ph-hotels.com

www.deverevenues.co.uk

www.thetownhousecollection.com Wrexham

Crewe

United under shared investment and a unified passion for great meetings and events.

Derby

Nottingham

Shrewsbury

Birmingham

Leicester

CENTRAL

Norwich

COMPANY PROFILE

SUMMER 15

Exciting new chapter in the story of Trump Turnberry The iconic Trump Turnberry Resort is on the brink of an exciting new chapter, under the ownership of the Trump Organization. Following subsequent investment, the resort has a selection of newly refurbished meeting rooms and an impressive new clubhouse as part of the first phase of a two year renovation plan. The next phase of the resort’s grand refurbishment is due to begin at the end of September, following on from the Ricoh Women’s British Open. This detailed and sensitive project means that the hotel building and the Championship Ailsa course will close until June 2016. During this time, elements of the resort will remain open, including the Spa at Turnberry, the Turnberry Performance Academy, the Trump Villas and the Championship Kintyre course. When

it reopens in June, each resort bedroom and all public spaces will have been redesigned and reappointed to the highest in luxury standards.

There are also plans for two new ballrooms, including the Crystal Ballroom, on the site of the current 1906 restaurant, and also for the spectacular Donald J Trump Ballroom which will be a completely new function room, with a capacity of approximately 500 people.

Trump Turnberry is set within 800 acres of wild and

When it reopens in June, each resort bedroom and all public spaces will have been redesigned and reappointed to the highest in luxury standards

beautiful Scottish countryside, however, delegates are able to arrive with ease, with excellent road and rail links close by. For those coming from further afield, three main airports are within comfortable travelling distance, with Prestwick Airport is just 30 minutes away, Glasgow Airport less than an hour and Edinburgh, two hours away.

To find out more or to arrange a site visit, please contact our group sales team on 01655 333 996.

leading ladies

this summer sees trump turnberry play host to the ricoh women’s british open from the 30th july - 2nd august Perfect for fans of the great game or as a memorable day out for corporate clients, this experience includes: • Tea and pastries upon arrival • A three course lunch plus a glass of Prosecco • Access to one day of the tournament. the ricoh women’s british open

£95

per person

To book this unique experience, please call 01655 334 175 or email rsvp@trumpturnberry.com

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

48

CORPORATE HOSPITALITY

Scottish dining and hospitality in our unique venue in the heart of historic Edinburgh.

Please contact our events team on 0131 220 0441 events@scotchwhiskyexperience.co.uk

DISTILLING THE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS FOR YOUR EVENT

Stunning location Renowned welcome Flexibles spaces Meetings Private Dining Local cuisine Whisky tasting

THE UK’S INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LEAGUE

IP 10 0

THE IP100 - RECOGNISING THE VALUE OF IP IN YOUR BUSINESS BQ Magazine is delighted to announce the launch of the Intellectual Property (IP) League Table and the IP100, compiled in association with Metis Partners, an award-winning IP solutions firm The IP League Table will profile and rank innovative companies within the UK’s private sector, highlighting those businesses which have significantly invested in their IP in the form of IP creation, IP management policies, R&D activities and IP commercialisation. The top-scoring companies will be published in the IP100, an annual ranking of companies that are considered to be the most effective at commercialising their IP assets. The ranking process involves an assessment of IP-specific data linked to the following IP asset classes: brands, software, patents, trade secrets and critical databases. A proprietary scorecard will be applied to calculate an IP score, and the IP100 team will rank companies based on the results.

The IP League Table will give companies the platform to get recognition for the value of their IP, whether using IP to: • Boost the exit valuation of a business • Improve access to new markets • Protect existing market share • Create new barriers to entry IP also has the ability to play an important role in transforming funding options available to businesses. The IP League Table will enable companies to showcase their investment in intellectual property and potentially leverage the associated value to raise finance and restructure debt. The IP League Table is open to all UK companies and is FREE TO ENTER.

ENTER THE IP100 NOW The IP100 is open to all UK companies to enter and details about the process ,as well as the information

Enter now at www.bqlive.co.uk/IP100

required, can be found at www.bqlive.co.uk/IP100

COMPANY PROFILE

SUMMER 15

Taking the mystery out of exports Chris Lynch is offering growing Scottish businesses a window on the world.

Santander’s Scottish-based International Trade Director says that the Bank’s Trade Portal offers regularly updated information on 185 countries, potential key markets for Scottish exporters Lynch says: “Most of what is there is publicly available information but the fact that it is all together in the one place saves businesses days or maybe even weeks of online searching.”

One of its key aims is to help break down any mental barriers that businesses have about getting into the export market. “There is still an element of fear about exporting with some people and one thing this does is help demystify it as much as possible and help businesses get there.”

The portal carries information in six key areas starting with market analysis, which will give companies an idea of the business environment.

“It will provide information on key companies that businesses can sell their product to, right down to details on how to contact the business,” Lynch says.

It will look at ways of getting the product into the overseas market and fourthly provide details of the key issues of foreign exchange, which will so affect the profitability of the trade.

The final two areas are looking at any banking arrangements that businesses will need to do international trade and information on operating businesses abroad and managing international investments.

The information is open to Santander Corporate and Commercial Connect customers.

It is information that is continuously being updated – every week Santander publishes 150 market reports, so Trade Portal users can select what industry they want to be kept up to date on. Through the Trade Portal, Lynch says, businesses can choose whether to join the

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

Trade Club, which gives member businesses the chance to log on and browse details of Santander business customers around he globe.

“Members of the Trade Club put a business card online which gives details of the kind of services they offer and also what they buy in,” Lynch says.

It is an innovative idea that gives businesses access to Santander’s global network of business customers, who share the same bank and who they can correspond with over the banking system.

Another striking part of Santander’s approach to international trade is that it offers trade missions, which are open to its Corporate and Commercial customers and to other businesses that have a turnover of between £500,000 and £50m.

In the first half of 2015 Santander trade missions went to Spain, and in June to Poland and Mexico.

In the second half of the year they are being followed by visits to the United Arab Emirates and the US. “We see this as a differentiator, something that as a bank we are offering to help growing businesses,” Lynch says.

“The feedback that we have had from businesses that have been on our trade missions has been excellent,” he adds.

“The fact that we do them surprises a lot of

The trade missions that we do are very much tailored to the particular requirements of the individual companies

52

people who associate trade missions with Scottish Development International and Chambers of Commerce.

“Our view is that as a global bank with the international footprint of business customers that we have, then this is something that we can do to support the export effort.

“The trade missions that we do are very much tailored to the particular requirements of the individual companies that are taking part.”

Companies that are selected to go on the trade mission will make a contribution of £1,500 in the case of more distant missions such as the UAE and US while the contribution for those nearer at hand is £1,000.

He stresses that such missions are not competitors to those offered by SDI and the Chambers of Commerce but that they are all meant to complement each other.

He stresses: “It’s very much a collaborative approach so we will cover the banking and will look to link up with any other organisation that is fit for purpose that can offer something to growing businesses.”

For more information about Santander’s Breakthrough Moments Festivals visit santandercb.co.uk/breakthrough

53

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

MCCREADY ON WINE I never touched a drop of alcohol until I was in my 20s. As a youth I played a lot of football as a centre half and had knockabout games with pro players from Greenock Morton, our local side. Then after studying electrical engineering at night in Glasgow at the Royal College of Science and Technology [which became Strathclyde University] I went to work for IBM, when the American computing giant first came to Greenock. I was one of its first employees.IBM was a teetotal place and drinking was not really encouraged. It wasn’t until I went to work for IBM in Paris that I realised this wasn’t the case in France.

The continental IBM employees in Place de Vendome after a long day, starting at 8am and finishing well after 6.30pm, would freshen up and then head out for dinner. All the French, German and Dutch guys were very knowledgeable and ordered bottles with great flair. This is when I started to appreciate proper wine. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed drinking wine although I associate it with times and places rather than recalling the actual names of each and every vintage.

