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DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

@dramscotland

DRAM MAGAZINE May 2020 ISSN 1470-241X

/dram.scotland

PAUSED FOR BUSINESS APRIL/MAY 2020 THE TRADE REVEALS ITS OWN EXPERIENCES OF LOCKDOWN

When only the best is good enough

The new GIGA X8

Coffee pleasure – freshly ground, not capsuled 32 speciality coffees can be selected via the 4.3" touchscreen colour display 2 precision ceramic disc grinders with Automatic Grinder Adjustment (A.G.A.®) for consistently even grinding Speed function: Hot water bypass for perfect speciality coffees in record time plus added user convenience

Ideal areas of use: pubs, bars, hotels, restaurants, private clubs, coffee lounges, private function areas Recommended maximum daily output: 200 cups JURA – If you love coffee

JURA Products Ltd., Vivary Mill, Vivary Way, Colne, Lancashire, BB8 9NW, Tel: 01282 868266, Fax: 01282 863411, sales@uk.jura.com, uk.jura.com

DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

WELCOME

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Coronavirus may have closed down our pubs, restaurants and hotels and just about every other business going, but we still have an interesting read for you this month.

Find out how key players in the industry were affected and the steps they took as operators from Ayrshire to Sutherland, Edinburgh to Dundee give us their take, in their own words - it has certainly been a journey. Our readers have really written this magazine and if you want to get involved next month let me know. We’ve an update on the latest government support (correct as of publication date - so keep on checking the government website) and some general news for you too.

Gordon White of FatBuzz gives us his digital insight, Janet Hood brings us to date on licensing and Fraser McIlwraith offers some advice on keeping sane during this time.

It might not be the usual DRAM but hopefully, it will answer some of your questions and also give you an insight into what is happening throughout Scotland.

If you want anyone added to our mailchimp just email over their email addresses.

Jason is furloughed so I am temporarily editing the magazine this week, from home, and Cheryl is helping too.

MAY

2020

FEATURES

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Susan Young Publisher

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susan@mediaworldltd.com www.dramscotland.co.uk /dram.scotland

HMRC Some updated information

IN THEIR OWN WORDS...

Kenny Blair, Innes Bolt, Michael Bergson, Tanja Lister et al...

DON’T SQUEEZE THE MIDDLE Ian Cumming of Inverarity Morton tells it how it is.

SCOTTISH BAR & PUB AWARDS All the categories to date

REGULARS

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Thanks everyone.

Keep well.

@dramscotland

CONTENTS

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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 MAY 2020 3

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT UPDATE...

THE CORONAVIRUS JOB RETENTION SCHEME

This scheme was updated in April to include people who were on payroll as at19 March 2020. Previously it only covered employees on payroll until 28th February.

It has also been extended and will run currently until the end of June.

The aim of the scheme is to help businesses minimise the economic impact of having to close.

The scheme will provide 80% of an employees’ salary, when furloughed, with the government paying up to £2,500 and covers all workers paid through PAYE (so not just employees) however it is for furloughed employees only. Employers can top up the other 20% at their discresion.

Employees cannot work for their employers when furloughed but they can take on other work for other companies or voluntary work.

If you have two jobs you can be furloughed from both.

SELF EMPLOYED

There is now a Self-Employed Income Support Scheme, with those eligible receiving a cash grant worth 80% of their average monthly trading profit over the last three years. The self-employed can receive up to £2,500 per month in grants for at least 3 months.

The scheme is open to those with a trading profit of less than £50,000 in 2018-19 or an average trading profit of less than £50,000 from 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19.

To qualify, more than half of their income in these periods must come from self-employment.

GRANTS

There are still no grants for hospitality businesses with rates in excess of £51K - it’s an issue which all trade bodies are campaigning on. £10K grants for small businesses and grants of £25K are also paid to

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hospitality businesses with their first premises getting the full £25K and subsequent premises 75% - still not parity with the rest of the UK, but an improvement on one business, one grant. The grants have still slow in coming out in some areas, but at the time of writing it is estimated that more than 60% of businesses have received the grants they applied for.

CORONAVIRUS BUSINESS INTERRUPTION LOAN - CBIL

There have been calls for the Government to revise the current loans due to the banks being uncooperative when it comes to lending. Out of 300,000 loans applied for (at the time of going to press) less than 4,000 had been approved.

The government currently guarantees 80% of the loan, but there are calls for it to guarantee 100%.

Meantime the government has told the banks that they cannot insist on personal guarantees from Directors of the business.

The temporary Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme purpose was to support SMEs with access to loans, overdrafts, invoice finance and asset finance of up to £5 million and for up to 6 years.

The government will also make a Business Interruption Payment to cover the first 12 months of interest payments and any lender-levied fees, so smaller businesses will benefit from no upfront costs and lower initial repayments.

The scheme is being delivered through commercial lenders, backed by the government-owned British Business Bank. There are 40 accredited lenders able to offer the scheme, including all the major banks. But you don’t have to go to your regular bank.

VAT specific deferment

VAT liabilities arising during the period 20 March 2020 to 30 June 2020 will automatically be deferred by 3 months without the need to apply.

NEWS BBPA LEADS PLAN TO LIFT PUBS OUT OF LOCKDOWN An absolute minimum of three weeks is needed, but ideally four, for pubs to get ready for re-opening when lockdown is lifted, according to the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) which is leading the planning process to get the pubs moving again once the immediate COVID-19 crisis has passed.

Brewers will also need this time to scale-up brewing operations to start re-supplying pubs and the on-trade with fresh beer.

This time frame would enable pubs to give sufficient notice to furloughed staff that they are required to return to work. It would also ensure equipment and systems are operating and cleaned to necessary standards, as well as enabling the clearance of pub cellars and the replacement of beer. This would in turn require some relaxation of social distancing measures ahead of a full re-opening in order that clearance crews can operate effectively.

The early weeks and months after lockdown restrictions are lifted will be critical for tens of thousands of pubs, and their supply chains, including access to working capital, particularly for SMEs. The economic value that Britain’s

beer and pub sector provides, and the hundreds of thousands of jobs it support, will remain in a precarious position if the lifting of lockdown for pubs isn’t done right, which is why the BBPA has already begun outlining its plans.

Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said, “It is extremely important that the beer and pub industry are closely consulted on the lifting of the lockdown restrictions when the COVID-19 crisis is over. The reopening process for the pub trade will be enormously hard and it’s imperative the Government work with the trade to get it right, else the situation would see even more pubs close.

“We want to work collaboratively with Government to ensure that society and the economy gets back on its feet in a safe and sustainable way once the medical and scientific advice indicates that a reopening is appropriate and with appropriate support in place. We believe the pub has a key role to play in this, but re-opening them must be done in the right way, which is why we are leading on these plans to get pubs ready for when the lockdown is lifted.”

PUB GOVERNING BODY AGREES SUSPENSION OF ALL RENT REVIEW NEGOTIATIONS UNTIL 30TH JUNE! The Pub Governing Body has negotiated a deal with pub landlords which will see all companies that followed the Tenanted and Leased codes of practice to suspend all rent review negotiations while pubs remain closed with a date put on that at the moment of 30th June.

Sir Peter Luff, Chair of the PGB said, “The PGB in conjunction with the PGB of Scotland has agreed with the pub companies who follow the Tenanted and Leased codes of practice and self-regulation that all rent review negotiations will be suspended while pubs remain closed during the coronavirus epidemic.

“This pragmatic and sensible step is in addition to any agreements individual companies have put in place for their pubs and relieves all tenants of one possible worry during the coronavirus epidemic.

It runs from 16th March until at least until the end of June, by when we all hope we will have returned to more normal trading conditions.

“This quick and flexible response to the current crisis shows how voluntary regulation brings real benefits to pubs and we hope it will

be welcomed.”

This will see suspension of all defined periods within the three Codes during the period that pubs are closed however it won’t cancel or undermine any rights that the tenant or lessee has as set out in the Codes. For the purpose of consistency, the suspension will be from 16 March 2020 until 30 June 2020, unless approval is given for pubs to open sooner. This suspension period will be kept under review by the PGB’s and may be extended if pubs remain closed beyond 30 June.

Some pub companies in Scotland have given tenants complete rent breaks including Caledonian Heritable, one of the biggest pub co’s in the country, and owned by Edinburgh born Kevin Doyle. Others companies including Belhaven and Star Pubs and Bars have not collected, or deferred rent payments or have reduced them, on a case-by-case basis. But some private landlords, according to licensees, are asking for the full amount to be paid despite pubs being closed.

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Greene King announce new support fund for partners Belhaven Pubs owners, Greene King, have announced rent support for its tied tenants. Initially the company delayed rents entirely to alleviate immediate cash flow concerns for our partners.

But now the company has announced a new Partner Support Fund that will seek to provide financial support on a pub-by-pub basis for its tied pub tenants.

The company has written to its 975 tied tenants outlining its plans to enter into individual discussions.

Eligible partners who have been impacted the most by the forced closures due to COVID-19 can apply to the Partner Support Fund to access immediate financial support on rent and further support when it comes to reopening. Support will be offered to tied tenants who need further help after they have utilised all relevant government schemes.

The company say that “One to one discussions will take place with tenants and their Business Development Managers over the next four weeks. The financial support is in addition to the help Greene King has already offered to all partners to ease cashflow concerns, including deferred rent and free replacement beer for kegs and casks that may be out of date when pubs are able to reopen.”

In a letter to tenants, Wayne Shurvinton, Greene King Pub Partners’ managing director, said, “In addition to our immediate support to defer rent and the subsequent government interventions, we would 6

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like to work with you on an individual basis to understand how we can best tailor any further financial support on rent, where appropriate. While pubs remain closed we will be focusing support where it is needed most now, giving due consideration to government support provided.

