DRAM June 2021

DRAM

367

DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

@dramscotland

DRAM AWARDS

2021

2021 SCOTTISH BAR & PUB AWARDS LAUNCH ISSUE

DRAM MAGAZINE June 2021 ISSN 1470-241X

/dram.scotland

DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

WELCOME

H

ello. It’s good to be back at the helm.

As the closest thing to normalcy returns for months, I Hope you’re able to operate profitably while maintaining those rigorous safety standards I keep witnessing when out and about.

In this issue you’ll find a feature on gin penned by publisher Susan Young where she dissects what the brands are up to and gets to grip with some stats.

I caught up with ten brand reps from across Scotland and liked it so much I’ve decided to make it a regular feature. Please get in touch if you’d like to be included next issue.

We also cast an eye over the refurbished Ben Nevis in Fort William and brand new restaurant Cutler Lobster & Steaks in Giffnock. graham See you all next month.

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

CONTENTS June

2021

FEATURES

09

16 19 24 29

GIN...TASTIC

Facts and a roundup of what has been happening over the 12 months.

A MAN ON A MISSION

Susan Young talks to Michael Robertson

SCOTTISH BAR & PUB AWARDS The start of a regular feature on Scotland’s drinks ambassadors.

A FOCUS ON SCOTLAND’S REPS The official launch of this year’s awards - celebrating 26 years.

DESIGN FOCUS

Cutler Lobster & Steaks, Glasgow and The Ben Nevis in Fort William

REGULARS

4 @dramscotland

/dram.scotland

38

NEWS

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

SUE SAYS

Our publisher Sue pulls no punches.

DRAM JUNE 2021 3

Try serving the

Pink Spritz.

MOSKITO REBORN Moskito, one of the most renowned bars and restaurants on the Glasgow scene, is set to reopen under new management and with a unique and exciting concept for 2021 next month.

Following an extensive renovation and significant investment, the new Moskito Bar & Kitchen aims to provide an urban playground for its guests with a globally inspired ‘food with attitude’ and bespoke cocktail creations. Ben McLeod General Manager commented, “The pandemic was devastating for so many sectors but especially hospitality, but as an industry we have shown our innovation and resilience and it’s now time to breathe life back into our bars and restaurants. We weren’t able to open as planned in 2020 however we have used this time to really refine, hone and curate every element of the new Moskito Bar & Kitchen to the very last detail.

“We can confidently say people will be wowed as there is nothing quite like it in the city.”

Martin Wishart’s The Honours is reborn as Rico’s

Stefano Pieraccini must be hoping that some of Michelin-star Chef Martin Wishart’s success rubs off on him and his new 56-cover Edinburgh Italian restaurant and 20-cover bar, Rico’s. It’s opening in July on the site of Wishart’s former restaurant The Honours on North Castle Street. It ran for 11 years before Wishart decided to close it during the pandemic.

Named after his grandfather Enrico Pieraccini, Rico’s is the latest addition to Stefano’s growing portfolio of restaurants under the Rocca Group, which includes The Broughton on Edinburgh’s Broughton Street and The Seafood Ristorante in St Andrews.

Mix: Pink Soda + Rosé Wine + Pink Grapefruit

WUNDERBAR!

1 Part • 1 Part • 1 Slice Speak to your CCEP rep or visit my.CCEP.com (once registered) for supporting Schweppes POS kits and digital assets. © 2021 European Refreshments. All rights reserved.

SCHWEPPES is a registered trademark of European Refreshments.

4

DRAM JUNE 2021

COC1399_Sch Pink Soda & Elderflower bookends_DRAM-238x90mm_AW2.indd 1

Keller is Edinburgh’s newest German-inspired taproom. It’s on Broughton Street Lane and Business partners and couple Emily Jones and James Meikle are the wunderkinds behind it.

James told DRAM, “We’re trying to create a space that’s experience-led and community hub.

“We redecorated creating a cosy, warm environment with greys, browns, greens, lots of wood and a Welsh slate bar top. The bar front is made from reclaimed ship timber and two swinging chairs in the bay windows are perhaps the major design talking point. I’ve been in hospitality for a decade, most recently at No. 8 Lister Square, where I worked with Emily, who’s been working in the industry for about four years. I also worked at The Three Sisters back in the day.”

21/05/2021 17:16

Try serving the

Elderflower Fizz.

NORTH ROTUNDA TRANSFORMED The North Rotunda on Glasgow’s Tunnel Street has been transformed into a venue for weddings, civil partnerships, and events. Owners Kevin Campbell and Toni Carbajosa F extensively refurbished the heritage property that also houses their Cranside Kitchen operation. It can accommodate up to 140 seated guests or 240 standing reception and can be divided into smaller spaces with an independent entrance.

Ear, Glasgow’s got a new speakeasy He famously cut off his ear and new Glasgow speakeasy The Absent Ear celebrates this and everything else Van Gogh. Behind the 34-capacity basement space is The Amsterdam and Saint Luke’s and The Winged Ox owner Michael Woods but the location of his new place is being kept strictly under wraps. But you don’t have to be a genius like Vincent to work out where the basement space is.

Ops Manager Alex Riches told DRAM, “In true speakeasy style we’re trying to keep the location a secret and we’ll let you know when you need to know. We wanted a proper speakeasy that’s done well.

Proper ‘knock the door before the customer is let in’ kinda stuff, the whole theatre of it basically. There’s even a buzzer hidden in Van Gogh’s ear in a painting just outside the door.

“We’ve installed a new bar and refurbished the place to the tune of £30K - stuff like new lighting and booth seating, plus we’ve fakebricked the walls giving it a warehouse-y feel, topped off with red velvet booths and bucket seats. There’s even an Art deco sofa on stilts.

“Menus are on old artist pallets and Van Gogh paintings, but I want to stress that this is not a theme bar, just a bar with nods to Van Gogh here and there.”

Mix: Elderflower Tonic + Vodka + Cucumber 3 Parts • 1 Part • 3 Slices

Speak to your CCEP rep or visit my.CCEP.com (once registered) for supporting Schweppes POS kits and digital assets. © 2021 European Refreshments. All rights reserved.

SCHWEPPES is a registered trademark of European Refreshments.

DRAM JUNE 2021 5

COC1399_Sch Pink Soda & Elderflower bookends_DRAM-238x90mm_AW2.indd 2

21/05/2021 17:16

NEWS THREE MARYS

The Bull bellows into Glasgow

T

hose born under the sign of The Bull (Taurus) are said to love life’s finer things and the refurbishment of the bar of the same name on Glasgow’s Great Western Road is a quality outfit all right.

The Bull is where Munro’s used to be and operator Macmerry 300 is leasing the twostory space from the Signature Pub Group.

With a 240 capacity inside and out it’s one of the Dundee-based pub group’s hat trick of Glasgow openings in 2021. Earlier this year co-directors AJ Mcmenemy and Phil Donaldson unveiled The Luchador on the south side plus a second Abandon Ship will shortly open on Mitchell Street - a sister bar to the Dundee flagship that Rich Davies is also involved with.

The Bull occupies the ground floor level with the basement housing the service area and toilets, but in one of its previous incarnations this used to be where all the action took place and AJ Mcmenemy and team uncovered a few nods to the pub’s

more distant past.

He explained, “Many people will remember it as The Captain’s Rest of course and when the basement was a live music venue. We found lots of old tiling and walls signed by all the bands that had played there when we were stripping it all out. It was so nostalgic for me as I used to go to gigs there back in the day.

“Fast forward a few decades and the ground floor is still a fairly sizeable space that we’ve divided into sections - front nook, rear nook, cocktail bar, and intimate restaurant. We’ve also been able to retain the live sports offering like Munro’s used to have because continuity is important in neighbourhood bars, and we‘ve managed to achieve this without it impinging on any other area and vice versa.

“I also love the way we’ve been able to tie all these elements together and some of my personal favourite touches are the copper, brass, and that beautiful green-tiled bar.”

The former Sofi’s Bar in Leith has a new owner and name. Anna and Mike Christopherson of Boda Swedish Bars and Restaurant Group sold the Star Pubs & Bars lease to Calum Mackay, leaseholder of Edinburgh’s Malt and Hops, and Old Chain Pier, and business partner and hospitality newcomer Dale MacPhee back in December. They’ve since transformed it into a neighbourhood cocktail bar celebrating Mary Magdalene, Mary Queen of Scots, and Mary of Guise.

Calum told DRAM, “It was a great spot when I first moved to the area in the 90s but I wasn’t in the pub game at that time so I snapped it up when it became available.

It also complements my other two units perfectly. The name comes from Leith being known as French Leith and Mary of Guise had her court at the rear of the pub and Queen of Scots spent some time in the area and Mary Magdalene appearing on the Leith perseverance motto – that’s the rumour anyway.

“We ripped the whole place out and even though it held a place in people’s hearts it was rickety but we kept the same lines and opened it up a bit more, and levelled things off and there are lots of nooks and crannies now. Its colour pallet is dark blue, amber with floral explosions and there are pinks in there too. Soft velour upholstery with amber and lilac coloured banquettes are warm contrasts to the dark blue walls and ceilings”

REYNOLDS PUTS GIN 71 AND GIN SPA ON THE MARKET Paul Reynolds is selling his Glasgow Renfield Street hybrid bar and restaurant/tearoom concept Gin71/Cup together with his Gin Spa business in the city’s Virginia Court. He’s currently in talks to open a new venture in Glasgow’s financial district including plans to expand his spa business.