After this, I began to collect information about wine and bought some bottles of good claret, so when European guests and customers came to Scotland, they could enjoy a fine wine. As I grew SCL, which was set up 50 years ago in May 1965, we had customers from France, Germany and the United States who would come to Scotland. I was able to entertain them well. So when the BQ editor suggested that I might be able to test a couple of bottles, I thought it was a pleasurable idea. And so it turned out to be. One of Edinburgh’s hidden gems is the Le Di-Vin wine bar in Randolph Place. It’s known as the Polish Church to the regulars, because seven years ago Virginie Brouard set up the wine bar in the hall used by Edinburgh’s Polish community. Since

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

SUMMER 15

A DELICIOUS TASTE OF GALICIA Jim McCready, the veteran entrepreneur who set up SCL 50 years ago, and enjoys great wine, tells a few tales over a tipple then her husband Ghislain Aubertel has been bringing in some of the best, modestly priced French, Spanish, and Italian wines that you will not find in your average wine shop. I shouldn’t really say too much about Le Di-Vin, otherwise it might get a bit too busy! The wines selected

by Virginie were a Coto de Gomariz 2013, Albarino, from Galicia, in northern Spain, produced under biodynamic principles, and a Crozes Hermitage 2012, Domaine Etienne Pochon, from the Rhone. So it was Spain versus France in this mini-contest.

I took the wine home and tasted them over two evenings. I opened the red Crozes Hermitage several hours before drinking. It’s not a wine I remember drinking recently but I knew it was from the Rhone, which I preferred for its white wine. Very quickly I realised why.

Certainly this is a fruity, medium bodied wine with aromas of cassis, plums and violets. Good enough colour, but a poor nose.

If I’m being honest, I found the wine a little too astringent almost harsh.

Perhaps it is just a little too

54

young. I let it breathe overnight and I tried it again, it seemed less rough. Well, you can’t win them all. Then I tried the Coto de Gomariz from Spain. It had a nice golden colour with a really good fruity nose. There was a lovely full fruity taste, with a touch of lemon and peach. It was clean and lasting on the palate.

We finished off most of the bottle and decided that it would be good to buy some more.

Better still, we could head out to the charming old city of Santiago de Compostela for a few days of wine and tapas. In my book, that’s what good wine does: it transports you to exotic places that you associate with the wine.

This exercise made me determined to be more adventurist and thoughtful about my wine drinking. I’m certainly looking forward to our next tasting. I hope the BQ editor keeps me in mind! n Jim McCready is chairman of The City Partnership (UK), an Edinburgh-based financial group specialising in the collection of investors’ funds, tax and corporate administration in the Venture Capital Trust sector.

Special thanks to Virginie Brouard and Ghislain Aubertel of Le Di-Vin. The Coto de Gomariz is £24.50, while the Crozes Hermitage is £28.50.

55

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

ASPARAGUS TIPS FOR SCOTLAND’S FOODIES BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

56

SUMMER 15

BUSINESS LUNCH

Fiona Richmond is the food tsar behind Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink. She catches up with Karen Peattie at one of Scotland’s original treasures – the famed Café Gondolfi in Glasgow

Clutching umbrella in one hand and raincoat in the other, Fiona Richmond breezes into Cafe Gandolfi like a breath of fresh air, dismissing the unpredictable spring weather and instead looking forward to kick-starting the week with lunch at a Glasgow institution she knows rather well.

“I used to come here all the time when I was a student and it was one of my favourite places – it still is,” she reveals, struggling to choose from the amazing menu overflowing with culinary delights featuring the freshest, in-season produce from Scotland’s worldleading larder.

In the Year of Food and Drink Scotland, it’s an apt venue for this interview with industry organisation Scotland Food & Drink’s roving project manager. Indeed, it would be hard to find a more passionate advocate for Scottish food and drink than Richmond, an Ayrshire lass with roots in St Andrews. “I’m from a long line of fisherfolk,” she says.

“Mum is from St Andrews so she grew up with my grandfather bringing the lobster and crabs straight from the boat to the table. The benefits of eating well and making the most of local produce were instilled in me from an early age and that has stayed with me – there’s an amazing photograph of my grandfather with his catch of mussels next to the lifts in the Old Course Hotel and I think he would be

delighted to know that his industry is still so important for Scotland.”

Indeed it is. The value of the shellfish industry increased by 18% to £10.5m at first sale value in 2014, according to the latest survey published by the Scottish Government. It also shows that 7,683 tonnes of mussels were produced in 2014 – the highest ever on record. Meanwhile, the value of fish landings is at a record high having increased by 19% to £513m last year.

All of this is contributing to Richmond’s organisation’s mission to grow the food and drink industry’s value to £16.5bn and position the nation among the world’s top three producers of premium food and drink products by 2017. “Yes, it’s ambitious but we’ve beaten our targets before and we’ve never been better placed to shout from the rooftops about what Scotland has to offer,” she points out.

“Last year gave us an unprecedented opportunity to put food and drink firmly on the culinary map,” she says, highlighting the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Ryder Cup at Gleneagles and Homecoming Scotland.

A member of the team at Scotland Food & Drink for six years, Richmond was selected for the post of project manager 2014 – the first of its type in Scotland – with a remit from the Scottish Government to help food and >>

57

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

BUSINESS LUNCH

drink suppliers tender for contracts at the 2014 events. Now focusing on the Year of Food and Drink, her role as food czar continues as she builds on the progress made in 2014. “What we’re seeing now is more and more events organisers coming to us for help,” says Richmond. “They’re realising that if they’re organising a big event in Scotland and want to make an impression, they need to be using Scottish produce.

“Importantly, though, that desire is there to use Scottish produce and for us that’s absolutely fantastic news,” she continues.

“But just because we had such an incredible year in 2014 doesn’t mean the hard work stops. We’ve still got a long way to go but we

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

SUMMER 15

are getting there and the Year of Food and Drink is a great natural progression because there are so many events happening and every month has a theme – May was Whisky Month, for example.”

Richmond graduated from the University of Glasgow with an honours degree in social sciences in 1993 then did her masters in social research methods at the University of Surrey before moving to Jersey to do research work for the government there. But it was her discovery of the Slow Food movement that made Richmond realise she wanted to pursue a career in the food industry.

Slow Food, founded by Carlo Petrini and a group of activists in Italy during the 1980s

58

with the aim of defending regional traditions and cultures, good food, gastronomic pleasure and a slower pace of life, has grown to become a global grass-roots organisation with supporters in over 150 countries, including Scotland and the UK. Getting involved with the movement on a voluntary basis led Richmond to apply for a job with Slow Food at its headquarters in Bra in northwest Italy, near Turin. Working there for two years and living in front of a local market where the food was always in season and fresh every day was a life-changing experience. “Lunch breaks were generally around two hours and no-one ate at their desks,” says Richmond.

SUMMER 15

BUSINESS LUNCH We are one of the world’s great foodproducing nations.

“It’s something I brought back with me and although lunch doesn’t last two hours here, I always try to get out for a bit and never eat at my desk. I try to make my colleagues do the same and most of them manage to do it occasionally,” she laughs.

Richmond, who was previously Scotland Food & Drink’s project manager (access to markets) focusing on helping businesses grow in the foodservice sector, tries not to reflect too much on the Commonwealth Games.

“There was a huge expectation that we had to get it right,” she says. “It was enormously challenging and became very, very real when we launched the Commonwealth Games Food Charter to which all appointed caterers to the

Games had to sign up to.

“It was created to ensure that as well as showcasing Scotland’s larder we were committing to the ethical, safe and healthyliving standards for all food served across the Games, including traceability and provenance.

Fast-forward to 2015 and the legacy of the Food Charter will see it act as a blueprint for major sporting and cultural events held in Scotland in the future. Developed in collaboration with a range of stakeholders – including Scotland Food & Drink – it retains its four key themes: sustainability and culture; resource and provision; diversity, consistency and health; and standard practice.

“James Withers, our chief executive, has

59

always said that while the Games would be a great opportunity for our industry to shine, it would be what happens afterwards that would be the biggest challenge,” Richmond points out. “And he’s absolutely right. It’s how we take forward that legacy, how we keep collaborating with others to get the message out there – both in Scotland and the UK, and in international markets – that we are one of the world’s great food-producing nations.”

