DRAM MAY 2016 - 309

DRAM

309

DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

NEW TEAM AT THE BEN

@dramscotland

DRAM MAGAZINE MAY 2016 ISSN 1470-241X

/dram.scotland

. 2016 SBPA AWARD CATEGORIES . CIDER

DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

WELCOME

O

ur awards are really taking off. We have already had lots of entries online, and this month we have a poster in the middle pages which you can put up to encourage your customers to vote for you. Remember to use social media too.

The website is www.scottishbarandpubawards. com. The deadline for entries is the very end of May. All the categories are listed on pages 26 through to 29 and look out for the Sunday Mail over the next fortnight. It will be beginning its quest to find its Sunday Mail Pub of the Year for 2016.

I was lucky enough to have a wee holiday this month so Annabelle Love headed to Barrhead to interview Jonathon Wengel, while Mairi Clark paid a visit to Badger & Co in Edinburgh and Da Rum Ba, and Six Degrees North in Glasgow.

This issue we take a look at Cider and hopefully you will find some interesting facts that you could share with your customers.

Lastly but not least, our cover this month features Sue Buchanan, Regional Sales Director for Matthew Clark who is the new President of the BEN, the licensed trade charity. She is pictured with three new directors (l-r) John Hutchison (Heineken), Stephen Ramage (AG Barr) and Chris Cosh.

Susan Young Editor susan@mediaworldltd.com www.scottishbarandpubawards.com

CONTENTS May

2016

FEATURES

19 22 24 31

/dram.scotland

Lots of interesting facts about Cider.

AVERAGE SERVICE? DON’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ! Annabelle Love interviews Jonathan Wengel.

SCOTTISH BAR & PUB AWARDS

We unveil the awards categories for 2016.

DESIGN FOCUS

Mairi Clark checks out Badger & Co, Six°North and Da Rum Ba.

REGULARS

4 11

@dramscotland

CIDER UPDATE

41

NEWS

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

BRAND NEWS

All the latest brand news.

SUE SAYS

Straight talking from our very own Editor.

DRAM MAY 2016 3

new

flamingo fling White grape and subtropical lychee juice drink

stock up now

Dakota Deluxe lan A new Dakota Deluxe has opened in Glasgow just off Blythswood Square at 179 West Regent Street . This is the first city centre Dakota hotel from Ken McCulloch, of One Devonshire fame, and has been designed by Amanda Rosa. It features 64 bedrooms, 8 Executive rooms, 10 Signature suites and 1 Grand Deluxe Suite. Some of the Signature suites come with a roll-top bath. It also has a champagne bar, a cocktail bar and a cigar terrace. Private dining is also available for up to 10 people and there is a boardroom too. Members and residents also have the use of a private library. The hotel – which is on the site of the former DWP building - has drawn very much to the colours used in its sister hotels., with dark blue, greys and black featuring in the main lobby and the bedrooms. Scotland already has two other Dakotas, at South Queensferry and Eurocentral, with a third Dakota to open in Leeds.

SBPA welcomes Disaronno on board Perfect fruit blend for summer Exciting and Effective: A great way of bringing younger consumers into soft drink On-trend: Unique take on the hot tropical trend and buzz of the Rio Games

BRV328691_16

J2O is a registered trademark of Britvic Soft Drinks Ltd. *based on 275ml serving

The Scottish Bar and Pub Awards has a new sponsor on board in the shape of Disaronno, the famous Italian liqueur distributed in the UK by Wm Grant &Sons. Disaronno, The brand is sponsoring the Cocktail Bar of the Year category with the aim of increasing awareness of Disaronno and the Disaronno Sour and providing the tools to help the trade deliver the perfect Disaronno Sour.

Richard Glover, UK On Trade Sales Manager comments, “I’m delighted to be involved with the Scottish Bar and Pub Awards. We are putting a lot of energy into promoting Disaronno Sour this summer, a refreshing cocktail served in a special Sour Jar with a Disaronno Kick, and the awards provide us with a perfect opportunity to raise awareness of this modern serve.”

He continues, “I’ve been involved in the licensed trade for many years and it will be good to get out and about and see what Scotland’s cocktails bars have to offer.”

Says DRAM Editor, Susan Young, “Those that have enjoyed a drink or two with me know my fondness for Disaronno, and I am absolutely delighted to have the brand on board.”

new

flamingo fling White grape and subtropical lychee juice drink

stock up now

nds in the city xxxxx

Jessie May’s opens

Perfect fruit blend for summer

The Station Bar in Edinburgh’s Gorgie Road has reopened as Jessie May’s Bar and Kitchen. Now owned by Ritesh Randev, who also owns Oscars in Livingston, the pub has had a mini-refit which includes a fresh look and new leather booths.The original bar has been revarnished, and the traditional water tap remains. It now offers a mixture of standard pub food, as well as steaks and more substantial dishes.

Exciting and Effective: A great way of bringing younger consumers into soft drink On-trend: Unique take on the hot tropical trend and buzz of the Rio Games

Have you heard?

J2O is a registered trademark of Britvic Soft Drinks Ltd. *based on 275ml serving

BRV328691_16

The most recent Greene King Leisure Spend Tracker revealed Easter did provide the trade with a much needed boost. Leisure spending on Eating Out saw the largest rise in March, increasing by £14, or 18%, year-on-year. This was largely driven by Good Friday weather and the Easter school holidays.

Brits spent an extra £5, or 12%, on Drinking Out in March compared with the same period last year.

Table 11 extends John MacLeod has extended his Table 11 restaurant in Glasgow’s Finnieston. He took over the unit next door earlier this year, and has transformed the space into a more spacious dining area. Table 11, a sister restaurant to Crabshakk which is situated a couple of doors along, was considered by some people an ‘overflow’ for Crabshakk. But the new look and will no doubt now give the restaurant an identity of its own, although the food offering is very similar, with no mains or starters, instead it offers small or big plates.

Chefs Ryan James and Jacqueline O’Donnell are pictured launching a charity initiative which saw a variety of Glasgow restaurants making a 50p or £1 donation to the The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice Brick by Brick Appeal for every booking made during the Dining in The City fortnight which was ending as we went to press and which was part of the new Glasgow Restaurant Festival which ran for almost a month. The Glasgow Restaurant Festival was the result of a collaboration between Glasgow City Marketing Bureau (GCMB), Scottish Enterprise and the Glasgow Restaurant Association (GRA). No doubt to persuade diners out during what can be a quieter time of the year. The Festival included Pop-up Dining experiences, by different Glasgow chefs every day, in a stunning Spiegeltent within the Merchant City as well as Dining in the City. Altogether around 90 restaurants participated.

Perhaps pub and bar owners should take note... how about a Glasgow or even a Scottish Festival of Pubs and Bars?

6 DRAM MAY 2016

McManus takes over Booly’s Glasgow cocktail Bar Booly Mardy's has a new owner in the shape of Glasgow restaurateur Lawrence McManus. The Vinicombe Street bar, originally opened by Alan Tomkins, and latterly owned by Mark Tracey, was sold to Lawrence earlier this year, and it will re-open mid-May. Lawrence told DRAM, “Mark approached me about buying the bar a few months ago and as I've been a customer of the bar since it opened, in fact I am probably one of its best customers, I thought why not?”

He continues, “The timing was right. They are currently completing the road works in Vinicombe Street, and now is the right time to give the bar and new look and a new name. I'm going down a tried and tested route with the design because I firmly believe that if you keep it simple you can get it right, and I hope people will like what we have done. We have also looked at the pricing in the bar, because at times I thought Booly's was a bit expensive.”

Lawrence concluded, “With so much going on in Finnieston it's time that Byres Road got a wee jag.”

Lawrence also owns Salty Dog in Byres Road, and Salty Dog at Finnieston, as well as Epicures and Nick's both in Hyndland. More next month.

Brewdog raises £19m in latest crowdfunding bid BrewDog has closed the fourth round of its crowdfunding raising £19m, which although a substantial sum is £6m shy of its original goal. There are now 42,000 investors in BrewDog, which the brewer calls ‘Equity Punks’.

The money raised through Equity for Punks IV will be funding the building of a bigger brewery in Ellon, which will increase capacity fivefold, as well as launching BrewDog’s US brewery in Columbus, Ohio. The company will also be focusing on building a sour beer facility in Aberdeenshire, launching BrewDog’s distillery, Lone Wolf, (bespoke spirits will go into production in the next couple of weeks), and other projects such as developing the BrewDog canned beer range and growing the international bar division with new venues pencilled for Amsterdam, Malmö and Warsaw. The company has also indicated that it will always be independent, by officially changing its constitution by passing a motion to ensure that BrewDog can ‘never be sold to a monolithic purveyor of industrial beer’. BrewDog now has 43 bars and BottleDogs globally, employs 540 people.