The sale is being handled jointly by Smith & Clough and the Scottish Business Agency. Jonathan Clough, co-director of Smith & Clough, told DRAM, “We are delighted to have been instructed to handle the sale of this unique brand, incorporating an extremely well performing and well known hybrid bar & restaurant/tearoom concept in Gin71/Cup, as well as a highly profitable spa business which sits perfectly alongside the other parts of the business. The sale also includes a hand blended tea brand called Ambr which also offers huge growth potential. The units benefit from prime trading positions in both the City Centre and Merchant City areas of Glasgow. brand is well recognised, having previously traded in Edinburgh, as well within House of Frasers in Glasgow, and they are currently in talks to open a new venue within a new development in Glasgow’s Financial District, as well as expanding the spa business. It is felt there is huge potential to continue to grow the brand further, and is a proven concept that could be rolled out in cities throughout the UK should a new owner wish to go down this route.”

6

DRAM JUNE 2021

BRAND NEWS ALL THE L ATEST BRAND NEWS

VODKA

GIN

Puffing Billy Steam Vodka

THE BOTANIST CELEBRATES 10TH BIRTHDAY WITH LIMITED-EDITION ISLAY AGED GIN

Puffing Billy Steam Vodka is a new small batch spirit from The Borders Distillerymakers of Kerr’s Borders Gin and Lower East Side whisky.

Puffing Billy Steam Vodka is unfiltered malted barley vodka, bottled at 40% ABV, and named after the Carterhead still which plays a key role in its production.

Rod Gillies, Head of Marketing at The Borders Distillery, explains, “Vodka is an important segment of spirits, but it has lagged behind other drinks in recent years, making it ripe for reinvention.

“Our distillers developed a unique way to make vodka – pot-distilled malted barley spirit, re-distilled in a Carterhead, and steamed through charcoal. It’s the only vodka in the world made like this.

The unique process makes for a genuinely fantastic vodka.”

Contact Tim Carton at tim.carton@thethreestillscompany.com

WILLIAM GRANT & SONS ADD GRAPE SKIN VODKA TO ITS DISCARDED SPIRITS LINE William Grant & Sons has added to its Discarded spirits portfolio with a vodka produced from the waste left over after making wine. Discarded Grape Skin Chardonnay Vodka sits alongside a rum made from banana peel, which was released in late-2019 and 2018’s vermouth, which uses a by-product from the production of coffee as its base.

Said Discarded brand ambassador Sam Trevethyen, “With the rise of the no- & low category, there has been an increased demand for high-quality dealcoholised wine. One of the waste products created by dealcoholising wine is ‘wine alcohol’, which retains a lot of the flavour of the original grape. Typically sold on or in most cases, destroyed, we instead wanted to celebrate the essence of this Chardonnay ‘wine alcohol’ by blending it into our Discarded Grape Skin Vodka.” The packaging across the Discarded roster is fully recyclable.

The Botanist has announced an exclusive bottling of one of the oldest aged gins on the market. The 2011 Single Cask Islay Aged Gin has been maturing in the cool climes of Bruichladdich Distillery’s warehouse on Islay since the year that The Botanist was launched.

Said Head Distiller, Adam Hannett, “It’s something special to have a single cask of The Botanist, matured from the first year that we realised it out into the world. We describe The Botanist as the unique expression of the heart and soul of Islay but obviously the island is best know for whisky.Curiosity and patience led us to this unique experiment. We think it’s been worth the wait.

The Botanist 2011 Single Cask Islay Aged Gin is on sale via ballot.

Register to buy here: https://community.bruichladdichdistillery. com/register.

RUM

Cabal’s expression No.1513 rum Harpalion Spirits has launched new rum brand Cabal’s expression called No.1513.

Claire Kinloch, CEO at Harpalion Spirits said, “People are at the heart of Cabal’s ethos. So, we brought together whisky drinkers, spirit lovers, rum champions, liquid specialists, trade experts, and literally the couple next door, to experiment and sample until we had created our very first expression. “ Martin Watts, Founder at Cellar Trends, added, “In 40 years working in the Caribbean and UK drinks industry, I’ve been privileged to taste some super sipping rums, but none better than Cabal. Cabal No.1513 is a great example of the spirit blenders’ art, using the best rums from several distilleries coupled with slower cask finishing in Speyside’s gentle climatic conditions.” Find out more at www.cabalrum.com DRAM JUNE 2021 7

For further information contact Edrington-Beam Suntory UK Distribution Limited.

Tel: +44 (0) 333 016 1910 Web: Edrington-BeamSuntoryUK.com

THE ROYAL FAMILY USES GIN TO POLISH THE SILVERWARE. A FEW DROPS ON A COTTON BUD BRINGS IT UP A TREAT.

Brits began to move to India after the Sepoy Rebellion of 1857 causing a spike in the popularity of Gin & Tonics. In efforts to avoid malaria, the demand for Indian tonic water also grew and gin was added to the tonic water to mask the bitterness.

The gin rickey was the most popular gin drink of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is a simple drink: a highball glass of gin, ice, sparkling water and half a lime squeezed and dropped in.

In 1721, Britain consumed 3.5 million gallons of gin.

The Philippines consumes the most gin in the world - 43% of the global gin market.

There’s even a word for a gin-drinking session, ‘Ginuman ‘

The juniper berry is actually not a berry at all. It is a female seed pinecone with fleshy and merged scales that give it the appearance of a berry.

JUNIPER OIL IS AN EFFECTIVE NATURAL FLEA REPELLENT.

Gin and tomato juice was all the rage as a hangover cure in New York City in 1928 - years before the vodka-based Bloody Mary made its debut at the King Cole Room in the St. Regis Hotel.

Dutch physician Franciscus Sylvius created genever as medicine during the 16th century. His high-proof concoction was believed to improve circulation and other ailments. It was given to soldiers during the Dutch Independence War and referred to as Dutch Courage.

HENRY WORKSHOP AND CAPTAIN JACK BRISTOW ARE THOUGHT TO HAVE CONCOCTED THE FIRST EVER PINK GIN – ABOARD THE HMS SAILING TOWARDS THE CARIBBEAN SOMETIME IN 1826.

Faced with government acts that seemed poised to stamp out gin production, Londoners stages a mock funeral for Madame Geneva in 1736.

GIN MUST LEGALLY HAVE A ‘PREDOMINANT JUNIPER FLAVOUR,’ BUT THERE ARE NO SPECIFICATIONS OR LIMITS TO HOW MANY OTHER BOTANICALS MAY BE USED, OR THE QUANTITY OF JUNIPER BERRIES.

The best way to taste gins for comparison is at room temperature, diluted with an equal measure of water. This reveals both qualities and flaws.

DRAM JUNE 2021 9

GIN...TASTIC This month the world celebrates World Gin Day. Susan Young gives us an insight into what is happening in the category and what you should be considering when stocking up.

G

in has very much been one of the most fashionable spirits over the last few years – as you all know. But the issue for the hospitality industry now is what gins should you stock, when right now, every penny on the back bar counts. You want gins that are going to fly off the shelves without staff having to take time to explain who and what it is.

I can hardly believe I am writing that because I have long been an advocate of persuading bar staff to learn all they can to get customers to trade up or to experience new flavours. However, these are not normal days, and with the situation regarding recruitment, staff simply do not have the time right now to spend valuable serving time talking and not serving. Of course, if they do have time, revert to normal practices.

So how do you choose what to stock when there are so many on the market – and certainly the number is evidenced by the fact that the most recent HMRC figures show that a record number of distilleries were registered in 2020 despite the pandemic in fact over the last four years the number of distilleries has doubled and in England, they have tripled – with the gin boom making all the difference – and now there are more distilleries in England than in Scotland for the first time! In the UK there are now more than 560 with 214 being in Scotland.

But with hospitality having taken the brunt of the restrictions spending on gin has dropped from £2.6bn to £2.2bn, for the twelve months to October 2020, according to the Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA).

As I am more of a writer than an accountant the following figures are approximate but this would suggest that the value of gin sales in Scotland in hospitality is in the region of £40m. (£400m divided by 10%).

The interest in gin however has not dropped with supermarkets and online sales growing 22% over lockdown. The value of sales broke the billion-pound mark for the first time, with 75 million bottles sold, ten million more than last year.

So what were they buying? Flavoured gin grew 31% - 27 million bottles were sold while traditional, juniper-tasting gins, saw a 10% increase to 48 million bottles. And a recent CGA survey revealed that gin was the most popular spirit being bought online, just behind wine and beer.

So how do you maximise your gin sales and make sure that you don’t have brands that are languishing on the back bar?

This might seem obvious but consumers need to be aware of the brands. Therefore it is important to have a look at how brands are marketing themselves and whether this fits with your own customer profile.

Premium and super-premium gins and ultra-premium have been very popular of late. Last year after lockdown many consumers traded up and this trend looks set to continue. Between now and 2023, premium, super-premium and ultra-premium gin sales are set to grow 10.4%, 13.9% and 17.6% respectively.

One of the reasons that consumers interest has been piqued, and continues to be, is the influence that small distillers have had on DRAM JUNE 2021 11

GIN...TASTIC the market. Their importance cannot be underestimated – the craft gin movement has embraced the consumer move towards provenance and authenticity and has transformed the gin offering in this country. However, despite their popularity, craft is not likely to see the same volume of sales as mass-market gins. The IWSR says, “The idea that craft gin will ever dominate global market share is a complete fallacy.”

