SUCCESS AT THE BIRDS AND THE BEES • THE FUTURE OF THE TRADE

DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

252DRAM MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2011

ISSN 1470-241XDRAM

DD

CONTENTSAugust 2011

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDSWe take a look at what the trade will look likefive years from now.

NEWSThe latest news from around the trade.

FEATURES

REGULARS

RUM’S BIG PERSONALITYOur monthly drinks feature focuses on rum.17

DESIGN FOCUSWe check out Barolo, Glasgow, Amarone,Edinburgh and The Douglas in Arran.

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THE PERFECT PARTNERSHIPSusan Young interviews Ross & MichelleHenderson (cover pic).

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05SUE SAYSStraight talking from our very own Editor.34

WELCOME

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This month I paid a visit to the Birds and theBees in Stirling. It picked up the DRAMGastro Pub of the year award in June, but as

I wasn’t one of the judges, I was keen to see why itgot such rave reviews. I wasn’t disappointed – whata fab pub. Owners Ross and Michelle Hendersongive me their thoughts on why it has worked forthem. I also paid a visit to Arran and the newlyrefurbished Douglas Hotel. Apart from the factthat the weather was glorious, the hotel itself waswell worth the visit, mind you I did miss the firstferry and decided heads to Scotts in Largs forlunch. It was going like a fair. It was absolutelymobbed at 12.30pm, with a 20 minute wait fortables, and people kept coming!Jason Caddy meanwhile paid a visit to Barolo andAmarone – Mario Gizzi and Tony Conetta’s newlyopened restaurants. He was suitably impressed.See pages 26 to 32.This month I also asked various people their viewson what the trade would be like five years fromnow. See pages 11 to 14. It makes interestingreading. Our website is proving very popular, so you areobviously reading online too. That’s great. You canalso follow us on twitter and facebook. See you next month.

Editorsusan@mediaworldltd.com

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DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

AUGUST 11 DRAM4

NEWSEDDIE TOBIN¬

Scots licensees are being urged to hold back their PPL fees inprotest against proposed licence hikes. PPL, theorganisation that collects royalties on behalf of performers

and record companies, is proposing to charge pubs and clubs thatput on Specially Featured Entertainment (SFE) exorbitant fees andthis includes DJ’s. The proposed price rises, which would see an average pubcurrently paying £30 for a 4-hour SFE, now having to pay £380 forits PPL license, excluding the cost of the DJ. While club owners,with a 5-hour SFE, and a 2,500 capacity, would see their feeincrease from £129 to more than £4,000. It will affect pubs, clubs, hotels, and cafés, in fact anywhere thatdoes more than use background music. It could spell the deathknell for DJ’s, who get most of their income from the licensedtrade, but it could mean a boon for live music bands. Live musicdoesn’t come under the PPL remit. The PPl have said that they don’t consider the fees currently paida “fair reflection” of the value of the licence, but industry insiderssay that it is merely a way of clawing back cash following adecrease in income from traditional channels. Although the fees are only at the consultation process,organisations such as the British Beer and Pub Association andNoctis, have already said they are “not feasible”.BBPA chief executive Brigid Simmonds said, “These proposedincreases for playing music are unacceptable and off the scale.They would be a huge burden.”The BBPA estimates that a small pub company with six venuesrunning two to three events a week could face huge fee increases.If between 250 to 400 people attended each event, a current billof £22,300 could become £220,000 annually.Donald Macleod, MD of CPL, which owns The Garage and TheTunnel nightclubs in Glasgow, is incensed. He told DRAM, “Weshould organise a boycott of the PPL. These prices increases areinsane. Do they not know what is going on in the licensed trade atthe moment? This could cause bars goes out of business and jobsbeing lost. He urged, “We all need to get together on this. We need to speakto our politicians and we need to respond vigorously to theconsultation. A campaign to oppose these prices needs to beorganised. We should all hold back our fees.” He continued, “Thatmight seem drastic, but it would certainly make PPL sit up andtake notice of our concerns. If we don’t take action we will seemore bars and clubs going out of business and jobs being lost."Eddie Tobin agrees, “We should run a ‘Hold back the moneycampaign’. This is an insane increase.The price increases beingsuggested are a disgrace and they could sound the death knell forthe pub and clubbing scene in Scotland."Licensing law specialist Stephen McGowan, of Lindsays, says “PPL

lost a significant case last year in which they were forced to issuerefunds to the licensed sector of around £20m, so they may betrying to mitigate that loss. The licensed industry has been bled dryover the last few years and established operators are going bust.This new fee increase will put people out of business. Ministers likeAndrew Griffiths, who has acknowledged Government had let theindustry down, need to step up”.PPL has defended the consultation. But even it admitted in its2010 accounts, “The economy continues to play a part in ourability to collect licensing income and 2010 proved particularlydifficult in some markets; such as the retail and pub industrywhere business closures resulted in less venues playing music.”

LICENSEES URGED TO HOLDBACK PPL PAYMENTS

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WKD’S SEATS AHEAD2011 is the tenth anniversary of the highly-successful and much-loved “Haveyou got a WKD side?” campaign and the brand is marking the event with newTV ads which will keep WKD top of mind as summer draws to a close. Another key part of this year’s £30m WKD marketing support package is aninnovative on-pack promotion starting this month. Under the campaigntheme of ‘Win A Chair’, the activity offers seat-related prizes ranging fromracing motorised sofas through to flight vouchers and tickets for the cinemaand comedy gigs. The humorous instant-win initiative is set to reward250,000 lucky winners with a £12m prize pool and will feature on peel-and-reveal labels on 6.5 million 275ml WKD bottles. Consumers peel away thespecial neck labels to reveal unique promotional codes. The activity willboost sales for stockists and will reward WKD consumers who’ll love theopportunity to bag great prizes.WKD free point of sale hotline: 0800 917 3450. Sales enquiries SHS Sales & Marketing: 01452 378 500.

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John Gilligan, Sales Directorof Wm Morton has beenappointed Chairman of theScottish Licensed TradeAssociation. He succeedsJim Grierson of Maxxium UK.

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SHORTSThe Victoria and Esplanadehotels in Bute have been put up for sale,but will continue trading as normal whilsta buyer is sought. Owned by Ian Bruce thetwo hotels are on the market at offersover £1m and £695K respectively. .

Knight Frank has been appointed tosell the most westerly positioned hotel inGreat Britain, The Isle of Barra BeachHotel. The 39 bedroom hotel is situatedon the Atlantic West Coast of the island,overlooking the beautiful white sands ofTangasdale Beach. It is currently owned by

Teresa Jenkins and Guy Adams and theirfamily. It is being sold through KnightFrank. Offers over £950K are sought.

Greene King, the group behindBelhaven, have spent £70m buying upmore London pubs, ahead of next year’sOlympics. The deal will mark Greene King'sthird major pub group acquisition this yearfollowing the takeovers of Realpubs andCloverleaf for a combined £108m.

A Chippy has become the first inScotland to serve up fish with a vodkabatter. The Oban Fish and Chip Shop in

Argyll say the recipe has been inspired bytelly chef Heston Blumenthal.

Glendola Leisure are getting set toopen Horton’s Bar and Kitchen, on thesite of the former Frankenstein’s at 92West George Street, Glasgow, later thismonth.