“I’m sure you’ll appreciate that the immediate support we offered and the opportunity to enter into one-toone discussions is in stark contrast to many other retail and hospitality businesses with many facing insolvency action with statutory demands from landlords already being served. Many of these businesses have not had the opportunity to access the support, financial or otherwise, that we are providing to you as a tied Pub Partner.

“Please be assured that we will do all we can to support you during the forced closure period and beyond once your pub reopens. Our view is that many pubs will be affected differently and there will not be a one size fits all solution. Our goal will be to provide an appropriate amount of targeted financial support to those partners who need it the most while at the same time ensuring the financial survival of our business and the 38,000 employees who depend on us.”

In March the company confirmed it would replace all its partners unbroached and out-of-date kegs and casks for free when they reopen. It has also teamed up with We also teamed up with StarStock to launch the My Pub Shop initiative.

Pictured left to right Buzzworks Alison, Kenny and Colin Blair

BUZZWORKS DONATES £10K Buzzworks Holdings, owned by the Blair family, has further demonstrated its commitment to the hospitality industry by donating £10,000 to UK charity Hospitality Action.

The donation will provide some much needed funding to the charity, who offers a range of support services for people working within the hospitality industry, including a 24 hour hotline for advice, counselling sessions on stress, addiction and abuse, alongside grants for help with debt or short term money concerns.

The donation comes as the Scottish hospitality industry faces an uncertain futuredue to Coronavirus.

Buzzworks, which manages twelve prestigious venues across Ayrshire and beyond, temporarily closed the doors to all of its restaurants and bars on 20th March in line with government guidelines.

Kenny Blair, Managing Director at Buzzworks Holdings, said, “Along with many others in the hospitality industry, Buzzworks is feeling the impact of Covid-19, having to temporarily close our doors as instructed by the UK Government. We have been in the fortunate position however to retain the vast majority of our existing team over 500 members of staff - through government grants across our portfolio.

“Everyone is in this crisis together and feeling its effect, so we are doing what we can to ensure all of our stakeholders are taken care of. Both our suppliers will be paid and our staff will continue to

NEWS A BIRDSEYE VIEW OF SOUTH KOREA FROM Donald Muirhead - Pernod Ricard, South Korea

K TO HOSPITALITY ACTION receive their wages weekly and where we haven’t been able to keep on five of our team members due to their short time with Buzzworks, we have made sure that they receive payment in lieu of their notice and assistance to find other temporary work.

“We’re fortunate in that the business is in a good position to look after our stakeholders and we hope our small donation to Hospitality Action, who does fantastic work for those within the industry, alongside will offset some of the hardship facing many across the UK.” With over 500 members of the Buzzworks team currently furloughed until further notice, many have gone on to offer their services to those in need. Buzzworks chefs have been using their time to cook meals for vulnerable people through local Ayrshire charity Centrestage, student NHS staff working part time within the business have stepped up to assist GP’s and hospitals, whilst many more have volunteered to help their local communities in any way they can.

Kenny Blair continued, “Having built our family business for over 40 years, we would not be in the position we are in without our dedicated Buzzworks team. With so many putting themselves forward to take on temporary work to support those most at need within the community, that commitment has shone through once again and this makes us feel incredibly proud.”

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outh Korea was one of the first countries to have a major outbreak of COVID-19.

Despite a major moment of crisis in early February, the South Korean government has done and effective job in containing the spread of the virus by conducting 20,000 or so tests a day, which is more per capita than anywhere else in the world. The government tracks all individuals who have been positively tested with the virus and sends out text messages to all Korean citizens, informing them the location, date and number of people of have been infected within their vicinity.

South Korea is one of two countries that has been able to flatten the curve without enforcing mass lockdowns. The number of cases are decreasing and there is a sense of normality in the streets of Seoul as people go about their daily lives.

Of course, most Korean’s wear protective masks and frequently clean their hands with sanitizer to reduce their exposure to the virus but for the most part, it is business as usual here.

In regard to the bar scene in Seoul, most clubs are temporarily closed. The clubs that are open are only operating on Friday and Saturday, which may sound like quite standard operating times for night clubs but considering Seoul is a 24/7 city, this is not normal.

Most malt and cocktail bars are continuing to operate, however

most bars have taken precautionary measures to prevent the possible spread of the virus and to ensure the safety and wellbeing of guests and staff alike. These measures include regular disinfection of the bar premises, mandatory mask wearing for staff and mandatory hand washing for all guests who enter the premises.

I had a chance to speak with Keith.

Motsi, the head bartender of the Charles. H bar in the Four Seasons, which was ranked number 14 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars list last year.

The Charles.H is still operating as normal, however they have noticed a significant drop in guests. As expected, hotels have been hit quite hard and the decrease in travelers flying into Seoul has had a negative impact on not just the Four Seasons, but all hotels nationwide. Luckily, travellers don’t make up 100% of the Charles.H’s guests, in fact only 30% or so are travellers which is why there is still a steady flow of guests visiting, albeit fewer than this time last year.

Most bars have experienced a drop in sales from anywhere between 10% and 50%. Despite this, bar owners remain optimistic that the situation will improve over the next few months as they feel like the worst is over. From what I’ve learned talking to bar owners about the subject, they are expecting a full return to normality

by September.

DRAM MAY 2020 7

EDEN MILL TURN AWARD-WINNING GIN BOTTLE BLUE TO SUPPORT THE NHS Eden Mill have launched a limited-edition blue ceramic bottle of their award-winning Original Gin to show their support and raise valuable funds for the NHS. £2 from every Original Gin Blue Bottle sold at £30 will be donated to help support and protect the amazing efforts of healthcare workers, battling Covid-19 on the frontline.

Five thousand bottles have been created to be sold across the coming months, with donations being made each month to a different NHS associated charity or project.

The first donation will be made to Masks 4 NHS Heroes, a crowdfunding effort set up by front-line NHS doctors to help raise money for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). This equipment will be distributed to all front-line staff including paramedics, porters, cleaning staff, healthcare assistants, catering staff, physiotherapists and NHS volunteers.

CEO Paul Miller said, ‘By creating 5,000 limited edition blue bottles of our Original Gin we hope to raise £10,000 in the coming months to donate to NHS Charities and projects.

We have chosen Masks 4 NHS Heroes to receive the first

donation because the provision of personal protection equipment is so essential for NHS staff. We are so proud and thankful for all of our healthcare heroes doing incredible work at this time to save lives and battle this virus. We hope this can make even a small difference.”

The Eden Mill Original Gin is a smooth gin with citrus qualities. Made from juniper botanicals, lemon balm and Fife’s seabuckthorn berries, and was voted Scotland’s Number One Gin at the 2018 Scottish Gin Awards, where 116 gins were blind tasted.

The 70cl bottles are available to buy direct from edenmill.com for £30 or can be ordered from Eden Mill’s Click and Collect service at their distillery site in Guardbridge, St. Andrews.

To learn more about Masks 4 NHS Heroes please visitwww. crowdfunder.co.uk/masks4nhsheroes The bottle is the latest initiative from Eden Mill showing their support of the NHS. The gin distillery have also been offering 25 percent discount and free delivery on all purchases on the site for NHS staff to say cheers for all their incredible work.”

MARK HUNTER AND DAVID WITHER INVEST IN GENIUS BREWING Genius Brewing, founded by Jason Clarke and Charlie Craig, has received a significant investment from fellow Scots; former Molson Coors global chief executive Mark Hunter; and David Wither, founder and chairman of the Montpelier Group to further develop the Genius Craft Lager, the UK’s first light craft lager, which they launched two years ago.

The Glasgow based brand is continuing to grow thanks to the rising trend in healthier drinking, which saw UK sales of ‘No & Low’ alcohol beer grow £15.2million in 2019.* Charlie Craig, co-founder and operations director of Genius Brewing, said, “Securing investment from two of Scotland’s most respected figures within the drinks industry is a huge vote of confidence and a great way to celebrate a successful first two years.

“The Gen!us mission is to make healthier drinking a pleasure, not a compromise.

“Of course like every drinks brand, coronavirus, has hit our on-trade business, however we’ve quickly adapted to focus on our online channel Flavourly.com where sales are rocketing.”

Mark, who recently retired as President and CEO of Molson Coors, said, “There’s a lot of great work happening in the No & Low alcohol space and Genius Brewing is a brand that is paying attention to the evolving lifestyle changes of drinkers all over the world. Its light craft lager delivers on 8

DRAM MAY 2020

taste and allows drinkers to enjoy one of life’s pleasures without compromise.”

Montpelier Group’s iconic Edinburgh venues include Tigerlily and Indigo Yard. Founder David Wither commented, “I’ve seen huge changes in the beer industry since we started in the 90’s. Craft beer has raised people’s expectations of flavour but not everyone wants their strong ABVs and calorie content. I can see huge potential for Gen!us, especially when it launches in draft.”

NEWS BUDWEISER BACK PUBS WITH £1M SAVE PUB LIFE FUND Budweiser Brewing Group has launched Save Pub Life a programme to help shore up the future of the sector. It provides an easy way for pubgoers to support their locals, bars and restaurants by signing up to the scheme and visiting SavePubLife.com. The programme encourages pubgoers to buy a gift card, which they can spend at their local pub once it reopens. Budweiser Brewing Group will match the value of the gift card up to a combined total of £1 million, and the full matched amount will go directly to businesses within two weeks, when they need it most.

To help businesses communicate with their supporters, Budweiser Brewing Group has provided marketing materials and social media templates. And for those venues that are not yet signed up, the website will have an option allowing people to email their favourite pub to suggest they join.

Pubs can sign up to the scheme by visiting SavePubLife.com.

