William Grant Awards

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22 Years of celebratiNg excelleNce iN the Scottish LiceNsed Trade

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22 YEARS OF SUPPORTING EXCELLENCE IN THE SCOTTISH LICENSED TRADE DRAM MARCH 2017 1

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Bar AppreNtice of the year

Meet the 2017 bAR appreNtices Loredana Calin Crieff Hydro, Crieff Loredana, or ‘Lory’, originally hails from Constanta on Romania’s Black Sea coast and learned her trade as a waitress and bartender on cruise ships before settling in the slightly more dreich surroundings of Perthshire! Crieff Hydro’s Meikle Bar is flush with expert bartenders and Lory’s speciality is cocktails - she can make over 50 and describes watching customer reactions to the more exotic ones as her favourite part of the job!

Favourite Drink: An Old Fashioned

Lewis Marshall The Anchor Line, Glasgow 21-year-old Lewis from Erskine fell into the industry after not getting onto the university course he’d targeted, but has proved an apt pupil in the school of bartending, making swift progress in his short career to date. Starting out close to home in Bishopton, Lewis has since made Glasgow city centre his base, serving cocktails in Browns before moving to current employers The Anchor Line.

Favourite Drink: Whatever’s cheapest!

Sam Oxley AKVA, Edinburgh

Sam worked in a private police bar when he was a teenager - his father was a policeman at the time - so it’s been quite a transition from no-nonsense bartending in the north of England to the trendy Edinburgh scene 120 miles north! The 24-year-old Geordie came to the Capital to study business but is now considering a career in the industry having recently been made bar manager.

Favourite Drink: A good pilsner, or red wine but never without food. “There’s no drink I don’t enjoy!”

Sam Rayner The Blackbird, Edinburgh

Edinburgh is just the latest stop in a year-and-a-half long journey round the world for 22-year-old Sam, who’s also swung by Thailand, Vietnam, New York and London. The Sydney native will surely be tempted to linger longer in Scotland if he continues to be such a success though, having been put forward for the William Grant & Sons Bar Apprentice programme after just three months’ service at The Blackbird.

He says, “I’ve learned so much at Blackbird, it’s the first place I’ve been that’s really given back to me as a staff member.”

Favourite Drink: Tequila with sliced orange or an Old Fashioned.

Shaun McQuillan Boclair House Hotel, Glasgow

26-year-old Glaswegian Shaun has been working in hotels, bars and restaurants ever since he was 18, his tour of duty taking him everywhere from the basement bars of Bath Street to whisky-centric ‘old man pubs’. Shaun is looking forward to every part of the Bar Apprentice process but is particularly keen to expand his knowledge of cocktails, which he’ll have the chance to do during the two-day segment at The Record Factory in Glasgow.

Favourite Drink: Amaretto Sour

Jordan Comrie Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire

26-year-old Jordan worked at Tesco before diving into the bar trade two years ago. He’s enjoyed learning about all the different aspects of the trade and dealing with a wide variety of customer in his time at the five-star, world-renowed Gleneagles Hotel.

Favourite drink: An Old Fashioned.

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Jamie Thomson Jute, Dundee

Born in Edinburgh but now living and working in Dundee, Jamie had two years of experience in other areas of the Fuller Thomson business before moving behind the bar when he turned 18 recently. A keen football fan and player, Jamie has had to temporarily hang up his boots to focus on the day job, and is most interested in learning in the whisky component of the Bar Apprentice programme, so that he can pass on his newfound knowledge to customers.

Favourite Drink: “Mostly vodka. I can’t stand beer!”

Vera Mauricio Scran and Scallie, Edinburgh

Vera has blossomed as a bartender since moving to Scran and Scallie in Stockbridge, having learned about beers, wines and cocktails in much more depth there than she ever did before in 11 years’ industry service across the UK and her native Portugal. The 29-year-old had good fun meeting her fellow apprentices and is excited by the idea of competing for a prize for the first time in her career.

Favourite drink: “It depends on my mood, and whether the bartender is good. If not, G&T!”

Ewan Doyle Lido, Troon Bartending was a part-time job for Ewan until he was bitten by the bug and fell in love with it, working firstly at the Lido in Prestwick - or Dome as it was known then - then at Buzzworks’ other Lido outlet in Troon. He describes his time in Troon, where he’s had to deal with massive events such as The 2016 Open golf tournament taking place nearby, as ‘a proving ground and a really good experience’. His favourite part of the Bar Apprentice programme has been meeting the experts and visiting big cities Edinburgh and Glasgow - a change from Troon.