Another reason is that the gin market has put the vodka sector to shame – it took for granted its popularity as a mixing spirit whereas gin distillers have been more innovative. Whether it’s new liquids, new packaging or targetting new consumers – which brings us to your customer.

Research shows that twice as many women as men prefer gin. Perhaps this is one of the reasons that pink gin has done so well.

(I’m not suggesting that we are stereotyping women here!) But while dismissed by gin connoisseurs, to begin with, pink’s success has been phenomenal.

Within two years of its launch, Diageo’s Gordon’s Pink Gin broke a million cases and knocked its parent brand off top spot.

Since then many other companies including Edinburgh Gin, have produced their own pink gins and it is now a staple in most bars with Gin Spritz which sees pink gin topped up with Prosecco a familiar sight. The research from the University of Derby also showed that 47% of women said they would be more likely to try an unfamiliar brand of gin in a bar or restaurant.

Age also plays a role – 18-24-year-olds prefer flavoured gins, while over 40’s prefer traditional gin, and the 46-65 years olds are more inclined to drink it every day! Interestingly only 20% of those researched remained loyal which is why brands need to keep innovating. It is also why even if you do reduce the number of gins you hold it is best to expand your range of craft and lesser-known gins and keep the brands that are actively marketing to consumers.

It is also worth keeping your mixers topical too – and there is certainly a much larger opportunity to sell up to your customer by offering a brand with a premium focus.

There are many gins available so for your information I have focussed on a few that are represented in this month’s DRAM. Edinburgh Gin, Roku, Red Door, Tobermory and Wild Island Glaswegin and newcomer Stranger & Sons Edinburgh Gin has certainly been one of the most prolific marketers over the last few years. It was also one of the first gin companies 12

DRAM JUNE 2021

to make its mark with former owner Alex Nicol, creating the brand in 2010. He showed true vision and has been credited with the Scottish ‘gin renaissance’ and Ian Macleod, who distributed the brand, bought it in 2016 – great timing. They have been able to maximise the opportunities and continue the legacy of a distillery that is known for creating innovative, award-winning gins.

Their advertising looks good and importantly the liquid also tastes good. The company has also diversified into flavours and in fact, was one of the first to do so. From Raspberry to Rhubarb and Ginger, Lemon and Jasmine, Seaside... and one of the most recent Gooseberry and Elderflower. But it’s not only that they come up with effective and quirky marketing ideas too. During lockdown, as well as tastings, they did Digital Movie Nights and last year they linked up with Mimi’s bakery to do afternoon teas, and they have even invented a Fortune Telling gin ball. During the summer months, they not only have press and digital advertising but have also invested in a TV ad. Last year it’s Filled with Wonderful’ ad featured the feelgood sound of The Night by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, and took viewers on an Edinburgh Gin journey through its home city and beyond.

This year it has launched, in collaboration with Edinburgh Castle a gin from the iconic landmark and its Edinburgh shop has also just opened.

Edinburgh Gin’s packaging is modern and fresh and the bottle is instantly recognisable – all very helpful when a customer is trying to buy, although at the moment they can’t stand at the bar, and peruse the bottles – they have to do this from afar which is another reason to have fewer bottles on the back bar so that customers can see what is on offer.

Red Door had a good start to the year when it won a prestigious Gold Medal in the London Dry Gin category at this year’s Gin Masters, but you wouldn’t expect anything less from owners Gordon & Macphail who have been long recognised as one of Scotland’s foremost whisky companies and distillers Red Door Gin is made at Benromach distillery and is a smallbatch, handcrafted London Dry style gin. The botanical selection was inspired by Scotland’s mountains, forests and coastal fringes, featuring the likes of bitter orange, sea buckthorn, heather and rowanberries among juniper.

Lizzie Haw, Red Door Gin’s flavour expert, said, “We’re immensely proud of our handcrafted Highland gin and are thrilled that it’s been recognised in this prestigious competition. Every batch of Red Door Gin is handmade by our team in “Peggy” – our small copper pot still – and we believe that the care, expertise and dedication distilled in every drop makes our gin truly unique. Red Door Gin has truly earned its place as a favourite in drinks cabinets across the country,

GIN...TASTIC and a go-to ingredient in cocktails or a classic G&T.” But not content with that, the distillers of Red Door Gin have come up with Limited-edition Seasonal Flavours and its seasonal summer edition, is out now. Bottled at 45%, Red Door Gin with Summer Botanicals is also perfect as the base for a refreshing gin spritz.

Tobermory Gin is one of the latest gins to enter the market from the lovely Island of Mull it too comes from a distinguished distiller – Distell who are also behind the likes of Bunnahabhain, Deanston and of course Tobermory Malt whisky. Tobermory Gin launched two years ago and within a year it won Best Scottish Classic Gin at the World Gin Awards.

Distilled on the island with a rich palate of hand-selected botanicals including juniper, tea, heather, elderflower, sweet orange peel.

The brand owners have followed the colourful tradition of Tobermory’s main street, which is famous throughout the world, and introduced the colourful palate to the packaging and also marketing materials. Tobermory Gin started life as a blank canvas with its base spirit distilled over and over until it was just that. Clean, fresh and ready to take on a colourful array of flavour and then its botanicals were added. The Tobermory Colour Gin booklet which launched at the same time contained 10 hand-drawn illustrations by artist Lydia Bourhill that were inspired by the distillery’s home, the Hebridean island of Mull – from its famous multicoloured harbour and the dramatic natural landscape to the history of the island’s 220-year-old distillery.

While the popularity of adult colouring books was already on the rise, the UK lockdown triggered by the coronavirus pandemic has caused a surge in people taking up arts and crafts hobbies to keep them occupied and entertained at home and the colouring book has been very popular.

Roku was created to bring together the legacy of both Beam and Suntory when the two companies came together in 2014.

Roku used six botanicals. Sakura flower and Sakura leaf, Sencha Tea, Gyokura Tea, Sansho Pepper, and Yuzu. Not only were they chosen to best represent Japan but they also represent each of the four seasons - spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

In Japan, the word Shun refers to peak seasonality and when ingredients are at their very best. Not only are each Roku’s botanicals a representation of each season but the Sakura flower is only at peak seasonality on 1 day and it is on this day that it is harvested. A real harmonisation of the essence of time and flavour.

The brand is enshrined in nature and would appeal to climate lovers too. Roku loves water and it cares about water. Imagine that - a gin where even the water carries all the essence of the brand. Roku has made the water a huge part of the brand story.

If you go to the Suntory Youtube channel you will see a video called “The Blessing of Water” and in the description, it says this, “Water is one of nature’s greatest blessings. Without it, our business would not be possible” 14

DRAM JUNE 2021

In it, it describes the climate challenges with forests and you meet the sustainability researchers and scientists within the company who are working to improve and understand what needs to be done - and then takes action.

Roku is all about nature and respect for nature. It cares about the future and consumers feel the same.

Wild Island Botanic Gin is a lovely premium craft gin that originated on the Isle of Colonsay. It was created out of a partnership between Colonsay Beverages and Langley Distillery, one of the UK’s oldest independent family distilleries.

Wild Island Botanic Gin is crafted around the native botanicals that grow on the crofts of Colonsay which are hand-gathered and include lemon balm, wild water mint, meadowsweet and sea buckthorn and then the gin is distilled in a century-old copper still at Langley Distillery, using 100% British Wheat before being bottled in Scotland at 43.7% ABV using pure Scottish water.

The distillery in Colonsay has a mini still and the distillers like to experiment with different botanicals.

Since its inception in 2017, it has created “Distiller’s Cut’ which was the first gin ever to be produced on Colonsay and a honey gin, using local Colonsay honey and a cask-aged gin using old Islay whisky barrels. Its bottle too is evocative of the island – you can imagine a sunny day on the beach there... enjoying Wild Island Gin. Glasgwegin is also a premium craft gin with a very stylish and innovative bottle – designed to reflect the no-nonsense style of Glasgow and its people. It definitely stands out. Distilled in an artisan still in the heart of Glasgow, its small-batch gin features a blend of eight gin botanicals. It too is award-winning taking on the crown of Scotland’s Best London Dry Gin at the World Gin Awards 2021.

Stranger & Sons is a new gin from Goa from the Third Eye Distillery.

It has just signed a deal with Sip and Savour which will see the brand available to bars and pubs in the UK. It is worth looking out for having been declared one of the eight best gins in the world in 2020 by the International Wine & Spirit Competition. It was the only Indian brand to be recognised by the IWSC. What’s next for the gin distillers? IWSR ( International Wine & Spirit Research) has a warning for distillers, and tells them “obscure and radical botanical tinctures are beginning to overcrowd the gin market, flavour fatigue and lack of equity may start to haunt the category, unless investors moderate and finetune their innovation.”

However licensees should look out for savoury gins as they being to move mainstream and I came across Moonshot gin in my research ... it has gone a step further – not to the moon, but every gram of the botanicals used to make this gin was sent into near-space (over 24km) and exposed to an air pressure of less than 1/100th of that at sea level! Sounds exciting!

Stranger & Sons captures the essence of contemporary India Fresh from India, multi-awardwinning Stranger & Sons Gin is shaking up the drinks scene with a super-premium gin comprising 9 inherently Indian botanicals. Every bottle captures the essence of contemporary India for a curious and discerning consumer.