Saltire Taverns have acquired TheHudson Hotel from Festival Inns after thegroup was put into administration. Formerowner Kenny Waugh has now teamed upwith G1 to create a new pub co EH1,which has bought a further five venues

JOHN GILLIGAN

AUGUST 11 DRAM6

NEWS

Glasgow City Council’s decision to cancelits Hogmanay Party in George Squarehas been met with mixed reactions

from the licensed trade. Donald Macleod ofCPL told DRAM, “They can’t cancelHogmanay. People will still come out. But let’sface it Hogmanay is no longer the goldengoose it was, and we partly have ourselves toblame for charging too much.” But Carlo Citticomments, “I think it is a shame for the city.” The City council have taken the decisionbecause they no longer felt it was deliveringvalue for money and in fact cost £34 perperson, with guests having to fork outanother £19 to attend the event. Now therewill be family day with ceilidh’s and the ice-rink, which will run up until 10pm onHogmanay. Councillor Gordon Matheson Leader of theCouncil said, “At a time when frontline

services are under extreme financialpressure it is imperative that we get the bestbang for every Glasgow buck and that is notwhat is happening at the moment."He continued, "Now the ice rink and all theother hugely popular attractions in GeorgeSquare can be open to families and visitorson Hogmanay and New Year's Day whichpreviously hasn't been possible foroperational reasons.” The Council hope that the family events whichwill replace the midnight party will provebetter value for money and more enjoyable tomore people - perhaps even making the citymore attractive to visitors.It has also said that it will make cash availableto pubs and clubs to help with marketingactivity this Hogmanay. Although it has not puta figure on the amount that will be available,estimates range from £30K to £50K.

GLASGOW CITY COUNCIL CANCELHOGMANAY PARTY PLANS

IPAD FOR WINETurnberry Hotel has become the firstestablishment in Scotland to use aniPad instead of a printed wine list. Thepractice which has been used in Londonlately, gives guests the opportunity tolook and descriptions and tasting notesof the wines on offer. They can alsosearch for their favourite wines. Although only a trial, if successful, thehotel plans to extend the concept to itsother restaurants and bars. Guestscannot yet order from the devices, thatis likely to be introduced in the future.Inother countries where the iPad hasbeen used instead of a menu,restaurants have claimed a rise inturnover from diners finding theirordering inhibitions are lifted whenordering direct, rather than viawaiters, and this is already happeningin several London hotels.

Three Scottish hotels aim to attract more customers following theinstallation of electric car charging services. The hotels, JohnO'Groats Guesthouse; the Macdonald Aviemore Highland Resort andthe Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club, have partnered with Tesla, aUS carmaker, to install the stations, which although still privatelyowned, will be available to the public either free of charge, or for asmall fee. Tesla called the hotels “forward thinking”, and hopes thatit will bring them new customers as motorists can recharge whiledining, staying over or using their leisure facilities. Charging carbatteries would take anything up to three hours, said Tesla.

PAGE 5 STORY CONTINUEDThe same accounts also show that PPLincreased its revenue from licensingfrom £111.4m in 2009 to £143.5min 2010. Says Eddie Tobin, “How canPPL justify raising licensing fees?” PPL wants to phase in the new ratesover three years from April 2012.Operators would pay 25% of thecharge in year one, 50% in year twoand the full amount from 2014onwards. To see the consultationdocument go to dramscotland.co.uk

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The Castle Hotel Group have purchased the130-bedroom Fishers Hotel in Pitlochry. Theyhave put aside £3m to refurbishing andupgrade the hotel over the next four years.It’s the 9th hotel for the group, and it alreadyowns The Athol Palace Hotel, also in Pitlochry.

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from the administrators.

Edinburgh has been identified as oneof the most attractive cities in the UK forhotel investment. Global consultants HVSLondon revealed that the city is at the topof the register. Waldorf Astoria,Marriott, InterContinental, Hotel Missoni,Motel One, easyHotel, Premier Inn,Travelodge are just a few of the hotelcompanies that have chosen Edinburgh inrecent years.

One of Scotland’s most famous films,Whisky Galore, has just been re-

released. Whisky Galore was set in 1943on the apocryphal Hebridean island ofTodday, which was actually Barra.

Work has started on a newTravelodge hotel in Edinburgh’s QueenStreet. The £2m development, which willsee a former derelict townhouse,transformed into an 85-bedroom hotel. Itwill be completed by Spring next year.Travelodge are also planning two newhotels in the city as part of an ambitiousexpansion drive following its acquisition byDubai Sovereign Capital.

Magners is launching a new range offlavoured ciders this month.The rangeincludes a pear ginger, spiced apple andhoney, and spiced apple and rhubarb.

Attraction Inns have rebranded itsStereo nightclub in Edinburgh’s LothianRoad as Silk, and have given the club acomplete overhaul. More news next month.

Edinburgh’ festivals are now worthmore than golf tourism to Scotlandaccording to a new report. It suggests itsyear round festivals bring in £250m to theScottish economy.

WWW.DRAMSCOTLAND.CO.UK FISHERS HOTEL, PITLOCHRY

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Edinburgh pubs could be subject tostricter fire regulations after fire chiefscalled for a review. They want sprinklers

to be fitted to places that store a highvolume of alcohol. The request comes twoyears after a fatal fire at the Balmoral barkilled firefighter Ewan Williamson. Cllr Bridgeman, convener of the Lothian andBorders Fire and Rescue Board, says, " We

are living in a modern age, with technologyand systems to try to prevent the damagethat fire causes. Sprinklers should beconsidered by building standards (for pubs]because of the levels of alcohol content,which is highly flammable.”In order to make sprinklers compulsory theScottish Government would have to changecurrent building regulations.

MANDATORY SPRINKLERS FOR PUBS?

OLIVER SET TO OPEN INTHE ASSEMBLY ROOMSJamie Oliver has chosen a location for his newEdinburgh restaurant. It appears it will be situatedin the Assembly Room building in George Street.It’s not the first time that a ‘Jamie’s Italian’, hasbeen located in a Grade A listed building, hisCambridge restaurant is also in a listed building.Edinburgh councillors believe the new restaurantwill bring “an exciting and contemporary feel to thebeautiful and historic venue.” The restaurant isexpected to open next summer.

The 100 year-old Caledonian Hilton inEdinburgh is set to become Scotland'sfirst Waldorf Astoria next year,following a £24m refurbishment. Thehotel has already benefitted from a£10m facelift, and a further £14m isto be spent over the next 12 monthsto bring it up to the standard required. It will then will be renamed as TheCaledonian, Waldorf Astoria Hotel.The refurbishment which includes anumber of additions andimprovements to its public spaces,rooms, spa and restaurant. The 241-bedroom hotel will be the third luxuryWaldorf Astoria property in the UK forHilton, and its 25th worldwide.

JD Wetherspoon Chairman TimMartin has warned that drinkers arefacing price rises of between 4% and7% over the next 12 months.However, he didn’t say that JDWetherspoons would be raising itsprices, just that this estimate was forthe industry overall. He suggested theprice rise would reflect the higherpurchase costs of food and drink andutility bills.Despite increased costs JDWetherspoon continues to grow itssales. Sales rose by 7.1% over the 11weeks to July 10, with a like-for-likeincrease of 1.6%.

SCOTLAND’S SAFEST CITYAberdeen police now believe that their city centre is one of the safest in the country afterserious assaults fell by 46% over the last year. Aberdeen Police say this couldn’t have beenachieved without the support of local businesses including pubs and clubs. Chief SuptWatson said, “We have looked at city centre policing models and good practice from acrossthe country and we looked to adopt 'what works', which to my mind has significantlycontributed to the turn around. This is now one of the safest city centres in the country.”

BAR NEWS

AUGUST 11 DRAM8

BREWDOG, GLASGOW¬

MCCLUSKEY SPREADS HIS WINGS

POMMERY POPS UPThe Signet Library, just off the Royal Mile in Edinburgh is thelocation of a new pop-up Pommery champagne bar which is openfor the duration of the Festival. It will now be open to the public aswell as the legal eagles. The venue is usually used exclusively forthe legal fraternity although it is hired out for private events, andduring the three weeks the bar is open guests will be able to viewits lovely interior. But some are not too pleased. Donald Findlay QCtold Scotland on Sunday, "I'm utterly appalled and scandalised atthe suggestion. This is the slippery slope we're on now. The nextthing they will be doing is carry-out pizzas and selling hamburgers.”The Pommery Champagne Bar will be at the Signet Library until the29th August and is also serving seafood.