Pubs that have signed up for the initiative include Tigerlily, Edinburgh; Drift Inn, Arran, Noose and Monkey, Aberdeen; The Uplawmoor Hotel, Wintersgill, Glasgow and many more venues including sports clubs. So if you have not registered do so now and get promoting.

TEAM WORK BRINGS FERRY RESIDENTS FOOD BANK

Broughty Ferry pubs The Fort, The Anchor, Eagle Coaching Inn, Bruach, Doc Ferry’s and the Occidetal have set up a food bank in the town. Supporters raised £7,500 in just over under two weeks for the scheme, created by the five pub landlords who kicked it off with a donation of £100 each.

Debbie Findlay, the owner of Eagle Coaching Inn, who came up with the idea, told the Dundee Courier, ““We have 40 volunteers so we are actually at full capacity and have enough help for now.

“There’s around 30 people on standby too. To be honest, the amount of volunteers and money donated hasn’t shocked us but it has been overwhelming at the same time.”

TOWNHEAD HOTEL SUPPORTS ABERLOUR Stephen Montgomery, owner of the Townhead Hotel (and President of the SLTA) in Lockerbie, and his partner Jan, have recently teamed up with the Aberlour Children’s Charity to cook and supply between 150 and 250 meals per week free of charge to families who are in need, those who are self-isolating, or those who are deemed as vulnerable in its local area with all the meals being delivered.

Stephen says, “Our pubs and hotel bars are always looked on as being a vital part of our community, and

for many years the Licensed Trade have always been at the front of raising millions of pounds for worthy charities, whether they be local or further afield. In times of need we are always there to lend a hand, and in facing what we are seeing just now, and with our licensed premises being closed, this is a time when we are needed even more.

He continues, “It is important in these very difficult times that we as a trade give as much as we can, and help those who have helped and supported us over the years.”

n The National Living Wage (NLW) has increased to £8.72 despite two of the UK’s leading economics thinktanks – the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the Resolution Foundation urging the government to stage an 11th hour U-turn. Other business groups and trade organisations also lobbied against it going up urging hte government to delay the implementation of the new rates. The other rates of the National Minimum Wage will also increase alongside the NLW. n SWG3 in Glasgow’s west end started a campaign called ViseUp to support the production of PPE at Kelvinside Academy.

They raised cash to help the school made laser-cut visors for frontline NHS workers. They raised over £58,000 in five days (and obviously they are still fund raising) the cash went directly to the production of laser-cut visors for frontline NHS workers. This significant fund helped increase the rate of production of the visors from 3,000 per day to 5,000 per day.

So far, Kelvinside, Larbert High School, Caldervale High School and their wider partner schools’ network have produced and delivered more than 12,000 custom-built visors to NHS and carestaff.

Now ViseUp has embarked on funding and delivering a further 25,000 visors, which will be delivered all across Scotland – from Dumfries to Orkney, Skye to Auchtermuchty. SWG3 has partnered with Badaboom, who have come on board to assist with the logistics. n Tiki Bar and Bowlarama may be closed

by Ian McComb and his team have been providing meals to hospitals and other emergency services during the shutdown.

Initially they supplied Monklands Hospital but now are providing contactless dropoffs at other hospitals too.

The pub has been asking customers and the others to help fund the meals through gofundme.com/f/help-us-to-keep-ournhs-workers-well-fed DRAM MAY 2020 9

BRAND NEWS BEER

GIN

INNIS & GUNN LAUNCH ORIGINALS

LAKES LAUNCH PINK GRAPEFRUIT GIN

Scottish brewer Innis & Gunn has launched “Innis & Gunn x The Originals”, a 12-week campaign to support the creative industries across the UK, Canada and Sweden. The brand will commission a select group of creatives from its extensive partner network to produce new work on a weekly basis, which will be showcased on Innis & Gunn’s social media channels. Many of the creative pieces will be auctioned off at a later date, with the resulting funds donated to charity.

WHISKY SMOKEHEAD TV LAUNCHES Smokehead Brand Ambassador, Mikey Sim and custom Ducati aficionado, Tyler Lunceford, recently hosted the first Smokehead Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky broadcast.

They hosted their first Instagram Live (@smokeheadwhisky) stream and focussed on tasting the original Smokehead expression, as well as demonstrating how to craft a simple-to-make whisky sour and boilermaker serve.

Over the coming weeks, Smokehead will be presenting further tastings, boilermakers, cocktail making sessions, food, music, interviews, giveaways and other cool Smokehead stuff.

Adding his thoughts on Smokehead TV, Iain Weir, Smokehead Brand Director, said, “In these uncertain times, we’re very pleased that we can still engage with our loyal Smokehead tribe. Both Mikey and Tyler personify the Smokehead brand.”

During this challenging time, £1 from the sale of each bottle purchased from www.smokehead.com (and all other IMD websites) will be donated to Drinks Trust to support their mission of providing care and support to our hospitality colleagues.

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Inspired by The Lakes Gin’s signature serve, The Lakes Distillery has unveiled the newest member in its spirits family; The Lakes Pink Grapefruit Gin. Celebrating the role the fruit plays as their preferred garnish, this is a refreshing gin bursting with citrus flavour. Beautifully balanced, at 46% ABV, it offers all the qualities of The Lakes’ classic London dry style gin, with distinctive, resounding pink grapefruit notes.

Gently distilled with the luxury of time for exceptional smoothness in a traditional copper pot still, whiskymaker Dhavall Gandhi has used only a select few of the finest botanicals and the purest water drawn from the Lake District National Park.

Hubbelskyu causes an uproar...

To raise spirits during this difficult time, The Shetland Distillery Company has launched of a very special limited-edition gin – Hubbelskyu. Hubbelskyu - Shetland Dialect for uproar - has been created in collaboration with the Shetland Folk Festival Committee. The Shetland Distillery company had created Hubbelskyu to mark the 2020 Shetland Folk Festival, which would have been their 40th event.

With the festival now rescheduled to 2021, The Shetland Distillery has made the decision to continue with the launch of the gin, allowing those planning to attend as well as acts and the committee members, to enjoy a taste of the festival from the comfort of their own home.

Each of the 500 bottles available have been hand-numbered and labelled and £1 from bottle sold, and this will go to the hardworking voluntary committee to help towards the cancellation costs of this year’s festival and the future funding costs of the 2021 festival.

COVID-19 AN UPDATE FOR OUR CLIENTS At Sims Automatics we’re doing everything we can to help our customers through this uncertain time.

For as long as premises remain open, please be assured that our sales and service team are there to support you as best we can.

We are following all the guidance issued by the Scottish Government and our management team are monitoring the situation closely and will keep you updated via our website and social media channels.

If you need to get in touch please contact us on: 0141 946 0444. For Service call 0141 946 6054 We appreciate all your support and patience at this challenging time for us all.

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

www.simsautomatics.co.uk

DRAM MAY 2020 11

IN OUR OWN WORDS COVID-19 In our own words -some of Scotland’s movers and shakers give us their lowdown on how the current crisis impacted on their business and what they are doing to prepare for the future...

DRAM

BY INNES

BOLT, MD, MONTPELIERS EDINBURGH

T

o date, although extremely stressful for everyone, it has been relatively straight forward. The government support has allowed us to continue to employ 100% of our team and enabled us to arrange fair payment terms with all our suppliers. We continue to communicate with our people weekly and provide individuals with additional support and direction when required. This has been our main focus for the last x3 weeks.

We have also been compiling cash forecasts, almost daily, as the situation develops. We will continue concentrating heavily on this as part of our reopening plan. Now it feels a bit like the calm

before the storm... the recovery will be our biggest challenge. Will consumers have the confidence to venture out? Will social distancing still be in place?

How do we operate our businesses successfully with potentially a drop of more than 50% in sales? We are looking into all possibilities at the moment.

Going forward we will be working on small development plans for all of our businesses. We want each of them to come out of this feeling rejuvenated and polished, with new food and drinks menus, customer offers and some aesthetic changes. We are also constructing training plans to make sure everyone is up to speed with all areas of service, product knowledge and any developing trends.

On top of this we are currently looking into different ways we can support our community, there are some amazing people out there doing some incredible things and we would like to support however we can.

Finally, It has been great to be surrounded by so many supportive people. The Hospitality Industry has really pulled together to help navigate this very difficult time.

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BY KENNY BLAIR, MD, BUZZWORKS

R

eflecting on the unique circumstances that we have all found ourselves over the last few weeks, I find that I am in a good place.

Despite the fact that our business has no income and the future of the hospitality industry across both the UK and the globe is uncertain, I know with absolute certainty that Buzzworks has done everything it can for everyone involved in our family business.

As a leader through a crisis, you must look to yourself to provide a level of CALM – compassion, clear action on priorities, a level and clear head and be mindful of the consequences for everyone. It is not always easy, however it is completely necessary.

Throughout my career, building our business alongside my brother and sister, I have drawn inspiration from Danny Meyer – the New York restaurateur and CEO of Union Square Hospitality.

His vision for ‘Enlightened Hospitality’ - where it is a virtuous cycle of putting your people before your guests, your suppliers, your community and your investors or owners - has really resonated with me.

I was lucky enough to be invited on a learning tour, as part of a HIT scholarship, to visit his business last year and immerse myself in his philosophy. It was both educational and inspirational, and throughout this crisis I have tried to implement what I learned by replicating the loyalty shown to us by our team.

S... THE IMPACT OF

We are fortunate that the business is in a good position to do the right thing for our stakeholders and throughout the crisis we have been able to retain over 500 of our team across the business.

We’ve made sure that they have continued to be paid weekly, whilst communicating with everyone daily and supporting all of our team in a variety of different ways.