NEWS

WWW.DRAMSCOTLAND.CO.UK

Sasso Bar & Cucina, formerly The Old Peacock Inn in Edinburgh’s Newhaven, has opened and has been transformed into a stunning Italian restaurant and bar, designed by Michael Dunn’s DBD. It is owned jointly by Ernesto Crolla – who ran Lazio’s - and Remo and Gianni Margiotta, who ran Caffe Cucina. Although the original plan was to create a gastro pub called The Mucky Fox, the two decided to combined the trading history of their two former premises in Morningside, and create the new entity that is now Sasso. The name is inspired by the Gran Sasso D’Italia mountain range in Abruzzo, Italy.

Next summer will see the arrival of an All Bar One in Aberdeen. This will bring the number of All Bar One’s in Scotland to four – two in Edinburgh and one in Glasgow. The M&B owned brand’s latest development will be located at Marischal Square beside a 126-bedroom Residence Inn by Marriot. Mark Millett, retail director for the All Bar One brand, said, “We are delighted that development work on our new bar/ restaurant will begin shortly and we anticipate we will be opening the new All Bar One at the end of August 2017.”

GLENEAGLES HOTEL GETS MULTI-MILLION POUND REFURBISHMENT The Gleneagles Hotel is currently undergoing a multi-million pound refurbishment programme by new owners Ennismore, that will see improvements and upgrades made throughout the property.

Ennismore founder and CEO, Sharan Pasricha comments, “We really want to showcase the unrivalled range of facilities – the glorious playground of country pursuits and activities – we offer on the estate. We’re approaching the refurbishment with bold and creative decisions while respecting the hotel’s history and building on its remarkable heritage.

He continued, “It’s an organic progression – evolution, not revolution – and will ensure the iconic Gleneagles brand remains synonymous with luxury, and the hotel maintains its position among the leading hotels of the world.”

Some of the country’s most celebrated designers – including David Collins Studio,

Timorous Beasties, Macaulay Sinclair and Goddard Littlefair have been involved in creating designs and spaces with a contemporary feel for Gleneagles.

The refurbishment includes the bedrooms and the public areas of the hotel, particularly the main bar and there will be a new bar at the Dormy Clubhouse too. Say the company, “Designs for these public spaces will pay homage to the hotel’s heritage and create a welcoming and luxurious environment that feels more akin to a home or private club than a hotel.”

Sharan Pasricha added, “When Gleneagles first opened its doors in 1924, it was dubbed as the ‘Palace in the Glens’ and our aim is to surpass these glory days. We look forward to introducing our guests to the new spaces and continuing to provide them with a five-star experience in a setting that is effortlessly stylish and luxurious.”

n.b. bar & hotel

ALL BAR ONE TO BECOME FOUR

Glendola is set to open The Shilling Brewing Co in Glasgow on the site of the former Horton’s, next door to the newly-opened Byron. A date for the opening has not been set, but it looks like it will be open well in time for the summer.

Gallery 48 in Dundee’s West Port, former the West Port Gallery, has just opened.

It’s the latest bar in Perth Hospitality’s portfolio. The group owned by Andrew McMahon and Jakub Zakrewski also includes The Tinsmith, West House Bar and D’Arcy Thompson Restaurant all in the West Port area of the city. The new bar offers plenty of tapas and good wine too.

The Compass at the corner of Queen Charlotte Street has extended into the building next door. The pub, owned by Caledonian Heritable, has now doubled its floor space and can now comfortably cater for 70+ covers. The new extension has been redecorated in the same style as the main bar. The pub had to close for just over a month to allow the extension to be completed. The adjoining building had most recently been a restaurant.

The four-star Hilton Dunkeld House Hotel has been sold to Dunkeld House Hotel LLP, a partnership between Arnold Schnegg, James Hawksworth (who also own the Hallmark Hotel group) and funds managed

by Downing LLP who have more than £700m in funds under management.

All the staff have transferred to the new owners who have pledged a “significant capital investment”. The hotel was put up for sale with five other Hilton Hotels, all of them have now been sold through Christie & Co. DRAM MAY 2016 7

NEWS PUB CO’S INVEST £5M IN THEIR SCOTTISH PUB ESTATES Punch Taverns has announced plans to invest over £3m in its Scottish estate over the next 12 months while Star Pubs & Bars have pledged to spend £2m. The two pub companies, which between them are responsible for more than 300 pubs, are refurbishing and improving outside areas.

Punch’s Operations Director Scotland, Brian Davidson said, “Tourism and the economy in Scotland are particularly buoyant and we have seen a growing demand for good quality hotel accommodation coupled with traditional Scottish hospitality. Our hotels and pubs are all in prime locations and refurbishment schemes have been designed to make the most of the site’s heritage whilst celebrating locally sourced food and drink. From traditional wet-led sites to award winning gastro pubs, our Scottish estate has it all.”

Over recent months, Punch has invested £500k in developing the 16 bedroom Crown Hotel in Stornoway and £1m in the 24 bedroom Portree Hotel on the Isle of Skye.

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

Meanwhile Star Pubs & Bars is planning to spend, where possible, prior to the peak summer trading months and, in pubs with a reputation for sport, in time for Euro 2016. It has put aside nearly £500K to improving the outside of 19 of its pubs with The Hazeldene in Gretna Green one of the first to benefit. The pub has recently had a £220K refurbishment, and £40K of that was on the outside area. A 40 cover deck has been created with access to the main building through French doors and it also boasts a retractable canopy.

The development has helped to double the pub's trading space, which will also allow the licensees, Paula Baillie and Kieran White, (pictured) to grow their function and wedding business.

Plans are in place for another 13 pubs to have their external areas redeveloped to increase their capacity and covers. A further six pubs will also be benefitting from new signage and external decorations to enhance their kerb appeal. Lawson Mountstevens, Star Pubs & Bars MD said, “These projects will meet customer demand for alfresco dining and boost pubs’ capacity for a relatively low spend. The outside of a pub is its shop window and if it looks great it will attract passing trade.”

Belhaven launches new food service for tenants Belhaven Pubs, and parent company Greene King Pub Partners, have come up with a new initiative to help tenants drive food sales in their pubs called ‘Pub Partners Supplies’.

Belhaven tenants can now utilise the new food supply service which provides them with a ready-to-go food offer. It has been designed for operators whose business could benefit from the addition of food.

Clive Chesser, managing director for Greene King Pub Partners, said, “We regularly review our estate, and found that many of our pubs had the potential to offer food, but did not necessarily have the right tools to do it. This new service gives our tenants new to food, and without necessarily the support of an experienced chef, everything they need to launch a profitable menu and maximise the potential from their business.”

The launch of ‘Pub Partners Supplies’ allows operators using the service receive an easy to execute menu, free delivery of the necessary products, all allergen information, marketing support including menus, and a two day on-site team training session alongside operational benefits including free waste recycling. Pub Partners Supplies has been developed in partnership with logistics company Kuehne + Nagel (K&N).

Belhaven tenants can opt for either a ‘value’ or ‘quality’ package, both with a range of price points to suit different demographics.

The menus are refreshed every six months and licensees invited to a ‘cook-off’ training session to learn about the new dishes.

Clive commented, “Using the skills from our retail development 8 DRAM MAY 2016

kitchen, we have specifically designed the products and menu to be quick and easy to deliver. Many of our licensees using the scheme have already seen a significant margin increase.”

“We appreciate this approach is not right for every licensee, so there are options within the service for operators wanting more flexibility, for example opting for select dishes to create their own menu, or just our wholesale supply option.”

Andrena Smith-Bowes uses the food supply service for all three of her Belhaven pubs in Edinburgh – The Scottie, The Terrace and The Clermiston Inn. She said, “We use the majority of the quality menu, which we ‘tartanise’ a little to include a few home-made Scottish specials, and it is fantastic. The quality of the meat supplied in particular is exceptionally good.”

“It is a real ‘one stop shop’ for everything you could need and we use it for lots of goods, even the crisps and nuts at the bar. The training element is especially useful. For us, using this service has been the ideal way to generate a decent profit from food and boost the business.”