GLASGOW BREW PUBA SUCCESS ALREADYBrewDog’s new Glasgow pub has just opened and is alreadyproving a hit. On the site of the former Lock Inn on DumbartonRoad, opposite the Kelvingrove Art Gallery, and designed by CMDesign Consultants, the pub is the third BrewDog to open in thelast 12 months. The first was in Aberdeen, the second oneopened earlier this year in Edinburgh and now the Glasgow pubis going down a storm. Two further pubs are planned forLondon.

SINGH TAKES OVEROne of Glasgow’s most colourful Asian businessmen, Sohan Singh,has now officially taken over as the owner of The Lorne Hotel andBukharah restaurant. He bought the hotel in May after theprevious owner Archie Shariff ran into financial difficulties. Singhalso owns the Bombay Blues Indian restaurant and The Artto Hotelin Hope Street.

The Bon Vivant champagne bar & restaurant owned by Stuart McCluskey nowhas a sister venue in the shape of the 'The Bon Vivant's Companion'. This toois located in Edinburgh’s Thistle Street, but it offers a deli/larder and coffeeshop experience, and also includes a specialist drinks shop. Downstairs itboasts a sampling room which will be hosting regular tastings, events andmasterclasses, for both trade and consumers.

Jolly's Hotel in Broughty Ferry, one of the town’s favouritevenues, is now up for sale having gone into administration lastmonth. The hotel which was owned and run by John Adams, andlatterly his son, Derek, has been for sale for a while, withWetherspoons one of the interested parties. But having falling intoadministration it has now put it up for sale, through Christie & Co,with an asking price of for the freehold of £1,200,000. hotelcomprises: 24 en suite letting bedrooms, a characterful public barwith seating for 50 people, a lounge which is normally used forfunctions, a main lounge bar and music venue with seating for 114and a first floor breakfast room.

BRAZILIAN FLAVOURFOR BOTHWELL STViva Brazil Churrascaria is an authentic, Brazilian styleSteakhouse which is coming to Glasgow in September. Thenew restaurant, which is owned by Liverpool-based, motherand daughter, Rosie Sebold and Anna Martin, offers 15different types of Beef, as well as Lamb, Chicken, homemadeBrazilian Sausage and more all slowly roasted over a charcoalbarbeque. The concept has already been well received inLiverpool, and now the two are moving into Glasgow. Viva Brazil, will also be unique in Glasgow in that customerswill be encouraged to decide the pace of the meal themselvesand will be given discs – one side is green, and the other isred. If diners would like more they show the green side, whileif they are finished or want a break they show the red disc.The new restaurant will be located at 87-91 Bothwell Street.

DRAM AUGUST 119

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM

Aberdeen: 01224 896 826 • Alloa: 01259 728 510 • Dumfries: 01387 259 466 • Dunbar: 01368 862 323

HEAD OFFICE

info@belhaven.co.uk Spott Road, Dunbar, East Lothian EH42 1RS www.belhaven.co.uk

A modern, Scottish, flavoursome IPA.

Refreshing floral hints and citrus tones

with a crisp, clean flavour

AUGUST 11 DRAM10

PINK PIGEON SPICED RUM LANDS IN SCOTLANDNew single estate vanilla spiced Mauritian rum.

The Indian Ocean Rum Company and Berry Bros. & Rudd Spirits have just launched Pink Pigeon, the firstsuper premium, spiced rum from the Island of Mauritius, into the UK and into Scotland. Although complex in flavour, this mould-breaking spiced rum is fantastically easy to drink and distilled fivetimes with the purest of spirit. Pink Pigeon is blended with hand-pollinated and hand-picked natural vanillafrom Madagascar and Reunion Islands. It incorporates a rich and golden appearance with a truly balancedsweetness.

“My family have been producing the finest spirits for 200 years in both Reunion and Mauritius.I am very proud of what we have achieved with this Rum and am delighted to sign my nameto every bottle.”

Alain Chatel, the Master Blender of Pink PigeonPink Pigeon spiced rum is named after the rare and endangered bird (of the same name) found on the islandof Mauritius. The stunning pink species symbolises peace, freedom and harmony, qualities closely aligned tothose of Pink Pigeon. The bottle and packaging reflects the rum’s aspirational positioning and each bottle ishand finished with a ribbon, ring and wax.Pink Pigeon brings a vanilla twist to classic rum cocktails as well as tasting delicious with a solitary mixer. Plusthe striking looking bottle and luxury feel means it has stand out on the bar. Pink Pigeon is also the only rumin the market available in a Magnum size.Two prestigious London clubs have already stocked Pink Pigeon - Circus in London + One For One Club inPark Lane (elected best new boutique club 2011).

Pink Pigeon spiced Rum is available through Matthew Clark and Speciality Drinks(Wholesalers) Whisky Exchange, The Drink Shop.com and Berry Bros. & Rudd.The brand is distributed by Global Brands in the UK.

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In the on-trade time, generally speaking, we tend to live in thehere and now. But this month we ask some people to give ustheir predictions on what the trade would be like five years from

now. It was an open question, and individuals have interpretated itas they saw fit.

John Gemmell, Trading Director North, Heineken UK; PhilWhitehead, Director of Sales and Service Molson Coors; JackCumming, Hill Brown; Euan Venters MD, Greene King Brewing &Brands; Jim Grierson, On-trade Sales Director, Maxxium UK. DavidJohnston, Development Director, Montpeliers and Innes Bolt alsoof Montpeliers contributed as did David McGowan of Diageo andKen McGown, Operations and Sales Director of S&N Pub Co;Dougal Sharp of Innis & Gunn and Mark Brunjes of CM Design. Andof course I couldn’t resist a wee forecast myself! However I’veprobably taken the less businesslike approach!”

What will the trade look in five years time… here goes:-

OVERVIEW OF TRADEJohn Gemmell: “We will see a continued shift from on trade to offtrade... this dynamic has been prevalent for years and willcontinue. People often point to this being about price but that is toosimplistic, as consumers are making their decisions on lots ofdifferent reasons. The 'pub' must offer a compelling reason forpeople to choose to go, it is not enough just to open the doors andexpect people to come.”

David McGowan: “It would be very easy just to focus on all thetechnological evolutions that will take place in the next five years,

and how they will impact on ourdaily lives and our visits to the pub.However, remember that pubs areabout people, communities, havinga drink with friends, and of course,satisfying our taste buds. Whatwon’t change is the socialinteraction from friendly, welltrained bar staff. Technology alsowon’t change the celebratory drinkwith friends when your team wins,or commiserating when they lose.So, if there is one thing we canguarantee, it is that retailers andsuppliers who have a quality offer

and understand the importance of customer service and customerloyalty will be the winners of the future.”

Phil Whitehead: “We have to face up to the fact it's a toughmarket. Total alcohol consumption has fallen by an estimated 11%between 2004 and 2010 and beer sales in pubs are down by over

30% in the last six years (or 5 million pints per day) so the wholeindustry, from suppliers, like us, to the independent publican has torealise the scale of the challenge ahead of us. That means that wemust see real innovation that will help support the great pubs,clubs and restaurants across Scotland to ensure that we keep arobust, dynamic industry going. What is clear, however, is thatchanges are happening and fast, so the on-trade is going to lookvery different in five years time.”

Ken McGown: “In the future therewill be less pubs but they will be ofa better quality. People will becomeeven more discerning. And as thequality of outlets improve, the on-trade will receive proper recognitionfor being a real career opportunityas commercial management willhave a high value. People going intothe trade will have to havecommercial acumen – marketing,sales and social media skills.Although the economy will remaintough consumers will continue to be"aspirational" looking to trade to premium products.”

Jack Cumming: “The economic downturn, the smoking ban andthe costs associated with the new Licensing Act have created atoxic mix for the trade over the last few years. Taking anythingapproaching positive view on the future is not easy. Recent high-profile casualties have demonstrated that quality operators are farfrom immune from difficult market conditions. There are bigsuccess stories, of course - those in some sectors who have readthe market well and evolved will last the course.' 'Adaptability' is thekey. Take Oddbins - down the drain, while Majestic surged on. Theformer didn't get into online properly, became too expensive - whileMajestic spotted market behaviours early enough.”