Outwith our team, we will continue to make payments to our suppliers, many of whom have been truly outstanding in their support and understanding throughout this crisis.

I feel blessed that we have also been able to support the community during these difficult times, from our chefs helping local charity Centrestage cook meals for vulnerable people in east Ayrshire, to our staff supporting the NHS both voluntary and on the front line.

We have also made a modest donation to our chosen charity, Hospitality Action, which helps those within the hospitality industry, including our own team, to help with mental, physical and financial wellbeing.

Whilst I’m sure both Buzzworks and the hospitality industry faces turbulent times over the coming months, I am confident that we will be able to provide a great business for our customers to return to, within a safe and welcoming environment.

Unfortunately hospitality as an industry has a disproportionate reliance on people, allied to high

property costs, which make it immensely vulnerable to a complete closure like we are experiencing now.

Combined, it looks bleak for many and it is truly sad that we will potentially lose some well-known names from both the culinary and bar scene.

Most businesses that have been around for as long as we have each will each have their own war stories to tell and we are no different. We all know the principle that when times are tough, you really get better and stronger at what you do - there is often no other option.

It is from these experiences that we know as a business, we have the ability and capacity to ride this storm, although no one is underestimating how tough it will be.

Working as a family, through both good and bad times, we know that we will get our backs to the wall and focus our energy on pulling through just like we have done many times before in our career.

In this unprecedented time, we’ve formulated a list of actions that’s helped us through the crisis so far and will hopefully help us achieve our goal in this unprecedented situation, that a year from now we will look back on how our business has behaved and be proud that we did the right thing for everyone involved.

1. Communicate clearly and regularly with your team all of them. Even if it is just through a WhatsApp group 2. Speak to your suppliers, don’t just ignore them - they will almost universally understand. Those that don’t make any concessions will soon be ex-suppliers when all this is over 3. Forensically examine every penny that leaves your bank account. Question every expense, and ask for help from every supplier 4. Create a plan for coming out of the crisis - make a best guess at what it will look like for your business. It might not be 100 per cent correct, but it will give both you and your team something to focus on 5. Plan your cashflow out for the next 12 months based on your plan. If you can’t do this in-house then contact your accountant 6. Keep a dialogue going with your bank - let them know everything you are doing to minimise the effect of the crisis on your business 7. Create a crisis team, even if it’s just two or three people - split up the jobs and talk daily 8. Share the problem with someone else within the licenced trade - we are all in this together. On this occasion, the virus is the competition 9. Look after yourself - take exercise and share the load with someone - your business needs you in good shape to lead it through this crisis 10. Don’t believe everything you read in the news.

DRAM MAY 2020 13

BY MICHAEL BERGSON - SOHO GLASGOW BAR

1

9th March (exactly 3 weeks ago) we were still trading. Our venues remained open except The Variety Bar. We took the decision to close VBar that week. As a small pub, it was impossible to implement social spacing . How do you tell your regulars to sit at opposite ends of a bar? Can you even stop them from sitting at the bar? ‘Excuse me sir, would you mind not sitting at the bar and can you please drink your pint of Tennent’s over in that corner?’ I couldn’t see that working and it wasn’t fair on the staff to continue. SoHo, Little SoHo and both of our Buck’s Bars remained open and all were still reasonably busy. We were actually having to turn a lot of business away at times. Just like everyone else in the trade, we had introduced many additional safety measures. We were also making plans to start Operation Takeaway and Delivery in the event of a governmental shut down.

We’d taken the decision to stay open as long as possible simply because we wanted to give as many of our team as possible the chance to keep earning a wage. The staff were healthy, earning good money and all was going well. I told my managers ‘we won’t shut until they force us’.

Then I woke up on Thursday 19th with what seemed to be symptoms

of Covid 19. Thankfully I was lucky to only experience milder symptoms (just like flu with added lost sense of taste and smell). My wife Michelle and my area manager Ashley also fell ill later that day. I was worried. Who else had I potentially passed this on to? Can you imagine if I’d stayed open knowing that a few team members could potentially have Coronavirus? I started having nightmares of being shamed live on GMTV by Piers Morgan for being a greedy superspreading moron. I then made the (somewhat prophetic) call that Friday 20th would be our last day of trading before shutting down for the forseeable.

To be honest, I still had doubts regarding my decision. Had we done the right thing? What if I only had a cold? Would there even be an enforced shutdown at all? Was it possible that the UK would follow the Sweden example? I mean the Schools were still open for goodness sake! I switch on the news and Tim Martin the Wetherspoons owner (and a big Tory donor) is beating the drum for all hospitality venues to stay open. Could Boris’s big bouffant Brexit buddy Tim possibly be exerting his influence on the PM to keep venues open? We were fully booked for Saturday and Sunday.

Were we being rash in cancelling all

those bookings? But no, this virus had now infiltrated our staff. We had no choice. It was necessary to close.

We told the staff we would pay a percentage of all management salaries until our money ran out. We have 70 staff in total. All we could afford to do for the rest was to ask them to take leave of pay. This would mean we would pay them one final week’s wages and then a final guaranteed pay of £145 per person. After that they would be able to work elsewhere or apply for Universal Credit. The staff understood but the thought of having to do this made me feel sick.

Friday night, Boris made THAT announcement. ‘Close as soon as possible’. Then huge news as Rishi Sunak announced the 80% job retention scheme. The manager Whatsapp chat group went wild! The team were so relieved. It was music to our ears.

Sunak’s announcement was a massive weight off of our shoulders. We had enough cash to pay staff their 80% for a while but were slightly worried about how long it would take for grant money to filter through to businesses.

We fortunately received our £25,000 grants this week so all staff have been furloughed and are receiving their 80%.

By the time the grant runs out then we hope to have received the furlough payback from the government (we hear it will come through at the end of April).

So it looks like we are covered at least until June.

Operation Takeaway and Delivery has now been shelved. For example how do you convince a staff member who is getting paid, say, £400 for sitting at home safely watching Netflix to come and do a week’s work for an extra £100 per week. Even less after travel expenses. Then there’s the risk of them contracting the virus. Even if their symptoms are mild then they could end up on SSP and actually earn a lot less than the furlough pay.

It’s at times like this you see the best of our industry. All of our suppliers have been amazing. We will 100% make sure that all suppliers credit is fully up to date by the time all of this ends.

Landlords in the main have also been great with 4 out of 5 offering 3 month rent holidays. So many customers have sent messages of encouragement.

Who knows how long this will continue but one things for certain. When we come back, it will be with a bang!

BY JOHN BLACK - THE FORT HOTEL, BROUGHTY FERRY

O

n Monday the 16th of March I believe our trade was officially thrown under a bus in one statement, “stay open but don’t go in!”. The following Friday the Government threw us a lifeline for our staff when it announced 80% wages would be paid, along with the closure announcement we needed at that point.

I, along with another four other local premises, made the decision to close at 9pm, as we believed what we did from that point on would be remembered for a very long time to come. The same five premises ourselves ‘The Fort Hotel’, The Eagle Coaching Inn, The Anchor, The Occidental Bar & Bruach had met earlier in the week to discuss the situation, and it was at that point that Debbie from the Eagle suggested we each put £100 in to start a local food bank.

There has been so many misleading statements. The Government said at first “We will do whatever it takes” which has changed to “we cannot save every business and everyone.” Probably the biggest joke of all ‘Insurance companies will pay out!’ They have not, not a penny!

The Grant system which is so unfair in so many ways under £19k in Rates - £10K Grant, £19K - 51K a £25K Grant but over £51K which is where I happen to be, not a penny!

This needs to change. Yes, our staff have been Furloughed with 80% pay, but again I, the employer, am left to pay them weekly for now until the Portal is ready and will we get every penny back? Well, that is another question.

I have more than 30 staff how long can they expect me to sustain this. There are two reasons why I have not folded already. The first reason, is that I have used the cash due for my VAT return which I now have to get back somehow to pay HMRC in the future. The second is that I had cleared my overdraft in January, but for one reason or another, I had kept it open. That has been my main lifeline. Not the loans that the Government made out would be so easy to acquire. Only 1.4% have been approved so far.

Up until now I have paid all my local suppliers first, and have a list of others which I will pay in full before this month is out. Not because any Government has helped me with this but plain and simple my overdraft! Which again is debt that I will have to pay back in the future.

Our Business is like so many other businesses out there

because of past renovations, constantly changing legislation and other costs we are asset rich but cash poor.

My staff’s wages right now are being paid with borrowed interest added money. We need our team to be there for us when we do reopen so we need to look after them now.

Day to day it has been tough in so many ways mainly mentally dealing with the numbers which juggle through your mind at every second of the day. Going from being a thriving business one week to having zero income the next.

The previous week we had deliveries for future renovations which are now all in storage.

When will be be able to reopen? What is our future? It’s the not knowing that’s eating at me. Daily I am racking my brain on how I can bring in an income to soften the blow on the damage this is causing to all our futures.

My theory for getting through this now is, if you can, make sure you pay all local suppliers first. This will be first to impact our futures with a knock on effect. Don’t just cancel all your standing orders and your direct debits to the big suppliers, having said that the energy companies have been horrendous! Instead speak to the companies first, most have been understanding and will offer some kind of help be it for future payments. After all we need to come back from this and you will need them again.

As for personal payments, mortgages, cars, loans again, my advice is speak to the companies. Most will give you a three month holiday.

As a director my personal wage stopped on the 20th of March so any savings I can make right now will help. Finally if you can do anything for now ‘Be Kind!’ as I said earlier whatever you do right now will be remembered for a long time.

The five pubs that initially put the £100 each in started something that has become so much bigger and a lifeline to a lot of local people, The majority of us are still working on this (one took not well). We have now raised over £10K and have a fully working food bank delivering twice a week plus emergency deliveries.