Declared one of the eight best gins in the world by IWSC, Master Medallists at The Asian Spirits Masters, and Gold at The Drinks Business & Spirits Business Spring Tasting 2021, Third Eye Distillery is putting Indian spirits on the world map.

For the most flavourful gimlets and savoury, aromatic gibsons, get acquainted with this threedimensional spirit. For a Strange G+T, garnish with ginger…

Inspired By Glasgow Distilled in an artisan still in the heart of Glasgow, our small batch gin features a unique blend of eight gin botanicals, resulting in an award-winningly smooth spirit.

Crowned Scotland’s Best London Dry Gin in the World Gin Awards 2021, Glaswegin is a Scottish gin inspired by the no-nonsense style of the city of Glasgow and its people. Best served with a fuss-free tonic and a classic gin garnish, we are renowned for our spirit’s smoothness and innovative bottle design.

Speak to your wholesaler about our “back to bar” summer promotions and how we can support you.

https://strangerandsons.com/

DRAM JUNE 2021 15

LICENSEE INTERVIEW

I

first met Michael Robertson 30 years before either of us were in hospitality, and we have remained friends ever since. It was a pleasure to catch up with him to hear about his new venture with Fraser McIlwraith and David Lockett - Hospo Talent and to talk about his career.

Michael has worked with some of the most successful hospitality businesses in the country. These include Tiger Tiger and Living Ventures, Novus Leisure and Lynett Leisure, the TDQ Group – which operate the Gin 72 bars and the Broadcroft Hotel. He is also a Director of Partick Thistle and now to add to these talents he is moving into recruitment with Hospo Talent.

But first, let’s find out what set him on the route for a career in hospitality because it wasn’t his first choice. Indeed he spent 15 years working for the Civil Service and working his way up. He tells me, “I always wanted a job that involved people – I even tried hairdressing for a short stint, but I really found my feet when I joined the Civil Service with a job at the Benefits Agency. My father was in the military and I was used to this type of environment.”

His role initially was to meet and greet and that certainly gave him a very good grounding when it came to front of house. He explains, “I had to interpret legislation for clients, translate it so they could understand it. I also had to deal with worst-case scenarios. The people I was dealing with people had a real need. My experiences have lived with me my whole career – and it puts a lot of things into perspective. The life skills I learned included negotiation skills, empathy and understanding, but I also took away the knowledge that if you cannot do anything about a scenario, you have to find a way of working around it.

“There is a misconception that people who need to use the government system understand the process because they use it regularly but some people are using it for the first time – and are uncomfortable and need help and reassurance. It’s the same when customers come into your unit and are waiting to be seated you need to make them feel comfortable, because they may not have been in your establishment before.

After 15 years when Michael decided to change career, he put in an application to be cabin crew on British Midland, got the job, and absolutely loved it. “I was doing hospitality at 50,000ft and I enjoyed it. I realised that it really was my vocation. It felt like I had my own plane to look after and, on one occasion we took the Rangers team to a cup tie in Inverness – it was like private dining but on a plane.”

However, it was a visit to Croyden that opened his eyes to hospitality.

He tells me, “I was playing in a football match against the police in Croyden and afterwards they took us to Tiger Tiger for a night out. I remember thinking this is amazing – if only we had one in Glasgow.”

However, he continued flying until just after 9/11 when he gave up his cabin crew role and re-joined the civil service briefly. But shortly afterwards he saw a job advert for a new venue in Glasgow – Tiger Tiger, and on the spur of the moment, he applied for part-time work, did the training and before long joined full-time.

Michael tells me, “The first night we opened I was working in the

16

DRAM JUNE 2021

A MAN MISSION

ON A N!

“Both Fraser and I can read CVs like a book. We know when they are embellished and we can tell within a few moments of meeting someone whether they have the skill set.”

Babble bar, with four others, and there was a queue to get into the venue which went all around the block. Then they all flooded in. I remember thinking please just order a soft drink or water, but my first order was for three Brandy Alexanders. For the next nine months, we were literally three deep at the bar most nights. It was the longest successful opening of any Tiger Tiger outside of London and it taught me so much including the value and the necessity for training. In Tiger Tiger, the same drinks menu was in every bar, and the drinks had to consistently good over the nine bars, whether you had a Cosmopolitan in the downstairs bar or the lounge it had to be the same.

“It also gave me my first introduction to management. I was quickly promoted from bar staff to supervisor (after four weeks) and then four weeks later to duty manager. I loved the lifestyle, the buzz of the bar, looking after people and the atmosphere.”

Within a year Michael was promoted to Bar Manager looking after nine bar areas. He says, “That’s where I learned the value of costs.

Line checks every day, stocks checked every week, and every Monday from 7am and 7pm I had to count nine bars and a cellar and get the stock to balance. I had a team of 25, and the man-management skills that I had learned at the Benefits office came into play.

His GM during his time at Tiger Tiger was the one and only Michael Bergson. The two worked together for three years and Michael credits him for teaching him the magic of front of house. “He is fantastic with people.” He credits Gary Ross with teaching him the restaurant side of the business. He admits, “That was the hardest training because Gary was unrelenting.”

Talking of training, sport has been a big part of Michael’s life, another passion that his new business partner share. Fraser excels at rugby and many other sports but it is football and hockey that float Michael’s boat. Since school he has played in goals, playing for various clubs including Hillhead Football Club. He is also an SFA qualified coach and has a B licence (only 10 people out of 600 qualify for it each year).

As for hockey, Michael represented Scotland while working for the Civil Service and joined Hillhead Hockey Club. He has his coaching qualification for this sport too – SHU B Level.

Michael finds sport a great opportunity to take a break from his day job. “I am used to telling people what to do – and sport gives me downtime and allows me to switch off from hospitality. It cleanses DRAM JUNE 2021 17

LICENSEE INTERVIEW my head and allows me to refocus on my job. You need that balance. If you can’t get away you become unproductive, uncreative and potentially resentful – the job becomes all-consuming.

From Tiger Tiger, he went to the Living Room, a Living Ventures business, as Assistant General Manager. It was there he refined his back of house skills. “I learned that everything had its place. they operated on a four-week schedule and everything had to be done in advance. It was the first time I was accountable for costs. I had to justify everything.”

Again he was swiftly promoted to General Manager but this also involved a thorough Living Ventures induction which saw him working in different departments of the company around the country. It meant that Michael got to work in its flagship venue in Manchester. He says, “It was very intimidating and although I had been well trained I didn’t feel I was up to the standard of the team there. But the head bartender said I had done well and would like to have me on his team, (I will always remember that). I also worked in Edinburgh in the kitchen during the festival – we were doing 400 covers a shift for lunch and dinner – I had to send everything out over the pass. You learned about the necessity to make it all flow – and the importance of the link between the kitchen and flow – we had strong tough shifts but the team ethos made it seem a breeze.

By the time I was finished, I felt ready for anything.”

In 2008, his former boss Michael Bergson, who had moved on to work for Lynnet Leisure as GM of One Up and their Private Members Club, decided to leave Lynnet to set up his own business, and he recommended me to the owners, the Mortimers.

I joined and for six years I felt like I was James Mortimers, right-hand man. I loved it, was fantastic. It combined my corporate background and allowed me to tweak it to an independent environment. I was responsible to the owner and that was the first time in my career that had been the case. We had a brilliant relationship. I could go to him with anything. He was a great support and had a real understanding of life. We looked after Glasgow’s glitterati.

“The funny thing was James had come to have a look at Tiger Tiger and I had shown him around, but I didn’t know who he was.

He had realised that in Tiger Tiger all the rooms were open so you could see when a room was quiet. What James realised was that if you compartmentalised the spaces the atmosphere was contained within each of the rooms and he did this at One Up. Roll on January 2014 and I decided that I wanted to take all I had learned and try to run my own bar. I had the opportunity to take the lease out on McPhabbs which was a small local bar near Glasgow’s Charing Cross. I thought it suited my personality and it had a kitchen which allowed me to do food too. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The difference was I had no one to turn to. It was quite liberating in a way. If I made a decision on the menu or a bottle of wine I had to live or die by that decision. For instance, I put in a wine that was more expensive than the house point of entry, the staff didn’t think anyone would buy it because it was more expensive. But they did. I was taught to believe that customers wanted quality and value for money it is not about the expense. I still believe that.

18

DRAM JUNE 2021

“I took MacPhabbs from five to twelve kegs a week. It was a rolling lease and the first year it was fab. We had great weather and the Commonwealth Games, I thought I had cracked it. Reality kicked in the next year and I realised I couldn’t make enough to make it sustainable to me. But I had learned I was entrepreneurial and it validated my experience.”

He decided to put all his experience to good use and became a consultant to hospitality businesses, supporting start-ups and established businesses, and he has been gainfully employed ever since. Clients have included the owners of Krothel and Pianola and Paul Reynolds at Gin 71. He also did a Project for Glasgow Caledonian University to change their food delivery on campus. This project brought him to the attention of the Chairman of Partick Thistle who was looking for someone to develop and support the hospitality offering/delivery at Thistle both for match day and for increasing revenue outwith match day. Says Michael, “I had always supported Thistle and I went in as a director with my remit to support that part of the club.” this is also the project that led him to meet Fraser and the two kept in touch over the last few years. Says Michael, “David Lockett came to me, he was the catalyst. I had looked after him within the private members’ clubs at 29 and we had struck up a friendship. He was already doing recruitment and he suggested Fraser and I got involved too. Initially, I said no because I had had lots of recruitment companies coming to me and sending staff and they weren’t what I needed. I expressed that view to him and he said that’s exactly why we should be doing it. He also knew Fraser and he thought we would all make a good team.