Dougal Sharp: “I don’t think that the on-trade scene in Scotlandwill, broadly speaking, look significantly different in five years’ time.Although the products on offer will undoubtedly change as a resultof the move to premium products that is happening globally.”

Mark Brunjes: “Design follows world events, and recent eventshave spurred a new rebellion and rejection of establishment values.Design trends follow social movement; style bars representedexcess, minimalism, stainless steel, marble, plain fabrics and coolcolours. The reaction to over styled contemporary bars will beabout eclecticism and fun.

Susan Young: “By 2016 the pub trade will by dynamic – new bloodwill be coming through, as people finally see the industry as anaspirational profession. But most pubs will have no chart music, it

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDSWHERE ARE WE HEADING? THE FUTURE WILL BE HERE BEFORE WE KNOW IT, SO WEDECIDED TO ASK SOME OF THE MOVERS AND SHAKERS OF THE INDUSTRY TO LOOKINTO THEIR CRYSTAL BALLS TO SEE WHERE WE WILL BE AND WHAT WE’LL BE DOING INFIVE YEARS TIME. SUSAN YOUNG DECIPHERS THEIR MYSTIC PREDICTIONS.

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AUGUST 11 DRAM12

will all be original…as they don’t want to pay a huge amount for aPPL licence!”

TYPES OF PUBSJohn: “The National Managed channel will grow at the expense ofthe Independent. They have control over some of the best sites andoffer the consumer a branded consistency, which is comforting tothe consumer. However it is far from the end of the free trade.When a free trade customer gets it right then they are some ofthe best outlets in the UK, playing a huge part in the localcommunity.”

Phil: “The first change is going to be in the number and variety oflicensed premises. We know that pubs, bars and clubs are closingbut what we are seeing of those that are left is that they aremaking a greater effort to differentiate themselves from thecompetition. The customers we are dealing with are trying toprovide the right environment for every drinking occasion and it'simportant that pubs can offer a wide range of services that keepspeople in the pub and out of the coffee house.”

David Johnson: “Customer demand for total value i.e. the wholeexperience, will increase and as a result continue to thin outcompanies that are unable to provide this.

“Supermarket bars. Not content with supermarkets, insurance,credit cards etc. Supermarkets will start opening bars andrestaurants.”

Euan Venters: “Tourism will be an even more important part of theScottish economy making the hospitality industry critical to ournational prosperity. Consumers will be even more discerning aboutwhat they spend their hard earned cash on when they go out. Goodpubs will prosper and pubs that do not give the customer what they

demand will struggle to survive.”

Jim: He sees pubs beingtransformed and being so muchmore than just pubs. He predicted– “Take away - pubs start to deliverdrinks to your home. You order on-line or phone in! Mini cinemas =showing classics and independentfilms and….Hair-pubs!" - pubs withhairdressers based in them, sothat the whole hairdresserexperience becomes so muchmore enjoyable!”

Dougal: “We think theindependents and the groups that

deliver something different, something bespoke and train their staffwell, are the ones who will win through because they're notfollowing trends but adopting their own individual style anddelivering a quality, personal service.”

Mark: “Future bars are warm, earthy, natural, recycled,

reclaimed, eclectic, personal, friendly environmental and real.Think architectural salvage yards. auction houses, ebay and evenskips! If your bar is simply the biggest and best, then someone willalways overtake you. Dare to be different, break the rules, look atthings differently and become leaders not followers.

Ken: “A lot of pubs that are no longer viable will disappear, and thetrade, five years from now, will be a far stronger businessenvironment. Pub companies will have better quality estates,which will reflect the changing face of the pub environment.Customers will expect quality – that will be the norm across thetrade. Community pubs will take over from post offices and smallcorner shops. They will be offering services ranging from sellingnewspapers (already happening) to allowing people to drop offlaundry. There will be all sorts of reasons to go to the pub, not justfor food and drink.”

Sue: “Robots will have taken over from staff on quiet nights and inpubs that can’t afford robots - self-serve technology will allow

customers to serve themselves. (There’salready a pub in American with thistechnology which is utilising it!”)

BEERJohn: “Beer will get colder. The averagetemperature of draught beer has reducedsignificantly over the last 20 years andthere is room to go lower. In fact it is whatthe consumer wants. Not only for draughtbeer, but we will see more focus on

consistent delivery of colder packaged lageras well.”

Phil: “This shift from a one-size-fits all approach will also bereflected in the products that are served. The idea that you canstock one lager, one red, one white, ended some time ago and we’llcontinue to see a diversification of the stock behind the bars. Therise of world beers will continue as will beers with lower ABVs.We’re hopeful that a more sensible approach to duty taxation maymean that lower strength drinks attract lower duty. But that mightbe more wishful thinking than a prediction. This shift into a morediversified stock should also help attract more women drinkers tothe on-trade, this will be further encouraged by the new batch ofdrinks that are designed with women very much in mind, likeMolson Coors’ new beer, Animee.”

Euan: “Consumers will continue to seek out new things and variety.Cask Ale, foreign lagers and new products will take a growingshare of the beer market.”

Dougal: “The US has always been a reliable barometer for trendsforecasting this side of the pond. The craft beer market there hasskyrocketed over the last few years driven by a real consumerappetite for more interesting, flavorsome beers and you can seejust how much this segment could influence the on-trade landscapein Britain in a matter of years. It’s already happening. In London

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS

DRAM AUGUST 1113

and Edinburgh, where we’re now selling Original on draught, thebeer scene is really taking off with credible beer bars making theirmark.”

Ken: “Cask Ale and natural organic products will continue toprosper.”

TECHNICAL INNOVATIONSJohn: “Technical innovation will continue at pace. How can weintroduce new equipment that can reduce energy costs for ourcustomers. We will see a higher number of smaller hybrid outletsusing mobile dispense equipment which no longer requires acellar.”

David: “I do expect to see some amazing technical developments,many of which probably haven’t even been thought of yet. Judging bythe current levels of technological advancement, it’s likely we will allhave very clever gadgets in our pockets which will do the job of carkeys, credit cards, mobile phones, Satnav, MP3 players and PCs.You never know, this little gadget may even replace traditional menusand it may even include a thermometer, and a head gauge, but onlya true professional will be able to pour the perfectly served pint ofGuinness! For the industry, the best experiences will be from usembracing technology and mixing it with quality, service and our need

for social interaction.”

Phil: “The way customers pay willchange dramatically and help makethe pub drinking experience abetter one. The number paying bycards has rocketed and that hashad a fairly dire impact on how longpeople have to wait at the bar, butthat could soon change. Theintroduction of mobile contactlesspayments and the roll out of theterminals in pubs and leisurevenues across the country will,hopefully, herald quicker, morestraightforward payments and less

irate people forced to wait at the bar for a chip and PIN transactionto go through.”

David/Innes: “Mobile phone Apps instead of e-mail, loyalty cardsand vouchers. Mobile voucher technologies linked to EPOS and theabove will give us more intelligence on our customers so enablingmore effective direct marketing. Digital and interactive menus attables instead of paper. CCTV facial recognition for unwelcomecustomers and VIP’s. Phone applications for menus, ordering andbill payments. Self service dispense areas. Interactive MultiMedia/3G technology that can manipulate environments, music,lighting etc. Contactless Technology. Exclusive environments/products controlled by voice recognition/thumbprint technology(VIP areas/Luxury Items)… (I ‘d love to be at Montpeliersbrainstorming sessions!!)

Dougal: “Does the consumer really appreciate or want clever bartechnologies or will they drink where they know they will get goodchoice and good service? So, the way we see it is that consumersare more interested in quality, substance and style rather thangimmicks.”

Euan: “Pubs, restaurants and hotels will be cashless and will havea data base of all their “punters” that they can use to entice theminto the outlet.”