Outside of the core menu offer, operators can also use the supply system to purchase wholesale crisps and snacks, goods not for resale and other sundries such as Christmas crackers. Licensees also save money on waste disposal, as K&N trucks take away food waste and other recyclables at no cost to the operator, helping Scottish licensees in particular meet their legal obligations, as well as make further cost savings.

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BRAND NEWS

ALL THE L ATEST BRAND NEWS

Vodka

Soft drinks

STOCK UP ON STOCK PRESTIGE BRANDS

ENJOY A FLING THIS SUMMER

Stock Spirits Group is bringing its range of Stock Prestige brands to the Scottish market. The group, offers high end premium brands including its innovative sparkling vodka brand Stock, which also comes in Cranberry and Lemon flavours.

The company also produces a premium gin.

Stock Prestige brands has already won various international awards including a Gold and silver medal for the grapefruit and clear varieties at the International Spirits Challenge 2014, two golden stars for the clear and cranberry varieties and a Silver medal in the 2013 International Spirits Challenge Stock Prestige is, say the company, “the result of combining 130 years of experience in production of top quality spirits with the most recent technological advancements.”

For example its vodka undergoes a six-step distillation process with additional chilled filtration which results in a high-quality vodka with an exceptionally smooth taste.

J2O Flamingo Fling is the latest limited edition from Britvic Soft Drinks. The new flavour, which is available from now until September, aims to add some colour to the licensed trade’s fridges.

Britvic hope that J2O Flamingo Fling will attract new consumers into the growing adult soft drinks category with its blend of delicate, crisp white grapes and succulent, floral lychees. The singleserve bottle comes in a flamingo-inspired full sleeve, bringing a touch of the tropics to J2O this summer.

The launch is being backed by an advertising campaign and a competition for consumers which will involve blending both alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails with J2O Flamingo Fling.

Kevin McNair, GB Marketing Director, Britvic Soft Drinks, commented, “We’re confident that our new J2O Flamingo Fling will create excitement within the Leisure channel thanks to its eye-catching design that will attract drinkers looking to try something new.” J2O Flamingo Fling is available to order now in 275ml glass bottles.

GREY GOOSE® ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR SUMMER CAMPAIGN Grey Goose has announced plans for a collection of summer experiences that will launch this month. Famed for pioneering new occasions for super-premium vodka, Grey Goose is investing to inspire consumers to trade up to the category this summer. A global experiential campaign will see 20 pop-ups, across 20 locations around the world, in only five months.

Grey Goose Le Grand Fizz, a summer twist on the brand’s signature celebratory serve, is to launch globally. The drink consists of Grey Goose, St Germain elderflower liqueur and fresh lime, topped up by soda. Joe McCanta, Global Brand Ambassador, comments, “It’s a simple and elegant pour for bartenders, ideal for daytime summer occasions, that still allows you to add your own twist. You can experiment by substituting the range of Grey Goose flavours – Grey

Goose La Poire is my preferred choice - or adding beautiful aromatics.”

A global, consumer experiential campaign entitled Grey Goose Boulangerie Bleue, will also launch in May and transport consumers to the French Riviera via a secret entrance through a traditional French bakery. Appearing in 20 cities and summer hot spots around the world, Grey Goose Boulangerie Bleue will give visitors the opportunity to enjoy a summer experience that includes some of the finest French food, drink and music. Open from day ‘til night as the ultimate French Riviera club, Grey Goose will be partnering with leading chefs to offer specially curated brunch, lunch and dinner summer drinking and dining moments.

Last year the Grey Goose van came to Scotland, and although the brand hasn't revealed whether Scotland is on the agenda, here's hoping it is.

DRAM MAY 2016 11

BRAND NEWS Beer

Tennent’s Lager offers ‘doctor’s notes’ as excuses Tennent’s Lager’s Wellpark, the online animation series the company has launched, features Dr Dunfermline in its latest episode. It also features an unfortunate patient put to the test when he receives a diagnosis from Dr Dunfermline.

Poor Ken (‘ken’ get it?) has been diagnosed with the Hepatitis, but despite his best attempts cannot work out from Dr Dunfermline if it’s Hepatitis Eh, B or C. You can watch Dr Dunfermline’s diagnosis at visitwellpark.com. The brewer is also offering free downloads of a sicknote from Dr Dunfermline from its Wellpark website, with excuses such as a dose of the “cannybebotherds” or a bout of “noevencarings” and a prescription

for a free reign to head to the pub and enjoy a pint of Tennent’s.

JP Murphy, Head of Brand Marketing at Tennent’s said, “There’s no doubt that accents from across Scotland all have their own quirks and can be a little tricky to understand for anyone not from round that way, so we thought it’d make a great subject for our latest Wellpark sketch.

“Ye ken? Now the sun has started to show its face again, there will be plenty of people looking for a reason to head to their local beer garden. As a bit of fun, we knew that an East Coast Doctor’s note will be the perfect cure to get out of any prior arrangements.”

GUINNESS INVEST IN HOP HOUSE 13 GUINNESS®, is rolling out a new TV ad for Hop House 13, which will see the brand on our TV screens until the end of May. The new ad is, says the company, “designed to build excitement and awareness around the innovation.”

Hop House 13 is a premium-crafted lager brewed with Guinness yeast, Irish barley and the best of hops from both Australia and USA. Following a successful launch in Ireland last year, Hop House 13 is now available on draught in the on-trade including Greene King, Stonegate and Novus Leisure outlets.

The ad traces the journey of Hop House 13 Lager from its creation in the pilot brewery at St James Gate, Dublin to celebrating peoples’ first sip of this delicious lager in Hop Store 13 - the historic building which inspired the name of the new lager.

Stephen O’Kelly, Marketing Director, Guinness, comments, “The launch of Hop House 13 and our supporting campaign is positioned to help licensees maximise the opportunity and drive incremental sales as a result.

“The Guinness endorsement also enables licensees to tap into the strength of 256 years of brewing passion and heritage whilst making the most of a name that’s trusted by 94% of consumers.”

Hop House 13 Lager, has an ABV of 5%, and is a double-hopped lager made with Irish barley and aromatic hops. A crisp and full-flavoured lager with subtle malty notes and fresh hop aromas.

Black Wolf Brewery gets £200K investment Black Wolf Brewery, the Stirlingshire craft brewer, has benefitted from an investment of £200K. Now the brewery boasts a new state of the art bottling line and packaging facility. The new facility has the capacity to bottle all of Black Wolf Brewery’s beers, and will also be used to contract bottle for other small to medium sized brewers and drinks manufacturers.

The line, which went live last month, will be able to bottle small to medium quantities of beer, and use different packaging sizes and formats, giving the brewery much greater flexibility in the range of beers which can be produced and bottled.

Andrew Richardson, a Director of Black Wolf Brewery, said, “This is a big investment for us which will transform our business. It will give us far greater flexibility so that we can produce different speciality beers, or beers to celebrate big events like the Olympics, or indeed for customers who want their own beer. We also intend to use this facility to bottle for others in the drinks industry.

“I should like to thank Scottish Enterprise for their support which has enabled this project to take place.”

Black Wolf Brewery, which is owned by VC2 Brands, received a £45,000 grant from the government body.

DRAM MAY 2016 13

BRAND NEWS Whisky

Cider

DOUGLAS LAING LAUNCHES THE EPICUREAN

MAGNERS UNVEILS NEW LOOK

Douglas Laing & Co, has launched The Epicurean Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, the Lowland addition to the firm’s Remarkable Regional Malts collection.

Fred Laing, Managing Director and 2nd Generation in the family business, says, “Back in 1930s Glasgow, The Epicurean, as everyone knew him, was the life and soul of any party. Wherever he popped in for a dram, you’d find him surrounded by a circle of admirers, regaling them with captivating tales of chance encounters in foreign climes and of the fine food and drink he feasted upon on his travels. Our new expression is in honour of that roguish character who never fails to deliver charm, charisma and just a little bit of cheek.

Any likeness to Douglas Laing’s

Managing Director is purely coincidental!

“The Epicurean, our Lowland “Vatted” Malt joins Timorous Beastie from the Highlands, Scallywag from Speyside, Rock Oyster from the Islands and Big Peat from Islay to complete our Remarkable Regional Malts collection.”

The Epicurean is a marriage of some of the finest Lowland Malts; bringing together the best that the East and the West of Scotland have to offer. No attention to detail is spared, from the cocktail shaker, crystal decanter and barley husk illustrations, to the rhythmic pack copy. In line with the family philosophy, Douglas Laing’s The Epicurean is without colouring or chillfiltration, and bottled at high alcohol strength, 46.2%.