“We are focussing on standards. If someone needs a member of staff we will ensure that the person we are sending is fit for purpose and well trained. We have all been to these function when the waiter doesn’t know how to open a bottle... enough said. Another example comes to mind - I was doing one of my consultancy jobs for an opening the pub was using a recruitment company and the staff who had been put in place didn’t seem to care. They were not dressed properly and there were no processes in place.

“I took an opening team of five people down – changed the processes and left it set up to operate viably. We have a recruitment company have to have the right people in place to deliver to businesses.

Businesses need their needs to be met and the right people in situ that are suited to their business. That is relevant right across the board – whether staff are required for the kitchen, hotel or bar.

“I think recruitment is very difficult just now. People want a job and will apply, but their skills may not be the right skills, and others have too qualified for the roles. Ultimately we want people to stay in their roles.

He continues, “Both Fraser and I can read CVs like a book. We know when they are embellished and we can tell within a few moments of meeting someone whether they have the skill set.

“I love a challenge, all three of us do. We all have a lot of drive and a passion for hospitality and we are bringing this to Hospo Talent.

DRAM AWARDS

7TH SEPTEMBER 2021

FINAL AWARD CATEGORIES NEXT MONTH

VOTING OPEN NOW WWW.SCOTTISHBARANDPUBAWARDS.COM

DRAM AWARDS

2021

W

hat at a year it has been. Last year we celebrated with our hybrid awards - probably the most stressful night of our year! But each and everyone deserved their accolades and I am so glad we did it and visited you all with your awards.

I am delighted to announce that this year’s event, all going to plan, will be going ahead on the 7th of September. However this year it will be an inside/outside event with the flavour of a festival - it will take place at the Cranside Kitchen and the Radisson Red in Glasgow. It seems only right with everyone having to adapt that we too adapt the awards to recognise that many people will not feel comfortable in a formal environment. But that doesn’t mean to say you can’t put your glad rags on.

Many thanks to all our sponsors and there will be a couple of more categories which are just being finalised.

We will announce them in the weekly newsletter. Of course, there will our usual surprises not least our Lifetime Achievemen Award. So put the date in your diary. We will be asking people to vote online and there will be a digital campaign shortly which will also promote hospitality.You have got to be in it to win it... so let’s create a noise - get your customers voting for you - and if you need any social branding let us know. There’s also the accolade Sunday Mail Pub of the Year to go for. So don’t be shy.

We can’t wait to see you all!

DOG FRIENDLY PUB OF THE YEAR

CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD

EMERGING ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR 20

DRAM JUNE 2021

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 Dog-Friendly Pub in Scotland get your customers voting! The two-legged variety!

Customer service has never been more important. It is not just about the speed of service, staff now are having to ensure that customers are kept safe. BII Scotland is on the lookout for a pub, restaurant or hotel which has managed to continue its 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.

DRAM AWARDS

2021

COMMUNITY PUB OF THE YEAR

WHISKY GURU OF THE YEAR

COCKTAIL INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR

INDEPENDENT PUB GROUP OF THE YEAR

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 proud to support customers and communities across Scotland. We are looking for a like-minded pub, intrinsic in the fabric of its local community. Do you get involved in supporting local projects 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

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. Enter now.

Discarded Spirits embraces sustainability by creating cocktail recipes utilising ingredients that have been repurposed. Do you embrace the same ethos? This year while we are asking customers to vote for their favourite cocktails either from a bar or delivered we will also be asking our nominees to come up with a fabulous cocktail utilising an ingredient from your kitchen eg over-ripe bananas and of course Discarded? So encourage your fans to vote for you and why not post a cocktail idea or two on your social platforms?

The DRAM 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

DRAM JUNE 2021 21

DRAM AWARDS

2021

CONNOISSEURS CHOICE WHISKY BAR OF THE YEAR

BAR MANAGER OF THE YEAR

HOTEL BAR OF THE YEAR

NEW BAR OF THE YEAR

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR 22

DRAM JUNE 2021

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?

The role that bar managers play in the hospitality industry cannot be underestimated.

That is what every successful bar or pub has got in common – a great manager.This year we are looking recognise the contribution that managers make to the success of a venue. Do you know a manager that has the ability to lead his team, and motivate them, and at the same time has a service ethic and personality which is appreciated by customers? If you are a customer why not nominate your favourite manager and if you are a member of staff and you think your manager deserves recognition please put them forward for this accolade.

Hotel’s are often lucky in that they have a captive audience, but the other side of the coin is that customers very often want to explore the neighbourhood so it’s not easy keeping them. But some hotel bars do this very well. Are you one of them, or do you have a hotel bar that you love? The judges will be looking for a bar with ambience, a good range of drinks, cocktails too, and it goes without saying... service with a smile. Head of www.scottishbarandpubawards.com to enter.

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 forwardthinking 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.

Do you know a great restaurant or are you one? Scotland’s certainly has a wealth of great eateries and now Inverarity Morton is set to recognise restaurateurs who are doing an excellent job at promoting hospitality by offering memorable dishes, great service and who also have curated an excellent wine list. Service and ambience will also score highly as will creativity. If you think you fit the criteria or you know a restaurant that does enter them at www.scottishbarandpubawards.co.uk

DRAM AWARDS

2021

AWARD FOR SUSTAINABILITY

EVOLUTION AWARD

BEST OR MOST IMPROVED OUTSIDE AREA

BAR APPRENTICE 2021

PUB OF THE YEAR

Stolichnaya is fully committed to growing in a responsible, sustainable way and it is looking for Scottish licensed businesses that are also growing in a similar manner.This award is aimed at bars, restaurants or hotels which are operating with an effective and sustainability agenda that reinforces a commitment to operating in an economically, socially and environmentally responsible manner from reducing plastic waste to conserving energy - it all matters. If you know a business or are a business that is embracing all things green let us know or vote at www.scottishbarandpubawards. co.uk The pandemic has caused businesses to adapt, pivot and evolve and Molson Coors Beverage Company is looking for businesses who have done exactly that. Resilience, adapability and vision has been crucial over the last 16 months and these skills will also be needed to drive your business forward. Molson Coors has diversified too creating a Beverage Hub and expanding its footprint beyond the beer aisle, with iced coffee brand Jimmy’s Iced Coffee, Lixir Drinks, Tarquin’s Gin and Twin Fin Rum. Do you know a business that has evolved too, or are you one. Whether you have changed the look or your pub, or adopted a green agenda let us know.

Enter at www.scottishbarandpubawards.co.uk Kopparberg is on the lookout for Scotland’s best and most improved outside area.

The Kopparberg team is looking for a bar that has stepped up to the plate during Covid-19 and provided customers with a comfortable and safe outside facility. 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.

The Bar Apprentice is back for it’s 14th year with William Grant & Sons backing the initiative with brands Glenfiddich Single Malt Whisky, Hendrick’s Gin and Discarded Spirits. William Grant & Sons has also created a bespoke programme for this year’s apprentices – an experience you can’t buy! The programme aims to inspire and educate as well as giving practical experience for working behind the bar or on the floor. The 2020/21 apprentices will be mentored by a team of experts from William Grant & Son’s. The apprentice who embraces the experience and makes the most progress will receive the accolade William Grant & Sons Bar Apprentice 2020 and will be presented with the award at the Awards Ceremony. If you would like to be put forward for the experience or you have a member of staff that you would like to put forward email:- susan@mediaworldltd.com 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’.

DRAM JUNE 2021 23

A GOOD REP ISN’T HA IT’S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE PROFILED YOUR BRAND REPS – AKA BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGERS AND EXECUTIVES ETC. TO GIVE THEM A COUPLE OF THEIR OFFICIAL TITLES. SOME MIGHT SAY IT’S BEEN TOO LONG. SO HERE ARE TEN TO BE GOING ON WITH, AND WE ENJOYED CATCHING UP WITH THEM SO MUCH AND THERE ARE SO MANY OF YOU DOING A SIMILARLY GRAND JOB, WE’RE GOING TO FEATURE REPS EVERY MONTH. GET IN TOUCH IF YOU WANT TO BE INCLUDED.

BY JASON CADDY

ON. ER, MORRIS MANAG SCOTTALE T N U O ACC UK&I P WHOLES ING GROU ER BREW BUDWEIS

TON NT MANAGER, BEN LAW E EVELOPM D BUSINESS AND UK, SCOTL CAMPARI

Ben, 27, has only been in the job for a couple of months - he used to be BDM for Whyte & Mackay. His core brands are Aperol, Campari, Appleton Estate, Wray & Nephew rum, as well as Wild Turkey, Skyy vodka, and Cinzano.

He says, “It’s been pretty flat out since getting back going, and it’s a bit of a change in portfolio to what I was used to. I am also covering the whole of Scotland rather than just Edinburgh so there’s far more to go after.”

He had a ‘good grounding’ in sales working for the Whisky Shop and Remy Cointreau at Glasgow airport. Selling is in his blood.