But will my business survive this? I believe it will, although it won’t be easy and there will be many sacrifices and changes along the way, but I will stay strong and help as many as I can along the way.

DRAM MAY 2020 15

MANORVIEW’S AIM: TO COME OUT RUNNING...

Pictured left to right Steve Graham, and Steve Buckley.

BY STEVE GRAHAM - CHAIRMAN OF MANORVIEW

T

o be honest, the minute Boris Johnson came out and said to avoid pubs and restaurants, I thought about closing down. This was about a week before the actual shutdown. On Monday March 16 I told my management team what I was thinking, but not everyone in the business knew. I saw other countries closing down and I thought it was inevitable.

In some respects it was an easy decision to make because it had been made for us. This was before the furlough deal was revealed. But we were getting lots of calls from concerned brides and grooms and people wanting to freeze their gym memberships and such like making it difficult to operate because we didn’t know what was coming.

Although we could have kept open over the next weekend we didn’t feel it was the right thing to do. We had a team of 500 people who could have picked up coronavirus, and so on the Tuesday we announced we were closing and that we would be keeping all the team on, but at 50% of their wages, for as long as it took.

I think it was the right thing to do, anything else was just being in denial of what was going to come. Maybe that is easy for me to say, because that is the way I think.

Once I made the decision I felt relief. I felt like we had taken back the power and at the same time, it allowed me to offer the NHS free bedrooms.

That quick decision worked for us. We were able to close in a practical manner. The units were cleaned and perishable stock given away to charities and the right places – and that helped. When the actual shutdown came we were actually very well prepared.

The following Friday the government announced the

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furlough scheme, a year’s holiday from rates, and Government backed loans and I could see that there would be more support coming from the Government which was a real relief based on the decision we had made.

We spoke to our lenders and suppliers. Then we spent days and weeks going through cashflow projections, looking at where we would be in 3 months, 6 months 12 months – and producing all the information we needed for the bank in a thorough way which ultimately allowed them to give us support.

The CBIL government loan didn’t work for us because of the five-year profile thereafter. We had to look at it in longer-term aspect and Barclays understood this and had approved our increased facility by Easter Friday.

The bank could also see that we are still growing and expanding our business, and certainly, once we get back to normal that is what we will continue to do.

I think the Government has done a reasonable job for businesses in the circumstances.

They have been reacting to what has been happening and the Chancellor comes across very well. He has an eye on the economy and with furlough, is trying to keep everyone with a wage while at the same time trying to ensure the health and wellbeing of the country.

Coming out the other side the Government will have to continue with support – a year won’t be enough for some people. We think it will be a full year before we get back to the profits we were achieving at the year-end 2019.

We are lucky because a lot of our business is postponed rather than cancelled.

Hospitality was the first to close and we will be last to

re-open. We are all in the same predicament and we are all facing the same challenges, but there will be opportunities – certainly, I couldn’t have got more bank support without the crisis. It has changed the bank’s outlook. Before they were lending against leverage now it is against cash flow – cash flow for debt servicing. For a company like us that is a positive, because we want to keep expanding.

I love change - and everything is about to change. Our best period of growth was after the last crisis. The hard work and effort that we have put into this company over the last 10 years has given us the safety net that we need now.

We all will come out at the same time and same pace as each other. It will be no better for one company than another. If we all think like that and move forward it will go back to normal one day – although there will be changes.

I certainly believe there will be opportunities too.

Since we got the funding we have started the process of bringing our suppliers up to date – everyone has to survive. We are also keeping our team up to date. We have an internal app and we post every day. We ask everyone if they have any questions and on a Friday I answer them in a Q&A session online.

We are using this time to do some maintenance around our sites which we are usually struggling to do because we are trading. We plan to get as much in place as

possible to keep our standards up. When we do open we plan to come out running.

We also still have staff working in units helping look after NHS staff. It has been one of the highlights of this shutdown that we have been able to offer this accommodation. I didn’t do it realising how good it would feel. It was an easy decision at the time and the response we have had has been amazing. Some of the NHS staff were sleeping in their cars to self-isolate from family. They couldn’t believe our gesture, we weren’t looking for anything from it, but when you can see that you are making a difference it also gives you a level of comfort and reassurance too.

The comforting thing is that we are all in this together.

People say hospitality will be very challenging when we do go back. But I have never known the business to be anything but challenging. I, for one, am always thinking about how to drive profit.

I do think it will take time to go back to normality. I think people will appreciate eating and drinking and having a good time even more. We will have a busy period from this although people may be a bit cautious to begin with.

I have also got four units leased out and we have given them a three-month rent-free period. We passed the support onto our tenants that we were getting. After all, we have to think about coming out the other side and I for one believe that something good always comes from something bad. I refuse to think negatively.

DRAM MAY 2020 17

BY BYLAUREN LAURENCLEGG CLEGG- -R4 R4GROUP GROUPDUNDEE - DUNDEE

C

oronavirus. We started hearing more and more about it the further into 2020 we got, we didn’t really pay that much attention to it. Little did we know, it would take over our lives and change everything.

Myself and Calum began to take the Coronavirus more seriously when it started to become more apparent that it was spreading not only rapidly through China, but also to other countries around the world. It was and is still fair to say that Covid-19 and the effects it has had on our businesses, the UK and the world are unprecedented.

We opened our first restaurant, The White Goose, in November 2017, followed by The Giddy Goose in August 2018, both situated in Dundee. We began to notice a slight drop in sales at The White Goose in the weeks leading up to the lockdown. The White Goose is surrounded by hotels and so massively relies on the hotel trade as its main income source. At first we put it down to the usual, January/February quiet period, however, when the quiet spell lasted longer than just a week or so we began to think, was the Coronavirus really the cause?

It didn’t take long for neighbouring restaurants to make the same link. In the passing days more and more businesses were posting about their increased hygiene procedures and take away services. Both of our venues already have very good health and hygiene procedures in place, however we made sure that our staff were taking extra precautions to ensure the safety of our staff and customers.

The week of the lockdown saw many of our neighbouring businesses slowly start to close their doors as the effects of Covid-19 were taking their toll. We were debating the closure of The White Goose due to how quiet it was, the cost of running it day to day was outweighing the profits. However, The Giddy Goose was surprisingly still busy as usual. There was most definitely a change in atmosphere, but we were still seeing customers through the door happy, spending money. This is what prevented us closing either of our venues, we didn’t want to prematurely close if we didn’t need to.

By the end of that week we were in lockdown, with no choice but to close the doors for the foreseeable future. The following day we came up with our plan on how to still bring income into the business. With being a small and still fairly new business, we don’t sit on a massive bank balance and so something so serious as forced closure was devastating for us. The White Goose closed its doors, however, The Giddy Goose, prior to the lockdown was already offering takeaways, so this is

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the route we went down. We decided to open for take aways Thursday - Sunday evenings, offering the majority of our menu at 50% off. With a lot of other competing restaurants offering take aways we had to do something to stand out and so 50% off was the best way to do this.

The weekend following lockdown was very busy, it wasn’t ideal offering 50% off, however it was more important to have some income, however small, coming into the business than nothing, especially at this time when the support being offered from the government was still so up in the air.

Support for businesses in Scotland has been extremely disappointing. If our venues were in England, due to the rateable value we would have received 50k in support, however, because we are in Scotland and their guidelines are different, we are only eligible for 32.5K, to which we have still not received a penny. That is a substantial amount of money which would have been very helpful in our current situation, I’m sure this is the same for many other venues in Scotland also. We are still waiting on our first grant coming through for The Giddy Goose, we have outstanding bills that need to be paid, which we had planned to use part of the grant for. Now almost a month down the line, multiple emails and phone calls, which have either been left unanswered, or bypassed, we are still waiting. In regards to bank support, we are still waiting to hear back, being told that there are many applications to work through and someone will get back to us as soon as they can. Personally, as a small business owner, I don’t feel that enough if being done to support us.

There have been many promises from the government and local councils to support local businesses, but again, we are yet to receive a penny of this support. We have no faith in the support that is being offered, and in our eyes, the only way we can see ourselves getting through this awful time, is by rolling our sleeves up and working harder than ever to bring in any income we can. Without a doubt, once lockdown is uplifted there will be multiple business that go out of business due to the economic constrictions of Covid-19, and it will unfortunately be the small businesses that haven’t had access to enough support or received it quick enough.

This is a massive worry we have, with there still being so much uncertainty we take each day as it comes. The only thing we keep telling ourselves is that no matter what we will get through this and come out of the other end stronger and working harder.

BY TANJA LISTER - DIRECTOR, KYLESKU HOTEL, SUTHERLAND

W

e closed the hotel on the morning of the 21st March, in line with lockdown announcements.

As we are a seasonal business, we were just starting to get going for the season. We had opened on the 7th of Feb, but this had been a tricky month due to very poor weather and ongoing flooding across the UK. For most businesses in the North Highlands, the timing is awful as it falls right at the end of the winter closure period- and after any refurbishment/project costs have been committed. Coffers are empty. Furthermore, the main profits for the year are derived from trade between April and September, so the longer the lockdown continues, the greater the impact for the whole yearpotentially meaning that businesses will need to survive with little or no profit until Easter 2021.

Given our location we are not in a position to recruit locally, and so need to make living provision for all our team- albeit some choose to settle here longer term.

When we shut last month, we had a team of 23 FTE working with us, 14 of whom are currently living on site at the hotel- all locked down together.

In the main, the furlough scheme is very welcome- our team are our biggest asset and we very much look forward to working with them when we re-open. Indeed, the hotel will be very reliant upon them in the early stages of re-opening and there is a risk that the longer the lockdown progresses, the more our live-in team will be suffering from cabin fever and choose to move on once restrictions are lifted. Particularly if other countries etc lift their restrictions and are recruiting for seasonal workers.

