Dram issue 354

DRAM

354

DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

@dramscotland

the

incorporating the DRAM AWARDS 2020

2020 SCOTTISH BAR & PUB AWARDS LAUNCH ISSUE

DRAM MAGAZINE March 2020 ISSN 1470-241X

/dram.scotland

SIP AND SAVOUR SMOKEHEAD WHISKY WITH A CRAFT BEER ON THE SIDE. The saltiness, the sweet peat, the seaweed.

Smokehead’s bold flavours are full on and full of surprises. A perfect pairing for fresh fruity beer to soothe the fiery Smokehead.

SMOKEHEAD ENCOURAGES RESPONSIBLE DRINKING

DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

WELCOME

W

elcome to your March DRAM - and the launch of the 2020 Scottish Bar & Pub Awards.

This is a very special year because as well as recognising all that is brilliant about the Scottish licensed trade, we’re also celebrating 25 years of doing so. Yes, this is going to be our biggest and best one yet, so go to page 19 for all you need to know.

Elsewhere in this issue, we update you on what is happening with the Deposit Return Scheme so that you can ready your business for its implementation, which might be as soon as early 2021. It’s on page 16.

I captured the views of a few in our industry on the government’s post-Brexit immigration proposals on page 27. This is an emotive subject about which nobody holds back.

This month our interviewee is Simon Keane, co-owner of Malones Irish Pubs, and our design features are Forbes of Kingennie’s new restaurant The Scullery and Buzzworks’ The Duke in Kilmarnock.

2020 marks 100 years since prohibition began in America. To mark the anniversary I spoke with the managers and ownermanagers of some of Scotland’s best speakeasy bars to find out a bit more about what running this type of business involves.

See you next month.

Jason Caddy, Editor jason@mediaworldltd.com dramscotland.co.uk

@dramscotland

/dram.scotland

CONTENTS March

2020

FEATURES

08

11 19 23

SECRET SERVICE

We chat with the managers of some of Scotland’s best Speakeasy bars.

LICENSEE INTERVIEW

Simon Keane - the man behind Malones Irish pubs talks to Jason Caddy.

SCOTTISH BAR & PUB AWARDS The official launch of this year’s awards - celebrating 25 years.

DESIGN FOCUS

The Duke in Kilmarnock.

REGULARS

4 6 34

NEWS

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

BRAND NEWS

The latest brand news.

SUE SAYS

Our publisher Sue pulls no punches.

DRAM MARCH 2020 3

Pheasant Enough

Karina Bowlby is the new licensee at The Fat Pheasant in South Queensferry, formerly The Newton Arms, which she has ‘countrified’ after a two-week renovation.

Karina told DRAM, “The pub has been owned by Billy MacLean for the past 30 years, and latterly, he had a series of short-term tenants.”

MacLean put the pub up for sale and had a buyer. Explains Karina, “I had it in the back of my head for a few years that I’d like to buy it and when I found out it was sold my heart sank – that’s when I really knew that I wanted it.

Luckily for me, the sale fell through and I quickly snapped up the freehold.”

Karina, who also runs a property business, as well as a polo club, has appointed head chef, Andrew Thomas Hughes, who worked at Gordon Ramsay’s Maze in London, Cromlix House and the Richmond Park Hotel in Bo’ness.

Newhaven welcomes Pier Brasserie Chef Mark Patonyi has spent £100K transforming the former Newhaven Fishmarket building in Newhaven into a 70-cover restaurant called Pier Brasserie which overlooks the Newhaven Lighthouse and with sea views across to the Forth bridges. Mark’s is not a newcomer to hospitality. He has 13 years’ experience under his belt that includes helping launch and manage the front of house at Martin Wishart’s The Honours – and just under five years as manager of Steak at Picardy Place, Edinburgh.

Said Mark, “It’s been a labour of love, but this is a prospect that truly excites me – and I want Pier Brasserie to quickly become a local gem that encourages more people down to this beautiful part of the city.”

TRAYNOR AND SCOULAR’S WHISTLER ON THE GREEN A 60-cover gastropub called Whistler on the Green will open in early April in the former Whistlin Kirk on Glasgow’s Greendyke Street. Brian Traynor and Ricky Scoular, the guys behind the city’s A’Challtainn fish restaurant and events space at Barras Art and Design have taken on the lease.

Brian told DRAM, “It’s getting a full overhaul at the moment but we’re keeping many of its original features and we’ll be Mowgli Street Food has confirmed that it is opening sites in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

A spokesperson told DRAM, “At present, we’re still very early on in the process for our Scottish sites.”

The restaurant chain started life in Liverpool in 2014 and Glasgow and Edinburgh will mark its 12th and 13th units.

MOSKITO AND MONKEY FLY AGAIN Moskito, the Glasgow Bath Street bar created and run

by Neil Connolly for 20 years before closing a few years ago, is to re-open shortly. The new owner is Mark Emerick who has embarked on a full refurbishment of the bar. It’s not his only Bath Street project - he also owns the Monkey Bar and it too is being refurbished.

Did you know?

Marco Sarao, licensee at The Swan Inn, Eaglesham, has unveiled his latest acquisition, East Kilbride’s The Auldhouse.

He’s introduced a new whisky/cocktail lounge and 75-cover restaurant clad in contemporary tartan designs, natural wood and neutral tiles. The bar, which has remained open throughout the renovations, is next in line for a refurbishment, as well the upstairs function room. Then it will be the turn of the beer garden.

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restoring the exterior too. This is local to us. Plus, with the number of events at Glasgow Green on the up, it’s getting busier around here. We have also applied for a pavement licence.”

Brian also lodged a licensing application to open a Mexican restaurant called Paco at 95 Kilmarnock Road in Shawlands. He hopes to open it in the summer.

MCCARTNEY MAKES GLASCHU Glaschu is Scottish Gaelic for Glasgow. It’s also the name of a new bar and restaurant opening on the city’s Royal Exchange Square at the end of March. Licensee, Andy McCartney, is the man behind it.

He has acquired the leasehold on the former Western Club which was run by Alan Tomkins. Former Daily Record sports journalist Andy also co-owns Embargo on the city’s Byres Road and is leasing Damm 27 on Edinburgh’s Causewayside from Star Pubs & Bars.

More next month.

NEW BLOOD AT THE KINGS ARMS Gareth Kelly, managing director at The Three Craws, Irvine, has teamed up with first-time operator Mikey Lennon to take over The Kings Arms in Fenwick, which they’re leasing from Star Pubs & Bars.

Gareth told DRAM, “I’m from Kilmarnock, so I’ve always

been aware of this pub – it’s a sleeping giant and we want to put it back on the map as an Ayrshire landmark for great food. The pub was refurbished last year, but we will soon be revamping the beer garden for the good weather coming back.”

NEWS Hola, Uno Mas

GREEN LIGHT FOR GLASGOW WHISKY-THEMED BAR Big Top Productions is to resuscitate the former B-listed Teacher building at Glasgow’s St Enoch Square as a whiskythemed bar/restaurant and all-day cafe, with 25 serviced apartments on the upper floors.

The company has been granted planning permission for the £6M conversion and change of use.

It was built in 1875 to house the headquarters, offices and

dram shop of William Teacher & Sons and the new project includes reviving the ‘Teacher’ gilded sign.

Andre Graham, Director of Big Top Productions, said, “Having identified serviced apartments and hospitality as a key area for development, we are now seeking to grow our portfolio with this exciting development in the heart of Glasgow city centre.”

Forbes & Stirling relaunch Henricks Bar They returned to their hometown of Edinburgh from London last July to take over Bruntsfield’s Henricks Bar, and now, after listening to customers’ feedback, Jamie Forbes and Andria Stirling have officially re-launched the bar after getting things just so. Jamie told DRAM, “Immediately before we took over the bar had become more of a pre-theatre dining venue and customers told us that they felt they couldn’t really come in for a drink. So our main objective has been to make it more of a pub again. We’ve brightened up the decor and added some comfier furniture. We’ll be renovating the outdoor area and the toilets in April.”

SMWS Glasgow Members Lounge

Sian Buchan, John Mclellan and an anonymous investor have joined forces to launch a new latenight 125-capacity venue called Uno Mas Bar on Edinburgh’s Picardy Place. They are leasing the former GHQ from G1.

Buchan, the ex-Panda & Sons joint-GM, and Mclellan, a DJ, aim to deliver a concept aimed at the 25-plus market.

Said Sian, “We were approached by the investor and he was happy to give us free rein to run the business. John and I are both in our 30s and we wanted to launch a venue where we could go to late and sit and chill without having to go to a club. It’s rather a large space and we’ve renovated it in as cosy way as possible, using lots of wood, low comfy seats.”

BAR ART Nonna’s Kitchen Owner, Gino Stornaiuolo, and Edinburgh Beer Factory Founders, John and Lynne Dunsmore, have partnered to open Paolozzi Restaurant & Bar at 61 Forrest Road, Edinburgh. The 100-cover restaurant with dining, bar and standing space is named after the Edinburgh-born ‘Father of Pop Art’, Eduardo Paolozzi.

No 8 opens in Ayr in former Cameron’s Bar

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (pictured above) is set to open a new Glasgow Members’ Room at 38 Bath Street this month. This is the first time a members room has opened in Glasgow. It will have rooms exclusively for SMWS members with the venue space set up for a range of occasions, with relaxed lounge seating, including a ‘Vaults Snug’, as well as more formal areas. The dedicated whisky tasting room can accommodate up to 10 people and will be available for private tastings and we’ll have more on it next month.