Food and tourism, then, would appear to be natural bedfellows. With overseas and domestic visitors combined, over 15 million tourists visited Scotland last year and spent over £4.7bn. “We’re working much more closely now with VisitScotland because of that synergy between food and tourism,” says Richmond. “It’s potentially huge and we’re delighted to be collaborating with VisitScotland and EventScotland in the Year of Food and Drink.

“Everyone has a role to play – from B&Bs, hotels and restaurants, coffee shops and cafes in galleries to our supermarkets, local stores, delis, the big catering companies, farms shops and many more. Along with our producers, they can all be part of the food tourism journey.”

Richmond points to many of the exciting, new initiatives springing up all over the country.

Let’s Eat Glasgow, for example, taking place at the innovative SWG3 exhibition space in Finnieston in September, will be Scotland’s first restaurant festival and pop-up market where many of the city’s top restaurants will come together under one roof along with 60 of the west coast’s leading artisan producers.

The Foodies Festival in Edinburgh, meanwhile, celebrates its tenth anniversary and will >>

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

BUSINESS LUNCH

SUMMER 15

Cafe Gandolfi Go into Cafe Gandolfi at any time of the day and you’ll sit side by side with people from all walks of life – business people, students and even the occasional celebrity. As a student at the University of Glasgow, Fiona Richmond would often see Billy Connolly there.

Nestling unobtrusively in Albion Street in the heart of Merchant City, Cafe Gandolfi is refreshingly unpretentious and boasts the kind of convivial atmosphere that makes you want to sit there all day. Indeed, Fiona and Karen were sorely tempted! Chef-proprietor Seumas MacInnes is very much to the fore, chatting to customers he knows well, taking time to say hello to firsttime visitors who will almost certainly come back. From beautiful Barra in the Outer Hebrides, Seumas was brought up on good, honest food – and that’s the Cafe Gandolfi philosophy today.

The Gaelic proverb on the wall – Deagh Bhiadh, Deagh Bheannachd – means “well fed, well blessed”. Fiona chose the Roasted Scottish Asparagus with Romesco Salsa, fresh and in season from Cafe Gandolfi’s supplier on Arran – and her first Scottish asparagus of the year. The Skye Crab with Creme Fraiche and Lime with Avocado and Sweet Pepper Sauce was Karen’s choice.

From the daily specials menu and priced at £6.50 and £9, both were simply prepared and absolutely delicious. Main courses were Peat Smoked Salmon from the Summer Isles at £8 – this is also a starter – and Smoked Haddie with Pea and Spring Onion Crushed Potatoes and a Poached Egg at £14.50. Cafe Gandolfi is clearly a haven for fish lovers and for a slightly different dining experience you should check out sister outlet Gandolfi Fish a few doors along the street.

It’s slightly more formal but still very “Seumas”. Whether you’re looking for a quick but satisfying lunch or more leisurely dinner, there’s something for everyone at Cafe Gandolfi. And it’s won awards for its breakfast! The lunch and pre-theatre menu, served daily from 12 noon to 6.30pm, is £15.95 for two courses and £17.95 for three. Daily specials focus around what’s in season and are priced accordingly while the a la carte menu features many of the Cafe Gandolfi stalwarts such as Cullen Skink, Isle of Mull Scallops, Gandolfi Fish Pie and Orkney Sirloin Steak.

Being a Monday and with other meetings to attend, this was a fairly quick lunch so the bill of £38 was exceptional value for money although wine and coffee would have bumped it up. Sadly, alcohol wasn’t an option today given both diners were driving later. A note to restaurants to take on board – staff at Cafe Gandolfi offer a jug of tap water for the table without being asked, a practice many, many more eateries should adopt in our opinion.

Few eateries can genuinely claim ‘icon’ status but in Glasgow, Cafe Gandolfi is without doubt one of them. Serving up a continental style of dining since 1979 with the emphasis always on the freshest Scottish fayre in season and friendly service, Seumas MacInnes is doing a fantastic job for the food and drink industry and is the perfect example of everything Scotland Food & Drink is trying to promote to the world.

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

60

run over three days in August but as Richmond points out, there are food and drink events taking place the length and breadth of the country as part of the Year of Food and Drink.

She also highlights the great work going on in Dumfries and Galloway, where the food and drink industry generates £43.5m for the local economy. “While it’s fantastic to see so much innovation by our producers the fact that there are so many outlets for them to promote what they’re doing is really exciting,” continues Richmond. “Producers are punching well above their weight in terms of innovation, responding to consumer trends and creating a point of difference so these festivals and other events are crucial in helping them reach the end user – the consumer.”

Richmond, listed by Scotland on Sunday newspaper as one of Scotland’s most eligible women last year, admits she is still single but that any potential suitor would need to share her love of good food. She remains heavily involved with Slow Food as a volunteer and holidays tend to revolve around food and drink, most recently Istanbul and, later this year, Venice and Piedmont in Italy.

“You take real inspiration from what you see in other countries,” she says. “I’d like to see Scotland become more like Italy or Spain or France where eating is always an occasion, where people get round the table to talk and really enjoy food. I think we’ve lost that in the UK and I’d love to see that sort of culture returning.” n

Importantly, though, that desire is there to use Scottish produce and for us that’s absolutely fantastic news

BQ M

The Scottish Business Awards 2015 With George Clooney

Supported by

November 12, EICC, Edinburgh

Take your place among Scotland's business elite at the UK's largest and most prestigious business dinner with Keynote speaker George Clooney who follows in the footsteps of Sir Richard Branson, President Bill Clinton and Sir Bob Geldof.

Application Deadline: September 11 To enter, sponsor or take a table at the event contact Alan Mahon on 0131 220 8206 or email a.mahon@capital-events.co.uk www.scottishbusinessawards.co.uk

BQ Mag Spread Final.indd 1

28/05/2015 23:03

MOTORING

LIVE AND LET DRIVE Donald ‘M’ Emslie was sent on a BQ mission. To test a new Aston Martin, see if it could live up to the classic Bond DB5, then make a rendezvous with a collaborator. Here is his top secret report

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

62

Like most men of my age (a tender 58) my first experience with Aston Martin was on my 8th birthday when I became the owner of a Corgi model of the James Bond DB5 used in Goldfinger. Back in 1965 this little toy car was fascinating, parts moved when buttons were pressed and best of all the baddie would fly out of the roof when the ejector seat was deployed. Many happy hours passed playing with this magnificent toy which also inspired a lifelong fascination and attraction to Aston Martin with all of its understated elegance, sophistication power and speed.

So imagine my delight when asked to test drive the new Aston Martin Vanquish described as the pinnacle of the range and at 568BHP more than twice the power of the car James Bond drove 50 years ago.

What a privilege then to spend the day driving

MOTORING

around the Lothians and Fife terrified at first by the sheer power at my disposal but enjoying every moment behind the wheel of this luxury supercar that lived up to every preconception of the brand. This Grand Tourer is simply a delight to drive and if you choose to remain safely ensconced in automatic drive mode you could simply cruise effortlessly round town. Even if the odd set of traffic lights or pedestrian crossing got in the way while driving round town, or you had to pop into your local deli on the way home, it would all be accomplished in the easiest of ways. The technology will assist in these situations, the rear view cameras and parking sensors would help you navigate the tightest of parking bays and the sound system with Bang & Olufsen speakers that pop out of the dashboard in front of you will either keep you calm while

sitting in traffic or provide a booming sound track while out on the open road when you are inclined (and you will be) to depress your right foot. When you do you just feel and hear the power of the 6 litre V12 propel the car forward. It is an exhilarating experience.

In true Aston Martin style this car is both a super exciting power-house and a sophisticated, comfortable and relaxing drive.

Should you choose to go touring. I could easily imagine this car effortlessly eating up the miles as you glide through the countryside, but also attacking the hairpin bends that you always see on the motor shows or would experience on one of my favourite drives over the Bealach na Ba to Applecross in Wester Ross.

Flip the gears from the automatic drive to the 8 speed Touchtronic paddles on either side of the steering wheel and you are >>

63

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

MOTORING In true Aston Martin style this car is both a super exciting power house and a sophisticated, comfortable and relaxing drive.