Mark: “Renewable products and low energy consumption arethemes that will develop a collective social conscience.”

Ken: “Already people are booking online, but this is going to geteven more prevalent. There will also be more innovation in beerdispense, and cider dispense too.”

Sue: “All of the above and self cleaning glasses – lipstick will disappearin a flash, dishwashers no longer required! Heating will come viadecorative paint which will act as a heat conductors - (currentdevelopment… honest!).”

CIDERJohn:“The cider category may end up looking very different in fiveyears. The category has exploded in the last 10 years, firstly throughcider over ice, and then flavoured ciders. There has been lots of newentrants. The future will be a much bigger cider market, with thegrowth coming in modern cider. Over time the big brands with very

clear propositions such as Strongbow andBulmer's will succeed.”

COMMUNICATIONJohn: “How brand owners communicatewith their consumers is going throughradical change. The emergence of socialmedia such as Facebook and Twitter is ahuge paradigm shift. Every brand will relymuch more heavily on their digitalcommunication strategy. On trade outlets

will also embrace it much more and the emergence of sites suchas UseYourLocal.com will have more relevance.”

David: “Social networks, and digital technology are likely to help‘guide’ us to a particular venue, and the recent Smirnoff NightlifeExchange Project showed that people have an appetite forexperiencing what is happening elsewhere in the world.”

Phil:“Finally, in an industry that is seen as pretty traditional, it canbe easy to forget that drinkers are increasingly going online to findreviews of bars and pubs, and to find out about what’s on. I expectthat publicans will take a leaf out of hoteliers’ book – who havemade Tripadvisor work for them. It’s an approach that could paydividends. Engaging with customers online allows you to head offcriticism if it arises, get feedback from drinkers direct so that youknow what they want, and keep your customer updated on whatyou’re offering – whether its music, sport or food. The rise of ¬

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS

AUGUST 11 DRAM14

¬ location based social networking like Facebook places andFoursquare is a great opportunity for publicans to drive footfall ina targeted and relevant way and with consumers more likely totrust peer-to-peer recommendations than any other form ofmarketing, the pub of the future needs to embrace social media tokeep ahead of the game.”

David/Innes: “The continued rise of social media will see othermore traditional forms of advertising practically disappear.

Ken: “Loyalty cards and club cards are the way forward. Theinformation gathered on your customers will enable far bettercommunication, targeting the right offers to the right age ofconsumer, and the right occasion.”

FOODDavid/Innes: “The provenance of food and drink – Increasedconsumer knowledge and the demand for more detail and clarityon where and how food and drink is made and prepared. This willcontinue to drive demand for higher quality across the industry.

Ken: “A new updated form of "Gastropub" ...I .hate that term… willemerge. With M&S doing two meals for £10 and a bottle of wine,pubs offering food are going to have to ensure that what they offercan persuade people to leave their homes and come out to eat. Thequality of food in pubs is only going to get better and chefs are goingto use more fresh produce. Sales of coffee and non alcoholic itemswill continue to rise.”

Euan: “Whilst good wet led“boozers” will continue to prosperhaving an excellent food, wine, softdrinks and coffee offering willbecome much more important formany pubs.”

Phil: “The days of people beinghappy with a pint and a cheesesandwich are long behind us, a goodand affordable food offer, coffee andsnacks underpinned by professionalcustomer service will get peoplechoosing the pub more often.”

Sue: ”Chefs will spend half the dayworking out how many calories are in their dishes, but theimportance of good quality products, will be paramount.”

RESPONSIBILITY INITIATIVESJohn:“Responsibility has to become more prominent within theindustry. We will see the emergence of smaller serve glasses,lower ABV beers, and a commitment from Heineken to support theResponsibility Deal.”

David: “It would also be great if we could look back as an industry andfeel really proud about the things we have done working together withthe Government to help address alcohol misuse in Scotland.”

Phil:“In order to encourage more people back to the pub it's vital

to offer choice, not just in the range you stock but in the way it'sserved. At Molson Coors have already committed to rolling out2/3rd pint glassware across all our brands and we’re expectingothers to follow suit. Not only could this help cut irresponsibledrinking but it could encourage more people to drink beer, as somedrinkers can find a pint a bit over-facing.”

David/Innes: “Variable ABV products and a much more Healthconscious clientele. That’s if Licensing regulations don’t suffocatethe industry!!

Sue: ”Staff will have an inbuilt sensor on their uniforms which willgauge how much alcohol a customer has drunk. They will refuseeveryone that has had more than 6 units!”

DESIGNMark: “Budgets for bar interiors will continue to be tighter thanever. We like to strip the building back to basics, retaining anyoriginal features and weaving the interior design scheme aroundthis framework. Designers have to be more creative with theirfurniture selection. Finding one-off stand-out vintage pieces andrestoring and re-upholstering them not only stretches the budget,it also creates an individual look and will sit alongside simpleclassics. The worldwide focus on sustainable issues will have anenormous effect on design.”

Euan: “Giving people a reason to leave the comfort of their homeswill be even more important. So the latest TV technology, cinemastyle viewing, great sound systems, a sense of community or an

authentic pub atmosphere will be key.”

SECURITYDavid/Innes: “Policing being carried out byprivate companies as opposed to thePolice. It is more than likely that ourindustry will have to pay for it!

UNLIKELY… BUT YOUNEVER KNOWDavid/Innes: “Government run Off

Licences as per Norway that would allow them to charge whateverTAX they want and stick it back into the National Debt!”

David/Innes: “Our government will finally collapse and be replacedby Tesco! They would do a better job! Maybe they will move in torunning Prisons etc.”

Jim: “Virtual reality pubs - in the winter you feel like you are sittingon a beach somewhere far away in the sun and in the summer(when we get one) you are in a cooler environment.”

Sue: “Licensing Boards will be abandoned due to local authoritycuts and pubs will be so well run that licences will be renewedautomatically and free of charge! Licensed trade rates will finallynot be determined on turnover but by size of premise, andsupermarkets will no longer be allowed to advertise alcohol pricesin newspapers or on TV.”

AUGUST 11 DRAM16

Ibumped into Captain Morgan recently and nearly did a jig withthe Kraken Hunter, if he hadn’t been so hot in his costume I’msure he would have obliged. The occasion - our very own DRAM

Awards. But the reason that I am bringing it up is perhaps the verypresence of these two brand ambassadors tells us somethingabout why rum is still a favourite in Scotland’s pubs bars and clubs.Rum brands that put in the effort here reap the rewards. Now Ihave met Captain Morgan before – a few years ago now mindyou… he hasn’t aged a bit! But now brand owner Diageo is notpussy footing about Captain Morgan’s Spiced is the name of thebrand, and our old favourite Morgan’s Spiced has to give way toglobal influences. But not too worry the taste itself remains thesame; it’s just the branding that is undergoing a transformation.That’s why they have pulled the Captain back to promote the brand– they say he is coke’s best wingman. He certainly wowed theladies and the men at the DRAM Awards. The golden rum market is among the fastest growing sector, in thespirits business with value gushing ahead by almost 30% year onyear, which shows that people are prepared to pay more for rum,despite these recessionary times. The rum category alone hasseen a double digit sales rise over the past 12 months reflectingan ever increasing love affair with the tantalising tastes of bothgolden and spiced rums. A competitor to Captain Morgan is 19 Spiced, whichaccording to the company behind it Malcolm Cowen,who are distributing the brand for Trinidadcompany Fernandes Distillers, performs well in

blind taste tests against anotherleading brand of spiced rum –now this could be CaptainMorgan’s, Sailor Jerry orLamb’s Spiced… youwould have to try it foryourself to see. I’d loveto know what youthink? The brand is a sister

brand to VAT 19another goldenrum (not to beconfused withVAT 69 – awhisky). 19Spiced is to besupported by PartyNights, a new website and by tradeshows. And they are looking forlicensees up for hosting a 19Spiced Party Night. They arealso running a cocktail competition -19 mixologists making 19 cocktails in 19

seconds – I’d love to see that – it might be world record– I’d be surprised if they could open the bottle in thattime! Anyway, talking of parties another rum hit at the DRAMawards was The Kraken Hunter… he came, and nearlydied of heat exhaustion in a costume that was bothfun and noticeable. The Kraken is a mythical seamonster, and the old fashioneddeep sea costume, carries onthe theme. I would imaginethat he would have alsobeen present at T in thePark, where Kraken Rumsponsored the cocktailbar. I’m sure some revellersmay have thought that theywere imagingthings… probablynot an unusualoccurrence! The Kraken Rumhowever is‘cracking’. It’s astrong, rich, black,

smooth 40% ABV rum packaged in a distinctive 70clVictorian ‘flagon-style’ clear glass bottle. Ricky