Kelly Callan has opened No.8 Bar & Grill at 8 Fullarton Street in Ayr where Cameron’s Bar used to be. A spokesperson told DRAM, “The refurbishment has made use of the outside area which is now fully functioning, plus a full re-branding, new stock lines and we’ve re-opened the kitchen, which was closed for four years. Our aim is to be Ayr’s number one pre-club.”

n Andrew McQuade is renovating his soon to be second leasehold, Tipsy, a pre-club cocktail bar on Causeyside Street in Paisley.

He also runs The Cabin in Clydebank. n Tennent’s Bar on Byres Road in Glasgow is midrefurbishment by owner, Mitchells & Butlers. n Stephens Hospitality Group, owned by Brad Stephens, will open Malmasan Asian fusion bar and brasserie on Glasgow’s Ingram Street in the former Argentinian steakhouse CAU this month. n The former Da Luciano on Silverwells Crescent in Bothwell is to re-open on 24th March as Cut Fish.

Cut Fish Ltd is the sister restaurant to Cut Bothwell Ltd., which owns Cut Steakhouse in Bothwell. n Edinburgh-based Ting Thai Ltd. has re-submitted plans with Glasgow City Council to open a Ting Thai Caravan Asian restaurant on Byres Road in the former Fopp record shop. It was refused once before. If approved, it will be its first Glasgow restaurant. n The Smoking Goat on Ayr’s Academy Street has re-opened by first-time operator David Storrie now that he’s taken on the lease.

He’s made no changes to the pub but plans to upgrade the beer garden.

DRAM MARCH 2020 5

BRAND NEWS

ALL THE L ATEST BRAND NEWS

WHISKY

BEER

Glasgow Distillery Release Prometheus 30 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Whisky

Innis & Gunn named most recommended Beer Brand in YouGov consumer poll

The Glasgow Distillery Company has announced the launch of the fourth and final expression from its independent bottling; Prometheus series - limited to just 544 bottles.

The launch of Prometheus 30 Year Old follows the sell-out success of Prometheus 26 and 27 Year Old, and the more recent Prometheus 28 Year Old, which was limited to 888 bottles.

Liam Hughes, CEO and Co-Founder of Glasgow Distillery said, “Prometheus 30 Year Old is the finest expression in the range and is not to be missed.”

Awards Success for Tamdhu Tamdhu Single Malt Scotch Whisky, owned by Ian Macleod Distillers, is celebrating after scooping four industry accolades for its exclusive sherry cask matured single malt at the World Whiskies Awards.

The Speyside distillery had two Category Winners in the Single Cask, Single Malt Scotch Category with its Edinburgh Airport European Sherry Oak Single Cask coming out on top of the ‘13 to 20 Years’ grouping and Sandy McIntyre’s Single Cask clinching the win in the ‘No Age Statement’ section.

Tamdhu also picked up two Gold commendations in the Single Malt Scotch Speyside category, with its Batch Strength No. 004 and Dalbeallie II expressions enjoying success in the ‘No Age Statement’ division.

Heaven’s Door Spirits Announce Expansion into UK Drinksology Group’s distribution and marketing arm, When We Are Giants, has become the exclusive UK and Ireland distributor for the Heaven’s Door collection of American whiskeys.

Said Mike Beavan, Sales Director of Drinksology said, “We are really excited to be adding Heaven’s Door to our portfolio of premium spirits. With such an iconic name and award-winning spirit, we are delighted to be introducing the brand to the on and off-trade. Early interest in Heaven’s Door has been fantastic.”

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Innis & Gunn is celebrating being named the most recommended beer and cider brand in the UK by YouGov’s BrandIndex. The Scottish brewer came out on top ahead of some of the most established and best loved brands in the world to take the number one spot in the consumer poll. 83.1% of those surveyed said they would recommend Innis & Gunn to a friend or colleague*. The brand is one of only two independently owned companies on the list.

Dougal Gunn Sharp, Founder and Master Brewer at Innis & Gunn said,“We’ve always done things a little differently at Innis & Gunn, whether it’s our unique beer The Original or how we put our fans at the heart of our marketing campaigns, we’re used to going against the grain. It’s an approach that clearly resonates with drinkers; most recommended brand is a title any beer brand would be proud to hold.”

GIN HENDRICK’S RELEASE ‘LUNAR’ GIN Hendrick’s Gin has unveiled ‘Lunar’ by Master Distiller Lesley Gracie to the UK. It will be offered for a limited time in 2020, available online followed by wider national on-trade distribution. Available in 70cl, it will be supported with significant marketing investment and is bottled at 43.4% ABV.

The Queen Mary Edition launches in UK Premium Dutch Gin 1689 has launched its new pink gin expression, The Queen Mary Edition. Based on the same recipe as the original Gin 1689, The Queen Mary Edition is designed to reflect the 17th century when the world’s first pink gin was created after mixing the original spirit with bruised strawberries and raspberries. Gary Hazell, Managing Partner of Distilled Brands, says, “We’ve begun introducing Gin 1689 to our customers in the UK and have had very positive feedback from the trade.”

THE NO1 CHOICE FOR GAMING AND LEISURE EQUIPMENT FOR PUBS, BARS & RESTAURANTS

For more information contact us on: 0141 946 0444

www.simsautomatics.co.uk DRAM MARCH 2020 7

BY JASON CADDY Nathaniel Hampton, Manager, Draffens, Dundee Nathaniel Hampton, 26, was made GM at Draffens, part of the Maclerry 300 stable, just after Christmas after working as assistant manager under Sarah Berardi, who has since moved onto manage all of Macmerry 300’s other concerns within the Draffens building on Dundee’s Nethergate. He said, “We take inspiration from prohibition for our menus and our events – but also what prohibition did for cocktails. We take a lot of our inspiration from Harry MacElhone – an early 20th-century bartender, originally from Dundee who invented the Side Car and White Lady cocktails among others at after he moved to work in New York.”

Comparing working in a speakeasy to other bars he’s tended, Joe says, “The intimate nature of the bar (our capacity is 55­) dictates the training is more intensive because you must always be engaged with the customer, so you tend to make cocktails using muscle memory.”

Joe Nelson, Manager, The Tippling House, Aberdeen Joe Nelson, 32, has managed the 100-capacity Tippling House, owned by Adrian Gomes, for three years. It’s been trading for eight. He says that one of the biggest pulls is the hours. “You’ve got to be nocturnal to work in a speakeasy. We close at 3 am and then by the time I wind down I’m going to bed at 7 am. That’s also why we’re a bartenders’ bar because they all descend here once they’ve knocked off.”

He adds, “There’s also a real camaraderie among speakeasy staff. My team of 10 is tight and they bounce ideas off of each other and support one another.” The outside of this speakeasy is a simple ‘artistic’ window display which, according to Joe, “kind of suggests we are a bar without screaming it.”

Davie Campbell, General Manager, The Flying Duck, Glasgow Belfast-born Davie Campbell, 35, has managed The Flying Duck in Glasgow, owned by Craig Tannock (Stereo, Mono, The 78 and The Old Hairdressers) for five years and you could say that he has come home to roost. He said, “I came from retail, but I had worked in The Flying Duck a few years before as a steward, so it was a kind of homecoming for me and I was familiar with the place, knew the vibe and the clientele. Working on the door gives you a unique perspective.”

He started as assistant manager and was made manager after a year and he now manages a team of 22. The bar is hidden away down a lane and it relies on word of mouth, but students are also fond of it. Says Davie, “This means we must re-engage with a new influx of students every four years and this requires some social media – it’s a necessary evil.

Connor O’Hara, Manager, The Cauldron, Edinburgh The Cauldron is a kind of pop-up-meets-Speakeasy, managed by Connor O’Hara, and owned by a company called The Magic Things. Said Connor, “The ‘experience’ is what attracts our customers. It fuses mixology, technology and science to deliver a customer experience in how drinks are made. But we also get walk-ins to our Speakeasy bar, which has slightly more signage than your average one. The bar got a mini facelift late last year and now includes a lounge.” Before managing The Cauldron, Connor worked at Edinburgh’s Why not, The Raeburn Hotel and for Fuller Thomson, including at The Southern. How does managing a speakeasy compare? “We are continually teaching customers, so there’s more intensive staff training. So as well as the drinks knowledge, they need a flair for the dramatic and must be naturally fun-loving.”

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2020 MARKS 100 YEARS SINCE PROHIBITION BEGAN IN AMERICA – THE IDEAL OPPORTUNITY FOR DRAM TO PROFILE MANAGERS/OWNER-MANAGERS OF SOME OF SCOTLAND’S MOST POPULAR SPEAKEASY BARS. JASON CADDY REPORTS.

Nicky Craig & Jono McDowell, Panda & Sons, Edinburgh Nicky Craig, 30, co-manages Iain McPherson’s speakeasy with Jono McDowell, and these two have enjoyed a friendly working rivalry over the years. Said Nicky, “We managed rival Edinburgh bars The Basement and Treacle before I moved to Melbourne to manage a speakeasy called Eau de Vie at the same time Jono came to manage Panda & Sons. Both of our bars competed in Tales of the Cocktail the same year, and both making top ten in the Best High Volume International Cocktail Bar category. Now that we’ve joined forces and are no longer pitted against one another, we’re hoping for great things at this year’s competition.” And the key to a speakeasy’s success? “Perseverance,” says Nicky. “When Panda and Sons first opened things might’ve been slow on a Thursday night, say, whereas now the word has spread and we are full every night.”