Should you choose to go touring. I could easily imagine this car effortlessly eating up the miles immediately launched into a completely the B roads putting the car through its different driving world which is so powerful paces, however moderately, by using the and responsive you can immediately Touchtronic gears and daring to press the understand what these chaps at Aston Martin accelerator, just a bit. have been doing for 100 years, and the value The sound as you do takes you straight to the of their fantastic engineering and design. race track and enhances the whole experience I started my day driving rather for the driver almost teasing you gingerly round the Edinburgh and coaxing you to test the ring road to get used to car even further as it driving this supercar grips the road and eventually coming negotiates every off to make my corner with ease. way down to It was just great Leith for a fun. rendezvous At the end with John of my day I Dixon of was very sorry Georgian to hand the Antiques who Vanquish back owns a 1999 to the lovely Aston Martin people at Aston John Dixon of Georgian DB7 Vantage. We Martin Edinburgh Antiques and Donald ‘M’ Emslie thought it would and wished I could compare supercars. be fun comparing have been on a racetrack the Vanquish as the next or on a drive to Applecross to generation of the Grand Tourer experience how this car could really with one from nearly 20 years ago. The DB7 perform. Perhaps another day? has all the classic Aston Martin style and All I can say is that James Bond would love this John’s car is a lovely British Racing green, car but not as much as I do! n but the sleek curved carbon fibe body of the Vanquish, with the interior simplicity and Donald Emslie is the former managing elegance personified, is a thoroughly modern director of Scottish Television, and is car and you can see that this car is designed director of Castle Hotel Management, to compete with the Italian thoroughbreds of which includes the five-star Lifehouse Ferrari and Lamborgini in both performance Spa and Hotel, in Frinton, Essex, as part and style. I have never seen a car so admired. of its portfolio.

When parked outside Georgian Antiques during the photo shoot many people came The car Donald drove was an Aston up to look at the car, keen to discuss it and all Martin Vanquish Coupe, priced at proudly talking about its British history. £218,580. Supplied by Aston Martin Where I really fell for this car was in my drive Edinburgh Bankhead Drive, Edinburgh, to St Andrews choosing deliberately to stick to EH11 4DJ 0131 442 2800

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

64

ULTIMATE EVOLUTION THE NEW 2015 VANQUISH New Vanquish is the culmination of an extraordinary determination to create the ultimate Grand Tourer. The latest evolutionary stride redefines perfection – boasting a new 8 speed Touchtronic III gearbox, more power, faster top speed, improved acceleration and leaner fuel economy. Performance, refinement and poise are elevated to unprecedented heights.

Vanquish knows no limits.

BOOK YOUR TEST DRIVE TODAY AND EXPERIENCE THE VANQUISH AT Aston Martin Edinburgh Bankhead Drive, Edinburgh EH11 4DJ 0131 442 2800 sales@astonmartinedinburgh.co.uk www.astonmartinedinburgh.co.uk

Official government fuel consumption figures in mpg (litres per 100km) for the Aston Martin Vanquish: urban 14.6 (19.3); extra-urban 31.0 (9.1); combined 22.1 (12.8). CO2 emissions 298 g/km.

The mpg/fuel economy figures quoted are sourced from official regulated test results obtained through laboratory testing. They are for comparability purposes only and may not reflect your real driving experience, which may vary depending on factors including road conditions, weather, vehicle load, and driving style.

Press Client: Leven Motor Group

Doc: 1-00101058.002-L-WC08-BQM-FP-120x175-Top-Summer Ed

WC: Summer Edition

Size: 120mm x 175mm

A/C: CB

Publication: Business Quarter Mag

Date: 09.06.15

Version: 3

WR AITH

AW: RB

Wraith is the most powerful and technologically advanced Rolls-Royce we have ever built. It is the boldest statement of individuality you can make. Contact us to discover more.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Edinburgh Bankhead Drive, Edinburgh EH11 4DJ Tel: 0131 442 1000 www.rolls-roycemotorcars-edinburgh.co.uk Official fuel economy figures for the Rolls-Royce Wraith: Urban 13.3mpg (21.2l/100km). Extra Urban 28.8mpg (9.8l/100km).

Combined 20.2mpg (14.0l/100km). CO2 emissions 327g/km. Figures may vary depending on driving style and conditions. Š Copyright Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited 2015. The Rolls-Royce name and logo are registered trademarks.

Press Client: Leven Motor Group

Doc: 1-00101058.002-L-WC08-BQM-FP-120x175-Bottom-Summer Ed

WC: Summer Edition

Size: 120mm x 175mm

A/C: CB

AW: RB

FASHION CLOTHING THAT IS STRIKING A CHORD

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

66

FASHION

Music mad John Varvatos’ celebrity-endorsed designs appeal to ‘rugged’ men seeking a touch of rock ’n’ roll chic that will last, discovers Josh Sims When Harrison Ford entered John Varvatos’ New York store back in the early 2000s – its fledgling days – the designer had kind of hoped the movie star would buy some clothes, rather than one of the shop fittings. “But the sofa is what he fell in love with, and he asked us to make him one,” says Varvatos. “It was a fun project and it was exciting so early on to have someone like him in.” And Ford did end up buying some clothes too.

The likes of Springsteen and Cruise followed suit. And now, the ongoing appeal of the clothes has led analysts to tip the company as the next $500m giant – the most likely to become the next monolith the likes of Calvin Klein or Ralph Lauren. Varvatos makes man clothes: rugged, dark, sometimes idiosyncratic but not clever-clever, ultimately wearable, properly sized, not made for skinny boys. “I always wanted to be a designer for the guys,” says Varvatos, who the year after he launched picked up the CDFA fashion Oscar for New

Menswear Designer in 2000, and then, the following year, picked up the Menswear Designer of the Year (and yet again in 2005).

“Guys look at what they see on the runway and, often, don’t get it. It’s not real. That was a gap in the market when I was starting out.

There was a need to give men clothes that would still have meaning to their wardrobe 10 years later. Even guys with money look at clothing and say ‘but do I need it?’”

Thankfully for Varvatos – whose business has grown exponentially, recently opening its first European flagship store in London – the answer is most often ‘yes’, with the clothes seeming to chime with a relatively newly fashion-aware man. “Even my doctor reads fashion magazines now and he’s not a stylish man,” says Varvatos, who trained in science education and taught chemistry for a while.

His designs are often described as having something of a rock ‘n’ roll aesthetic, “which is a sprinkle of magic, although I’m not really

67

sure what ‘rock ‘n’ roll clothes‘ are,” he says.

Rock is hard to escape with Varvatos though – there’s the annual, road-closing gig outside his Melrose Avenue store that’s attracted performers like ZZ Top and Aerosmith, and the fact that he is a self-confessed “music junky” with his Bowery boutique in the former premises of the legendary CBGB club. He has even just launched his own record label in conjunction with Republic, its first signing being the Zac Brown Band.

“And it’s not a vanity label,” Varvatos stresses, “not some contrived way of promoting the fashion. The fact is that the record industry faces a challenge in that artists don’t trust the big labels any more because they’re selling all the time, and only really interested in the next single, rather than giving an artist the time and space to grow, as used to happen. That’s what we want to give them.”

This could be an echo of the way Varvatos’ own company has grown: small at first, >>

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

FASHION FASHION with a line backed to the hilt by global lifestyle brand Nautica – so impressed was the company, for which Varvatos had created a jeans line, that it more or less goaded him into doing his own thing. That now encompasses an international spread of stores, with a sideline full collection for Converse and the launch of home wares now under consideration.

But perhaps the fact that Varvatos strikes a marketably distinctive but approachable look is no surprise given his teachers. Those aforementioned monoliths? He helped make them – first at Calvin Klein, where he launched menswear, and then at Ralph Lauren’s Polo label, where he was head of design. “Calvin is the master of marketing, of capturing the moment with just that little bit of shock value, and working for Ralph was like being at the University of Lifestyle,” says Varvatos.

Varvatos talks with affectionate humour of how his previous boss’ approach is not his own. “Ralph is actually super classic, and the clothes become a reflection of a moment in time – one season it’s equestrianism in the 1930s, then Capri in the 1950s or ‘Chariots of Fire’, which can feel a bit costumey at times,” he says. “We try to never get locked into a period or place. We want customers to have the ability to walk into the shop the following season and not say to themselves ‘what happened? Why all the changes?’”