Gin

Gold for Thomas Dakin Gin Thomas Dakin Gin, owned by Quintessential Brands, has won a Gold Medal at the The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2016.

Sister brand The Dublin Liberties Oak Devil Irish Whiskey also picked up a Gold.

Both brands launched last year Thomas Dakin Gin is a small batch London Dry Gin, named after the forefather of quality English Gin while The Dublin Liberties Oak Devil Irish Whiskey, is a super premium Irish Whiskey which takes its name form the Liberties area of Dublin.

14 DRAM MAY 2016

Magners is aiming to rejuvenate the drinks market with a new campaign set to shake up the apple cider category.

Striking new packaging and a new innovative rip top closure which negates the need for a bottle opener, alongside a new tagline 'Hold True', will be promoted in a multi-million pound media campaign. This will include TV, posters and radio, further supported by heavyweight experiential activity, PR and social media.

Magners will be also be focusing primarily on its Original apple variant. This will mean replacing Magners Golden Draught across the On Trade with Magners Original draught to bring synergy across the family. This move follows on from independent blind taste tests, which saw 62 % of participants preferring Magners Original against the market leading apple cider brand. (Cardinal Independent Taste Research). The new creative campaign has been developed on the back of extensive consumer research and sees the brand focusing on its position as an original true cider since 1935. The tagline ‘Hold True’ will encourage people to stay true to themselves in a world full of fads and gimmicks - just like the Magners brand. Andy Cross, Brand Director at Magners, said, “We know that Magners is still loved by consumers but we also know they have been enticed into new brands and flavours in recent years. This campaign is about reminding them Magners is still the original through our new campaign, ‘Hold True’.”

New Pimm’s Cider Cup flavours Pimm’s Cider Cup, from Diageo, is now available in Summer Fruits, Mango & Passionfruit and Plum & Red Apple flavours. The new flavours follow the launch of Pimm’s Cider Cup Strawberry & Cucumber last year. Claire O’Neill, Innovation Commercialisation Manager at Diageo says, “The extended Pimm’s Cider Cup range is timed to perfection for licensees, who can now offer the perfect patriotic tipple to accompany the British summertime. Summer is a key sales moment for cider and as a brand long associated with everything British, Pimm’s Cider Cup is a must stock ahead of moments of national celebration including Wimbledon and The Queen’s Patron’s Lunch.” Fruit cider is the fastest growing segment within the cider category and has experienced double digit growth. Added to this, the packaged category is already worth nearly £2.4bn to the on-trade and continues to grow.

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NE W

REFRESHING JUST GOT REFRESHED. • Striking new packaging launching Summer 2016 • From the UK’s No.1 bottled apple and pear cider* • Supported with multi-million pound media campaign

MAGNERS ORIGINAL NOW ON DRAUGHT.

*Source: Nielsen Scantrack Total Coverage MAT 27/02/16 / CGA Brand Index MAT 23/01/16

The UK cider industry represents over £3 billion in annual sales and supports over 10,000 jobs both directly and indirectly.

In 2015 the on-trade alone accounted for £1.7 bn of sales (CGA).

Cider was taken to America by Captain Cook to treat scurvy.

In the 14th century, children were often baptised in cider due to the fact that it was actually cleaner than the water.

Pete Brown is the author of World’s Best Ciders the first book to showcase the world of cider, from its origins as a thirst-quencher for farm workers to its present as a rival to champagne.

Travelling from the Old to the New World and teaching us not only how to taste it but how to cook with it, Pete Brown and photographer Bill Bradshaw explore every aspect of cider and the people who produce it.

The cider market in Scotland has grown 25% in volume terms over the past five years, having attracted new customers from a variety of different drinks categories that include RTDs, beer and even wine.

r e d i C e t a d up

The rise of Craft Beer has had a negative impact on cider sales in the UK but industry analysts Mintel believe that developing a more dynamic craft segment as well as giving greater emphasis to ingredient quality and heritage are two possible ways for cider brands to drive the cider market back into growth

Kopparberg is the UK’s best-selling fruit cider brand with Kopparberg Mixed Fruit the bestselling packaged cider variant in the On Trade and Strawberry & Lime the second best-selling packaged cider variant in the On Trade.

CGA Packaged Cider Report, Total GB, Volume & Value Sales, MAT to 28.11.15

In the early 19th century, cider was advertised as a treatment for gout.

The reason for this was that apples have a high concentration of phenolics which have proven helpful in preventing heart disease and cancer – hence the old saying ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’.

The volume of cider produced annually in the UK is in excess of 6 million hectolitres or

130m UK gallons.

Magners was created in 1935 in Clonmel, the home of Irish cider and revolutionised the UK cider industry when it introduced the over ice serve. Made to the original recipe from its Irish roots, with 17 apple varieties grown in the Magners orchards, Apple still accounts for 76% of the cider category but it is in decline- perhaps due to the fact that new research has shown young adults find the category boring.

Pear is also in decline, but in the On Trade Fruit Cider category, continues to deliver impressive gains in volume (+6%) as it continues to recruit younger consumers.

However Chris Wisson, senior drinks analyst at market research firm Mintel, believes that apple is due to make a comeback,. He said, “Brands are really going to start repromoting the apple.”

And certainly his predicton seems to be right on the ball as Magners are planning to do just that from May. DRAM MAY 2016 19

It actually takes about 36 apples to create one gallon of apple cider.

When Caesar invaded England in 55 BC, they found Celts sipping a brew made from crab apples, which his troops took back to Rome.

5.5%

Half a pint of cider is believed to deliver the same amount of antioxidants as a glass of red wine.

Beer

51% 49%

Magners Golden Draught is being replaced across the On Trade in May with Magners Original draught to bring synergy across the family.

Wine 13% cider

Around 13% of UK adults drink cider at least once a month while 49% drink wine and 51% drink beer.

£6m

Kopparberg is investing in a new consumer marketing campaign this month. It will focus on Kopparberg cider, Frozen Fruit Cider and the brand-new Fruit Lager range. This summer the brand is also taking its Urban Forest festival on tour to various festivals across the UK.

There are four main types of cider apples

In America cider was the first alcoholic drink.

sweets sharps bittersweets high in bittersharps

To be classed as a cider, it has to be under 5.5%, or else it is classed as a wine.

Kopparberg has the only alcohol free fruit ciders in the market, addressing the increased need that on trade consumers have for responsible alternatives when they are out. Kopparberg’s bestselling variants - Mixed Fruit, Strawberry & Lime and Pear come in alcohol free alternatives.

Kopparberg Mixed Fruit the bestselling packaged cider variant in the On Trade and Strawberry & Lime the second best-selling packaged cider variant in the On Trade.

Kopparberg is the No 1 packaged cider in the on-trade but when you combine on and off trade sales Magners just pips it!

Volume HL’s Brand

Off

On

Total

Kopperberg Pear (Glass)

15,412

23,485

38,897

Magners Pear (Glass)

17,884

21,918

39,802

Cider is equally enjoyed by men and women, but women drink half the volume of men.

Volume HL’s Brand

Off

On

Total

Magners Original (Glass)

78,541

100,460

179,001

Bulmers Original (Glass)

81,535

67,406

148,941

Stella Cidre (Glass)

46,354

27,548

73,902

Source: Nielsen Scantrack total coverage MAT @270216/CGA brand index MAT@230116

Bulmers launched its Wild Blueberry & Lime flavour earlier this year. Emma SherwoodSmith, Cider Director at Heineken said in February, "Blueberries’ popularity is soaring in the UK, yet surprisingly, there is currently no mainstream blueberry flavoured cider in the market, until now.

“The new Bulmers Wild Blueberry & Lime cider addresses both consumer demand for blueberries as well as the trend for experimenting with different flavoured ciders.

She continued, “Heineken’s expertise with NPD in cider is unrivalled and, most importantly, it works. Last year’s launch, Bulmers Zesty Blood Orange, was the biggest packaged cider NPD of 2015. It brought one million people into the Bulmers brand, 50% of which were new to the cider category – which is good news for licensees."

20 DRAM MAY 2016 Dunn's A5 Advert.indd 1

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At one time, 365 different varieties of cider apples were grown.

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LICENSEE INTERVIEW

T

here can’t be many people who would launch a new pub and restaurant business by making a virtue of ‘average service’ and even telling customers to expect it on large billboards on the way inside – but Jonathan Wengel is that man, even if he doesn’t really mean it.