Fergus McVicar, Owner/Manager, The Berkeley Suite, Glasgow Fergus McVicar is the man behind The Berkeley Suite which looks like a pawnbroker from its tucked-away Glasgow North Street location. He’s recently made some changes to the interior and plans on making some more. Explained Fergus, “It’s an old Glasgow ballroom over two floors and I’ve just installed a new £35K sound system downstairs and I’m planning to make some more changes to this space – think 2060 sci-fi. But all the changes will be in keeping with the building’s original features, like the sprung dance floor.” The fact that The Berkeley Suite is hidden also has its advantages. “It filters out those customers that you don’t want and the ones that come back again bring people from all over the UK and beyond and it’s fun to see their reaction as they enter what looks like a pawn shop.”

Matt Cosworth, Manager, Hoot the Redeemer, Edinburgh Matt, 27, has been General Manager of Hoot the Redeemer, which is owned by Iain McPherson, for three years and he definitely reckons that working in a speakeasy requires a certain type of personality. He said, “You have to have a love for the creative and a desire to entertain – and a sense of humour. The sign outside says ‘Palm Reader/Fortune Teller’ so you can imagine the scenarios this throws up – plus customers are looking for the experience these days. Also, we don’t get as many casual walk-ins for the same reason, like customers looking for a place to watch the rugby.” If Matt could be transported to back in time, he’d choose Cuba at the turn of the last century when there was an explosion in cocktail making. Before this, he managed Edinburgh’s Bar Soba, and working in a speakeasy differs mainly because? “The diversity of customers is so great. You really never can tell who’s going to walk through the door.”

Martin Tippett, Owner/Manager, Capone’s, Dundee Capone’s, Dundee’s best-kept secret, closed last June, which is when Martin Tippett, MD of Occasions Leisure, acquired the lease on 172 at the Caird, whose basement this little speakeasy nestles in. But it is now re-opening. Said Martin, “The previous owner struggled with Capone’s because it was too hidden away, which I know is the whole point of a speakeasy and this type of marketing blackout goes down okay in bigger cities but not in Dundee. It simply lacked the footfall when I took over the lease and that’s why it’s remained closed until now. He continued, “Capone’s has a 40-capacity and a buzzer entry system (via a 1920s-style American phone box) so even with all the new signage and marketing we’re undertaking, it’s still very much a speakeasy.” In his time, Martin has worked as General Manager for S&N, Whitbread and Greene King.

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LICENSEE INTERVIEW JASON CADDY DID A WEE JIG WHEN THE USUALLY PUBLICITY-SHY SIMON KEANE, DIRECTOR OF MALONES IRISH BARS, AGREED TO THIS INTERVIEW. THEY MET IN THE NEWEST MEMBER OF HIS PUB FAMILY, EDINBURGH’S CASK SMUGGLERS.

Y

our odds of finding a four-leaf clover are 1 in 10,000, but there’s a far greater chance of meeting someone who’s enjoyed one of Simon Keane’s Irish pubs. That’s because this Edinburgh-based pub company MD prides himself on running “authentic” Irish bars with great craic - plus they’ve been trading since 2009, the year the world first met Malones in Aberdeen, followed by Edinburgh in 2010 and 2017 (this one closed and then re-opened in a different location) and Glasgow in 2014. Cask Smugglers, his bar atop Edinburgh’s Waverley Mall that started life as a pop-up, is the latest addition to his Malones Irish Bars/ Pop-Up Pros stable.

Simon and his business partner father Robert, who also owns a property company based in Aberdeen, spent £100K renovating what was a former tourist information centre after getting an occasional licence last August. The company has operated pop-ups on the top of Waverley Mall, both outside and inside during Christmas and the Edinburgh Festival, since 2017.

Said Simon, “The whole Cask Smugglers brand was born out of a whisk(e)y club at our Edinburgh Malones whose aim is to modernise whisk(e)y in Scotland by showcasing unique whisk(e) y cocktails along with other boutique spirits. We’re looking to expand the Cask Smugglers brand as well as the Malones brand, which has been slightly side-tracked lately because of all the pop-ups we’ve done – like at Murrayfield last year and Edinburgh cocktail week at Festival Square.”

So, in the month when we celebrate a certain patron saint, what, in Simon’s professional opinion makes a good Irish pub?

“Great craic. But also remember that we’re Irish people running an authentic Irish pub – not an Irish themed pub. You’ll find no Paddy-wackery stuff here. It’s all good quality drinks, live music seven days a week, sports and great food that is locally sourced. We’ll be marking the occasion this year with more of the same, showcasing the best of local Scottish and Irish musical talent all year round.”

Is there anything that differs between his venues? Simon explained, “Different cities mean different customer appetites.

For example, Edinburgh is rugby, Glasgow is football and Aberdeen is a mixture of the two.

“On the music front, Edinburgh likes a little traditional music to whet their appetite, followed a lot of pop and rock. Glasgow likes its traditional Irish music, and Aberdeen, again, is somewhere in between.”

And Simon reckons that no operator can now afford to rest on his or her laurels. He explained, “Any operator will tell you that in the last ten years gone are the guaranteed busy Friday

GREAT CRAIC DRAM MARCH 2020 11

LICENSEE INTERVIEW and Saturday nights - you have to work to attract and retain customers and good quality live entertainment works for us.“ Is the business more challenging in other respects too these days? “Margins are very different because of higher taxes on purchases and sales, the hike in the minimum wage and rates.

Then there’s holiday pay, pensions, and a £10m liability before you even open your door and start trading. Having worked in bars when I was a student, I know the importance of paying a decent wage to good staff but, more needs to be done to help hospitality business owners and protect the future of local pubs and their staff.

Continually re-investing in the business can’t always guarantee your survival in the jungle, but it certainly can help shore things up.

He explained, “Malones Cask Smugglers, Edinburgh has become a bit of an institution in Aberdeen, and it’s still improving year on year. Glasgow and Edinburgh (both two floors and similar in size) are also performing really strongly.”

Speaking of which, now that Cask Smugglers has been refurbished it’s full steam ahead for the business and Simon is now firmly on the acquisition trail.

“I’m a people person so I loved being hands-on at the start. These days, it’s people management and looking for the next acquisition and we want to build both the Malones, Smugglers Cask and The Pop-Up Pros brands. We’re looking at sites in Dundee, Inverness, Newcastle, and Dublin – plus we wouldn’t say no to a second site in Edinburgh, so watch this space.”

Originally from Dungarvan in County Waterford, Simon reckons that entrepreneurialism is in his blood. He said, “My dad’s side of the family is a family of business owners – growing up my aunties all owned and ran businesses from coffee shops, chip shops, and restaurants to fishmongers and equestrian centres. My grandfather also owned ran a pub, although that was well before my time.”

Simon made regular trips to Scotland to see his father, who was also based in Aberdeen back then, and decided that Scotland was a place he wanted to be, opting to study at Heriot-Watt University.

Not knowing what to do with his business degree once he graduated, he went to work in his father’s residential buy-to-let property business for five years from 2004 before making the move into the pub-ownership business after his family renovated and opened a bar which became an overnight success.

Simon explained, “My father was one of the owners The Douglas Hotel in Aberdeen and he decided to buy the bar next door, The Ship Inn, which was in a bit of a sorry state at the time. They completely refurbished it and opened it as an Irish pub called Malones (the hotel restaurant was called Molly’s) and it was an immediate success.”

This is what lit a fire under Simon and his family and then their pub business was born. They then went onto purchase the freeholds for Aberdeen in 2009, Forest Road in Edinburgh in 2010 (which they sold to Caledonia Inns later reopening on the new site of Diane’s Pool Hall after purchasing from Diane McNair) and then Glasgow, on Sauchiehall Street Lane in 2014. The pop-ups were started in Edinburgh to keep the brand name alive in the capital while we looked for a new freehold opportunity which we did in 2018 on Morrison St near Haymarket Station Said Simon, “We were lucky to get Diane’s Pool Hall because at the time we were looking for a new site. This was October 2017 and we opened in February 2018 after a big refurbishment.”

All of his venues are dogfriendly, and Simon has two dogs that couldn’t be more different from SIMON KEANE each other. “I’ve got a Burmese Mountain Dog called Teddy (he looks like a teddy bear) and a dachshund (sausage dog) Albus after Albus Dumbledore. My partner is a massive Harry Potter fan. We also had a doggy Howl-o-ween costume party in Cask Smugglers last year, which was won by a sheepdog dressed as an aircraft pilot,” he explained.

Simon likes to take two big holidays a year because his pub business is a “seven-day a week job” and he finds it impossible to switch off - but it sounds like he may have to sacrifice one of those holidays once those expansion plans start to materialise.

WE’RE LOOKING AT SITES IN DUNDEE, INVERNESS, NEWCASTLE, AND DUBLIN – PLUS WE WOULDN’T SAY NO TO A SECOND SITE IN EDINBURGH.

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PROMOTION

BUNNAHABHAIN WIN BIG AT WORLD WHISKIES AWARDS Bunnahabhain has received five awards across its range at the highly acclaimed World Whiskies Awards.