Agnew of Marblehead fame and his team,who are distributing the brand in the UK,

are passionate about it. Ricky evenmanaged to get me drinking it

straight, and it was lovely. It has avery strong vanilla flavour whichmakes it very versatile in cocktailsas our cocktail bar entrantsproved. The winning cocktailfrom the boys at Bath StreetPony was made with fennel – Icouldn’t imagine what it wouldtaste like, but it wasunanimous – we all reallyenjoyed it. This cocktailsession also proved howimportant it is to get the right

brand in the right cocktail – whenwe visited the Blythswood to taste

Mal Spence’s masterpiece, thepoor bartender was nearly struck

dumb… because there was no Krakenand then the rum he did make the

cocktail with, just didn’t work. A return visitremedied this, but still the Fennel cocktail and

that of Bond No 9, which included seaweed, wereimaginative and incredibly tasty, and just edged ahead.

DRAM AUGUST 1117

BY SUSAN YOUNG

¬

Brugal SkinnyMojitoIngredients• 35ml Brugal Añejo Rum • ½ fresh lime, squeezed• ½ shot agave syrup• 8 x fresh mint leaves• Good quality cubed ice• Splash Soda WaterMethod• Method Clap mint and drop inempty tall glass, add all otheringredients except soda waterand gently muddle, add ½ lime with cubed ice and churn well to infuse flavours, top with fresh crushed ice and soda water.

RUM’S BIGPERSONALITY

AUGUST 11 DRAM18

¬ In fact since the awards a number of bar owners have contactedme asking where they can get the The Kraken. So it obviously wentdown well. Commenting on the potential for the brandhere, Dave Steward of Marblehead says “TheKraken was launched in the States by NewJersey-based Proximo Spirits last year andhas really taken off – it’s been a hugephenomenon in both the USA and Canadaand we’re confident that it will replicate thatsuccess here.“With the growing consumer interest in rum,there is a real opportunity for us to introducea product which is distinctively different fromeverything else in the market and which hasboth intrinsic product quality and a fresh,energetic and fun personality. “The Kraken has a story to tell, it tastes goodand the packaging will have strong appeal tothose who want to experiment. It is the firstdark rum to break the mould, and we believeit will play a major role in redefining the rummarket in the UK.”I read an article by an American journalist (just from the tail end oflast year) who claimed that there was little rum innovation in themarket. I nearly choked. Maybe that’s the case in the US, but whenit comes to the UK, hardly a day goes by when a press release

doesn’t come through heralding a new launch, orexpression. For instance Maxxium UK announced the launchof Brugal Blanco Especial in the UK last month.They say it is one of the cleanest and purestrums every produced because it is made fromgolden rum that has been double distilled. It’sthe first ever white rum the Brugal MaestrosRoneros have ever created. No doubt this white rum will be competingwith Bacardi, which is the most popularrum in Scotland, by a long chalk. Even ifBrugal can take a small percentage of theBacardi market it will be doing well. Afterall around half a million people in Scotlanddrink Bacardi! They may not realise theyare drinking rum thou’! Brugal, no doubtis aiming at a slightly more discerningdrinker. I would imagine that they arehoping that bar owners who havecustomers that are going the premiumroute will opt to have Brugal Blanco astheir pouring white rum. Angostura rum has also had a facelift.It’s super premium Angostura 1919 andAngostura 1824 both have a new look bottle aswell as new labelling and packaging. The new packaging offers abespoke, iconic decanter and exquisite, specially commissionedoriginal artwork which features on the neck label and gift carton.

Inspired by Trinidad and Tobago, the artworkincorporates national elements including: thescarlet ibis, the national bird of Trinidad &Tobago, taking pride of place on the nationscoat of arms; the ship, symbolic of discovery;the sugar cane in arrow, signalling theripening of the sugar cane; the dancer, thejoyous spirit of Trinidad and Tobago; and thebutterflies, numerous in variety and ascolourful as the rainbow people of La Trinity. Itsounds like a perfume bottle to me!Also landing in Scotland this month is PinkPigeon. I love the packaging. Black and pink,very classy - and each bottle is hand finishedwith a ribbon, ring and wax. It definitely ticklesmy fancy. It’s the first super premium, spicedrum from the Island of Mauritius (I’ll probablyhave to pop along to The Ivy to sample it) butif it tastes as good as it looks, I’m sure it too

will go down a storm with rum lovers. Its description is also quiteexotic “It is blended with hand-pollinated and hand-picked naturalvanilla from Madagascar and Reunion Islands.” Unusually this rumis also available in a Magnum, I just hear the posh guys at TigerLily ordering it... “A Magnum of Pink Pigeon”… the next trend?

KrakenPerfectStormIngredients• 50ml The Kraken Black Spiced Rum• 25ml lime juice• 5ml sugar syrup• 2 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters• Ginger beerMethod• Fill a highball glass with lots of ice.

Add 50 ml of The Kraken Black Spiced Rum and 25ml of lime juice, 5ml of sugar syrup and 2 dashes of Angostura aromatic bitters. Stir well and top up with ginger beer. Garnish with a lime wedge, crushed ice and soda water.

“THE KRAKEN WASLAUNCHED IN THESTATES BY NEW JERSEY-BASED PROXIMO SPIRITSLAST YEAR AND HASREALLY TAKEN OFF – IT’SBEEN A HUGEPHENOMENON IN BOTHTHE USA AND CANADAAND WE’RE CONFIDENTTHAT IT WILL REPLICATETHAT SUCCESS HERE”

Dave Steward, Marblehead

RUM’S BIGPERSONALITY

DRAM AUGUST 1119

AUGUST 11 DRAM20

THE PERFECT PARTNERSHIPLICENSEE INTERVIEW BY SUSAN YOUNG

Imagine a country pub – all white, with lovely hangingbaskets, and a great outdoor terrace…inside quirkymemorabilia, stone walls, a fire, comfy seats, and

defined areas for lounging, eating and relaxing, servingquality food with great service… that’s the Birds and theBees in Stirling. It really is the perfect example of a qualitycountry pub. The twist in the tale is that it is not reallyin the country but almost bang in the middle of Stirling.It recently picked up the DRAM Gastro Pub of the yeartitle and it’s not hard to see why. Owner Ross Hendersonand wife Michelle are delighted with the accolade. Overthe last few years they have concentrated on improvingthe quality of the food on offer and their efforts havecertainly paid off. Today the Birds and the Bees servessome 1,500 meals a week, with a great majority repeatbusiness. This has brought this establishment to aturnover of around £1m. Says Ross, “Last year was ourbest year ever.” He puts much of the recent successdown to the quality of the food. He says, “I think if wewere just a pub, we would have not been so successful.Some of our customers come three or four times a weekand they are coming for the food, so we have to keep themenu interesting.”He continues, “We have fresh deliveries every day, andwe order a lot of fish. We also use Aberdeen Angusbeef, and source from Scottish suppliers when we can.Everything is fresh except for our chips and scampi. Iactually think scampi is best frozen!” The Birds and the Bees has certainly come a long waysince Ross bought the business back in 1983. (Prior tothat he had worked in the family clothing business). The