The 48-year-old came up with the novel idea as a way to get people talking about his latest venture as licensee of The Cross Stobs Inn in Barrhead, East Renfrewshire – and it certainly seems to be working.

He says, “It’s really just to show that we don’t take ourselves too seriously and to underline the relaxed atmosphere. I thought it might be an interesting way to promote the business and it’s working.”

In fact, given Jonathan’s enthusiasm for the place, an old coaching Inn dating back to the 17th century, and his attention to the little details, it seems far more likely that the service will be top notch.

The dad-of-three took on the private lease of the pub last December and prides himself on having closed the venue just once since then – on Christmas Day – despite carrying out a £25,000 refurbishment.

He says, “We were closed on December 25, which is what had always happened previously, but I vowed then that it would be the last day we were ever closed and I’ve stuck to that. When we were painting we shut off areas and traded in other parts of the pub and then switched about.

“The place is looking great now and it’s only going to get better.

It’s great to see peoples’ faces when they see the changes that we’ve made – the reaction has been really positive and the staff are really into it as well.

“I’ve been holding off on the marketing until we were really, really happy with the product in terms of the venue itself and the menu but from this month it’s going to be marketing, marketing, marketing – flyers through every door, adverts in the local press and so on. I can’t wait.”

The Stobs might be Jonathan’s first solo venue but he is an old hand when it comes to the trade, having run a string of pubs including the Fox & Hounds in Houston, Renfrewshire, for 15 years when it was owned by his family.

After leaving school he studied hotel catering and institutional management at Glasgow College of Food Technology, then joined Thistle Hotels as an assistant manager and then food and beverage manager. In 1995 he joined The Old Manor Hotel in Bridge of Allan, owned by ex-footballer Terry Butcher and his wife, Rita, and was there for two and a half years before heading to Sydney, Australia, for a change of scene.

There he worked as a sous-chef at a restaurant called The Pig and the Olive which had lots of seafood on its Australasian-style menu.

Jonathan says: “They did some fantastic gourmet pieces, great salads – things were very simple, very fresh. In fact the one thing that I use from there is the dressing for our salads, which is fresh lemon and olive oil.

“I was a frustrated chef and I’m still a frustrated chef. I’ve always been interested in menu design and dish design and am still happy to step in and help out in the kitchen if necessary.”

Jonathan was all set to stay on in Australia when his brother Carl

22 DRAM MAY 2016

AVERAGE

DON’T BELIEVE EVER phoned to ask him to come back and run the bar and kitchen side of things at The Fox so that he could focus on setting up the Houston Brewery in late 1997.

He says, “I said I’d do it for a year but 15 went by and I was still there. It was a tremendous time and it was a different time compared to today. Pubs were busier, people were drinking outside their homes a lot more and supermarkets weren’t selling alcohol so cheaply, or the variety that they do now. At the time we were really concentrating on food because drink sales were holding their own, albeit without huge growth, while growth on the food side was phenomenal.”

Jonathan’s love of all things culinary stood him in good stead and The Fox soon had a fantastic reputation for its meals. At its height, five chefs worked there full-time and the pub turned over £10,000 in food sales a week.

When The Fox was eventually sold Jonathan joined pub firm

BY ANNABELLE LOVE

SERVICE?

RYTHING YOU READ!

Mitchells & Butlers in May 2013, working as general manager at The Lord Lounsdale in Paisley and then The Pullman Tavern in Kilmacolm for two years before he spotted an advertisement for The Stobs last September.

He says, “I knew about the place but I hadn’t been in for quite a while, or heard anything about it or what it was doing. I was looking to do something different and when I saw it advertised I felt it ticked a lot of boxes.

“We visited it at every time of day and it didn’t seem to be trading that well so I thought it was a huge risk but I thought the potential far outweighed the risk. It was almost a once in a lifetime opportunity.

It was a private lease which was very important to me and locationwise it was ten minutes away from home and it was pretty perfect in terms of what I wanted.”

Jonathan admits there were plenty of discussions at home with wife Helen, a primary school teacher, and their three kids – Eve (13) and

two boys Max (11) and Rudi (five) before they decided to go for it.

He says, “There was a lot of excitement, but huge trepidation as well – we’ve pretty much poured everything we’ve got into it.”

After a brief period to take stock, Jonathan embarked on a series of changes at The Stobs. Out went the standard pub menu of lasagne and chilli and in came pork belly, schnitzel, crayfish, and their ‘soon to be famous’ Haggis sausage rolls. The meat is supplied by local butchers Phelps, who are based in Paisley.

Jonathan also insists on serving hand-cut chips because he believes they taste so much better – although he jokes that the chefs hate him for it.

He says, “We wanted to do something that was a bit different, a bit more original, with the menu. Our aim is to keep the price point relatively low while serving great tasting fresh food. I don’t think we’ve made too many mistakes so far although Barrhead was not ready for lamb kidneys on toast, which was one of the dishes on my first menu. It’s about trial and error.”

He recently signed a deal with Tennents to supply their beers and also stocks real ales from The Kelburn Brewing Company, based in Paisley as well as around 30 whiskies including island malts, Speysides and Bourbon. In terms of decor, Jonathan did away with a series of photographs of oil rigs in favour of pictures of Highland cows – a theme more in keeping with what was once a rural location and likely to be popular with the punters.

Hidden treasures, including a brass newspaper rack lost behind the TV screen and a fabulous Guinness mirror tucked behind a fruit machine were unearthed during the refurbishment and have been reinstated.

New brown leather chairs and benches, which are being supplied

by Walker Contracts in Lenzie, will give the dining area a smart but relaxed feel and CO2 Design in Paisley came up with the pub’s new logo. Outside the large beer garden has been spruced up and there are toys for the kids and plans to introduce rabbits and guinea pigs too. While the building is not without its challenges – including the fact that the cellar floods when it rains heavily – it offers huge potential for the future. A disused nightclub could be turned into function rooms and there is also a shop which closed in January and could easily be re-instated.

But for now Jonathan is happy to focus on The Stobs itself.

He says, “This is very much a pub for families to come to but we’ve also gone in for the whole separate theming idea – so ladies can drink Prosecco in the lounge, kids can play out in the garden, families can eat in the dining room and guys can watch football in the bar or hang out in the pool room. We’re trying to appeal to everyone – from 0 to 100 – and I think you’re mad if you don’t.”

Aside from the familiar licensee concerns around the impact of the smoking ban and drink drive laws, Jonathan is optimistic about the future. He says, “The trade always bounces back. Good operators will always survive and people are always going to dine out. “I don’t think we will ever be finished because we will always be changing or moving forward, improving hopefully.”

If Jonathan’s approach to his customers is anything like his energetic approach to the refurbishment has been, then roll on the ‘average service’.

DRAM MAY 2016 23

Help put us on the map Nominate us now for an award at

DRAM AWARDS

2016 incorporating the

the

21Years of celebrating excellence in the Scottish Licensed Trade

scottishbarandpubawards.com

the

20

incorpor

DRAM A

Customer Service Award

Customer service is paramount when it comes to running a successful business.

BII Scotland is on the lookout for a pub, restaurant or hotel which fully embraces the customer service ethos. Do you know a business that does this? If so, they could be eligible for this award. Judges will look at the measures that are in place to ensure staff are well trained in customer service. Short listing will be done by Mystery Shoppers followed by interviews at a later date by a team of judges. If you want to put a nomination in, do so now.

Dog Friendly Pub of the Year The Scottish Bar & Pub Awards are hunting for a pub that provides a welcome for pet dogs. Do you you know a pub or bar that allow customers to bring their friendly pooches inside? Do they provide a water bowl, and the occasional treat?

If so, they could be in the running for this accolade. Judges will be bringing their own dogs on mystery visits (volunteers are queuing up!!)

If you think you know a pub or hotel that fits the bill - enter it now.

Social Media Award

Award for Innovative Business of the year

Bright Signals one of Scotland’s foremost creative content agencies is on the look-out for pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels that excel in their use of social media. We’re looking for examples of great content, interaction and results. Do you know a venue that does it well, or do you think you are one? If so enter now at scottishbarandpubawards.com

Caledonian Brewery, one of Scotland’s most innovative breweries, is on the lookout for a licensed trade business that is also innovative.

Do you know a business that has developed by using innovative business practices? Do they think outside of the box when it comes to attracting customers? Perhaps they have developed an innovative idea that is proving a success with customers and staff whether it be an innovative loyalty scheme, upcycling practices, creative menus or special events. If so they could be eligible for this award. So why not put them forward now.