Favourite Drink: A classic daiquiri or a pint of Tennent’s!

Callum Henderson The Pot Still, Glasgow

Callum found it hard to pick one part of the Bar Apprentice programme he enjoyed most but his self-confessed bias for whisky led him to pinpoint the Glenfiddich Distillery visit, in particular getting to see and taste from the solera vat, an experience he described as ‘pretty fantastic’. The first four days of the scheme focused on wine, champagne, gin and rum, a refreshing change of focus for Callum, who had little previous experience of those products.

James Merchant-Wink Rabble, Edinburgh James’ bar career, which kicked off when he applied for a job at one of his favourite haunts, has taken an exciting new direction this summer when he was asked by Montpeliers to move over to Rabble, the sleek bar/hotel that’s taken on the mantle of Rick’s on Edinburgh’s Frederick Street. Like several of his fellow Bar Apprentices, the 22-year-old especially appreciated the Glenfiddich Distillery visit and says it’s given him a whole new perspective on whisky, which he wasn’t especially fond of previously!

Favourite Drink: A beer with a bourbon on the side.

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DRAM MAGAZINE September 2017

THE JUDGES SAID OF THE

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All of the Bar Apprentices were a credit to their employers but James Marchant-Wink of Rabble was keen, keen, keen. He showed an aptitude for learning, demonstrated a real appreciation of whisky for the first time and his enthusiasm for the course was tangible.

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LEWIS MARSHALL ANCHORLINE GLASGOW

SHAUN McQULLAN BOCLAIR HOUSE HOTEL

BEARSDEN Mark Thomson and Jennifer Joyes of Wm Grant & Sons with winner James Marchant-Wink

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JAMES MARCHANT-WINK

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This award-winning establishment has been promoting wine by the glass since it opened in 1995. The current Manager Maria has been there for four years and has grown her own knowledge substantially over the years.

Customers are encouraged to try wine flights, and wine and food matching. It also has a great variety of wines to try and staff are happy to help you choose. The venue is a credit to owner Alan Tomkins.

”

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Emma Tomkins of Vroni’s is congratulated by Toby Siguoin

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TESTIMONIALS We absolutely loved the night. I asked one of the ‘waitresses’ for something and the next minute she was up on the stage dancing! We were so chuffed to be involved.

Fiona – The Boudingait It was an absolutely great night and the entertainment was the highlight. The IT girls were fabulous. It went by in a flash.

Emma Tomkins – Vroni’s It was a brilliant night. The boys at the table particularly enjoyed seeing the IT Girls. It was great to share the table with people from other categories and we were all cheering each other on.

Sarah Barr – The Fox and Hounds It was a really, really good night. The food was really good and the flow of the night was great. The host Tamsin was brilliant – really witty. It was nice to see that big room buzzing. Its important that everyone in the trade supports each other and it was a great night to network and catch up with people. Sam our bar apprentice made friends for life and the guys at William Grants did a great job with the programme. It is so important to invest in the future and it was really rewarding for him. It shows this industry can be a great career. The night really brought everyone together.

Colin Church – Big Red Teapot It was great- a really enjoyable night. I loved the food and the entertainment. The best part was the emphasis on the Cabaret theme.

Simon Douglas – Whistlestop Barber Shop

It’ been fantastic winning The Pub Spy Award. It was really unexpected but has been a great boost for all the staff and we have had great response from customers. The event was very well run and well organised. The look of the room and the entertainment were really fist class.

Ross Henderson – The Birds and Bees.

It was a brilliant night. I thought the lady compere was excellent. My team also thoroughly enjoyed it. And I enjoyed the company at the top table.

Hugo Mills – Molson Coors.

Good razzmatazz and the awards were snappy. You do it really well. I love it when people who have not been before win.

John Gemmell – Heineken.

Another brilliant night. Thought the hostess held the night together ultra well and her girls lifted the whole event. Well done.

Colin Beattie – Oran Mor A fantastic night as always, with very well deserved winners. And of course,the food and entertainment were second to none!

Scott McKenzie – Cask “A brilliant night. It was great to see lots of people you don’t normally see at trade functions and there was just the right amount of people. The IT girls were fantastic and they got the night moving along.

Ann Nixon-Smith – Kopparberg I thought everything was first class!

David Wither – Flow Just wanted to thank you again for the award and a great night again on Tuesday! I very much appreciate it and am honoured.

The night was great and your table plan very well managed.

Colin Blair – Buzzworks