premises themselves have been developed and are nowalmost four times the original size. Ross explains,“When I bought the Birds and the Bees it was a bar andover the years I have developed it, in fact I really don’tthink we could get planning for any more development.Today it is more of a venue than a pub. We do funerals,weddings, christenings, it’s still a local for the locals, andwe also have exercise classes and business meetings.”Says wife Michelle, “We make use of every part of thebuilding and we are continually re-investing. We havejust built a new deck and patio area, and we are alwaysadding pieces of bric-a-brac. Our customers do noticewhen we add things. You have to reinvest. People getbored if you let it get tired.”She adds, “The look of the pub really matters. Touristscome here and take lots of photographs. It’s also got agreat atmosphere. I wanted to create a pub where Iwould take my family, and this is it.”Michelle met hubby Ross in the pub when she workedthere as a waitress. Today she has a very hands onapproach to the business, while managing her otherrole as mum to four children! And as Ross explains herinvolvement has been instrumental in the success of thebusiness. He says, “Michelle was the best thing thatever happened to me. When she got more involved withthe business it definitely added a new dimension to whatwe were doing. She made it more appealing to couplesand families.”She was also there to guide the business when Ross wasill a decade ago. A hereditary problem meant at the tenderage of 39, he had to undergo a triple heart by-pass, a

DRAM AUGUST 1121

¬

AUGUST 11 DRAM22

procedure unfortunately he is about to undergo again. However, Ross also believes that if it hadn’t been for hisillness he may have been less inclined to grow and investas much in the Birds and the Bees, and have been likelytried to replicate the success of the pub elsewhere.Says Michelle, “We would have had a lot more places ifthe health problem hadn’t kicked in. But it also meantthat we didn’t spread ourselves too thinly. In fact I wasrunning another business before I decided to focus onthis business.“She continues, “We wouldn’t have been able to developour business without the support of the staff. They havebeen great and some of them have been here for years.In fact we sent our chef Raymond, and one of our frontof house team Emma, to pick up the DRAM Award, andwe sat at the table grinning from ear to ear.”The couple actively market the Birds and the Bees. Lastyear for the first time they invited travel companies touse the venue. Says Michelle, “We have found thattravel companies also want to put clients into placesthat are not just function rooms. They want a bit ofatmosphere. Last year we made a few mistakes, butthis year, touch wood, it has all gone smoothly. We nowhave 14 travel companies using the Birds and the Bees,and the tour guides and bus drivers come back and usethe place with their own friends and family.”She continues, “The internet has been a positiveinfluence on the business, as was the smoking ban. Wehave definitely benefitted from it with more familiescoming out to eat. Perhaps in the past they werereluctant to bring children in to smoky atmospheres.”Ross adds, “We also support local events, and take adsin programmes and such like. But we no longer do weeads, now we take full pages around four times a year. Ithink this makes more of an impact.”Although Ross no longer serves pints, he is still happy tolend a hand doing whatever needs to be done. Says Ross,

“If there is an issue with the toilets then it will be mesorting it out! However, the Birds and the Bees is not hisonly business. He is also involved in propertydevelopment. But he wouldn’t describe himself as anentrepreneur. Says Ross, “What’s that?” He continues,“I’m a businessman. I love wheeling and dealing. I’ve madesome money, and I’ve lost money. I sold a chunk of land atGleneagles, and made a lot of money, then I re-invested itand 20 minutes later the recession hit. But that’s whatinvesting is all about. I got interested in property to makemoney, and we did, particularly at the height of theproperty boom. It really took off. Although right now we’vea land bank that might embarrass Cala! His businesspartner on the property side is another man who is nostranger to the licensed trade – Lee Doyle. In fact the two are now actively looking for other licensedtrade businesses to buy and develop. Says Ross, “Weown the Inn at Kippen but lease it out, and we would liketo have another two or three places. We wouldn’t wantanything in Glasgow, Edinburgh or Aberdeen but we havebeen looking at hotels. Ideally the idea is to buy placesthat we could develop.” However, first of all he needs that new operation, whichwill take place in August. Says Ross, “It is just one ofthese things. My family has been fantastic. The bestthing I ever did was marry Michelle. She has been therethrough the worst times and the best times, and now Ineed her to do it all over again. When it happened 10years ago we looked at our lives and did everything thatwe could to lead a more healthy existence. But it hascome back. It does make you appreciate your familymore – business is business, but going home to see thekids is what really matters. “And with that he touches a wee bracelet around hisankle. He says, “One of the kids put it on when we werein Portugal recently. It’s my hospital good luck charm,and I’m not taking it off.”

Pictured below:one of the birdsand bees longestinhabitants nowscrewed to theground.The lounge area -one of theextensions and it’sfunction suite andnewly developedsun terrace/beergarden.

THE PERFECT PARTNERSHIP

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DRAM AUGUST 1123

AUGUST 11 DRAM24

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TINGAAT

DRAM AUGUST 1125

The day I visited Arran was glorious, and my visit to the newDouglas Hotel blew me away. The hotel, which re-opened inMay after being closed for a few years, is only a stroll from

the ferry terminal at Brodick. This building has been a hotel since the 1830’s, and in its heydaywas one of the places to be seen in Arran. Over the last decadethe hotel had fallen into disrepair, that was until Sean Henry, aformer resident of Arran, decided to restore the old lady and bringher bang up to date.It was a mammoth task, which took almost two years. Today thehotel is a testament to Sean’s vision, and that of Pascal and Olgavan den Broek, the hotel managers, and architects David Macmillanand Kirsty Lee of Tektonika Architects. Not forgetting the maincontractors, Thomas Johnstone, says Pascal, “Thomas Johnstonewere fantastic. So much so, I wouldn’t have any hesitation inrecommending them, and would definitely use them again.” The imposing red sandstone Victorian building, which overlooks theharbour, from the front looks much the same today as it did 150years ago, but that’s probably the only thing that hasn’t changed.The rear of the building is brand new, but it sympathetically blendsin with the old. Says Pascal, “We wanted to keep its Victorian authenticity , butmodernise it too, and give it a completely contemporary look. Butwe also wanted to remain true to our island heritage, that’s why wehave brought the colours from outside in.” Says Pascal “The fabricsare fabulous and were supplied by Guardian. The grey mistiness of the island is reflected in the pale grey walls,while the heathery and natural blues, greys and greens, usedthroughout the hotel, which has amazing views across the bay frommost of the rooms, including the kitchen, brings the outside in. As you walk up the hill towards the hotel, its sweeping lawn, andlarge terrace draws you in. The entrance which houses the hotelreception is immediately on your left and features an antiquereception desk. Throughout the hotel there are some stunning

pieces of Victorian furniture, which actually add interest to what isotherwise a very contemporary interior.As you look beyond the reception you can see past the hotel lift,

and original staircase, to the bistro/restaurant at the oppositeside of the hotel. The effect of using wood flooring all the waythrough gives an impression of scale, and makes you want tocontinue along the passage to the bistro/restaurant, but first youcome to the whisky bar.The whisky bar is a modern area, which several large whiskybarrels, and this theme is carried through to the floor, which looksas if it was made from whisky barrel struts. It also features somesporting memorabilia, including (slightly incongruous ) a framedAmerican hockey shirt! This Pascal told me belonged to a friend of