Entrepreneur of the Year

Best New Venue

Do you know someone, or are you someone, who has the entrepreneurial spirit? Do you know a man or woman who took a risk when they started their business, and who has grown it by providing customers what they want and by investing in their staff. A good entrepreneur is a good leader that has strong communication skills and the ability to lead a team of people toward a common goal in a way that keeps the entire team motivated. Are you that person or do you know one? If so why not put them forward for this award now?

New bars, restaurants and hotels have been opening at a great rate of knots over the last 12 months and this year there is an award for Best New Venue. What bar, restaurant or hotel has made a real impression on you since it opened. (September 2015 – May 31 2016). We are looking for well designed venues, which have invested in their staff as well as their premises, and which deliver. It’s not enough to look good, it has to have been a success with customers too.

Get your customers to vote for you at

26 DRAM MAY 2016

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AWARDS

Gastro Pub of the Year

Social Responsibility and Community Award

Cocktail Bar of the Year

It has never been more important to offer your customers good food. It doesn’t have to be fine dining, but quality, freshly prepared pub grub is what we are looking for. It’s not the size of the menu that counts, but the quality of the food and the efficiency of the service. If you think you know a venue that has a great food offer, let us know at www.scottishbarandpubawards.com

Diageo is on the look-out for pubs, bars and people that embrace social responsibility and who also put something back into the community.

Do you know a pub or bar that has developed good relationships with local police, community safety partnerships, community groups, licensing boards and/or licensing forums to help minimise alcohol-related crime and disorder? Do they go the extra mile to promote responsible drinking; what do they do differently from other bars in the area? Do they interact with the local community. Let us know and they could be the proud recipients of this award.

Do you think you know the best cocktail bar in Scotland or do you think you ARE the best Cocktail Bar in Scotland? If so why not enter the Disaronno Cocktail Bar of the Year category?

Judges will be looking for a bar with a good ambience and well-trained staff who have a strong customer focus, as well as, the ability of staff to put their own spin on a Disaronno Sour. Expertly made cocktails, a willingness to experiment and a good knowledge of spirits are essential. If you think you fit the bill or you know a bar that does, please enter now. Telling us why you think so. scottishbarandpubawards.com

Award for Success Success stories deserve to be recognised and celebrated. Do you know a licensee/ proprietor that has grown their business over the past few years. Perhaps they have successfully continued a family company, or expanded over the past few years, adopted innovation to develop their business, or have grown turnover? This year’s Scottish Bar & Pub Award judges would love to know of any hoteliers, restaurateurs or licensees, who fit the bill. Why not put them forward now to www. scottishbarandpubawards.com

Wine by the glass award

Do you have a great range of wine by the glass or do you know a bar, pub or restaurant that does?

If so it could be eligible for this inaugural award.

A choice of wine range and the opportunity to buy it by the glass has a great appeal to the modern consumer. Judges will be looking for staff with good wine knowledge, a range of wine by the glass which offers a good balance of Old and New World wines, and which includes wine that you can drink on its own or with food. Do you, or does your favourite bar or restaurant seek to improve the customer experience by offering a step up in the quality of wine in its wine by the glass range, and has the wine on offer helped to improve the reputation of the outlet? If so enter your favourite wine by the glass venue now.

Island Pub/Bar of the Year Isle of Arran Distillers, the only distillers on the Isle of Arran, are on the look-out for the best bar and pub located on a Scottish island.

Do you know a bar or pub that goes the extra mile to attract customers to its island location?

Does the pub or bar offer great food, excellent service and a very warm welcome? If so why not nominate it for this award? Whether the bars are on Arran or or Mull, Islay or Bute, the judges will be eager to see what makes them special. So be sure and enter your nominee now.

www.scottishbarandpubawards.com

DRAM MAY 2016 27

the

20

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DRAM A

Independent Bar of the Year

Bar Apprentice 2016

Craft Beer Bar of the Year

Kopparberg is on the lookout for Scotland’s top independent bar. The Kopparberg team is looking for a bar that has proved to be a success with customers – it doesn’t have to be the most stylish or the biggest, but owners should demonstrate creative forward-thinking and be inclined to think outside of the box when it comes to developing their business. It goes without saying but good customer service and an excellent range of products behind the bar is essential. Do you know a bar that deserves the title? If so put them forward for the accolade now.

Maxxium UK’s training and education programme, mixxit, is now in its ninth year of looking for Scotland’s best new bartender. The mixxit Bar Apprentice competition will take 10 bartenders with experience of one year or less on an intensive training programme which will cover all aspects of professional bartending, including mixology, drinks knowledge and service excellence. In June the bar apprentices will face a panel of judges and the best performing bartender will win the accolade mixxit Bar Apprentice of the Year, which will be announced at the SB&P Awards.

The judges of this category will be looking for a bar that has an excellent range of quality beer and Craft beers. The bar has to serve and market its beer range well, employ staff who are interested and knowledgeable about beer.

An ability to understand beer styles, taste profile and matching beer with food is also fundamental. If you are a bar or know a bar who loves their beer and always looking for the next innovation or new experience of beer enter it now.

Quality Award

Whisky Bar of the Year

Pub of the Year

A dedication to quality has helped to make Tennent’s the No 1 Scottish Lager brand and Tennent’s is looking for a pub that shows a similar commitment to quality. Excellent customer service, great beer, a good range of products behind the bar, fine food and a great ambience are all part of the quality experience.

If you would like to nominate a pub or bar, do so now.

Whisky is Scotland’s national drink and we know that there are some great whisky bars out there. The Wee DRAM is looking for licensees who go to extraordinary lengths to promote Scotch whisky within their own establishment.

An excellent range of whisky on the back bar is a necessity and staff should also be well trained and enthusiastic when it comes to recommending whisky to their customers. A good Scottish welcome is also important. Do you know a bar worth nominating?

Scotland’s leading Sunday newspaper is looking for the best pub in the country. Do you have a welcoming atmosphere? Do your customers come back, and come back again? Get your customers to fill in the entry form when it appears in the Sunday Mail or online at www. barandpubawards.co.uk and tell us why you think you are eligible for ‘Pub of the Year’.

Get your customers to vote for you at

28 DRAM MAY 2016

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AWARDS

Lifetime Achievement This honour is bestowed upon the person who during their career, have made significent contributions to the licensed trade. Previous winners include John Gilligan, David Urquhart, Billy Dunn, Bob Taylor, Lord MacFarlane and Angus Meldrum.

16th August 2016 The Hilton Hotel, Glasgow Tables of 10 ÂŁ 1000 To reserve your table contact Cheryl: cheryl@mediaworldltd.com

Food Wholesaler of the Year Drinks Wholesaler of the Year Beer Brand owner/Distributor of the Year Spirit Brand owner/Distributor of the Year

www.scottishbarandpubawards.com

DRAM MAY 2016 29

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32 Castle Street, Edinburgh, EH2 3HT

BADGER & CO. DESIGN FOCUS

T

here can’t be that many people who have not heard of the iconic children’s novel The Wind In The Willows, but did you know that its author Kenneth Grahame was born in Edinburgh? Admittedly, he only lived there for a few years before moving eventually to Cookham Dean, the inspiration of the iconic book. However, it’s the history of the pretty Georgian building in Edinburgh’s Castle Street that inspired Signature Pubs to invest in Badger & Co, which consists of the main bar, a library-style room, a restaurant, as well as a private dining room and a garden area on the lower ground floor.

The development took nine months in all. Originally an office block, a huge amount of construction work had to be undertaken to create the bar and restaurant. The nook and cranny layout of the four different rooms belie the building’s original usage, but admittedly, Bentleys Shopfitting that undertook the work, concede that putting in things like the dumb-waiter and creating the kitchen on the lower floor, were a challenge due to the age of the building.

Although the team is insistent that Badger & Co isn’t ‘themed’,

BY MAIRI CL ARK the nod to its heritage can be seen everywhere. It’s clear designer Adam Tibbatts, of Tibbatts Abel, took inspiration without turning it into a homage.

On arrival there is a jaunty, black and white swing sign hanging outside the former office building, depicting Badger with a tophat, created by Jasmin Design Ltd. In the bar area, half a dozen curved-back bar stools covered in a pistachio green leather, with brass studs, line the ceramic, brick patterned bar. The bar itself stretches half the length of the ground floor of the twofloored building and is covered in the same dark wood as the tables. A six-inch gap between the bar top and the brickwork frontage is covered in pale green tiles to complement the bar stools. In the centre of the ceramic bar front, a wooden bar sign is attached with gold writing in the Badger & Co font.