That Varvatos is keeping the company on such an even keel is, he suggests, a product not only of his training with Klein et al, but the fact that he is not a designer per se, (much like Ralph Lauren, in fact). “And if we only understood the creative process and not the business side, we’d have had big problems,” he admits. “Frankly talent isn’t enough, nor is being a one trick pony. You can see all these new brands come up, and then all these new brands disappearing – because they’re not grounded in business.

“I want to grow and I’m always thinking about what we can do next, but I don’t want to get bigger just for finance’s sake,” Varvatos adds. “I’m always being asked when we’ll do womenswear but, you know, it’s a war out there. My bigger concern is to build a long-lasting company, to leave a legacy in menswear. And, no, I don’t miss teaching chemistry.” n

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

68

FASHION

69

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

HIGH LIFE The ambassador for one of the world’s most iconic champagnes enjoys a glass, or two, with Josh Sims Michel Janneau sips from another glass of Cristal. Well, it is his job. “I remember drinking my first glass of it, when I swore that I would never drink any other kind of champagne than Cristal from that time on. And at the time I was a student in Paris with a very limited budget,” he says. Another sip. “If you ever come across a bottle of 98 Cristal, you have to buy it immediately. It’s the most elegant champagne you can find.”

Of course, as the ambassador for the Louis Roederer champagne house – owners of the Cristal brand – Janneau might well say this.

But, reclined in the company’s palatial mansion in Reims – an old family property for one of the last remaining champagne houses still familyowned – he is very convincing. Louis Roederer, after all, has been making champagne for 237 years over five generations, its chief asset being 526 acres of vineyards, which supply

R A E L C L A T S I R C S P E E K VISION N TOP O D N A BR BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

70

HIGH LIFE

two-thirds of the company’s requirements.

Crucially, this precious terroir is owned by the company. As its competitors typically sold off their lands during the 1980s to third party grape suppliers, Louis Roederer just bought more. That has allowed for an atypical quantity and variety in its 800,000 litres of maturing reserve wines.

“But being family-owned is not a benefit,” says this straight-talking master of bonhomie.

A pause for another sip. “It’s a crusade against the giants that dominate the market. Every minute is a fight, but it’s worthwhile because we don’t spend a penny on focus groups but on making the wines we like. We can decide not to make Cristal one year if the grapes don’t deserve it. Our finance director may look at us as if we’re crazy, but you can all the same. You sell what you produce.”

And that is often something special – the likes of its golden Brut Premier, a blend of four vintages distinctive for having been expensively aged in oak barrels for up to five years, as opposed to the 18 months more typical of the industry at large. “That maturity is a luxury because we could sell a lot of non-vintage wines without the aging – but it’s that that gives us our conception of champagne,” says Janneau. “People talk a lot of nonsense about vinification and fermentation. It’s best not to interfere with the natural processes too much.

All champagne needs is a good, deep nap.”

Cristal has this public image as the iconic wine for the very rich.

And it’s indecently expensive Top of the tree is Cristal – another sip – with its complex spectrum of flavours, and complicated public image. Janneau concedes that it is a double-edged sword. On the one hand is this incredible story: Tsar Nicolas II bothered by his champagne looking like anyone else’s, and so commissioning a special bottle for a wine he subsequently buys all for himself, and which mere commoners today can only buy should it even be produced. But on the other is “Paris Hilton swigging from a bottle,” as Janneau puts it.

“It’s really two guys – the one loved by sommeliers and the one who likes the nightlife, the one who uses it to shower his girlfriend,” he adds. “Cristal has this public image as the iconic wine for the very rich.

And it’s indecently expensive – well, it is.

But it’s also much more than that, even if its

71

reputation probably over-powers all the other champagnes we make.”

Indeed, Janneau recalls overhearing his mother-in-law to be’s disappointment when his wife-to-be told her that he worked for Louis Roederer: “’Oh darling, I thought he was working for Cristal’, she said.” Besides, Janneau feels that champagne in general is increasingly living something of a double life. He agrees that, as a piece of marketing, the association between champagne and occasions of celebration is “an immense success”, accounting for many of the 340m bottles sold every year. “The only problem,” he adds, with another sip, “is that in my opinion 95% of people who drink it at a wedding or the opening of an exhibition just think of it as a very good lemonade from France. It’s a social drink and drunk without any curiosity.”

Champagne, he finds, is all too often drunk by people who don’t even realise that it is a wine. “There’s a global ignorance about it,” he notes. But that still leaves room for those who, like Janneau, relish every sip.

The Janneau Ethos: there is too much business in champagne production and not enough pleasure. “Wine is ultimately about friendship. Making wine is not about the survival of humanity,” he says.

“But if you’re going to make it, you may as well do it well, and do it with joie de vivre.” n

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

Innovation is everywhere; it’s on the ground and in local communities.

It’s not the preserve of universities and academics and agencies BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

72

SUMMER 15

INTERVIEW

THE ENTREPRENEURIAL LOW-DOWN ON THE HIGH STREET BQ Editor Kenny Kemp speaks to Iain Scott and reports on a little local difficulty in Crieff that might be aided by the Can Do Innovation challenge

In Crieff, the Drummond Arms Hotel has become a derelict eyesore in this picturesque Perthshire town.

Crieff Community Trust (CCT) had been in talks with the Royal Bank of Scotland with a view to establishing a Community Right to Buy (CRTB) that would enable a long-term solution to be found for the hotel.

Ailsa Campbell, chairman of CCT, expressed her exasperation to BQ about how a positive scheme – supported by 22% of the local electoral role in Crieff – had become stuck.

“We’ve had massive local support to do something about the hotel. We’ve won the Community Right to Buy yet we have hit a brick wall. It has all been depressing. At the moment, we have a ‘watching brief’.”

The group sent its proposal, along with required signatures contained in a petition, to the Scottish Government, with the aim of finding a community or multi-purpose use for the James Square premises. Last December, a meeting between the trust’s representatives,

73

Perth and Kinross Council, and Strathfare Ltd, the current owner of the derelict hotel, took place at Crieff Hydro. Mrs Campbell said that the Royal Bank of Scotland, rather than helping the local community, closed the branch attached to the hotel and sold it to Strathfare.

Ranjeet Singh, a Strathfare director, and Sohan Singh, its former owner, told the meeting they intend to have the building wind, watertight and structurally safe, by the end of April, although the trust maintain the hotel is in a sorry state. The building, estimated to be worth between £450,000 to £500,000, is not up for sale or being marketed, as the owners say the market isn’t conducive to achieving what they believe it is worth. Mrs Campbell reckons a further £4m will be required to refurbish the building and bring it back to life. According to a minute “The owners made it clear that, for now, they did not intend to do anything that would trigger the CRTB, as they would be looking to >>

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

INTERVIEW

SUMMER 15

There is a new breed of entrepreneur out there in Scotland, driven by pride in where they live and enthusiasm for their local communities achieve significantly greater than its current market value, and they would be happy to retain the property for years, until the property market had improved.”

This kind of stalemate in Crieff only heightens the importance of a project that aims to unlock the enterprise talent of Scotland’s towns to help to boost High Street economies and revive community spirit. The Scotland Can Do Innovation Challenge, supported by the Scottish Government’s £3m Scotland Can Do Action Framework, and run by the Scottish Business Resilience Centre in partnership with 1001 Enterprising Scots, is sorely needed.

The project aims to provide a platform to undiscovered entrepreneurial talent. Iain Scott, project designer and director, welcomes this new era of community activism.

He said: “There is a new breed of entrepreneur out there in Scotland, driven by pride in where they live and enthusiasm for their local communities. These people want to breathe new life in to unused places and spaces and that new life will create thousands of opportunities for aspirant entrepreneurs.

“Innovation is everywhere; it’s on the ground and in local communities. It’s not the preserve

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

of universities and academics and agencies. It comes from people who have detailed market knowledge, technical ability and energy – in other words, local people. Many people ask, where do these entrepreneurs come from and what do they look like? They are people who want to do something to change things for the better, and many are entrepreneurs who just don’t know it yet.