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he brand’s Bunnahabhain Toiteach A Dhà won in the NonAge Statement breakdown of the Scotch Islay category.

The award-winning non-age statement is a peaty mix which has been blended in a combination of ex bourbon and sherry casks, resulting in a lingering warmth of a dram that has robust length and a delicate sweet sherry influence.

Angeles Marin at Bunnahabhain said: “We are so proud to have been recognised by the judges of these awards in these categories, as we know the competition from our peers on the island is at such a high standard.

“It’s a testament to the work we do here, and we look forward to hearing the final round of results next month.”

Four of the distillery’s other products received a mix of gold and silver certificates across the Scotch Islay category.

Bunnahabhain which means ‘mouth of the river’ in Gaelic, stands at the mouth of Margadale Spring on the shores of the Sound of Islay. Uniquely, the core range is non-peated unlike the other whiskies found on Islay.

Its origins can be traced back to 1879 when William Robertson of Robertson and Baxter Blending House, joined with the Greenlees brothers to create the Islay Distillery Company.

The build took place just four years later, with Bunnahabhain opening in 1883.

During the distillery’s fruition, it relied heavily on sea trade.

Armed only with a small village, a pier and lots of whisky making know-how, the brand’s forefathers received supplies by boat and sent adventuring seafarers back to the mainland with casks of “the good stuff.”

It’s this pioneering and daring perseverance which has made Bunnahabhain what it is today, and what it will continue to be, adventurous in its approach to production, but always classic and old-school at the heart.

The world’s best whisky in each category will be announced on 26 March, with Bunnahabhain competing against the island’s many other distilleries.

Winners broken down by countries will also be announced at the event in London.

The World Whiskies Awards are presented by TheDrinksReport. com.

For Scottish football and rugby fans alike, May 25th 2019 will live long in the memory. For Glasgow Warriors fans, the expectation of a PRO14 final in their home city against Leinster was a mouth-watering prospect. Earlier in the day across The Clyde in Hampden Park, Celtic completed a third successful domestic treble in a 2-1 victory over Hearts in the William Hill Scottish Cup Final.

F

or Premier Sports, this one day in Glasgow represented the culmination of their first season as the Broadcaster responsible for both PRO14 Rugby and The William Hill Scottish Cup. Premier Sports Director Commercial Customers, Graham Byrne was in attendance at both finals; “It was amazing that both competitions’ finals – for which we had only began broadcasting that same season – were held on the same day in Glasgow. For me, experiencing a sold-out Hampden Park and a record-breaking attendance at the PRO14 Final on the same day in the same city with both games being broadcast on Premier Sports, was a really unique and special experience.”

With its origins in GAA as well as European qualifiers featuring Celtic and Rangers, Premier Sports has seen a meteoric rise in its acquisition of sports rights over the past 2 years. Bursting

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onto the scene in 2018, Premier Sports announced that it had secured the exclusive UK rights to broadcast every game from the Guinness PRO14 (including all Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby fixtures) live for the next 3 years.

This was quickly followed in November 2018 with Premier Sports announcing a 6 year deal with the SFA to show the Scottish Cup. The exclusive live rights include; The first 2 picks from round 4, last 16 and quarter-finals and first pick of a semi-final.

Premier Sports also netted the rights to the Betfred Scottish League Cup for 5 years, exclusively broadcasting between 12-16 matches and highlights per season. Graham Byrne continued; “The response and subscriber numbers we received as a result of our PRO14 coverage allowed us to return to the market to become the home of Scottish knockout football.

PROMOTION

These acquisitions have made us a must-have proposition for licenced premises across the whole of Scotland.”

Not wanting to rest on their laurels, January 2019 saw a further announcement that Premier Sports had secured Series A rights until 2021. This agreement meant that Premier Sports would show a minimum of 6 games per Serie A game week.

The agreement also saw the Dutch Eredivisie and Chinese Super League move to the UK sports broadcaster. “Following our acquisitions of both Scottish Cup competitions, we felt the need to continue to build our football rights portfolio and the Italian and Dutch leagues made sense.” Byrne continued; “At this point we also began to investigate the prospect of bringing LaLiga back onto UK TV screens.”

In February 2019, it was announced that Premier Sports had secured LaLiga rights in the UK, showing 4 live matches per round from match-day 25 until the end of the 2018/2019 season. In January 2020, LaLigaTV launched in the UK as part of the Premier Sports pack, promising over 340 live games a season. Regarding its launch, Byrne said; “LaLigaTV offers business subscribers the opportunity of showing their customers every single LaLiga fixture live thanks to LaLiga’s scheduling of individual kick-off times for each match at great times for pubs, clubs and hotels.”

Following the launch of LaLigaTV, Stonegate Pub Company has confirmed that it will be broadcasting LaLigaTV at its sport venues, as the first UK pub group to collaborate on in-venue promotions with LaLiga. Elliott Cantor, Sport Digital Marketing Manager at Stonegate Pub Company said: “I am so excited about this partnership. To be the first pub company in the UK to offer extensive coverage of LaLigaTV is a fantastic opportunity for our pubs. We pride ourselves on our innovative initiatives and continuous improvement to our offer.

“Recent research has shown that 26% of UK consumers are already avid fans of LaLiga football; this is a huge market for us. Sport has always been an important part of our strategy and we are dedicated to investing in our sports pubs to ensure the customer experience is second-to-none.”

Keegan Pierce, International

Development at LaLiga for the UK and Ireland said: “LaLiga offers a world-class television product with distinct kick-off times, allowing publicans to show the best of Spanish football throughout the weekend, including on Saturday and Sunday evenings. We’re excited to team up with Stonegate Pub Company and look forward to building on this partnership in the future.”

Graham Byrne, Director Commercial Customers at Premier Sports said: “Premier Sports are delighted to be able to provide Stonegate venues LaLigaTV for their customers to enjoy. Stonegate continue to be at the forefront of offering the very best of live sport in their venues.”

It’s not hard to see why Premier Sports is the fastest growing sports channel in the UK, with further ambitions of acquiring more content in the near future.

Premier Sports is a subscription service available in thousands pubs, clubs and hotels across the UK. LaLigaTV is part of the Premier Sports pack. For more information, call: 0871 222 8484 or email commercial@premiersports.com

DRAM MARCH 2020 15

ARE YOU READY FOR THE DEPOSIT RETURN SCHEME?

BY JASON CADDY THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT IS PLANNING TO CHARGE AN EXTRA 20P ON SINGLE-USE PLASTIC AND GLASS BOTTLES AND ALUMINIUM CANS NEXT YEAR UNDER A NEW DEPOSIT RETURN SCHEME. JASON CADDY TAKES A LOOK AT WHAT IT WILL MEAN TO YOU. Ten green bottles sitting on your bar, ten green bottles sitting on your bar, and if one green bottle should accidentally fall...who’s going to pay for it? That’s the question we’re asking ahead of the publication of the regulations governing a Scotland-only Deposit Return Scheme which means that everyone purchasing drinks in bottles, single-use plastic containers, and aluminium cans must pay a 20p deposit per container – and that includes the licensed trade.

It’s been suggested that licensees needn’t pass the cost on to the consumer – but is that likely given that you could incur losses through breakages or by bottles and cans going walkabout if you don’t?

The way it will work is that you will have already paid the deposits to your wholesaler/provider at the first transaction. For example, if you order 1000 bottles, this equates to £200 worth of deposits.

All deposits go to the as yet to be formed Scheme Administrator, the body that will oversee the implementation of the scheme, and when all the empty bottles and cans are returned to the Scheme Administrator, the deposits will be refunded to the licensee.

But there’s no provision for breakage in this model - and it’s this that threatens to impact your cashflow. Your business is going to have to wait what could be up to three months before you get your money back. Not to mention having to ‘police’ and ‘housekeep’ the scheme by making sure all of the bottles and cans are collected and stored. Josh Kee from Glasgow’s Oran Mor reckons that on an average weekend they could be looking at over 1000 empty bottles and cans.

Licensees will receive a handling charge for storing and packaging and separating. We don’t know if the deposit will carry VAT or not.

Making Scotland greener by incentivising recycling is what’s behind this of course, but it ignores the fact that licensees already have waste management contracts and are happy to recycle.

Who’s going to be in charge of it?

Overseeing all of the operational arrangements of the DRS, like collection and return of the deposits, as well as the collection of all the cans and bottles that you’ll have to store, will be the as yet to be established Scheme Administrator. This will be a not-for-profit organisation ( funded apparently by the cash raised from deposits that are not reclaimed and from the sale of recycable material which sugests that they aren’t expecting a 100 per cent return).

The Scottish government says the scheme is not their responsibility and expects the drinks industry to run and police the scheme which is why The Scotch Whisky Association, The Scottish Wholesale Association, and The Scottish Beer and Pub Association are all in discussions with Scottish government ministers about right now as part of an advisory group.

But the effectiveness of Scheme Administrator, which is modelled on an EU model has been called into question by Colin Smith, Chief Executive of the Scottish Wholesale Association because quite simply trading arrangements in the EU differ from our own.

He said, “The market in Europe is different to the UK market.

We have a more fragmented wholesale market whereas Europe has a direct supply route. Our wholesalers supply many smaller independent pubs, for example, so when you try to apply this model based on a direct route and overlay on a fragmented market it could be unworkable.”