“I’m passionate about sales. It’s the main driver. Getting something across the line that didn’t look possible is the biggest buzz in the world.

As is giving excellent customer service. Going over and above takes time and attention to detail and aftercare too.”

So how has the pandemic changed things? “You’ve got to bend and flex to what the customer wants which is, of course, far more streamlined.

No licensee wants anything gathering dust and rather than taking a chance they’ll go for high volume brands.”

“Also in my portfolio is Italian non-alcoholic Aperitivo Crodino. Low and no is a category that’s flying in the on-trade at the moment. Brands like Seedlip kicked it off a few years ago, and now non-alcohol spirits are one of the healthiest categories.”

Ben’s favourite bar is a toss-up between The Standard in NYC and Croatia’s Hula Hula Hvar Beach Bar.

24

DRAM JUNE 2021

Originally from Stirling, twenty-four-year-old Scott has been with Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I for two years, spending a year in a business development role for a year and he’s worked most of the pandemic in his Wholesale Account Manager role covering all of Scotland. His core brands are Stella Artois, Budweiser, Bud Light, Corona, and Camden Town.

How has he found the last few months? “The biggest change is that we must now have an appointment, and this has helped me a lot. It means that everybody involved can be more organised and customers are expecting you and I find that they give me more time as a result.”

What about the skills required to cover the whole of Scotland? Is there a geographical split? “Yes and no. I have to adapt from customer to customer and different brands work better in different places.

Corona and Camden Town are more popular in city-centre venues, that said since re-opening premium brands are selling well across the board as we come out of the pandemic.”

Did he always want to work in hospitality? “I’ve always been interested in socialising. I studied business and marketing at university and was more interested in sport - I wasn’t aware of the opportunities in the drinks industry. Now I love it.”

Budweiser is a great company to work for and they are pretty relaxed. There are targets, yes, but it’s more about supporting customers. Training harder to do with customers since pandemic, but it’s starting to come back more and more - a lot of venues also have new staff that have never worked in hospitality before.”

ARD TO FIND… NIS NT EXECUTIVE OLIVIASEDN E ST END EVELOPM Y AND WE BUSINES SGOW CIT ICARD, GLA PERNOD R

Olivia Ennis, 26, is Business Development Executive for Pernod Ricard covering Glasgow city centre and the west end. She’s been in the role for just over a year (she covered the off-trade for Pernod Ricard for about two years beforehand) so found herself very much in the eye of the pandemic storm without being furloughed, although she was briefly seconded. And loved it.

Says Olivia, “I haven’t been furloughed at all and Pernod Ricard reassured us at the beginning that our jobs were fine and this came as a tremendous relief of course. At one point I was seconded to HR and this is not something I ever would have conceived of doing before, but I learned a lot about the mechanics of the business and spoke to people I would never normally speak to. It was truly invaluable and has helped me in my BDE role.”

March is when Olivia went back to role preparing for activations, around St Patrick’s Day actually. “It was and still is very much about building relationships up again. We did a Jameson Whiskey

RASERCIALIST CALUMSF E PIRITS SP PREMIUM SONS, UK GRANT & WILLIAM

masterclass at Kitty O’Shea’s in Glasgow via Facebook and the bar also streamed live music. Technology is a part of the job and this shows no signs of abating, we have come too far. But I think that customers are looking forward to the personal touch after the year we’ve all had.

“It’s also been great to see more creativity and new places opening or getting ready to open. Owners and operators have had time to sit and think and get to work on new projects and pivot their businesses. They are all looking for support from us and it’s great to see the industry working together even more closely like this.”

What makes a good brand rep aside from the obvious social skills you must possess? “You must be a good listener. Confident. Pick up on non-verbal cues. This job is a lot of account management.

Driving sales and engagement long-term, not just getting it in and leaving them to it.”

Calum, 34, has been with Wm Grant & Sons for three years and worked throughout the pandemic. He handles brands such as Discarded, Ailsa Bay, and low-alcohol brand Atopia, and Calum was first recruited as part of Wm Grant’s 1887 on-trade advocacy programme.

Originally from Linlithgow, he went to University in Edinburgh where he studied journalism but thought better of a career as a hack after the ‘large scale cuts the industry suffered around 2005.’ Journalism’s loss was hospitality’s gain, and before his time at William Grant, he ran The Finnieston in Glasgow and worked at Edinburgh’s Balmoral Hotel.

How has the pandemic changed his role?

“It’s changed the face of what we do dramatically now that so much of it is done digitally.

“The role is about relationship building. We are the touchstones between brands and the bars but

this situation robbed us of the spontaneity of the job and you can’t replace the personal touch.

“Digital obviously has its advantages. It will continue to play its part in allowing bars that are not central or in city hubs to have more access to brand ambassadors for virtual training and tasting sessions or if a portfolio of bars in one group are dotted about.

“Plus it’s not the easiest thing in the world to get bartenders to come in for a couple of hours all at the same time! So in that sense, it’s a great tool.”

So how has it been working since the restrictions began easing for some of us and how has he found dealing with people again?

“There’s a lot of optimism and frustration around.

A lot of people feel the hospitality industry has been railroaded, but we have an amazing industry filled with amazing people and we will bounce back.”

DRAM JUNE 2021 25

ORUNDT A TIVE N EXECU HARRYS DOEL SCOTLAND VELOPME WEST OF ILNE ENT MANAGER ROSIE SM DEVELOPM INBURGH BUSINES W AND ED L, GLASGO EDEN MIL

Rosie Milne, 29, is celebrating five years at Eden Mill - one year for every gin in the core range she looks after as well as their experimental and liqueur range. Not bad for someone that started out doing a Christmas temping admin job.

She explains, “As well as temping I was packaging bits and bobs, and what seemed like all of a sudden they created a permanent role for me and kept me on.

“Then a brand ambassador role came up in Edinburgh and as I’m originally from Fife, I’d worked in hospitality there so I thought why not? I did that role for two years before moving to Glasgow (I longed to live on the west coast) and took this job, would you believe three days before the first lockdown hit.

“It’s been challenging and introducing yourself via email, which I’m still having to do in Glasgow, is not the same.

You can’t cold call either obviously and wearing masks takes away so many skills you use to build relationships and trust with your customers. Luckily I brought my east coast accounts with me so that has made things easier as the restrictions have started to ease.”

She trained to be an actor at Edinburgh Napier and despite her life going in a different direction, it came in handy for her brand rep career.

“We do a few activations and tastings and events which I love and my drama training gave me an excellent grounding for this as well as the confidence to stand up and speak to people – and learning about products and retaining all the info. It’s a lot like learning lines!”

A self-confessed people person, she’s made ‘best friends for life’ doing this job and loves the variety of high-end businesses to ‘old man’s boozers’. She also likes the sales side. “I am driven by targets. You have to be in this job, but I get the same amount of job satisfaction from building relationships too.”

26

DRAM JUNE 2021

, BUSINES & SPIRITS D WINES HALEWOO

Marketing graduate Harry, 34, first got interested in being a rep while managing bars in Glasgow, like Partick’s Pacific Tiki Bar (now closed). Now he sells to bars and hospitality venues right across the west of Scotland.

He says, “I was fascinated by the job and would chat to all the reps when they came in to find out all the ins and outs about the job. This led to my first brand rep job with Emporia Brands. Now I look after Halewood’s premium portfolio, like Whitley Neill, Dead Man’s Fingers, and Crabbie’s.”

“I love it. Getting to understand the commercial side, back-of-house, the manufacturing and marketing that goes into creating one single bottle of liquid.

My degree is in marketing, but I prefer

WOOD SARAH ACCOUNT GLOBAL MANAGER G’S GIN PICKERIN

the activations part. I really enjoy selling, what a buzz, and seeing the customer satisfaction from the middle to end customer is something else. I tell the story from store to pour.”

He also worked with Fraser McIlwraith’s Glasgow Cocktail CollectivE. Says Harry, “I worked behind the scenes with bars on the infrastructure to get them all on board with it.”

He’s not been furloughed and has been working throughout. He has also started playing football with other reps. “We are in discussion about creating a Reps League.

We can’t see each other out and about like we used to in pre-Covid days so it’s all about creating new opportunities to get together.”

Sarah Wood, 27, is Scotland’s Global Account Manager for Pickering’s Gin. “My colleague Jenny and I used to manage it together but she’s just moved to Bristol, so I’m taking over Scotland gradually.”

This is Sarah’s first brand rep job and a quick conversation got her the job.

Says Sarah, “In December 2019 and I was working in Alston Bar & Beef in Central Station. We sold mainly gin and Calum Davidson was the Pickering’s rep. I was chatting to him one night and the next day he messaged me on Facebook to say he was moving on and that he thought I’d be great in the role, so I went for the interview and got the job.”

Jenny’s only really done about five months in the role in real-time since then because she’s been furloughed but she’s loving it and can’t wait to throw herself into it.

“I like going into bars selling brand training to five people or a room full. I used to live in Auckland, New Zealand and they did lots of brand training over there. They were great believers in the style of service where customers are asked ‘what are you in the mood for?’

I think we are going to be seeing more of that over here.

“I also think there’s more demand for pulled pints and cocktails – all the stuff they couldn’t do in the house while locked down. But there’s always going to be a lot of love for gin. It’s still going strong.”