They are can do” people.” Between 2014 and 2015 the Scotland Can Do Towns Innovation Challenge has worked with 15 towns – with most of the projects led by volunteers giving up their work and family time to make the place they loved - their town - a better place.

Iain added: “They are a mix of Development Trust Associations, Business Improvement Districts, music projects and people who wanted to do something. What they had in common was imagination and a lot of skills.

What they all faced was an obstacle course in making it happen. Over the Can Do Towns programme, we gave them a place and a space to think through their ideas, share their experiences and knowledge and learn new techniques.“ “We are already seeing seriously imaginative

74

projects ranging from a £4.5m conversion of an historic building into collaborative work space, the restoration of an historic mill into new business and employment for local people via a cook school and tourism, down to making a derelict area safe which has increased business for local groups.”

Ailsa Campbell, who has meet with Mr Scott, said: “I think the Innovation Challenge for Scotland’s towns is a great initiative. Iain is doing an important job in highlighting the issues but I think our situation shows that even with massive community support it is not always an easy task.”

Iain Scott recognises that Scotland’s town centres must lift their game. “In too many places our towns have become innovation free zones. That has to change - dramatically.” Iain Scott says the fight to regenerate Scotland’s town centres needs local communities to take the lead and create new opportunities for a new breed of entrepreneur.

Indeed, he wants the kind of positive community spirit that was unleashed throughout the Scottish Referendum campaign to be channelled into helping our struggling towns. n

UNIVERSITY of STRATHCLYDE

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION CENTRE

STRATHCLYDE LAUNCHES THE FUTURE OF ACADEMIC AND INDUSTRIAL COLLABORATION With its landmark Technology and Innovation Centre now complete, 2015 has been another transformational year for the University of Strathclyde.

The world-class Centre is a dedicated international facility for scientific discovery, commercialisation, and business research and development.

It will further expand Strathclyde’s research and business engagement capabilities, while enhancing its global reputation as an innovation hub. The University is a UK leader in working with

business and industry and counts leading global firms as partners, including The Weir Group, ScottishPower, SSE, NASA, Rolls Royce, Boeing, Barnes Aerospace, EDF, GSK. The University’s £89 million Centre represents a major milestone in the institution’s history, as its largest single investment in research and business engagement. Founded as a place of useful learning, Strathclyde’s distinctive mission and collaborations with leading international partners continue to play a critical role in its success.

Through the Technology and Innovation Centre, Strathclyde is inspiring and fostering business development in Glasgow and beyond. The city centre facility is a hub for world-leading research, and is transforming the way academics, business, industry and the public sector collaborate to find solutions to important challenges in areas of economic importance – in energy, manufacturing, health, and the development of future cities.

The Centre also offers a unique platform for the exploitation of emerging technologies and will help bridge the gap between innovation, research, technology and commercialisation.

The Centre plays a vital role in supporting Strathclyde’s vision as a leading international technological university, renowned for its research quality and intensity, knowledge exchange and impact, outstanding teaching and student experience, thriving global profile and reputation, and operational excellence. www.strath.ac.uk/tic

ENTREPRENEUR

SUMMER 15

Steve and Gaynor Turner are owners of Macintyres, the wholesale jewellers that sell fine diamonds and precious stones to customers who work for member businesses. BQ Editor Kenny Kemp was given a gold-plate lesson in running a gem of a business

A JEWEL IN THE TOWN You will find the equivalent of Costco for diamond rings, emerald earrings and gold chains up a flight of stairs off Edinburgh’s bustling Frederick Street. Macintyres, the wholesale jewellery firm, branded as the Capital’s Best Kept Secret, is celebrating 21 years in business, and it’s a veritable Aladdin’s Cave of all that glisters.

Gaynor Turner is supremely-connected and well-loved in entrepreneurial circles as an ambassador of WeDO Scotland, while her husband Steve is known and admired for the help and support he gives to emerging businesses. Together, this enthusiastic couple run Macintyres of Edinburgh, a leading jewellery company that has survived the recession and is thriving again. Macintyres does not have a shop window and does not sell directly to the general public. Yet it has the largest fine jewellery showroom in Scotland and has built a loyal following among the employees of businesses in Scotland who can use the wholesale price discounts to buy diamonds and gems for up to 40% less than the retail jewellers.

While the likes of Hamilton & Inches and Laing’s of Edinburgh have fine ground-floor emporiums where the public can drop in and browse, for Macintyres you need to become a member. The upside of membership is the savings.

As we meet for the interview, Gaynor and Steve are assessing the success of a wedding

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

event in early April, when their showroom was teeming with loving couples.

“We had captured everyone’s information when they bought an engagement ring and these were people who would definitely be requiring a wedding band at some point. We then invited them to a special event in the showroom where we had a fashion runway where models from Emma Roy showed off wedding dresses, and there was a jazz band and Elliot Bibby, the magician. It was packed out. Last year we sold 43 rings over the weekend and thought that was really good.

This year, we sold 118 over the weekend. It was unbelievable. We were queued-out with people buying wedding bands,” says Gaynor.

This is all part of a successful double act. In the early 1980s, Steve and Gaynor met in a London pub, with Steve feigning an interest and knowledge of Shakespeare. Gaynor was

76

training to become an actress while Steve, who studied business studies and marketing, was a sports journalist and editor of Windsurf magazine. They were soon an item and Gaynor made a living as an actress. They lived in London for ten years, but late 1980s recession hit hard, and both struggled to maintain their work.

“I found it really hard to get theatre work and Steve was made redundant,” she says.

Steve takes up the story.

“We both had an ambition to start our own business. Some of my friends in the Bahamas, where I grew up, were in the jewellery business and Gaynor’s mum and dad were in the business in Scotland. It seemed like a good opportunity.”

They both went to college to train, undertaking a

SUMMER 15

ENTREPRENEUR Many people had a lot of faith in us and were amazingly supportive

77

series of day-release and evening courses in jewellery and gemstones. They both studied diamonds and diamond grading and Steve undertook his professional qualifications in gemmology at college in Glasgow.

“My mum and dad were in the jewellery business in Glasgow. My grandfather was a pawnbroker. They were wholesalers who sold to other shops,” explains Gaynor. “We worked there learning as we went along, with Wednesdays off to go to college. But the market for wholesale jewellery in Scotland was declining as more and more High Street chains, such as H Samuel, opened up with central buying and distribution. Many independents were all being bought up, so the wholesale market declined dramatically.”

The couple put every penny they could muster into buying stock and in 1994 opened a small showroom in 80 George Street in Edinburgh.

“We were really lucky and had a lot of good contacts in the jewellery and gem stone world.

Many people had a lot of faith in us and were amazingly supportive. Even 21 years later, they are still our suppliers in London, Birmingham and Antwerp. We’ve had a great deal of loyalty and we support them now.”

In the jewellery business, there are no big discounts unless you pay up-front.

“We paid up-front as best we could but our suppliers would give us full discount and long-term appro. It really helped us and we reinvested everything very quickly when we sold an item,” Gaynor says.

Steve and Gaynor were the only employees.

“We were very small and we could re-invest quickly.” says Steve.“We had to find a way to tell our customers who we were and we wanted them to know about our unique selling point that we would be selling jewellery at an absolutely fantastic price.” >>

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

ENTREPRENEUR The fledgling jewellers had to find clients without taking out large adverts in newspapers and glossy magazines. The idea was to go to Edinburgh’s larger companies and offer their services as a staff benefit. Customers must work for the companies that have a Macintyres account.

“We thought we would have years of telesales, but it took off really fast. Within the first three to six months word of mouth was spreading.”

In the very early days, in order to appear more established and successful when a customer came in, Gaynor would use her acting skills to loudly take imaginary orders over the phone. One day, Steve asked a customer if he might help while Gaynor pretended to take an order for gold watches. “Yes,” said the customer, “I’ve come to connect your phone line. ”In the beginning, it was predominantly gold rings, chains and bangles and diamond rings and earrings, then gifts, such as crystal, and new smaller brand watches, such as Rotary, Seiko, and Citizen, selling at 58% of the High Street retail price. More recently, the firm has found a top class workshop and offers a range of high quality pre-owned timepieces, such as Rolex, Omega and Cartier.