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Trial and error A trial by Zero Waste Scotland, the results of which should be published imminently, has thrown up some major concerns for Willie Macleod, UKHospitality’s Director for Scotland.

He said, “We are waiting for the results back from Zero Waste Scotland of a pilot DRS scheme in which three businesses participated, including a hotel with a busy bar and restaurant, and I know that they had a problem with storage because the empty bottles and cans took greater handling than is required at present.

As well as storage implications, there were also concerns expressed that the containers provided weren’t adequate for the job. “ “In fact, the longer we’re involved in this the more we need to know.

There is still a lot of detail to emerge. We have concerns about the government’s plan to make it operational in quarter one or two of next year, at the same time as the proposed tourist tax, which would be overload for businesses.”

Willie is also concerned that licensees will need on-going business support. He explained, “There are also going to be issues further down the line and I’ve been in discussions with other trade groups about how we can assist with things like accounting and IT systems.

And if you have a waste management contract already in place, the DRS must work in tandem with it rather than replace it. Willie Macleod explained, “When Waste Scotland regulations came in last September, governing the separation of paper, plastic, glass and metal, most hospitality businesses entered into waste management contracts. Now, certain aluminium, glass, and glass must be disposed of under the DRS system. But some items that are made of the same materials but are not the scope of DRS, like catering size cans and plastic jars and marmalade containers still need to be recycled, so they still require a separate waste management contract.”

What do licensees think?

Michael Bergson, owner of SoHo Glasgow Bars & Restaurants, says, “We are fully behind recycling but I hope that this scheme isn’t going to create another cost on top of rates, recycling and wages going up. We want a vibrant bar scene like Dublin and Berlin, but is this going to hinder this if I have to charge customers an extra 20p on a bottle of beer – there’s a tipping point for both customers and businesses. I fear that this could lead to some business closures.

Plus if customers start abandoning bottles for pints, they take longer to pour and this has a staffing cost impact.”

Alan Tomkins, who owns Vroni’s, Blue Dog and Urban Bar Brasserie, Glasgow, comments, “Funnily enough I was discussing this with one of my suppliers this morning and although we must embrace this, I can’t help but feel that the licensed trade is going to have to absorb some of the cost of breakages, etc., or even pass on this cost, or part of the cost, to the customer.”

David Hall, of Vespa, Edinburgh, told DRAM, “Off the top of my head, my initial reaction is if I was absorbing costs as a result of this scheme, I would build it in rather than add it on. The additional costs facing licensees are relentless and we need to protect margins.”

Donald MacLeod, Hold Fast Entertainment, “What next? Are we going to have to have security around bins to stop bin rakers?

I’m sick to the back teeth of extra charges and penalties that are strangling of business. It’s an absolute joke.”

Trust us to take your empties away.

Biffa is licenced to handle all types of waste for all kinds of businesses.

Our services to the licence trade include the collection of cardboard, paper, plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, food tins and drinks cans. We look after large and small businesses. We’re easy to do business with. And, if you’re based in or around Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, or Inverness, we’re on your doorstep.

Visit biffa.co.uk/scotland for a quote.

Fraser McIlwraith from Dark Arts Drinks comments,

“Skinny Brands gave us 10 cases of their lo-cal beer (89 calories per bottle) and we gave them to a group of 100 crossfitters (with whom I also train) to sample at Christmas. The feedback we got was that while they watched what they ate when they were out for a drink calorie counting went out the window.

They would perhaps try to avoid the really calorific stuff, but as far as this beer went, which they said tasted great incidentally, they just weren’t swayed by lowcal alcoholic brands. In a wider sense, customers’ attitudes and perceptions just aren’t quite there yet.”

According to Neilsen data, 40% of hard seltzer drinkers in the US are repeat customers.

Hard seltzers - sparkling water with alcohol and natural flavours – have taken the US by storm. Typically made from a fermented sugar or malt base, most products in this category tout their health benefits—such as low sugar, low carbs, gluten-free. Low alcohol actually gets second billing on labels. One such brand is AB InBev’s Mike’s Hard Sparkling Water, now available in Wetherspoons.

“NO AND LOW ALCOHOL - THERE’S A DEMAND FOR IT, BUT SO FAR THE AMERICAN CRAZE FOR LO-CAL DRINKS HASN’T YET REACHED GLASGOW, AT LEAST AS FAR AS OUR CUSTOMERS ARE CONCERNED. THAT’S NOT TO SAY THAT WE AREN’T READY TO RESPOND TO THE DEMAND SHOULD IT HAPPEN IN THESE CHANGING TIMES.” MICHAEL DICKSON, GM, BAR 91, GLASGOW

The low-alcohol craze isn’t entirely new. Brewers decades ago discovered consumers who valued less over more. “Great taste—less filling” became an early catch phrase soon after Miller Lite was introduced in 1975. Other beer producers quickly followed. Ads focused on the low calories in each can or bottle. Today, light beers fill six of the top 10 spots in the U.S. beer market, according to Beer Markets Insights.

The topselling seltzer in the US is White Claw - which has already registered its trademark in the UK. So watch this space.

Hard seltzer and its adjacent products have a 2.6% market share of all beverage alcohol in the US.

Lo-Cal

SkinnyBrands Premium Lager - contains on average 72% fewer carbs than other lagers.

It has an ABV of 4% and only 89 calories* whilst also being vegan, gluten-free and kosher.

SkinnyBrands Premium Lager is called ‘skinny’ because it has 35% fewer calories than other premium lagers.

Lo-Cal alcoholic drinks are a big hit in the USA. But are UK customers switching on to this trend yet? Here are some views from the trade, together with stats and product info should you decide you want to ride this wave.

Diageo’s Ketel One Botanical Vodka is 82 calories per measure. This vodka is distilled with fruit and comes in three flavours: peach and orange blossom, cucumber and mint, and grapefruit and rose.

“In the 24 years I’ve worked here, no customer has every requested a low-cal alcohol alternative. I’m pretty openminded about new trends but I don’t think that this is going to be a category that is going to take off.”

Gary Middleton, GM, The Birds and the Bees, Stirling

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US Hard Seltzer consumption is set to triple by 2023.

Total annual sales of hard seltzer in the US are about 82.5m nine-litre cases and IWSR Drinks Market Analysis expects that to triple and reach more than 281m cases by 2023.

Gen!us Craft Lager, the UK’s first light craft lager, is a 3% ABV lager which contains 1 unit of alcohol per can and only 79 calories, fewer than an apple. Its new cans will feature full, foodstandard nutrition facts and Vegan Society accreditation - a first for UK craft beer.

78% of 18-35year olds are making calorie conscious decisions when drinking alcohol.

A figure that is up 22% from 2018.

In the USA...

AB InBev, Constellation Brands, Molson Coors and Carlsberg are all wanting a piece of the hard seltzer action. AB InBev launched Natty Light Seltzer last year, followed by Bud Light Seltzer at the start of this year. Constellation Brands is spending $40m – its biggestever single brand investment - on Corona Hard Seltzer.

incorporating the DRAM AWARDS 2020

Hilton Hotel Glasgow - 25th August 2020

FINAL AWARD CATEGORIES NEXT MONTH

VOTING OPEN FROM 20TH MARCH AT WWW.SCOTTISHBARANDPUBAWARDS.COM

AWARD CATE incorporating the DRAM AWARDS 2020

CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD

EMERGING ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

COMMUNITY PUB OF THE YEAR

INDEPENDENT PUB GROUP OF THE YEAR

WHISKY GURU OF THE YEAR

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 and if necessary this will be followed up with a meeting with the judges. If you want to put a nomination in, do so now.

Buzzworks and Montpeliers are partnering to offer one emerging entrepreneur the opportunity to be mentored by one of the industry’s most experienced and successful individuals over a twelve-month period. Are you successful already, but would hugely benefit from great operational and financial advice, to allow your business to grow to the next level? If so let us know what you think you would benefit. All candidates will be interviewed too.

At Carling, we’re proud to be Made Local and we believe all over Scotland people are making it where they are from. Local community pubs are at the heart of the Scottish licensed trade, and as the UK’s #1 lager, Carling is committed to supporting local and regional community projects through it’s Made Local Fund. This year, we are looking for a like-minded pub that shares the same ethos. Do you get involved in supporting local projects too or do you know a pub that does? Whether its charity events, or using local artists or suppliers, getting involved in sponsoring the local football team or backing local musicians – the judges will be looking for pubs that are not only part of the community but support it too. So if you know a pub like this or you work in one, or even own one – let us know. Enter at www.scottishbarandpubawards.com

Cellar Trends and its supporting brands of Stolichnaya Premium Vodka, Brockmans Premium Gin, Luxardo and Finest Call Cocktail Mixes/Puree’s is on the look-out for Scotland’s top Independent Pub Group. Groups that look set to impress the judges will be dynamic and forward-thinking, with a taste for growth and expansion and a commitment to investing in their employees. You don’t have to be big but you do have to be good. Enter your nominees at www.scottishbarandpubawards.com

Are you passionate about all things whisky, with a bold and industrious spirit? Do you love to share your whisky knowledge with your colleagues and customers, but dare to do things a bit differently? Or do you know someone that inspires you when it comes to whisky, with their hard work, optimism and authenticity? This category, ‘Whisky Guru of the Year’, is for people who not only have a great knowledge of whisky but are bold and fearless educators and advocates, with a real passion for craft. It is open to all on-trade employees or employers whether in the bar, pub, restaurant or hotel industry.