E OODHENAT D EXECUTIV SCOTTS W E DEVELOPM BUSINES OTLAND EST OF SC DISTELL, W

Scott , 25 and from Glasgow and his role with Distell has just changed. He said, “I started as BDE for the on and off-trade a couple of months before Covid hit. I came back from furlough last August with a focus on the on and off-trade but now I’m solely focussed on on-trade for Scotland and direct specialist retail account management.”

But his first job with Distell was in another role entirely. He said, “I started as marketing and comms assistant and that gave me a good grounding in all aspects of marketing and events.”

When he came back in August he had a small window of opportunity to get out into the trade before restrictions were tightened once more. He explained, “In the short time I had to spend with owners and licensees, the trade was really struggling with so much uncertainty, followed quickly by the circuit breaker that happened at the start of October.

“But compared to then, there’s a sense of optimism in the air now, although this isn’t shared by every operator in Glasgow for obvious reasons.”

What’s his view on virtual vs. in person? “ I personally much prefer doing tastings in person. You get a better opportunity to read the room, engage people and interact. Although virtual has many plus points and it is here to stay and we’re actually streaming a Bunnahabhain live event from our Bunnahabhain Distillery visitor centre to some of the Country’s best whisky bars simultaneously on June 10th for the the first time, subject to restrictions.”

What advice would he pass on to anyone looking to become a brand rep?

“Get involved in anything you can working in the drinks industry. Reach out to drinks companies. There are always loads of ways in.

“My colleague started at the distillery as a tour guide and brand ambassador and this gave her the experience she needed to become a brand rep. You must also be, organised, a good communicator, adaptable and be able to build relationships quickly and easily. Oh, and love the sales buzz!”

Ian, 31, goes by the name Ham because that’s what predictive text changed his name to on an old Nokia phone.

He worked in Peterhead hotels The Waterside and The Courtyard when he left school followed by a spell in the oil industry before finally answering his hospitality calling for good.

“I walked into a bar job working for Fierce Beer bar in Aberdeen. From there I went on to be a supervisor and duty manager to helping out in the brewery. That was four years ago and I went full time and started doing sales.

I’ve sold loads since then. I love pubs.

I love the face to face and dealing with people. I love talking about beer. I am passionate about the stuff but I didn’t know I was good at all this until I started selling it!”

His four core range beers are Fierce Hazy, Fierce IPA, Fierce Pilsner, and Fierce Rhubarb.

Says Ian, “They’re all gluten-free and vegan. You don’t need to make anything with animal bi-products in it. They’re better for everyone.”

Ian worked right through the pandemic apart from a two-month furlough right at the start and he’s noticed a swing towards more local breweries over the last year or so.

“Some licensees are looking more to local breweries since the pandemic and this

David, 34, went from kitchen porter to events manager in two years when he worked for Bill Costley in his native Ayrshire. This was his first job. Then he did nine years as Brian Maule’s assistant manager in Glasgow as well as a stint in Australia working with chef Raymond Capaldi before starting at EdringtonBeam Suntory.

He is keen to highlight it’s a partnership.

Says David, “We are very adaptable to what each venue is looking for and work with accounts rather than coming at it from a marketing perspective saying ‘this is what we need you to do.’”

“We’ve got lots of plans for our brands - The Macallan, Laphroaig, Maker’s Mark, and House of Suntory so it’s easy to pass on my enthusiasm.”

There have also been structural changes to the business that wasn’t a response to the pandemic.

“We now have city managers and key account managers and brand development managers in each city.

Our focus is premium brands so we are targeting premium accounts.”

He feels that despite the challenges the trade continues to face, there’s cause to be optimistic.

M’ RDIE ‘HEA E BEER C IAN HAAN R FI , AGER SALES M SHIRE ABERDEEN

might be down to them not being able to get supplies or it could be a change in attitude and noticing that more creativity and innovation is happening on their doorstep.

“We’ve gone into bigger bar groups that might not otherwise have taken on a local beer as a result. The McGinty’s Group has just taken us on in all of their venues.”

Aberdeenshire might be a vast area to cover, but the drinks industry community is small and close-knit.

“It’s such a small community in Aberdeen and everybody knows everybody so you’ve got to have one another’s back.”

LLAN AGER, DAVIDOA N UNTS MA

GLASGOW KEY ACC SUNTORY, M A E -B N EDRINGTO

“I worked all through the pandemic – bar 9 weeks of furlough – so I have a good idea of how things will fit at the end.”

There’s also a lot of support among brand reps in Scotland.”

Away from the job, David relaxes with the odd round of golf – plus he’s just taken up bowls. “It’s very relaxing but I’m not very good at it.”

DRAM JUNE 2021 27

28

DRAM JUNE 2021

1 Fenwick Road, Giffnock

CUTLER LOBSTER & STEAKS DESIGN FOCUS

H

usband and wife team Anthony and Fallon Cowley of the Meraki Restaurant Group have debuted Cutler, Lobster & Steaks in Giffnock following an extensive refurbishment of the former Tribeca unit. They also own Cocktails and Steak in Uddingston, Netherlee’s Mr MacGregor’s, which opened in August 2020, and are in the middle of rebranding Ciao Bella in Burnside as Luciano’s which they’ll also unveil this month. Three new restaurants during a pandemic. Not bad going for this relatively new business.

Fallon left her role as operations director of the Manorview Hotels & Leisure Group in 2018 after 10 years to have a

BY JASON CADDY child, while Anthony, former property development director for the group departed his role a few months ago following handover of the Redhurst Hotel refurbishment.

Said Fallon, “Design and development is Anthony’s passion.

He handed the Redhurst Hotel over to the Manorview Operations Team and then immediately went on to complete Cutler Lobster & Steaks, working closely with the designer, Space I.D. We also added a conservatory that has given us around 16 new covers and really opened up the space and made it lighter. The works began in January but were slightly delayed because of the pandemic and Frank Adams Contracts was the main contractor on the job.

DRAM JUNE 2021 29

“The feedback from customers has been amazing. They love having such a high-quality venue on their doorstep.”

As well as the high-end finish, the interior is also incredibly detailed.

Explained Anthony, “The unit was completely ripped out and redesigned along a seafood line because the menu is 50 per cent shellfish and 50 per cent steak and there’s so much going on everywhere you look – there is so much detail.

“The exterior and the fixed seating is lobster blue (the colour before it’s cooked). There are fish on the ceiling, buoys, lobster crails, a hand-painted lobster, half a lobster and cow door handles, boat-oar door handles, porthole windows.

The conservatory has a string of lights and lots of hanging planters too so there’s variation too.”

They have also installed a brand new kitchen that has been opened up so that customers can see the chefs working away, plus among all that shiny new equipment is a Mibrassa charcoal grill that barbeques the meat at 350 degrees.

30

DRAM JUNE 2021

Other design highlights for us are the nautical ropes neatly arranged on mounts hanging from the ceiling, the wooden Jenga-style frontage on the bar and white marble with dark fleck bar top, the exposed brick, the polished wooden floors, the lovely light blue pained distressed wood tables with metal surrounds, the white tiles, compass and the bar itself with its cool blue tiles that are a kind of overlapping circles that resemble fish scales that are also about the fixed booth seating. The wicker/bamboo lampshades are also pretty standout as is the nautical ropework looping at the bottom of the windows. There really is so much to drink in here.

If the last few months are anything to go by coupled with their pedigree in hospitality and the magic they’ve weaved at Cutler, we’re super-excited to see both their rebranding of Ciao Bella in Burnside with a full refurbishment planned soon, as well as with anything they may have planned for the future whether that’s a refurbishment or something brand new. Watch this space.

ITALIAN AROMA COFFEE WISH CUTLER ALL THE VERY BEST FOR THE FUTURE

frank adams contracts

BESPOKE JOINERY & PRINCIPAL CONTRACTOR

FROM CONCEPT

TO COMPLETION

We would like to wish Anthony & Fallon at CUTLER continued success.

For your next project, contact us - email: info@frankadamscontracts.co.uk - tel: 01355 590 966

BARS

RESTAURANTS

HOTELS DRAM JUNE 2021 31

FORT WILLIAM Operating in Highlands area including Small Isles

ALL ASPECTS OF PLUMBING CENTRAL HEATING RENEWABLES FREE ESTIMATES Highly recommended snipef registered

01397 713835 07428 702128

Follow on Facebook

Email: stewart.plumbing@yahoo.co.uk ALBA, BOHENIE ROAD, ROY BRIDGE PH31 4AN

GARRY MCIVOR FLOORING

JOHN VALLANCE The Seafood Experts Proud to supply The Ben Nevis, Fort William We wish them every success in the future.

John Vallance, The Seafood Experts, Units D11-14, Glasgow Fish Market, 130 Blochairn Road, Glasgow, G21 2DU Telephone: 0141 552 2825 info@johnvallance.com 32

DRAM JUNE 2021

Proud to have been involved with the refurbishment of The Ben Nevis Fort William with the Karandean fitted flooring CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TEAM T: 07525 782492 E: GarryMcivor85@gmail.com

103 High St, Fort William

THE BEN NEVIS DESIGN FOCUS

BY JASON CADDY

N

eil Morrison and Paul Sloan first signed on the dotted line to purchase Fort William’s Ben Nevis pub about two years ago and spent a while in the foothills before climbing the mountain of a refurbishment to the tune of £300K. Explained Neil, “We ran it for a year before lockdown with a few tweaks to the interior here and there but it was so busy that we had to double the size of the kitchen pretty much right away. Then we took the opportunity to give it a full refurbishment during lockdown number one.”