“Our very first customer was a God-send.

Sid Cooper, a female personal assistant to Sir George Mathewson, who was then chief executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland.”

“She bought her first item from us and went back to the bank and told everyone how brilliant we were. She sent memos around encouraging staff to go.”

Bank staff – and there were around 25,000 in Edinburgh – had to prove they worked for RBS but they were entitled to the discount.

“She is amazing and still brings people in to buy from us,” laughs Gaynor.

After RBS and, as word spread, it was Standard Life who joined along with Edinburgh’s other insurance firms. Marketing was made easier because it was simply a click on the internal staff intranet. “Almost all high street jewellers operate on the high margin, high cost, but low unit turnover basis. They have high costs to cover. We started to turn this on its head. We operate on a low-cost, low margin but high unit turnover basis.”

It allows Macintyres to buy a lot of stock, attracting better discounts which it then passes

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

SUMMER 15

We had to find a way to tell our customers who we were and we wanted them to know about our unique selling point, that we would be selling jewellery at an absolutely fantastic price

78

SUMMER 15

on to the customers. They now have tens of thousands of members all over Scotland and the UK. With the 5,500 sq ft showroom upstairs in an office block in Frederick Street, which they moved into in 1999, there is a massive saving in rents. “Our retail rent and rates would be ten times more expensive if we were on the ground floor. It is a huge difference,” admits Steve.

“We are now a destination store. People come to Edinburgh as visitors from London and as far as Singapore and they come in to visit us.

It is usually people with some connection to Edinburgh. We’ve exported to China, while the internet is a main source of expansion for us.”

Steve is a recognised diamond and gem expert and fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain and has the experience and ability to detect gems that have been tampered with or created artificially, while Gaynor is also a diamond fellow.

“The jewellery trade have wound myth and magic around diamonds. We prefer to explain the facts about why a diamond is expensive.

We are trying to de-mystify diamonds for people. Once people understand what you are taking about it’s an even playing field and they can judge whether it is a good price or not,” she says. Steve says customers like to understand why an E/VVS1 can be twice the price of an H/SI1 when they look the same to the untrained naked eye. Then there are coloured precious stones, such as emeralds, sapphires, aquamarines, rubies and tanzanite that are harder to evaluate and understand because there is no international grading system for them. He says the rare Paraiba, an extraordinary electric blue tourmaline, from Brazil, can now fetch bigger prices than a good diamond. Macintyres can design and set the jewellery but the specialist diamond cutting is done in Tel Aviv, Mumbai or Antwerp.

Steve and Gaynor travel to Bangkok, the trading centre for most coloured gemstones, and to diamond conventions in Las Vegas, Hong Kong and Switzerland. “We have gem contacts all over the world, with people in Madagascar for pink sapphires, Sao Paolo for emeralds and Australia for opals, among many others. It is tempting to buy it all when you see it. But we have to sell it too.”

“Gemmology is the study of gemstones and

ENTREPRENEUR

it encompasses a lot of science from optical science, chemistry, physics and geology. It helps you appreciate whether a ruby is fake or not and whether a stone is good quality. It can be a minefield for customers because a slight change in shade can make a big difference in the price of that stone.”

He is also on alert to the massive levels of gem fraud which are a daily part of the international gem industry, where all kinds of tricks are used to con the public. Cloned diamonds are genuine diamonds that have faked certificates with improved grades from the Gemological Institute of America, the international standard, which increase the price, while others are drilled with lasers, then inclusions will be flushed out with acid and an epoxy resin is poured in to fill the cracks and fissures. “We can tell and spot all these things.

We know the provenance of the diamonds right back to the rough and only deal with approved providers. It is remarkable how much trickery goes on because it is too easy to baffle the inexperienced.” Every diamond sold

by Macintyres comes through the Kimberley process to ensure that it is not a ‘blood’ diamond sourced from conflict areas in Africa.

The jewellery business is highly security conscious. There have been several high profile break-ins and raids at Edinburgh’s well-known stores. And this is something that is a constant issue for Macintyres, which have state-of-theart safes that are suspended from RSJ’s hidden in the ceilings, 24-hour security guards and alarm systems. When our interview turns to discussion of the recent Hatton Garden robbery in London, Steve says that an alarm going off

79

in Frederick Street will spark an immediate response. “It is an issue we take very seriously.

There have been a spate of robberies in Edinburgh and we have to be constantly vigilant about organised crime gangs and others fraudsters who try to con with stolen credit cards. We work very closely with Police Scotland and the other jewellers in the city.”

Steve is coy about the firm’s turnover, Macintyres have taken time to recover from the recession, when jewellery sales dropped off substantially. Nearby, jewellery firms have gone bust, and staff levels have been reduced to 25 from 35. “When we look at all the other companies that did not pull through the recession, we appreciate where we are. Dozens of firms have gone best and the industry has contracted. We feel we’ve done really well to get through the recession and be thriving again.” Steve and Gaynor’s enthusiasm for their business is infectious. She even stalked Donald Trump on his Menie Estate golf course. [“If he’s reading BQ, he’s welcome to come in any time.”]

“Yes, we are like Costco. But we pre-dated them in Scotland! The same way that they sell quality goods at a good price, so do we!

Unfortunately, people don’t tend to buy diamond jewellery every week.”

They have also become involved with partnership deals with other local companies, such as the Dominion Cinema and the Royal Yacht Britannia.

“I’d love to be ‘By Royal Appointment’, but I don’t think that works with the Royal Yacht. It was worth a try,” she jokes. It certainly was, Gaynor. n

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

BIT OF A CHAT

SUMMER 15

became his bread and butter, which he has turned into a successful Scottish entertainment business. He says listening to top comedians rip the spots off politicians and the pompous elite can be a cathartic experience. He was worried that satire was becoming too corporate. I hope that George and Tommy do not become the butt of those vitriolic English satirists – but I don’t expect they’ll give a damn.

with Jock Yuler >> New members What on earth has been happening? Two of my old pals – who were once Labour councillors – have made it to Westminster as SNP members. Dearie Me. George Kerevan is now the Nationalist MP for East Lothian. So there is truth in the old saying: there’s life in the old dog yet. George is a youthful 65, yet he has been given a new lease of life as one of the 56 harriers down at Westminster. He was a Labour Edinburgh councillor for over a decade before crossing over to the Nats.

Then there’s Tommy Sheppard also an SNP MP. When I met him back at Aberdeen University in 1977, he was a Broad Leftie. He was elected to Hackney Borough Council and, in 1990, was Labour’s Deputy Leader of the Council, then stood as a Labour candidate for parliament in 1992 in Bury St Edmunds, coming second in a safe Tory seat. He came back to Scotland in 1993 working with Edinburgh District Council and then applied for a job for Scottish Labour Party, as Jack McConnell’s number two. He loved standup comedy and started The Stand comedy club as a hobby in 1995 with some mates.

In January 1997, he was made redundant as assistant general-secretary responsible for the campaigning side of the Labour Party in Scotland. He had a lot to do with the formation of the devolution policy for the Scottish Parliament. Yet Tommy’s face didn’t fit with the Tony Blair revolution. He told me he wasn’t going to the right dinner parties.

It seems that Labour were concerned that he was too keen on devolution, and even too pro-Nationalist. So The Stand comedy club

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

Scottish business users are being absolutely skinned

>> No FT. No comment So Rangers must spend at least another season in the Championship before making it back to the Premier League. Only Gers fans will be greetin’. Down in London, I bumped into my old tabloid acquaintance Jack Irvine, the former Sun editor, sitting in the sun outside an Italian eaterie off Cheapside. He was in sparkling form, with blue tales of the recent boardroom battles at Ibrox. He was also recounting stories of a rather private billionaire client who forks out a princely sum each year to keep themselves out of the newspapers. Jack fielded a request from the Financial Times for an interview after a major multi-million deal. Normally, business people in listed companies are falling over themselves to get a sentence or a paragraph in the Pink ‘Un. Jack’s chaps were not too bothered. “Sorry, Jack, I’ll be at Lords all day and don’t have time, and the Finance director’s got one of his horses running at Epsom. You deal with it. That’s what we pay you for surely.