EGORIES 2020

DOG-FRIENDLY PUB OF THE YEAR

CONNOISSEURS CHOICE WHISKY BAR OF THE YEAR

THE SEA CHANGE EVOLUTION AWARD

The Scottish Bar & Pub Awards are hunting for a pub that provides a welcome for pet dogs. Do 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 and if you think you are the most DogFriendly Pub in Scotland get your customers voting! The two-legged variety!

Gordon & MacPhail’s Connoisseur’s Choice range gives a platform to many of Scotland’s single malt distilleries from across all regions, some of which have never before been bottled as a single malt. The company believes that every distillery has a personality of its own, and this year the company is looking for a whisky bar with personality that has an excellent range of whiskies. Staff should be well trained and enthusiastic when it comes to recommending whisky to their customers and a good Scottish welcome is also important. Do you know a bar worth nominating or do you think you are that bar?

Sea Change is a range of environmentally conscious wines that are now being distributed

by Inverarity Morton and this year, in the same spirit, Inverarity Morton is looking for a hospitality business with the same ethos. Do you know a business, or are you a business, that is adopting a more sustainable way of working - whether by introducing eco wines to your wine list or moving from plastic to glass? Or have you introduced any other evolutionary concept with regard to how you sell your wine? Perhaps you encourage your staff to get involved in local conservation efforts or are a dab hand at recycling? It all counts. We are looking for a business that gives back to the environment and thinks in an evolutionary fashion for this award.

NEW BAR OF THE YEAR

Kopparberg is on the lookout for Scotland’s best new 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.

WEE GUIDE RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR

Our Wee Guides highlight the best places to eat and drink in Scotland and this year we are on the lookout for the best of the best. Locally sourced produce and tasty well-presented food are pre-requisites as is good service and a pleasant environment. Do you know a great restaurant or are you one. If so get your customers, staff and reps voting now.

incorporating the DRAM AWARDS 2020

WELLBEING IN HOSPITALITY AWARD

PUB OF THE YEAR

AWARD CATEGORIES 2020 Are you a business that cares not only about the physical wellbeing of your employees but their mental wellbeing too? Or do you work for a business that invests in your health and wellbeing? Whether it’s a pub group, hotel business, a bar or a restaurant … we want to know what steps are being taken to walk the walk. Whether it’s a fresh initiative or a way of business, we love to the businesses that are really making a difference when it comes to the health and wellbeing of employees.

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.scottishbarandpubawards.com and tell us why you think you are eligible for ‘Pub of the Year’.

FINAL CATEGORIES TO BE REVEALED NEXT MONTH VOTING AT: WWW.SCOTTISHBARANDPUBAWARDS.COM

Photos by Ross Dunn

53 John Finnie Street, Kilmarnock

THE DUKE

DESIGN FOCUS

T

he quality of the fit-out hits you just as soon as you reach for the big brass handle on the heavy wooden inner door of the vestibule entrance to Buzzworks Holdings’ newly refurbished and re-branded Kilmarnock cafe-bar The Duke. Etched into the glass are the words ‘First Class All Day Long,’ and they weren’t wrong. No corners have been cut in this corner unit.

It was purchased by the now Kilmarnock-based operator (it not long moved its HQ to the town) in November last year. This is when the transformation began on this beautiful sandstone building, most recently home to Lucky 7, its change of name inspired by the railway line that used Scotland’s first-ever steam locomotive from Kilmarnock to Troon Harbour.

Colin Blair, Buzzworks Holdings Chairman, said, “Once again we worked with acclaimed designer Jim Hamilton to bring our casually eclectic interior vision to life for this classic all-day café bar. The mix of solid oak and walnut tables and cosy sofas provide a welcoming atmosphere, alongside statement pieces such as the marble bar and

BY JASON CADDY furniture Jim has gathered from his travels across Europe.”

He continued, “This is our new cafe-bar brand and it reflects the fact that we see the market moving towards a more casual offering.

Customers don’t want to be tied into ordering two courses, and we are happy to accommodate that in The Duke.”

Vanilla Joe’s supply The Duke’s ice cream, Mills Milk its dairy products.

The thought that went into the design follows you around as your eyes survey all that is going on in an interior top and tailed with exposed stone and brick walls and equally as arresting wooden floors.

The bar itself, complete with beautiful marble top, is the first thing that you’re confronted by once you get inside. It must have one of Scotland’s most beautiful bar-fronts to boot – a carved wood creation of patterns and shapes that look like they could have been discovered at Machu Picchu. This is perhaps my favourite bit.

Metal shelves with a gold patina house glasses above the bar and the mounted on the wall behind it is a huge matching gold-framed mirror bearing The Duke’s logo and reflecting daylight into the space, DRAM MARCH 2020 23

DESIGN FOCUS compromised slightly at the windows themselves because of the horizontal wooden blinds. To the upper left-hand side of the mirror is a set of shelves with plants cascading down from them, which you may not necessarily notice right away.

Some big old candlesticks sit on the windowsills and look to me like the tops of totem poles caked in churchy melted candle wax. Around the outer windowed walls of the bar, along its corner edge, stretches a tan leather banquette that has been paired with recycled wooden tables which have been recycled from a floor of its new office in Kilmarnock. The overall lived-in look works and doesn’t detract from the quality of the finish.

In the middle of the space is a banquette island – upholstered in green velvet this time and at its centre, a collection of lamps, vases and plants. Next to it, two big chunky standard lamps stand, one with a rust coloured shade, the other black with a floral print. The other seating on the far side of the tables that surround it is a cocktail of wooden and wicker chairs.

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Above all of this is a concrete ceiling with exposed ventilation pipes that add a further touch of the ultra-modern in what is a fairly historic building. It’s also dotted with pendant lights with shades that look like birdcages, in both black and white. The lozenge-shaped wall lights that capture a type of air-raid shelter chic – in a good way.

No corner has been left untouched at The Duke – even the windowless wall, panelled and painted mostly dove great with a little alcove of green, has a story to tell thanks to all the pictures that cover it from top to bottom. There’s everything from abstract, to trees, landscapes and faces - all providing bright shocks of contrasting colours to the rest of Jim’s palette.

On the way up the stairs to the toilets – named Dukes and Duchesses – is where even more artwork lives, in the form of children’s paintings.

The toilets themselves are painted in a rich, calming green, and with that now trademark Buzzworks’ quality finish that tells me that there the word ‘afterthought’ is not in their vocabulary. n

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DRAM MARCH 2020 25

IMMIGRATION REFORM: HOW TO PREPARE YOUR BUSINESS

H

ow is post-Brexit immigration reform likely to affect The low numbers can be attributed to the fact that the drink sector and how should organisations businesses in the sector have not required a Sponsor mitigate the potential impact? licence to employ skilled non-EU workers because they The days of crystal ball gazing on immigration reform are have been able to source their international talent through over. The UK Government has set out its direction of travel free movement within the EU. with a headline-grabbing policy statement on immigration, A minimum salary will need to be paid to all sponsored including its surprise announcement that there will be no workers - the higher of the minimum salary threshold temporary route for so-called “low skilled workers”. (£25,600 for most applicants in this sector, although a So how should businesses in the drink sector respond to lower salary threshold for those under the age of 26 is the proposals and best prepare for expected) and a specific occupation the very significant changes ahead? rate. How this plays out in practice There are three key aspects of the is best illustrated by the two sector UK Government’s announcement examples in the table below. that will affect the drink sector. For While the vast majority of the many, particularly those that are sector’s new skilled overseas heavily reliant on EU nationals to fill workforce will need to come to the occupations in drink manufacturing UK via the new sponsorship route, and transport, the most significant there is the possibility that the change is that there will be no route sector may secure some of its new to recruit so-called “low skilled” overseas talent through the recently workers. announced Global Talent route.

The impacts of the reform will There will be a broader, unsponsored also apply to the sector’s skilled route available to both EU and nonworkforce. In 2018, the Food and EU nationals allowing the most highly Drink Federation reported that 19% skilled workers to come to the UK of skilled workers in the food and drink without a specific job offer. The Home sector were from the EU. If the sector Office has said it will cap this route wishes to retain that percentage and explore proposals for awarding Jacqueline Moore, Head of then future EU nationals will have points on factors such as academic Immigration at Shepherd to apply under the new immigration qualifications, age and relevant work and Wedderburn route for “skilled workers.” Under experience. This may be a route in the new skilled route (essentially a future for R&D positions. reworking of the existing Sponsorship system), all overseas So what should drink sector businesses be doing now citizens will need to fulfil an English language requirement to address these challenges? Those who do not already and have a job offer from a sponsored employer, which have a Sponsor licence should consider getting one - the must meet both a skills and salary threshold (there are UK Government specifically advises doing so. Employers some exceptions to the salary threshold if the job is on should also reassure their existing EU workers. They should a skills shortage list or the overseas citizen has a PhD communicate the terms of the EU Settlement Scheme and relevant to their role). consider further support, such as providing one-to-one Currently, over 31,000 businesses and organisations sessions for EU staff with immigration specialists. Finally, across the UK hold Sponsor licences; however the number free movement continues to offer a recruitment pipeline of drinks businesses that hold a Sponsor licence is relatively until the end of 2020, and employers should explore small, and there are only three distilleries listed currently recruitment opportunities in Europe while this opportunity as holding Sponsor licences. still exists.