However, we do have 5 new members of the team who joined us in March, in readiness for the Easter uplift.

These team members are not eligible for furlough, and yet, these job offers were made many months ago. Some are from EU member countries and it is doubtful that they would even have recourse to Universal Credit. Given that many businesses were building up to Easter, this must be an issue that is reflected across the country.

These employees will be needed to get businesses back

on their feet.

We have also applied for the £25,000 government granthowever, despite applying for this the day it was launched, we have not received anything. I do have a concern that cash will run out if this hasn’t arrived by the end of the month, especially as we will need to pay our team before claiming back the furlough from the government.

Whilst it is helpful to defer VAT payments, we will have quite a large outstanding tax bill later in 2020 comprising of accrued VAT, Corporation Tax from 2019 and Self Assessment. Whilst we had reserves to enable these bills to be paid they will have been used up to keep the business afloat now. Ultimately though, we are kicking the can down the road and I would imagine that for most businesses it would be a great help if all tax bills could be deferred for a further 6-12 months. Especially as we will have lost a large part of the season- if not all.

Our small communities will have been almost completely shielded from the virus, and this will bring a further dilemma. Many of our communities are understandably concerned that once tourism and travel re-starts, that with this comes a substantial risk of transmission. This was already true before the lockdown happened. In some instances, this concern spills over into rather aggressive and unwelcoming behaviour and it would be great to see local councils, MSPs, tourism bodies engaging with our communities to ensure we remain famous for our ‘Highland Welcome’ and that the concern doesn’t alienate our guests just as our businesses are getting back their feet.

Finally, I would very much welcome discussion now about suitable exit strategies. Whilst almost all would agree that it is too early to ease restrictions now, this should not preclude serious conversations about shaping those exit strategies. Businesses need confidence in government, and also time to plan. The fitness of our businesses and speed of recovery will be very much dependant upon good planning and good decision making now. We have all witnessed the impacts of poor preparation when it comes to testing and PPE. DRAM MAY 2020 19

FIX YOUR

BY FRASER MCILWRAITH - DARK ART DRINKS

B

usiness shutdown and home lockdown has been a necessary evil to help combat the Coronavirus. We have all experienced first-hand the pain of shutting businesses that we have given everything to over many years. This, along with the uncertainty of the future is challenging for our confidence, mindset and general wellbeing.

Our identities are linked closely to the role that we play in society, as business owner, brand rep, bartender, Maitre’D, and it begs the question...who are we now?

After thinking about this and taking a few weeks to come to terms with the current situation I have realised that we are all in the same situation and no-one is at fault. Furthermore, if we can have good communication and understanding of each other’s situation, and put frustration and blame to the side, then we can help each other get through this. It will be tough.

Everyone in hospitality is out of pocket in some way or other and we all need to earn money to survive.

1. My number one piece of advice for this is to build a routine that works for you (Below is just a suggestion) More important now than ever, as each day rolls into one and days of the week and weekends are the same.

So… What can we all do to help ourselves during this time?

2. No caffeine after 2pm

It’s a pretty obvious answer that personal growth, exercise, nutrition, and mindset are the things that we can focus on to be best prepared for the return to opening of business.

But how do we actually do that well? The biggest asset we have just been handed is time.

Having worked in hospitality for 23 years, it’s all too easy to fall into the trap of living and breathing work as your life. There’s always something to do, day and night and you feel like you’re trapped in a vicious sleep deprivation programme. I used to meet with people on a daily basis who were pale and had huge bags under their eyes. This job is not for those that need sleep.

Now, the present circumstances might be contributing to some loss of sleep at night, for sure, so what actions could you take to help you sleep better?

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I would recommend the below for 5 days of the week. a) Wake up early. b) Down a pint of water and do some form of exercise.

(This could be stretching/ yoga, a brisk walk/ run, or hoovering the house top to bottom (you will not be popular!)) c) Have some time to focus on you and your goals/ plan your day d) Eat healthy meals at set times e) Switch off from work at least an hour before bed f) Try and do everything in the same order to get ready for bed g) Read a book or listen to an audio book and relax

You do not need any caffeine in your system after this time (especially if you’re not working!) If you need a pick me up, have an apple or banana, they will give you a sustained hit from the sugar, but slowly released to avoid an insulin spike.

3. No screen time/ phone time after 9pm (read a book or listen to one) 4. Have a glass of wine with your dinner, but no more alcohol after that (5 days a week) 5. If you’re really struggling to relax at night, try CBD drops. I started using them to relieve muscle pain and they work a treat.

Just to touch on the mention of exercise above, I know

LOST IDENTITY I’m a bit of a fanatic, but if you can do something, no matter how gentle or little each morning, then it’s better than doing nothing at all. Build it up step by step. Don’t start running 5k every morning when you haven’t walked more than to your car or the bus stop over the last few months. Just get the body moving and heart rate up.

Combine this with your daily 1 hour walk, jog or cycle and you’ll fall into bed at night.

And then there’s nutrition, I could write books on my thoughts on that. The biggest issue here is misinformation and the fact that we are all different and have different nutritional needs. I try to eat reasonably clean 5 days a week and then eat what my body craves the other two.

If you can have a decent breakfast and lunch, then that would be a start. My recommendation for breakfast is dairy free porridge with chocolate protein (Vegan not whey!), banana and pumpkin seeds. For the rest of the day, stick to wholegrain carb sources and eat more fresh veg than you think you can, that’s all I’m going to say.

Better nutrition and more exercise will turbo charge your body and your quality of sleep will be much improved. You will feel a million times better and have a more nimble brain.

If you’re on furlough then you can still be training yourself for the current job or picking up a new skill to be indispensable on return to work. At the moment there are resources galore from all companies who are putting it all out there to keep everyone engaged and up to speed. This is important, but I believe your personal growth is more so.

Set aside some time in your day just for you. Personal development is key for everyone and will help you perform in all aspects of life, not just work. Try starting with people like Simon Sinek, Tony Robbins, Jim Collins or even Dale Carnegie.

Take it in the medium that suits you best. You can digest these by reading, listening or watching. And go in small doses of 30 minutes to allow you to reflect. Most of the

hospitality lifers that I know, were not grade A pupils at school, and the purpose of this is not to feel like it’s a chore, take some time to look at things that interest you and will make you want to switch it on or pick up that book.

This is a great opportunity to explore a specialist subject and expand your knowledge on that. You never know, this might grow into a new identity for you.

If you can follow the above advice on sleep and personal growth for just two weeks, your mindset will be more positive and you will find that you have more ideas and projects that can be taken on right now, as well as building a list for return to work. The opportunities that are out there will start to hit you between the eyes and you will tackle them with ease.

DARK ART DRINKS

Fraser McIlwraith DRAM MAY 2020 21

DON’T SQUEEZE THE MIDDLE

BY IAN CUMMING - INVERARITY MORTON

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he old clichéd saying that ‘a week is a long time in politics’ can certainly be applied to many businesses all around the globe. In the wide and varied world of drinks wholesaling, a day became ‘a very long time’ in March of this year.

We had just emerged from an exciting and optimistic start to the year, including probably our most successful wine tasting event ever in Edinburgh, when the enormity of COVID-19 became a stark reality for us all.

It goes without saying that the health and welfare of the nation, and the entire planet, is by far the most important consideration in all of this and the decision to go into ‘lockdown’ was undoubtedly the correct one - we can always debate the timing, but that is not a topic for this particular piece.

There has been quite a lot of publicity around the effect of this pandemic on the hospitality trade in Scotland, and quite rightly so, but sometimes the guy in the middle can be slightly overlooked – the wholesaler is the wheels that facilitate the workings of the industry.

Brands need their products to get to the market and the outlets need a source to get the products to them. No brand owner would ever hold 5,000 products from over 260 sources and deliver in small quantities, in a combination of full and mixed cases, making single figure margins.

Large turnover, however, does not always lead to large profitability.

Even putting to one side the pricing, wine listing, product range, menu printing, promotional activity, credit terms and business consultation that a good wholesaler will provide … page one of ‘the big book of delivered wholesaling’ and, the most important part, is the provision of a set of wheels to get the brand to the outlet and allow them to do what they excel at, by getting it in front of consumers.

When the lockdown was announced our turnover went from an average of £1.2m per week to virtually zero – as 98% of our business is the Independent On Trade in Scotland.

We have a warehouse full of stock with no-one to sell it to.

Overnight, the strengths and selling points of our business became our liabilities.

A warehouse full of classic products and new and emerging spirit lines, exciting new wines imported from overseas all waiting to be distributed into the dynamic On Trade market

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have essentially become frozen in time - without a welcoming home to go to.

We are Scotland’s largest independent drinks wholesaler having been around for 75 years and where we are a bit different is that we don’t rely on private equity or bank finance. We are family backed and that should help ensure we are still very much around for the next 75 years once we are through this difficult time.

We are not pretending that we are alone in having problems, far from it, but we had to think how we respond and very quickly.

What were the urgent issues – STAFF… CUSTOMERS …

SUPPLIERS. Our first consideration has to be for our staff – around 200 people employed in the business and dependant on us for a living. The government furlough scheme has been a huge help in this instance and we have topped up where necessary to ensure everyone is receiving 80% of their income.

This has left a core of 20 people employed in now business-critical activities – basically paying our suppliers and trying to ensure we are paid also.

There is a bit of a chain in the licensed trade … Supplier …

Wholesaler …. Outlet … Consumer – we can only get through this if every part of that chain plays its part. We are engaged in proactive discussions with our suppliers as to how we can best settle our debts in a fashion that works for us both.