We’re not interested in comment in the FT.” That’s the way to earn it, Jack.

80

>> Rail rip off It’s a wretched scandal. Something that George and Tommy and the Scottish MPs need to sort out. The cost of getting down to London for small and emerging businesses is beyond a one-liner in The Stand. There needs to be an investigation of how Scottish business users are being absolutely skinned.

Take Tuesday 26 May. The EasyJet, Virgin Little Red and BA flights for late fliers from both Edinburgh and Glasgow were all rip-off rates. Firstly, it was a May Bank Holiday and then there was the threat of a national rail strike, that was called off. So Virgin East Coast Service to London was the only option. The 6.26am from Waverly into London just after 11am, was an eye-watering £209.10 return for a second class, off-peak ticket. Neither wonder the return 4.30pm after York was empty. How can business in Scotland compete for UK work when they are hammered by this kind of profiteering? George and Tommy will be on expenses. For the rest of us who run small businesses in Scotland, we have to earn it to spend it. Let’s hear some noise in Westminster about this, lads.

>> TAKING A LITTLE TIME TO SPEND A LOT After five years and 20 superb editions, our editor Kenny Kemp is standing down. Not many people know this, but he once told Joe Strummer from punk legends The Clash that he had to fulfil a contractual arrangement to play in Glasgow. Or else.

Brave. But very stupid.

MADE

The Entrepreneur Festival: Sheffield

21 - 22 October 2015

madefestival.com

Join us for the UK’s most inspiring festival of entrepreneurship CAN YOU AFFORD TO MISS IT?

For more information: www.madefestival.com @MADEfestival #MADE2015

facebook.com/MADEFestival

EVENTS

SUMMER 15

BQ’s business events diary gives you lots of time to forward plan. If you wish to add your event to the list send it to editor@bq-scotland.co.uk and please put ‘BQ events page’ in the subject heading

JUNE 16 The 4th Dundee Economic Summit, 8.30am - 12.30pm. Apex Hotel and Spa, 1 West Victoria Dock Road, Dundee, DD1 3JP. www.dundeecity.gov.uk 17 The Federation of Small Businesses, 5-8pm, West Lothian Branch committee meeting. Centrex House, Livingston.

17 Annual Meeting of the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce.

The 160th annual meeting starts at 5.30pm. Aberdeen Conference Centre. www.agcc.co.uk 17 Lunch and Learn: Apps, Smartphones, Tablets & Better Business, 12-2.30pm.

Andrew Duncan of SwarmOnline is guest speaker. Corinthian Club, 191 Ingram Street, Glasgow G1 1DA. www.glasgowchamberofcommerce.com 18 How Big Data Can Boost Your Business, IoD event. 6-8pm. Radisson Blu, Edinburgh. Non members: free.

19 Glasgow Chamber of Commerce: Behind the Scenes: 8-10am. Theatre Royal, Hope Street, Glasgow, G2 3QA.www.glasgowchamberofcommerce.com 19 Business Breakfast with Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce.

7-9pm. Thistle Hotel, Aberdeen Airport, AB21 7DU. www.agcc.co.uk

20 Business Breakfast with Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, 7-9am. Thistle Aberdeen Altens, Souterhead Road, Altens, Aberdeen, AB12 3LF. www.agcc.co.uk 7-31 Edinburgh International Festival. The Capital’s creative fest, which is supported

by Scottish businesses of all shapes and sizes, gets underway. It concludes with the Virgin Money Fireworks Concert, with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, on Monday, 31 August.

25 Preparing to Export. Intermediate workshop. 9.30-4.30pm. Run over six sessions. Scottish Development International, 5 Atlantic Quay, Glasgow, G2 8LU. Other workshop dates at same venue: 8 and 22 September, 6, 20 and 27 October. www.scottish-enterprise.com 25 Inspiring Women in Business Workshop, 12.30-2pm. Waldorf Astoria, The Caledonian, Princes Street, Edinburgh, EH1 2AB. www.edinburghchamber.co.uk 26 The Chamber Dining Club, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce networking lunch. Vittoria on the Bridge, 19 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EE. 12.302.30pm. www.edinburghchamber.co.uk 27 Chamber Catch Up, with Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, 8.30-11am. 15 Queen Street, Edinburgh, EH2 1JE. www.edinburghchamber.co.uk

23 Local Government Finance: Making Tough Choices, with Holyrood magazine and IoD. 10am - 4pm. Cosla Conference Centre, Edinburgh, EH12 5BH.

SEPTEMBER

24 Tourism Shire Connections. 11.45-2pm. Trump International Golf Links, Balmedie, AB23 8YE. Jen Strachan, General Manager, Trump International Golf Links Scotland, and David Strachan, Managing Director, Tern TV. www.agcc.co.uk

2 60 Really Useful Minutes – Recovery in Business. A speaker form Hamilton & Inches.10-11am. Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, 40 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2LE. www.edinburghchamber.co.uk

26 Iod Scotland, Summer Evening Party, 6-10pm, Loch Leven Larder, Channel Farm, Kinross, KY13 9HD. www.iodscotland.com

8-11 SPE Offshore Europe, Aberdeen. The showpiece conference and exhibition for the oil and gas industry. Events and demonstrations make it one of the largest technical conferences in the world. www.offshore-europe.co.uk

30 Aberdeen Harbour Visit, 16 Regent Quay, Aberdeen AB11 5SS. IoD. 5.30-7.30pm.

8 Women in Business Reception, Scottish Parliament Fairfax Sommerville Room, Edinburgh. 6-8pm.

JULY 1 The UKBAA Angel Investment Awards & Summit. Over 500 early stage investment players from across the UK, offering a snapshot into UK equity finance.

The Summit on July 2nd looks at the future of angel investment.

2 Inspiring Women in Business Lunch, with Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce.

Amanda Boyle, the chief executive officer of Bloom VC, the first crowdfunding service. 12.30-3pm. Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh, The Caledonian, Princes Street, Edinburgh, EH1 2AB. www.edinburghchamberofcommerce.com 8 Chamber Dining Club. Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce event at Angels Share.

12-3pm. Hope Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4EL. www.edinburghchamberofcommerce. com 24-25 Federation of Small Businesses, Scottish Borders, Border Union Show, Springwood Park, Kelso.

30 Chamber Catch up, with Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, 8.30-10am. 15 Queen Street, Edinburgh. EH2 1JE. www.edinburghchamberofcommerce.com

AUGUST 13 Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce: Annual Summer Party, 6.30 - 9.30pm. Royal Zoological Society, Edinburgh, EH12 6TS. 20 Women’s Networking Lunch with Glasgow Chamber of Commerce: 12-3pm. Ardoch House, Loch Lomond, Gartocharn, West Dunbartonshire, G83 8ND. Coach leaves from George Square sharp at 11.15am. www. glasgowchamberofcommerce.com

BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 15

8 Offshore Europe Business Breakfast, 7.30-9.30am. Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre (AECC), Bridge of Don, Aberdeen, AB23 8BL. www.agcc.com.

9 Venturefest Scotland 2015, 9am-5.30pm. Scotland’s multi-sector innovation showcase for SMEs. Glasgow Science Centre, 50 Pacific Quay, Glasgow G51 1EA. Venturefestscotland.co.uk 9 The Scottish Business Insider Deals & Dealmakers Awards acknowledge and reward excellence in corporate finance transactions. Fred Macauley introduces the eight awards, based on deals completed in the fiscal year 2014/15, at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow. www.dealsanddealmaker.co.uk 9 Chamber Dining Club, with Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce. 6-8pm . Crowne Plaza, Royal Terrace, Edinburgh. www.edinburghchamber.co.uk 15 Multiple Choice: Scotland’s early stage finance market evolves. Young Company Finance and Linc Scotland Westerwood Hotel in Cumbernauld. Speaker: Stuart Fancey, assistant director, research and innovation group, Scottish Funding Council.

15 Breakfast Speed Networking. Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, 8.30-11am.

Royal College of Surgeons, Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9DW. www.edinburghchamber.co.uk

The diary is updated daily online at www.bqlive.co.uk Please check with contacts beforehand that arrangements have not changed. Events organisers are also asked to notify us at the above email address of any changes or cancellations as soon as they are known.

82