EXAMPLE 1

EXAMPLE 2

Step 1: find the job code

Research and development engineer (SOC Code 2126)

Logistics Controller (SOC Code 4134)

Step 2: identify the appropriate rate

£33,000 based on a 39-hour week

£21,000 based on a 39-hour week

Step 3: pro-rata the rate to your conditions

£33,846 based on a 40-hour contract

£20,192 based on a 37.5-hour contract

Step 4: compare to the appropriate minimum salary threshold

The minimum salary threshold is expected to be £25,600 and so you must pay the higher salary of £33,846

The minimum salary threshold is expected to be £25,600 and so you must pay the higher salary of £25,600

For more information, contact Jacqueline Moore, Head of Immigration at Shepherd and Wedderburn, on 0131 473 5451 or at jacqueline.moore@shepwedd.com.

IMMIGRATION: A VERY THORNY ISSUE...

BY JASON CADDY

T

he hospitality industry is up in arms over the UK government plans not to award so-called ‘low-skilled’ workers visas under post-Brexit immigration plans. There is already a staff shortage in Scotland and the new plans will, say publicans, hoteliers and restaurateurs, decimate the industry.

What exactly has Home Secretary Priti Patel proposed that has caused this reaction? Workers from European Economic Area countries currently have the right to live and work in the UK irrespective of their salary or skill level. But this will end on 31 December, when the 11-month post-Brexit transition period ends. In its place, there’ll be a points-based system.

The salary threshold for skilled workers wanting to come to Paul Stevenson, Owner, Paesano Pizza & Sugo said, “This is going to be catastrophic. Priti Patel does not live in the real world if she thinks that the 11 million unemployed are going to fill these jobs. It’s absolute nonsense and so far from reality, it’s frightening. I employ 200 people – 140 of whom are Italian. These are skilled workers that I won’t be able

to replace.

What with this and the hike in my rates, I just feel like throwing in the towel.”

Nicola Taylor, Chief Executive, Chardon Management commented, “I can’t believe the government has the audacity to label all these professions unskilled. If we were we’d surely be using robots by now. But we as an industry can’t automate. A robot can’t make a bed. To go digital would be very difficult - can we leave a hotel unmanned? What about the threat of fire? Plus the biggest revenue generators in for the central pot are VAT and PAYE are going to be severely affected without people working in jobs.

In Scotland we need free movement, so we’re going to have to think about attracting staff from England, Wales and Ireland by reducing tax at the lower end.

“The prospect of recruiting from a global pool, while quite exciting, might not be workable. We employ 250 people – 45% of which were from the EU before the drop in sterling (many of our staff sent money home). This has decreased to 25% and this is mainly in the central belt.

the UK is being lowered from £30,000 to £25,600 and the definition of skilled workers to include those educated to A-level/ Scottish Highers-equivalent standard, not just graduate level.

Overseas citizens would have to reach 70 points to be able to work in the UK. Points are being awarded for the ability to speak English and they must have the offer of a skilled job with an ‘approved sponsor’. More points would be awarded for qualifications, the salary on offer and working in a sector with shortages.

However, there are no plans for visas for workers who do not meet these criteria – in other words, all hospitality workers from all tiers of our industry.

This is what Nic Wood, Owner, Signature Pubs had to say: “It’s already had an impact on our business - like European workers looking for work. We have a shortage of staff, particularly in the kitchen, and this is only going to make this process even more difficult. As a company, we have already had to revise the way that we train our kitchen staff – i.e. from scratch. I don’t think for one minute that this is going to drive wages up or do away with low-skilled workers. It just means fewer people to fulfil the roles.

“We run a couple of Italian cuisine venues and Italians aren’t coming over here in droves any more looking for work, likewise those from Eastern Europe. These are all good, hard working, reliable people that saved their money and wanted to work long hours. This is a big loss to the industry and this will be challenging for the whole industry.

This has also had an impact on tourism and on my foreign members of staff feeling secure enough to stay. All this uncertainty hasn’t helped us at all.”

Lisa Wishart, Managing Director, Lisini Pub Co. said, “My fear is that this is going to impact on hospitality businesses in rural parts of Scotland. I also feel that the points system and the salary threshold implies that in order to employ someone from the EU they are going to have to be paid more pro rata than a Scottish/British national.

I also fear for the future of my workforce, 5 per cent being from the EU. We also have a national shortage of chefs already, so I think that this is yet another nail in the coffin for the hospitality industry taking away the flexibility for operators to employ who they want.”

DRAM MARCH 2020 27

David Wither, Chairman of Montepliers said, “This is going to be challenging to our industry.

We have always struggled to get housekeeping, cleaning and kitchen staff and if these proposals materialise this is only going to become even harder. I also hope that the people we currently employ from the EU are allowed to stay.”

Stephen White owner of the Kidbrooke Group said, “The UK government is taking a hard right approach to this situation - effectively denying people the opportunity to work in hospitality. This is severely disappointing. The UK government is using its large majority to push this extreme agenda that will only go to fuel xenophobia (dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries) which will be fermented, discouraging EU workers from remaining in the UK as they feel increasingly more uncomfortable.

“The last stats I saw said that there were 2.7M EU workers registered in the UK - and even if they were interested, there just aren’t enough people registered on the unemployment register in the UK to fill these roles when you whittle it down to who is fit to work.”

Calum Ross - GM, Hilton Glasgow said, “Clearly this is going to make life very difficult for all of us in hospitality.

We have developed a real reliance on people from Eastern European countries in the last five to 10 years.

If that stream of labour dries up, it is going to require a lot of operational change.

I guess that the businesses that this more specifically impacts are full-service hotels. The focus-service guys have a little more protection.”

Angela Vickers, Chief Executive, Apex Hotels was disappointed, “It’s disappointing to see new immigration criteria formulated without considering the requirements of the hospitality industry, a sector crucial to the country’s economy and a major employer across a range of skilled roles. EU migrants account for almost half the UK’s hospitality workforce and the new points-based system will have a huge impact on this, despite our best efforts to adapt accordingly and prepare for Brexit.

Our close links with schools and colleges to provide work experience, placement and employment opportunities; apprenticeship schemes; and targeted recruitment drives simply cannot plug the significant skills shortage that is likely to transpire. As a priority, the sector must come together to think creatively about how to overcome this impending challenge.”

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Michael Bergson, Owner of SoHo Bars and Restaurants, Glasgow had to say: “This is not going to do us any favours. Most small companies find it hugely challenging to recruit at all levels. Couple that with wage increases (all our staff are being paid another £1 an hour), rising costs, rates, sustainability, provenance...how much more can we take as an industry?

At no point do I want to keep Scots out of work but certain talents do lie beyond our shores, plus hospitality just isn’t taken seriously as an industry by all. We’re already facing a massive chef shortage at every level and these have been filled by Australians, Romanians, and Polish people who were happy to pick up these jobs. They filled gaps rather than keeping anybody else out of work.

Pretty quickly the government is going to have to move back on this one or customers are going to be wondering why they’re paying £7 a pint.”

Steve Macfarlane - Owner, Glenuig Inn said, “We know that we are a valuable industry that generates billions for the economy. We know we employ hundreds of thousands of people.

But these proposals tell us that the government doesn’t share this view.

Sadly, these proposals only reinforce hospitality as an undesirable career yet if you go to Italy, say, there are waiters in their mid-50s loving what they do and making a decent living from what they deem a respectable hospitality career.

“So let’s see this as an opportunity to sort this one out once and for all and from the grassroots up, starting with education and what is taught at school about healthy career options.”

Stephen Leckie, Chairman and Chief Executive, Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels commented, “I’m hoping that the government will re-think this. Apart from being offensive about low-skilled workers, the proposed points system just won’t work. On average 1 in 5 of our workforce are from foreign countries and the government have said that we should find and train local folk – if you can show me the local folk are I’d be delighted to

employ them.

In some of our hotels, we provide live-in accommodation, including food and drink and if we removed these folk, then the business would have to close.

“If we were to pay the proposed minimum wage, which in round figures is £12 per hour times a 40 hour week, it would add another £4M onto our payroll figure so we would have to increase our revenue by 25 per cent overnight.

I can assure you – if we could do this we would. If our business is a microcosm of what is going on elsewhere, then other hotels will have to do the same.”

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DRAM MARCH 2020 29

Forbes of Kingennie Country Resort, Dundee DD5 3RD

THE SCULLERY DESIGN FOCUS

BY JASON CADDY

T

he Scullery is the new name for The Waterside Restaurant at Forbes of Kingennie Country Resort, just outside Dundee.

It has just reopened following a £60K refurbishment.

Husband and wife team Michael and Gail Forbes, together with their daughter Libby are the owners of the resort.

Libby said, ‘We wanted to create a warm and welcoming space with innovative design elements. Laid-back and light-filled during the day, then cosy and intimate by night.’

They’ve also said that the Scullery encompasses all the elements that were loved by guests previously, including the waterside views, but with fresh décor, inspired by the natural Scottish surroundings and a new bold colour palate, booth seating, quirky river tables and a statement wine cellar.

The Scullery’s fresh produce is supplied by Les Turriff.