The vast majority of our suppliers recognise the relationship we have and have acted accordingly in trying to support in different ways, however some have not and this may prove to be a very short-sighted approach when ‘normality’ returns.

We in turn have been attempting to help our customers in as many ways as we can to agree a payment plan that will help us all through this.

All I would ask from a licensee is please don’t run away from the conversation – we are here to talk and to help and almost always find a solution. Wholesalers will still need to be in existence when we come through the other side to oil the wheels and get our fantastic trade back on its feet.

LET’S GET

MOVING

BY JANET HOOD

T

his must be the worst ever time for the licensed on trade - premises closed to the public unless you are able to offer local service for pick up or deliveries of food and/or off sales. You can only offer off sales of alcohol if you have off sales permitted as part of your activities.

Clients have been advising me they are not being able to access financial packages and that some breweries are being slow on permitting customers to take advantage of HMRC offer for tax repayments on ullage The Scottish Government has changed the law and now permits licensing boards to hold hearings other than by face-to-face due to coronavirus. Licensing matters including disputed hearings can be dealt with by phone, written communication (including electronic communication) or videoconferencing.

A number of licensing boards are operating, taking in applications and dealing with them. As far as I know Aberdeenshire North Fiona Stewart as Depute Clerk - had the first licensing board hearing in Scotland by video conference on 1 April.

It was highly successful and I was sent a Skype business invitation well in advance -and tried the link the day before.

Licensing board members, solicitors, and LSO’s all took part.

I found it easier to go onto sound only as I found the video distracting others. Everyone had their say, questions were asked in the same manner as before board normally, the decision was delivered after board retired.

Did I feel my clients and I had a fair hearing? Yes. I am also aware the City of Glasgow Licensing board were able to grant occasional licences under fast track procedure to permit off sales to take place in some breweries.

Some boards have announced they are not taking any more applications at present others thankfully are operating behind the scenes and likely to be setting up these non face-to-face meetings as we speak. While others are not responding at all despite constant requests for an answer one way or the other.

No I am not going to name names as that is unfair and it may be that clerks and their staff are not permitted to respond.

One has to ask though why aren’t all boards looking to adopt these newly approved procedures? The licensed trade must look to the future, many applications before boards at the moment will permit some trading to take place just now. Other applications are in train to enable premises to open, change and grow in the future.

It is going to be hard enough for clients to resume trading without them having to wait months for applications to be granted.

Clerks and Boards need to take pragmatic solutions just now to ensure the survival of this vital industry.

Tourism and hospitality form a major part of Scotland’s GDP, employ nearly 300,000 people and their rates, fees, taxes and VAT pay for services of all sorts including local Government whose staff will either continue to be paid or be on furlough unlike many in the hospitality industry.

Failure to consider applications and move business forward now will add to this disaster with fewer jobs, more deprivation, more health harm, more unemployment, more on going cost to state, less GDP, fewer tourists, fewer local facilities, more loneliness, smaller “society”, less innovation, less tax and rates into Government, bankrupt country.

Please licensing boards lets get moving again so we can face the future in as a robust manner as possible.

Bunnahabhain has received five awards across its range at the highly acclaimed World Whiskies Awards.

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

USEFUL NUMBERS BUSINESS HELPLINE The helpline is open Monday to Friday, between 8.30am to 5.30pm on - callers should select option one to speak to the COVID-19 team.

0300 303 0660 Free NHS Inform Coronavirus helpline has been set up for people who do not have symptoms but are looking for general advice: 0800 028 2816.

If you are concerned about being able to pay your tax due to COVID-19, call HMRC’s dedicated helpline on 0800 015 9559. Lines are open from Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm and on Saturday, 8am to 4pm.

UKHospitality members are able to call the Legal Helpline for free to discuss any queries they may have 0870 043 4071.

Members will require their UKH membership number.

Scottish Enterprise helpline 0300 013 3385. This Helpline can give guidance and advice on next steps in a supply chain collapse.

Anyone worried about their pension should ring the Pension Advisory Service (TPAS) on 0300 123 1047 for free guidance.

Employees can also contact JobCentre Plus through its rapid response service.

ACAS provides free, confidential and impartial advice on all employment issues, for both employers and employees.

Helpline - 0300 123 1100.

The Age Scotland helpline is a free, confidential phone service for older people, their carers and families in Scotland. Our team provide information, friendship and advice. The helpline is free to call and available Monday - Friday 9-5pm. 0800 12 44 222.

Redundancy support. The Scottish Government’s Partnership for Continuing Employment (PACE) is a well-established service to support individuals and employers dealing with redundancy.

If you are worried about the short-term impact of COVID-19 on your employment please contact the PACE helpline on 0800 917 8000.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) and people living with HIV in Scotland Coronavirus Helpline is live between 10am - 6pm, Monday to Friday. Dial 0131 558 3713. www.supportinmindscotland.org.uk - offering mental health services 26

DRAM MAY 2020

www.citizensadvice.org.uk - also has advice on safeguarding your mental health www.samh.org.uk - SAMH is the Scottish Association for Mental Health. Operating in communities to provide a range of mental health support and services Anxiety UK. Charity providing support if you have been diagnosed with an anxiety condition. Phone: 03444 775 774 (Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5.30pm) Mind. Promotes the views and needs of people with mental health problems. Phone: 0300 123 3393 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm) Website: www.mind.org.uk No Panic - offering support for sufferers of panic attacks and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Offers a course to help overcome your phobia or OCD. Phone: 0844 967 4848 (daily, 10am to 10pm). Calls cost 5p per minute plus your phone provider’s Access Charge. Website: www.nopanic.org.uk OCD Action - offering support for people with OCD. Includes information on treatment and online resources.

Phone: 0845 390 6232 (Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5pm).

Calls cost 5p per minute plus your phone provider’s Access Charge. Website: www.ocdaction.org.uk CALM is the Campaign Against Living Miserably, for men aged 15 to 35. Phone: 0800 58 58 58 (daily, 5pm to midnight) Website: www.thecalmzone.net The Ben - www.bensoc.org.uk. 0141 353 3596. FREE Mental Health Helpline 0800 915 4610 Access the help and support you need through Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) is a free Scottish Government initative dedicated to helping individuals and employers faced with redundancy.

Get in touch on 0800 917 8000. www.citizensadvice.org.uk/scotland/work/ - has lots of info on your employee rights.

Looking for work? Here are some job sites: www.scotland-jobs.co.uk www.totaljobs.com www.s1jobs.com www.indeed.co.uk

incorporating the DRAM AWARDS 2020

Hilton Hotel Glasgow - 25th August 2020

VOTING OPEN FROM 1ST APRIL 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’.

BAR APPRENTICE 2020 The Bar Apprentice is back for it’s 13th year with – William Grant & Sons backing the initiative with brands Glenfiddich Single Malt Whisky, Hendrick’s Gin, The Balvenie and Monkey Shoulder. William Grant 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 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

ZOOM INTO ACTION, NOW IS THE TIME TO INVEST IN THE FUTURE

BY GORDON WHITE, MD FATBUZZ

T

he current lockdown came upon us quickly with severe impact, and nowhere more so than in the hospitality trade. Almost overnight, pubs and restaurants were told to call last orders and close temporarily. The critical thing to focus on is the word ‘temporarily’.

Assuming you can survive the lockout period, I predict those in the hospitality industry will not only bounce back quickly, but they will also enjoy a boom period. Right now, who in the country is not looking forward to a night out?

Also, many cancelled events will be rescheduled; in fact, fitting them in might be your next challenge.

That’s all very well, but what can you be doing now to ensure you capitalise on the better times ahead? You could wait it out; after all, it’s not as if your competitors can steal your trade right now; but the smart operators will be doing things now to ensure the bounce-back is swift and profitable from day one.

Engaging with your customers is vital. Some restaurants and pubs are already doing great work in their communities to ensure food is getting to people who need it; this will significantly enhance your trust capital and pay dividends when you reopen.

Video conferencing platforms like Zoom could also be useful. Hundreds of thousands of people are now familiar with these platforms to keep in touch with family and friends, why not tap into the popularity? You are well placed to invite total strangers to enjoy each other’s company. Host a ‘Beer & Banter’ Zoom party; it could be a welcome break from the now repetitive family and friends chat! Use your existing social channels to promote the event; you might be surprised how many people turn up.

Now might be a good time to look at your menus too. But, rather than you choosing the new offering, open it to your customers. Using your social channels, give them either/ or choices, you’ll end up with a good indication of what your

customers want; more importantly, you will be creating engagement that will keep you on the radar.

It is also an excellent time to be building your database.

Expanding your subscriber list will pay long-term dividends.

Presumably, some of you will be planning reopening events.

If you’re not, you should be.

The reopening party is a perfect event to use to add emails addresses to your list now. Create and run competitions via your social channels with, invitations, free entry, free drinks packages, free meals etc. as the prizes.

For example, run a promotion on your social channels with a link to your mailing list sign-up forms. Promote that all subscribers will be entered into a Prize Draw to win something on the reopening night. The fact you don’t know the date is not essential; right now, social media usage is high, and you will get entries. More importantly, you are expanding the number of people you can continue to engage with long after the lockdown is over.

You should also consider competitions that will build your social community. For example, a simple Facebook competition asking, Who would you most like to have a drink with?” will engage the existing community and attract new people to your page. Ask them to post their answer as a comment, but also suggest to them that they ‘Like’ the page and ‘Share’ the competition. Facebook rules prevent you from making the Like and Share mandatory, but asking them to do it usually has the same effect.

Of course, there’s no limit to the number of competitions and promotions you run; the important thing is to be visible to your target audience and use the channels you have at your disposal to engage. When you do reopen, these are the people you want back on the premises and spending money, investing time now help you bounce back strongly.