A top the bar, the fonts are a buffed steel with quirky chalkboard signs detailing the different beers that the bar carries while bright yellow ship-style lamps hang from the ceiling and a large portrait of a badger riding a penny-farthing hangs facing the bar, continuing the nod to Grahame.

DRAM MAY 2016 31

Parallel to the bar, are two square high top tables flanked by film and one image even bears a strong resemblance to Mr the same pistachio leather covered stools and by the two sash Grahame himself! windows at the front of the bar, there’s a circular table for It looks like a portrait, but the image on it changes every half two, with a dark, mahogany coloured wooden top. While by hour or so, featuring interesting characters reading books. As the two sash windows at the front of the bar, there’s a circular it looks like art, you really can’t tell that it’s digital. The rest table for two, with a dark, mahogany coloured wooden top. of the room has copper-topped tables with four leather chairs The back room off the bar is reminiscent of a snug library. around each. An old-fashioned news rail hangs as a feature A long Chesterfield-style sofa which could with representation comfortably sit five people is covered newspapers.

Past in a burnished copper leather, with two the dumb-waiter, you BADGE & CO, IS THE copper topped tables with matching come to a cosy, brown styled chairs on one side of the room. leather covered booth, PERFECT PLACE TO SIT All the upholstering throughout the bar which can comfortably DOWN AND ENJOY ITS was carried out by PG Interiors, with the fit ten people, flanked by COUNTRY-THEMED MENU, furniture supplied by Room Food. This area two mirrors that reflect is the only one to feature wallpaper, which light, and to the end of OR JUST RELAX WITH A has a pale-green leaf print. The three the booth, an archway COPY OF THE WIND IN THE corners are covered from halfway up the – which was art of WILLOWS wall in dark mirrors and the lower half the original building of the corner walls are covered in white – holds a decorative wooden panelling, which is replicated in arrangement of bottles, the window shutters. which gives the whole On the window side of the room, another booth a warm glow. The leather sofa features with two more chairs and another table lighting in each room is also vastly different. The bar features for two. Muted green and blue floor-length curtains hang, the brightly coloured nautical lamps, the library-style room has complementing the green, woodland theme throughout. The single tier chandelier style lights and the booth a very modern middle wall features a dark wooden fireplace above which, square shaped chandelier. The main room, however, features features a unique artwork. The work is a bespoke project the most dramatic lighting. Three huge three-tier chandeliers created by Napier University Media Department for Signature. hang from the corniced ceiling – another original feature from Students have recreated famous images of the 1900s for the the building - each using sixty lightbulbs! Throughout the entire 32 DRAM MAY 2016

venue, there are country-inspired pictures and paintings, stuffed animals and even a faux stag’s head on one wall.

White wall panelling adorns the walls in the main room, with a neon yellow-lit Badger & Co light hanging in the middle above a long Chesterfield-styled banquette. The banquette lines three-quarters of this room to create a dining area that can cater for around thirty people in one sitting. Individual copper topped tables are paired with blue covered bucket chairs opposite.

This room also features similar tables to those that are in the library styled room. Opposite the banquette, four Chesterfield-style sofas are paired with two copper topped tables for four. Finally, two glass-tiled dividers split the last quarter of the room, which would allow for another two tables – one for four and one for two - to dine in relative peace.

The piece de resistance lies downstairs. Firstly, a private dining room, which can seat comfortably twelve people for dining serves to offer a corporate opportunity at first glance, however when you look closer it’s got a much better use.

On the back wall, there’s is a roll-down screen and opposite four comfortable Lazyman-style seats, complete with

cupholders. Yes, this is where people can book the room to watch football, rugby or any sports. Even films! And its use doesn’t end there. The dining table opens up to reveal a pool table, and to the left of the room opposite the window, there is a private bar. Signature admit that the plan is to fully utilise the room when it’s not booked for dining, it can be used for people who want to play pool, or watch a film.

Given its city-centre, landlocked location, it would be imaginable that smoking would have to be catered for outside the front of the building. However, Signature has created an outside haven downstairs at the back of the building. An outer part of the building that wasn’t used - and that would be complicated to convert - gave the opportunity for the construction company to create a covered outdoor seating area, which is lit by candles and fairy lights and decorated by a stunning mural created by local artist Chris Rutterford.

All in all, Badger & Co, is the perfect place to sit down and enjoy its country-themed menu, or just relax with a copy of The Wind In The Willows.

DRAM MAY 2016 33

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SIX°NORTH DESIGN FOCUS

BY MAIRI CL ARK

T

here could rarely have been two wildly different venues next door to each other than Velvet Elvis and The Criterion in Glasgow’s Dumbarton Road, so we were keen to see the changes that Six°North had implemented since buying the venues earlier this year. And dramatic changes there have been. Gone is the art deco glamour of the Criterion and the quirky interior of Velvet Elvis, to be replaced by the urban, utilitarian steel that has become the brewery’s signature style.

Six°North already operates three bars in Aberdeenshire but this is its first venture into the central belt.

The two premises have now been knocked together to create a bar restaurant with just under a 100 cover capacity, so it is obvious the style has changed.

The side that used to be Velvet Elvis has retained some of the original touches that its founder, the late Allan Mawn, discovered when he was revamping the building. For example the original ceramic Victorian tiles from when the building actually housed a butcher’s shop remain, as does the infamous butcher boy’s delivery bike that was a centrepiece of Velvet Elvis. However some of the tiles on the wall have been sacrificed to create the walk through to what was The Criterion. The dividing wall is now a contrasting mix of uncovered brickwork, tiles and dark grey painted concrete. There is one walk-through, and two ‘windows’ to create an open-plan feel.

At each of the openings there is a decorative mesh barrier that rises about a third of the way up the opening. The original lintel has been painted to make it a feature, and two similar girders have been added to make the necessity seem a design choice.

DRAM MAY 2016 35

The original brickwork surround of the bar remains and behind the bar, instead of a traditional drip tray, designers installed a sloping steel bar top to handle overspill from its 30 draught beers. This is sourced from Belgium for every Six°North bar, and adds some much needed sparkle.

The open brickwork wall that was visible behind the bar in the Velvet Elvis days has been partially covered with a panel of dark grey wooden cabinets, with opaque doors, these double up as shelves for the bar’s spirits. Mirroring the shape of the bar, a wrought iron wine glass holder carries all the bespoke glasses for the bar, creating a stunning centrepiece to the bar and complements the original meat hooks that also hang from the ceiling.

Where the jukebox lived in the Velvet Elvis days, the wall is now covered with a Linotype-style menu of the 30 beers that the bar stocks, with ABVs and a short description.

The back room remains for dining, with the uncovered brick work covered in a typographical wallpaper that is a direct representation of the artwork that is on all Six°North beers.

Using a mix of Flemish, Latin, French and English, it describes all the ingredients that go into beer.

An island separates the booths - which are made up of pale wooden benches with matching table tops – from independent tables and iron-backed seats. A glass half partition etched in the same typographical style divides the two areas.

In the main part of the bar, a shelf takes up half the wall opposite the bar, and tall bar stools, in a similar iron metal, are spread 36 DRAM MAY 2016

along the shelf and the length of the bar. The doors at the main entrance can be opened wide should we get a summer! Pale wooden back benches and tables make up the front of the main bar, with a couple of free standing tables.

In the part of the building that would have been The Criterion, the art deco styling has been replaced with a dark green, almost grey cabinet along one wall, which is filled with decorative bottles. The other wall reveals uncovered brickwork, and dark wooden panels cover the lintel supports that would have separated the two venues.

Above the cabinet, the uncovered brickwork is also papered over with the typographic wallpaper. The back part of the main restaurant contains three booths, with the pale wooden benches. The wall in that section once again features the typographic paper, and has three wall features made up of mesh and mirror. In both rooms, pendant shaped lamps hang from the ceiling to just above the pale wooden tables. Although at first glance, the lampshades look like a delicate pink fabric, they are actually made of two-inch thick, pink ceramic. To complement the lighting experience there are 18 spotlights in the main bar, with nine low-hung, black shaded lights, which have also been used in Six°North other venues.

The front part of the main area also has three large glazed doors that open out to the main street, where five wrought iron-tables and chairs have been placed and the outside signage is subtle. Partick now has a new haven for beer lovers, I’m sure Allan Mawn would approve.