Design highlights for us include unique thistle wallpaper, a wine cellar designed and crafted by the in-house blacksmith along with, industrial style lighting and River Tables in Elm wood with a blue epoxy resin running through the middle of them to reflect the rugged Scottish riverscape. Each table is totally unique, in fact, formed with natural elm wood creating natural living edges. The statement piece is the large five-metre Feasting River Table, which guests can hire out for gatherings and celebrations. The booth seating is constructed with high-end Italian leather, made from naturally cured cow-hide built by Suite Illusions.

Another new addition to the resort is The Wee Tea Room, a neighbouring space to The Scullery, that offers an area for guests to enjoy a coffee and a cake, with a natural backdrop of greenery to create an outside-in feel as well as a stone floor, with flagstones sourced locally.

This area brings together all the dining spaces - The Cairn O’Mount Bar, The Scullery and the outdoor veranda - and ties together the re-design beautifully. n

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Proud to supply Forbes Of Kingennie.

Our best wishes for your continued success.

9 Tom Johnston Road West Pitkerro Industrial Estate Dundee DD4 8XD Orderline 01382 77 38 38 Fax 01382 77 38 39 Fresh Produce To The Catering Trade

OBITUARY

BY ANGUS A. MELDRUM

DONALD CLARK 18.7.1944 —19.1.2020

T

he Scottish Licensed Trade has just lost one of its greatest ever family hoteliers and most loved of leaders both in the licensed trade and in so many walks of life throughout Scotland. Donald, or Big D of Inveraray as we all called him, was born 75 years ago and spent 55 years running the famous George Hotel in Inveraray, the 6th generation of the Clark Family in the business. In our industry he rose nationally to become President of the SLTA, a Keeper of the Quaich, a Lifetime Achievement Award winner, a Director of The BEN, winner of many hotel awards for the George Hotel, and locally in Argyll served as a Councillor, on Tourism boards and was the most influential business person politically in the West Highlands.

Big D was a larger than life character, a genial giant, a great bloke and always had a joke, a Highland story or any story (sometimes quite improbable !!) and always ready for a laugh. He was the most sociable, gregarious, witty, hospitable, generous and kindest person one could ever meet and eternally loyal to friends and in business (indeed he carried on the Clark Family loyalty to Tennent’s as the brewery’s most continuous customer at The George for 160 years).

He will be sorely missed in Inveraray and The George may be a quieter place---but his legacy will be proudly carried on by his family and his many thousands of friends worldwide with whom he made friends instantly wherever he went.

We will always remember him holding court not only in the bar of The George, but in the beer and whisky tents at various events like the annual Inveraray Highland Games the home of the World Caber Tossing Championships that he sponsored, Sheep Dog Trials, roast beef picnics from the boot of his 6 litre Mercedes at Murrayfield rugby internationals with a blown up sheep flying high above it, Shinty matches, West Highland Yachting Weeks sailing the Firth of Lorne and the Sound of Mull, turning up at Fancy Dress Parties (he once came dressed hilariously as an Indian Squaw at a licensed trade dance !!), many “sampling” trips to vineyards and breweries all over Europe, holding court at his favourite table in his loved Trattoria Trevi formerly in Glasgow, and of course carousing with the locals in Collioure, France where he had his lovely holiday home and known locally as “Le Grand Écossais” !!

He supported many charities both local and national, both publicly and in private, and supported many sports and events like Shinty,

Curling, Piping, etc --- he was ecstatic the year Inveraray Pipe Band supported by him won the World Pipe Band Championships for the first time.

He was also a man of fearless principle and not frightened to take on any cause for the Inveraray community like the closure of the local bank, the nonsense of the regular landslip blockages of the road to Inveraray with its damage to local businesses for days on end (which happened again on the day of his funeral but failed to prevent everyone attending), etc. Not frightened to take on pompous and arrogant individuals either. Many hilarious stories about his escapades were recalled at his funeral service but one of my favourites not recalled was when he took on a famous London-based film director with a well-known penchant for rudeness and pomposity. The film director’s latest cinema film was being partly shot at Inveraray and the Castle, which was good news for the town but the film director was totally obnoxious and arrogant with the locals. He also left without paying his sizeable bill at the George Hotel. He ignored reminders but not to be defeated an incensed Donald, friends and press set off to London to present his bill to the smarmy film director in his grand office in London. Confronting the bully at his polished mahogany desk worked and Donald got his bill paid in full !! In that confrontation, there was only going to be one winner and that was Big D !! Donald’s dramatic acting skills had come in handy—his voice still stars in the courtroom enactment for tourists in the Inveraray Jail and Courthouse Museum!!

In his younger days he was a consummate sportsman and supporter playing in the scrum for West of Scotland Rugby first team along with legendary rugby internationalist Sandy Carmichael, Water Skiing, Curling, Shinty, Yachting, etc and lover of music, fiddlers rallies, etc.

A big man in every way who led a full and varied life bringing cheer and a feeling of success and positive thinking wherever he went.

We all thought he was indestructible and would defeat all obstacles, but pancreatic cancer got him in the end although a blessing it was a very short illness. He leaves a huge and varied legacy of achievement, fun and laughter to Donald Jnr, Kris, grandchildren and his longstanding beloved partner Jane. Big Donald was loved by us all and will never be forgotten.

DRAM MARCH 2020 33

@dramscotland

SUE SAYS!

/dram.scotland

This issue we have launched our 2020 Awards – our 25thanniversary event. By next issue we will have all the final sponsorships in place, so be sure and get your customers and staff to vote for you. You have to be in it to win it. Check out the information on the dedicated website which will be live from the middle of March. www.scottishbarandpubawards. com I went to Inveraray for Donald Clark’s funeral – we go back a long way, and what a character he was. He funeral reflected that – there was much laughter among the sadness. He certainly lived a full life and obviously touched so many people with his humour. His nephew said he had “funny bones, he certainly did. Angus Meldrum has written a great obituary (on page 33). What was also lovely was to walk into the George Hotel for the purvey and find a few of Glasgow’s bar folk behind the bar which allowed the staff to have the day off.

Well done Frank Murphy and Gordy Hughes et al – you certainly put in a shift and it was much appreciated by all. I heard a rumour it went on to 5 am... I am sure Donald would have approved!

Now, I don’t think of David Smillie, one of the organisers of the Bartenders Ball, and a drinks co BDM, as a political commentator. But I have to say I agreed wholeheartedly with his recent post on the Glasgow Bartenders Facebook when he took exception to the term ‘low-skilled’ in reference to the hospitality industry, saying, “Every single one of you is a skilled worker to your colleagues, guests and those who employ you.”

Well said. There is nothing low-skilled about the hospitality industry but is it hardly surprising that we find it so difficult to encourage people to make it a career when our very politicians denigrate it. Home Secretary Priti Patel has said there are no visas for low-skilled workers and is banging on about highly qualified recruits to the UK... does she not understand that the hospitality industry is highly qualified – with life skills and service skills, financial skills and people skills in fact hospitality is actually just about every job that you ever knew rolled into one.

So, last month the Scottish Government dismissed proposals to scrap the uniform business rates (UBR) system. It had been mooted that local councils could set the UBR... which would undoubtedly

lead to increases rates, however, I am not sure it has not all been a red herring to divert the trade from challenging the current unfair system of rates in hospitality – which are based on turnover. Call me a cynic! Someone threw a googly in, but let’s now get back to focussing on changing system before the next rates revaluation comes into force on 1 April 2022. The next 12 months will be critical if we are to change the way rates are applied in the on-trade.

Not much time folks.

The 2020 UN Climate Change Conference is expected to take place from 9-19 November 2020, in Glasgow. It was PM Boris Johnson himself who chose Glasgow as the location for the summit. The proposed police cost is £250m plus alone but nobody has come out and said that Glasgow could be shut down over the two-week period. Who is going to cover the cost of that for businesses that are affected?

Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the Centre for Retail Research says the Scottish economy will benefit to the tune of £150m plus and Susan Aitken, Glasgow City Council leader has come up with the figure of a £73m boost for the hospitality sector. But there is a flaw here as Professor Bamfield points out... warning that movement restrictions and road closures are likely to cause havoc for shoppers, businesses and city centre workers. The fact that you can’t get to shops, and roads are blocked, will make things difficult for retailers and people getting to work. It’s time we were told exactly what the restrictions are going to be – because I have heard that the city centre will be closed to traffic and public transport.

Mind you if the current Coronvirus near pandemic continues to wreak havoc it may not happen at all.

Congrats to Marco Sarao who has just opened The Auldhouse Inn in East Kilbride. I headed along to his soft launch and it was great. I am sure he will make a big success of The Auldhouse as he’s made of The Swan in Eaglesham. More on the refurbished bar next month.

And last but not least the BEN dinner took place at the beginning of February. It was great to see some familiar faces.

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been attending the BEN dinner for 30 years!!

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: news@mediaworldltd.com w: dramscotland.co.uk Publisher-Editor Susan Young • Editor Jason Caddy • Chairman Noel Young • Commercial Head Justin Wingate • Advertising Julia Smith Production Fiona Gauld, Jack Thompson • Admin Cheryl Cook 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 2020. Printed by Stephens & George Print Group.

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DRAM MARCH 2020

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DRAM MARCH 2020 37

ROUNDUP @dramscotland

/dram.scotland

THE BEN DINNER The BEN Dinner happened last month at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Glasgow Central. Here are some snaps from the event.

BUZZWORKS BALL Buzzworks Holdings hosted its annual Buzzworks Ball recently and recognised the achievements of 15 outstanding members of staff. See the pics to the right.

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DRAM MARCH 2020

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