Like you, I don’t know when you will reopen, but I hope it is soon, and when the time comes, I hope what you decide to do now puts you in a good place for the future.

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T

obermory is known as the capital of the Isle of Mull, and its brightly coloured buildings that are scattered along the seafront have become an iconic Scottish landscape, inspiring many across the creative industry whether it’s in a song, painting or even children’s television.

But just along the harbour from the colourful column of cottages, resides Tobermory Distillery, which has also been inspired by the town’s unique landscape, reflecting that same artistic identity into their spirits.

While the distillery has been around for over 200 years and remains the only one on the island, last summer it explored other creative opportunities out with its renowned Tobermory and Ledaig single malt whiskies.

The Hebridean distiller released Tobermory Gin in summer of 2019 and has literally reaped the rewards of risk taking – claiming the title of Best Scottish Classic Gin at this years highly renowned World Gin Awards.

It’s a gin that truly stands out from the crowd, and the talented team at Tobermory always set out to create a product which is reflective of their native island, as wellas their own legacy of whisky distilling. Therefore, the lovingly named ingredient ‘botanical #1’ is a splash of spirit from the Tobermory whisky stills. Hours of hard work and experimentation were involved in creating the perfect balance for the splash, which differentiates it from other classic gins.

Tobermory Gin was always going to be a real investment on the distillery’s part, having pondered with the idea for some time, and finally deciding to take the leap when the opportunity arose to secure a redundant John Dore & Co copper still from South Africa. The still which was built in the

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1950s was shipped to the seaside scape for refurbishment and instillation, and work on the distillery itself had to be done to accommodate the new still. The gin has literally marked its place in Tobermory’s history book.

Ensuring a true taste of the island was hugely important to the blend, so in addition to its 13 specially selected botanicals – which include juniper, elderflower and sweet orange peel – the mix also included Hebridean tea which is also made locally on Mull.

All the ingredients are picked in season and are then steeped for at least 24 hours in the base spirit to allow the flavours to diffuse into the liquid like a watercolour painting.

Expressive by nature is an ongoing campaign that highlights the artistic process that has gone into the distilling of the award-winning gin, as well-as creatives. Tobermory Distillery championed the work of Scottish-based artists at Edinburgh Art Fair in 2019. Not only was it an official sponsor of the event, but the work of a select few featured in their own sampling stand for buyers to peruse while they enjoyed a drink.

Tobermory Studios also took place that same weekend and saw a mix of media types and consumers join the distillery’s Olivier Maclean on a multi-sensory tour of pop-up galleries across Edinburgh’s city centre which was accompanied by gin cocktails, drams and canapes. The event also gave artists the chance to interact with the public at each stop and tell the stories of what inspired them to create their pieces, providing a rare one-on-one experience that cannot be matched by a generic exhibition.

Expressive by nature really is a mantra that everyone at Tobermory Distillery tries to live by and culminate in their work. It’s a massive part of their identity and they want to be supporters and encouragers of all creatives who are trying to master their craft – just as they are.

The New “Normal”

BY GORDON MCINTYRE - Chairman, Hospitality Health, Associate Dean, Hospitality & Tourism, City of Glasgow College

M

onday 16th March 2020 was quite an unusual day. I suppose it started off like a normal Monday, however it very quickly changed direction. We had of course been hearing about coronavirus and how it was sweeping through, affecting countries across Europe and the world. We were almost waiting for it to hit our shores, how would it affect us?

On this Monday there was a buzz about the college that we would be taking action sometime soon, but not sure when; would it be today, tomorrow or Friday? There was a flurry of meetings, the student attendance was pretty poor, however we were able to keep the training spaces open with all the staff and students we had in attendance.

On the way home that night I got a call from BBC Radio Scotland, asking me to comment on the recent announcement from the Prime Minister. The announcement of course was - “please stay away from bars and restaurants.” He had not officially closed them, but this would have the same effect. I was being asked by the Drive Time host, John Beattie, how would this affect the trade and the staff employed within it. I was responding as the Chair of Hospitality Health, the recently formed Scottish charity for employees in the hospitality industry. It was easy to see that this was not just a medical crisis, it would very quickly become a financial crisis – and then I suggested it will then become a Mental Health crisis.

The remainder of my cycle home was spent thinking about what this future would look like and what could the charity do to support the vulnerable skilled staff it has employed for years.

On Tuesday 17th the college took the decision to end formal teaching at midday, both restaurants remained closed and staff were advised to prepare to work from home from the Wednesday at 9am! Learning for students and teaching by staff would change dramatically overnight.

Teaching staff had to very quickly learn to deliver online lessons and exercises. In some ways not a huge shift you may think, as we have used digital platforms like Moodle for several years, the difference now was that it was going to be the ONLY way – no more face to face delivery for session 2019-20! A new language then developed, as did staff skills, Zoom, MSTeams, Kahoot, Loom, Padlet, Adobe Connect, Flip grid, clipomatic subtitling, voiceover on Power Point and so it goes on……

Learning and teaching has been delivered online since then and will continue until the end of the session. Students have

found it tough to cope with this massive change. Many have young children, now being looked after or being schooled at home, or perhaps caring for an elderly relative. Some have no computer or Wi-Fi. Others have managed to adapt successfully to managing their learning around the long day, or in between shifts at the local supermarket etc. Staff also have the added complication of children at home for the same reasons, so need to work around that, some recording clips and creating voice overs at night when the kids are bedded for the night.

These recordings are then uploaded to the virtual learning environment (VLE) in readiness for the following lesson, not an easy task! Everyone is certainly trying their best in keeping students engaged.

The experience in moving the teaching to online allowed me to reflect about the charity and what we could do. The charity has been delivering resilience courses face to face for a while, could this be adapted or amended in any way, to create it as an on-line resource?

Who and what else is out there that can be shared. We quickly created a new page on the website ‘COVID 19’, it was to contain links to ‘Wellbeing support’, The Ben and also Hospitality Action. (http://hospitalityhealth.org.uk/wellbeingsupport/) Within the Wellbeing Support page we were able to share new voice overs and videos that have been prepared

by Heather Smith of Motivate, Inspire, Develop. Heather delivers our training courses. We also included links to other relevant supportive websites who were suggesting helpful advice about how to cope with the future that now lies ahead.

This new link and web page was shared via email, through our social platforms, and The STA, giving us a great reach to the sector, who are needing it more than ever.

With staff being furloughed, a great number would be receiving payment in due course. However, many would not have this support, they may have been made unemployed and several support funds have been set up to support them (e.g.

The Ben, The Drinks Trust and Hospitality Action) Web links to all three can be found on the Hospitality Health website.

It is also important to keep busy, try to get exposure to the outside world and exercise as much as possible within the suggested limits. Our physical health and mental health are linked so try to create a routine that includes some physical exercise. As far as possible, try to maintain as much of a routine as you can. Wake up and go to bed at healthy times to ensure good sleep hygiene. Although in the short term it can feel nice to be lazy, in the long term this isn’t going to be good for your mental wellbeing. Also it is good to limit your news intake, get away from the constant updates that are out there; why not try something different, a new hobby, reading a book, meditation, baking or cooking, gardening.

REMEMBERING PAST AWARDS ROLL ON 2020 SEE ANYONE YOU RECOGNISE? GUESS THE YEARS!

DRAM MAY 2020 35

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DRAM MAY 2020 37

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LOCKDOWN LOOK!

@dramscotland

/dram.scotland

SUE SAYS

W

Well, what a rollercoaster it has been. I’ve been talking to lots of people and they all say the same thing - it feels like we are living in a dream, and it’s not a good one.

However, having said that at least support is coming through for many - although councils are working at different speeds. Hats off to Dumfries who I understand were first off the block when it came to issuing grants. The drinks companies are also doing their bit to support the industry - take a look at what they are all doing from Budweiser to Wm Grant and Diageo too. There is money there for support.

I see a lot of people pontificating on social media about when the trade is going to be open for business. The thing is, none of us know - there isn’t an inside track.

We can all go on our gut feeling, but at the end of the day, that’s all there is! Wouldn’t it be great to see an exit plan from the Government which gives us a timeline - it is not knowing that is eating everyone up and which makes it more complicated to plan. But one thing is for sure, we will not be at full capacity in any venue for many months.

The are still various anomalies that the Government does need to sort - not least its failure to compensate hospitality businesses that pay more than £51K in rates. It seems really surprising when you consider that these businesses are also the biggest employers! I just don’t get it!

Our trade bodies - the SLTA, STA, and UKHospitalityhave been campaigning and lobbying vigorously on behalf of their members and I sincerely hope that when all this is done and dusted each and every one of you sign up for membership of at least one.

Because they have really come into their own. As for insurance companies, their behaviour really is incomprehensible.

I am working one week in four in order to bring you the magazine. I too am a small business with all the same issues that you guys have, and it has been most insightful reading the experiences of our guest columnists. It also made it far easier for me to get the magazine out. A huge thank you to them for turning their stories around so quickly.

If there is something that you would like more information on let me know, and if you want to contribute next month also let me know. All contributions welcome.

I haven’t yet changed the date of the awards. I am ever hopeful, although I do think it will be pushed back. Whenever we go back, the awards will be 12 weeks from that date - and I can assure you we will be celebrating with a capital ‘C’.

Hats off to you all and those that are doing their bit for their communities. If you have story let me know - susan@mediaworldltd.com

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 • Production: Susan Young!!!! • 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.

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DRAM MAY 2020

51%

18-34s drink coffee daily & drink more than any other age group*

3X

18-24s are 3x more likely to consume Jägermeister**

57%

Growth in the UK Coffee market by the year 2022***

ÂŁ2.5M

national launch campaign

Herbal Liqueur 33% abv

to find out more