It used to have two bars downstairs and a restaurant upstairs. Now the restaurant, bar and decking are all downstairs with a brand new kitchen and staff facilities upstairs. The covers sit at about 120 in total.

Says Paul, “Customers were regularly getting turned away in its old guise so we wanted to remedy that by re-imagining the pub and maximising its capacity, and it took about four months all told DRAM JUNE 2021 33

because we did it gradually when we could find bodies to throw at it. This made a change from rushing in there for six weeks and whacking it out.

“The food offering was all over the place before we set to work. Now that it’s all downstairs it’s so much more efficient and we installed three heated lifts to make the whole process even slicker.”

The business partners also added a loch-side balcony to what was there before allowing customers more chance at drinking in this lovely view, but this isn’t the extent of their plans for this part of the pub.

“The balcony that was there before has been extended and

decked and now seats an additional 50 people but we plan to double this in size with a further extension in the near future.”

What was the look and feel they were going for?

Says Paul, “I suppose you could call it traditional meets contemporary Scottish to keep both the locals and the tourists 34

DRAM JUNE 2021

happy, but nothing too twee.

“In the bar, we have gone with classic whisky bar feel – copper, bronze, dark colours, and overall casual drinking vibe. The restaurant is also casual but it’s more cosmopolitan and light with more pastel colours.”

And they’ve pulled it off a treat. The refurbished Ben Nevis radiates quality and screams the fact much thought, skill and expertise went into it from start to finish.

On that note, McIvor Flooring brought their expertise to the fitout as did Stewart Plumbing, and John Vallance – The Seafood Experts - supply them with top-quality produce.

Neil is licensee of MacGochans in Tobermory, The Lochside Hotel on Islay, and The Benleva in Drumnadrochit. Paul’s Diversity Leisure owns Topolabamba, Chaakoo, Mezzidakia, and Cuan-Mor to name a few. Thanks to Rhona and Ranald for the pics.

SHOWCASE SHOWCASE

THEY USED US, WHY DON’T YOU

Put your menu in the hands of your customers with your own app and website.

SOUND CCTV ALARM

ATLANTIC BAR & GRILL

BUCK’S BAR

• NO COMMISSION • NO MINIMUM CONTRACT • LOW FIXED MONTHLY FEE • FAST TURNAROUND ByTable

GELATOBURGER

ByTable Order-To-Table •solution for ByTable ByTable Order-To-Table solution for Restaurants, Pubs and Bars Restaurants, Pubs and Bars WWW.RS100.CO.UK Order-To-Table solution for Order-To-Table solution for SALES @ RS100.CO.UK | 0141 337 1100Restaurants, Restaurants, Pubs and Bars Pubs and Bars GIN 71

THE ANCHOR LINE

TOPOLABAMBA

ByTable

Order-To-Table Order-To-Table solution solution for for Restaurants, Pubs Pubs and and Bars Bars Restaurants,

Time to re-think how customers are served

safely whilst keeping staff protected.

THE NO1 CHOICE FOR GAMING Time to re-think how customers are served AND LEISURE EQUIPMENT FOR safely whilst keeping staff protected. to re-think how customers are served PUBS, BARS & RESTAURANTS Time www. safely whilst keeping staff protected.

CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION

Time to re-think how customers are served www.

Glasgow Edinburgh Aberdeen safely whilst keeping staff protected.

0141 299 1802 0131 503 1802 01224 216430 Time Time to to re-think re-think how how customers customers are are served served www. safely whilst keeping staff protected. safely whilst keeping staff protected.

E: info@icrscotland.co.uk

www.

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

www.simsautomatics.co.uk

www.icrscotland.co.uk

www. www.

SHOWCASE SHOWCASE

FOR SALE GIN71 / CUP TEA LOUNGE / GIN SPA 71 RENFIELD ST / 48A WEST REGENT STREET, GLASGOW, G2 1LP VIRGINIA COURT, MERCHANT CITY, GLASGOW, G1 1TN

· Well established bar/restaurant/ tearoom/spa brand · Prominent trading positions within Glasgow’s City Centre & Merchant City · Hybrid venues – Daytime (Cup Tea Lounge) - Evening (Gin71) · Cup Tea Lounge/Gin71 – 2019 sales £2.16M net of VAT (70% GP) · Gin Spa – three treatment rooms & newly completed couple’s room · 2019 Spa sales - £395,279. Spa adjusted net profit c.£120k · Sale also includes hand blended tea brand (Ambr) · Strong brand with huge further growth potential LEASEHOLD OFFERS OVER £475,000

Jonathan Clough

Josh Hill

07500 700 283 • 0141 404 0087 jonathan@smithandclough.com

07927 076496 josh@scottishbusinessagency.co.uk

BARS • RESTAURANTS • HOTELS

• Leasing and Rentals • Customer Online Table Ordering • Track and Trace Registration • Handheld Ordering Tablets • EPOS Integrated Credit Card Terminals

DRAM JUNE 2021 37

@dramscotland

SUE SAYS!

/dram.scotland

I

have to say I have been flummoxed over the last week or so. I cannot understand why the Scottish Government turned down Glasgow Live’s strategy to test people going to the Euro fan zone at Glasgow Green. Our First Minister keeps telling us we have to be cautious, that we are in a precarious situation, and yet the green light was given to this event with 6,000 people a day going to Glasgow Green with no testing required. As every professor or scientist has pointed, out everyone has to get there. As for mitigations - 2m distancing, [and] table service that needs plenty of staff and [with] the organisers still recruiting with three days to go. Good luck with that! And what about toilets? Are they going to wipe down a portaloo every time it is used? Mmmph... What do you think?

Talking of recruitment - and that’s been the main chat apart from the Euro’s - a two-week social campaign promoting jobs across hospitality is about to kick off which is good news.

Anything that promotes jobs is great, but I think there is a fundamental misunderstanding of what hospitality is all about - the people we have to persuade are the mums and dads who would prefer their kids to do just about anything rather than get a job in hospitality. They don’t see the great opportunities, just the long hours and poor pay, which has historically been the reputation of the industry. That has to change.

The Scottish Hospitality Group has been discussing just that. We had our first in ‘the flesh’ meeting a week ago. It was great. You have to remember for the last year this group has been running as purely a voluntary organisation. Everyone has given their time and their resources for free and have contributed to a PR campaign to get our voice heard. It wasn’t set up to compete with any other organisation. It was set up because the people who are currently onboard felt that their voice was not being heard. I think Stephen Montgomery has done a phenomenal job giving people advice and practical help too, concerning navigating the restrictions that have been enforced and the funding available.

One issue coming our way is the issue of holiday pay. Some of you, no doubt, will have insisted that your staff take their accrued holidays while still on furlough - however, very many of you may not have been able to afford to top up, and may not have done that. Although there is a two-year window for taking the holidays, if a member of staff decides to leave, you have to stump up the entire amount. And if you have brought your staff back, you are also now responsible for the entirety of their holiday pay. I’ve heard of someone with 50 staff who reckons a £70K - £80K bill will be coming their way. They don’t know how they are going to pay it. Obviously, I have simplified it somewhat, but take advice now. There is a HMRC furlough advice line. Accountants tell me there are ‘grey areas’. So take advice. We will cover this in more depth soon.

I had a call recently from Martin Dyer, Head of On-trade for Cellar Trends now Amber Beverages. He is retiring in July after more than 35 years in the trade. He is a well-kent face. We have been out judging over the last few years and have shared a few stories.

He will be spending time with his grandchildren and hopefully will keep in touch. But there is another Scot at the helm of Amber Beverages that is Douglas Cunningham who was appointed CEO of the company earlier this year. It’s all change. Congratulations to them both.

There is a brilliant campaign running at the moment devised

by Graham Chalmers of Radisson Red in Glasgow called #bekindtohospitality which encourages customers to be kind to hospitality staff. However, I hear that suppliers need their customers - you - to be kind too! They are finding it difficult getting wine and spirits out of Europe due to Brexit, and they too have had challenges bringing staff back. Unfortunately, they got even less than the hospitality industry in terms of financial support. So next time your rep tells you they can’t get a wine, but there is an equally good one, please, don’t give them a hard time. Give them the same support over the years they have given you. #bekindtosuppliers.

Our awards kick off now and entries will be accepted until the mid of July... we are doing something completly different and I so hope you will all come along and enjoy celebrating how great our industry is!

DRAM DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING PUBLISHED BY MEDIA WORLD LIMITED t: 01560 600585 e: news@mediaworldltd.com w: dramscotland.co.uk Publisher-Editor Susan Young • Editor Jason Caddy • Chairman Noel Young • Advertising Nikki Oji, Syliva Forsyth Production Fiona Gauld, • Account Rebecca Orr 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 2021 Printed by Stephens & George Print Group.

38

DRAM JUNE 2021

the art of the hebridean distillers

By blending the inspiration from our artistic surroundings with over 220 years of distilling expertise, our two distinct single malts one peated and one unpeated - together with our gin, are truly an expression of the rich palate that our Hebridean island home provides.

t o b e r m o r y d i s t i l l e r y. c o m p le as e enjoy r esponsib ly

RED DOOR HIGHLAND GIN WITH SUMMER BOTANICALS open, serve and share the good times. @RedDoorGin Discover more at reddoorgin.com please enjoy responsibly