104 Bath street, Glasgow, G2 2EN

DA RUM BA DESIGN FOCUS

T

he Cuban trend of rum continues unabated in Glasgow with the launch of Da Rum Ba, two doors up from Howlin Wolf in Glasgow’s Bath Street. On the site of the old Oscars, it has gone through a revamp and now has a vibrant, Caribbean theme.

The bar – launched by entrepreneur Hal Farjani – has retained the same layout as Oscars, but has replaced the anodyne colour scheme with bright colours, and back to basics lighting (candles in old Havana rum bottles).

Grey felt-covered booths line the main front of the bar and part of the back bar, while standing drinkers can loiter around the bar using the Eden Mill gin casks which have been turned into tables.

The actual bar itself has not moved, however it has been recovered at the front in corrugated iron. Wooden floors persist throughout, and on the bar stools - and the chairs in the elevated seating area – Farjani has used old coffee bean sacks to upholster them giving a relaxed beach bar vibe. At the back wall of the rear seating area, the wooden-based banquette has scatter cushions covered in similar printed sackcloth upholstering.

At the very front of the bar, opposite the window where the

BY MAIRI CL ARK stairwell passes, Farjani assembled a seating area himself made from driftwood. The back seating area benefits from a quirky lighting arrangement, where the two inward shelves are backlit by two intermittent lightshafts, which change colour every few minutes. Empty bottles of rum are placed on the shelf with fairy lights wrapped around them, which are switched on at night.

The back bar contains around 40 rums at the moment, but DRAM understands that the management are planning to expand that to around 100.

It’s the graffiti picture of a Caribbean lady on the front porch that really gives the feel of a beach bar in Jamaica. Created by a well-known Glaswegian graffiti artist, the yellow-backed wall features a headscarf clad lady of a certain age smoking a Havana cigar and makes you feel like you are in Kingston, albeit only for the couple of days of sunshine we had!

Ideas for the use of the front area with the lady and cigar are yet to be decided, but it could end up as a private booth or a smoking area. Da Rum Ba is a place, if the sun is shining, then the rum is pouring.

DRAM MAY 2016 39

@dramscotland

/dram.scotland

SUE SAYS

I

have just been on holiday for a couple of weeks... however my visit to Florida was more like a busman's holiday!

My mum and stepdad (who have had a place there for 10 years) decided to introduce us to all their favourite bars and restaurants. What a motley collection of great bars and restaurants they were! From beach front to pier front, dive bars to seafood.

I remember all the fuss we made about plastic glasses after 10pm... it's the norm in Florida all day! You do get used to it! However getting salt to stick on a Margarita when it's in plastic is no mean feat. What also struck me was the age group – they may be called snow birds... but there is no doubt about it the above 50's know how to have a good time! I've come back to give my liver a rest! Maybe we are missing a trick!

Still on the subject of Florida, we went to a great brew pub, run by a woman, and called Motorworks. They didn't just brew their own beer, but the bar also had a crazy putting area outside and a bean bag game, plenty of space for dogs, and a BBQ. It was huge. Like WEST but on steroids! It was also great to see Scottish beer Innis and Gunn on the menu.

new Boozy Cow in Stirling, and plans are well underway for a new outlet in Dundee too. While in Aberdeen the Boozy Cow is moving from its current location in the city’s Netherkirkgate into the Group’s Amicus Apple bar and restaurant, which is significantly larger, in early May. And finally, I enjoyed a lovely evening of gin and food at the recent Gordon Castle dinner at Hutcheson's in Glasgow. Hosted

by Estate owners, Angus and Zara Gordon Lennox, the evening included a five-course tasting menu, tailored exclusively for the evening using produce inspired by the Estates famous Walled Garden with each course be paired with a Gordon Castle gin cocktail and its cider. It was a great idea, and we all enjoyed ourselves immensely. I have to say thou' I am of the old school. I still prefer to eat my food rather than photograph it. But judging by the number of phones that were out I am very much in the minority.

Doggy beer has been going down a treat at some pubs including the DRAM’s award winning Ship Inn in Irvine, but now chef Albert Roux has gone one step further and created ‘dogs’ dinners, which will be served at some of the petfriendly Scottish establishments where he has restaurants Chez Roux and Albert & Michel Roux Jnr. These include Cromlix House and the Roxburghe Hotel.

Four legged guests can now enjoy a selection of spinach and brown rice risotto, turkey and sweet potato stew and meatloaf with chicken jelly, salmon and mackerel.

Albert Roux, the driving force behind Le Gavroche said, “I designed a menu that would appeal to pet enthusiasts, like myself, which would be available alongside our much-loved restaurant menus.” Just as well as my two dogs can’t read!!

The Scottish Beer and Pub Association launched its manifesto last month (on April Fool's Day) hope that is not indicative of its chances of succeeding, and asked Scottish politicians to show their support for the industry by creating the new role of Pubs Minister in the new Scottish Government. The SBPA believe that a Pubs Minister could help address the burden of business rates on the sector, support skills, and apprenticeships, drive innovation and investment, and help rural pubs. Let's hope the government pays heed.

I got carried away last month while reporting on The Speratus Group. While owner Garreth Wood has put six pubs on the market, Edinburgh’s Copper Blossom is not for sale. Next month he will be filling us in on all his plans.

Meanwhile the Group has already found a location for a DRAM MAY 2016 41

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ROUND UP Angus Upton joins Distell Distell has announced the appointment of Angus Upton as Global Brand Ambassador. Angus joins from The Scottish Malt Whisky Society where he specialised in offering personalised tastings for high-value clients. He has an impressive track record for his expert whisky nose, being one of the youngest members of The Scottish Malt Whisky Society Tasting Panel, as well as working in the Royal Lochnagar Distillery and providing consultant and tasting services to independent bottlers.

In his new role, Angus will represent Distell globally for its single malts portfolio, which includes Bunnahabhain, Deanston, Ledaig and Tobermory.

Thirteen venues across Scotland have been recognised at the Best Bar None Scotland’s National Awards 2015-16. Fifty four finalists took part with The Murrayfield Experience in Edinburgh taking the overall title of National Champion while also winning the category award for best Specialist Entertainment Venue.

Pictured Deoch and Dorus in Glasgow joint winners with The Three Sisters Edinburgh of the category best Pub. Other winners included Malones in Aberdeen won best Independent Pub, Sportsters in Falkirk scooped best Bar and Johnny Foxes and the Den from Inverness won best Independent Bar. Joint winners in the category of best Hotel Bar were the Gilvenbank Hotel from Fife and Blythswood Square Hotel (also pictured) in Glasgow. There was a second win for Aberdeen with The Garage winning two award categories – best Night Club and Best Public Health Initiative. Hopefully next year the organisers will organise a photographer!

Ten Scottish bartenders have made it to the phase two semi final ‘Fruits and Plants, of Diageo’s World Glass GB cocktail competition.

They are invited to compete for one of the last five spots among the UK’s top ten bartenders, who will battle it out to become the World Class GB Bartender of the Year, before competing at the global final in Miami.

The ten are Allan McGhie of the Ubiquitous Chip, Andy Stewart of The Tippling House, Chris Baldwin of Copper Blossom, David Robinson of The Hillhead Bookclub, Gordon Purnell of Panda & Sons, James Kemp of The Finnieston, Julija Bernatovica of The Kelvingrove Cafe, Matthew Wakeford of G&V Royal Mile Hotel, Michaela of Tennents Training Academy and Simone Sanna of Bramble.

DRAM DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING PUBLISHED BY MEDIA WORLD LIMITED UPPER FLOOR / FINNIESTON HOUSE, 1 THE STABLES YARD / 1103 ARGYLE STREET, GLASGOW / G3 8ND t. 0141 221 6965 e. dram@mail.com web. www.dramscotland.co.uk Editor Susan Young • Chairman Noel Young • Editorial Annabelle Love, Mairi Clark Advertising Lucy McGovern, Robert McManus • Production Michael Rahme • Admin Cheryl Cook Published by Media World Ltd. Subscriptions: DRAM is available by subscription for all other qualified persons involved in the Scottish Licensed Trade at the rate of £52 per annum including the DRAM Yearbook. The publishers, authors and printers cannot accept liability for errors or omissions. Any transparencies or artwork will be accepted at owner’s risk. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the copyright holder and publisher, application for which should be made to the publisher. Articles published in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publishers. © Media World Limited 2016.

Printed by Stephens & George Print Group.

46 DRAM MAY 2016

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