DESIGN FOCUS : THE DOUGLAS HOTEL, ARRAN BY SUSAN YOUNG

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AUGUST 11 DRAM26

Di Maggio’s footprint in Scotland is a lot bigger now thatAmarone in Edinburgh is serving up a slice of Italy in aformer bank on Edinburgh’s St Andrews Square. The 215-

cover bar/restaurant is vast in size, and dwarfs its sisterrestaurant in Glasgow. What also sets Edinburgh apart is itscorner position and the fact it’s on the ground floor (AmaroneGlasgow is in a basement) – plus it’s a grade A-listed building withbuilt-in WOW factors, including beautiful big original windows, andgiant dome in the ceiling with little porthole windows. In otherwords there was a wealth of gems in the building before CMDesign Consultants got its teeth into the brief from Di Maggio’s co-owners Mario Gizzi and Tony Conetta, who earmarked £1M for therefurbishment.Mark Brunjes of CM commented, “The building dates back to the1930s and has many terrific original features so, naturally, thisgreatly influenced how we approached the design. The brief wasto further develop the brand concept of Amarone Glasgow, with keyfeatures such as the colour-changing lighting and wood-burningpizza oven. Although we’ve also included a few custom-madeadditions for Amarone Edinburgh.”The entrance to the restaurant is just to the right of the mainentrance to an office block in the Capitol Building, which housesseveral businesses on its upper floors, and counts itself as one ofthe tallest buildings in the capital. Being right on the corner, thereare three parts to Amarone in all – the bar and two restaurantareas, with covers split between 50 in the former and 165 in thelatter. From the outside, the bar is on the right-hand side of thecorner, and a part of the restaurant on the left-hand side. The first thing that strikes you is the bar, which runs right alongthe far wall, with a shiny mirrored back bar with wooden wine racksthat run all the way up to the ceiling, and pinkish-grey marble top.Black and pink is a theme that runs throughout the rest ofAmarone, notably the large circular lightshades (black on theoutside with a pink silk inlay) and the black velour seating with tiny

DESIGN FOCUS : AMARONE, EDINBURG

Sean’s, an American Olympic Hockey player. There’s also stagantlered light fittings. Explains Pascal, “Brodick Castle is justacross the water and it has 98 stag heads, so this was our nodto Brodick Castle.” He continues, “We didn’t want a traditionallounge bar. We took into account that the majority of people whovisit Arran do so for the hillwalking, golf and cycling. So we havemade this bar accessible to these visitors but at the same timeprovided a bar that locals are comfortable with.”The bar area itself is slightly unusual. It straddles both the whiskybar and the bistro/restaurant. And customers can’t walk aroundit. Says Pascal, “It allows us to serve both the bar area and therestaurant at the same time.”The bar area features bistro style tables, posing tables and sofastoo, making it a comfortable place for a coffee, bite of lunch orafternoon tea. While at night it takes on the persona of a bar. Italso has a snug area complete with dart board. Says Pascal, “Thatwas a request from the boss, and I was happy to oblige.”You have to go out of the bar and back along the corridor to therestaurant and it certainly has the wow factor. The original diningroom, is now almost unrecognisable. The floor has been raised sothe room is now on one level, and two-thirds of the room appearsto be slightly more formal, than the right hand side, which has tiledMoroccan-style floor, a 12-seater rustic oblong table and anamazing view of the bay. This is where guests can enjoy breakfast. The left hand side of the room has a wooden floor, modernrosewood furniture, white walls and the main wall features framedpictures of Arran from days gone by, including a bill from the oldDouglas Hotel. Huge lampshades in the darkest of blues, completethe look. This area also features a door out into a further largeterraced area, which provides a sheltered area to relax eitherbefore or after dinner. To the left there are wooden French windows which take youthrough to a small room which Pascal describes as the PianoRoom – it features an antique baby grand, an Italian style tiled floor,black velvet armchairs, and dumpy stools with a glorious modernchandelier and bespoke lamps. It’s just not what you expect – thistoo leads out to a terrace, but this time at the front of the hotel. By this time I was expecting quality rooms, and I wasn’tdisappointed. The doors to the 21 bedrooms are heavy white woodpanelled affairs, they look quite cottagey, but the rooms areanything but. From the luxurious deep pile, pale grey carpets,which are plain in all the public areas and rooms, to the king-sizedbeds, modern tartan throws, fluffy towels, and antique furnituremixed with contemporary, and plasma’s. The rooms andbathrooms are not fussy, but feel luxurious, and they are all of agood size. Ground floor rooms without a view, have doors out to a containedgarden area, while rooms to the front have the most amazingviews of Arran, and the Penthouse suite has a balcony area whichyou could host a cocktail party on.There is nothing ordinary about this hotel, from the pane of glassin the stairwell, to the modern recessed lights, fabrics, and thelovely touches with the mix of contemporary and Victorian classicfurniture. One other touch, which was great to see, wassubstantial windows in the kitchen. The chefs have the same viewas the guests. Here’s hoping they don’t get too distracted!

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DRAM AUGUST 1127

pink flecks, providing continuity with Amarone Glasgow. This areahas a cream tiled floor, and the walls, in keeping with the rest ofthe design, are painted light cream, and there are high tables forlarger groups with marble tops to match the bar. You can perch atthe bar and around the tables on sturdy, and extremely comfy,stools upholstered in black and pink velour material.Next to the bar is a wood burning pizza oven surrounded by aPorcelanosa slate effect wall, which is fast becoming a bit of a DiMaggio trademark. On the wall opposite are black and whitepictures of Italy. Photographer Paul Zanre’s work hangs throughoutthe restaurant. He snapped Verona, Lake Garda and the wineregions of Amarone on his travels.Moving beyond the bar and pizza oven and you’re into perhaps themost impressive part of Amarone – the first part of the 165-coverrestaurant. The domed ceiling is made up of lots of little circularwindows, like portholes, so light streams in by day. By night, thereare four lights trained on the ceiling, and the all the colours of thespectrum are projected onto it, changing very gradually every fewminutes. Hanging from the ceiling are several huge white mobiles,made from fairly thin strands of cord, and reminiscent of jelly fishin the sea, especially when the lights turn bluish-green.Unsurprisingly this is what prompts the most comments fromcustomers and it’s the part of the restaurant Tony and Mario aremost proud of. Below are black ash tables and chairs, and on thewalls there are more mounted vistas of Italian landscapes andsporting milestones, like Italy’s national squad celebrating its 2008World Cup win. An entire wall has also been devoted to coloured Murano blownglass figures and vases, which, according to GM Michael Prior,were imported from Italy. There are vases, and some multi-coloured fish, and the theme extends to above the coffee machine,in the form of a lone blown glass cockerel. “It’s a lucky mascot fromTony’s mother!” says Michael. The floor in this area is wooden thewalls are cream apart from a bit of walnut panelling at the base,

RGH BY JASON CADDY

Best Wishes to Amarone Edinburgh and BrewDog Glasgow

Restaurant & Bar Design Awards 2011 - ShortlistedScottish Design Awards 2008, 09 and 2011 - Finalist

Contact Mark Brunjes on 0141 341 0313 or mark@cmdesignconsultants.com

Designers of Amarone / Antipasti / BrewDog / BocadilloBarbarossa / Di Maggios / Esca / Epicures of Hyndland

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¬

and some mirrors which are tilted at an angle to give the effect ofeven more space. Not that this is in any way necessary, as theceiling is so high and it’s so bright you could almost be outside.Up a few steps, almost coming back around on yourself and you’rein what CM design dubbed the St Andrews elevation, because itcommands fantastic views across St Andrews Square on theopposite corner to the bar. It’s a bit plusher than the rest ofAmarone, thanks to the thick grey carpet, black leather banquettesand those huge black and pink lightshades. This area has many ofthe buildings original features, and the majority of the huge greypillars, which look a bit like trees. There were also some structuralchanges made here. Explains Mark Brunjes, “A fire exit meant thatone of the windows had been blocked, but we were able to movethe exit elsewhere, and open up the window. As well as making atremendous difference to the light and the view it also balances outwith the number of windows on the bar side of the corner.”Even more black and white pictures cover the walls in here, plusmirrors and pictures that have been blown up and mounted, soevery corner is busy with design. I also want to mention the large‘A’ that hangs in each of the windows, in sympathy with the originaldesign and can be illuminated at night.There’s also a glimpse of an original internal stained glass windowin the above property, which can be glimpsed through a glass holein the wall, but the best clues to Amarone’s past life lurk in thebasement. Through the door marked toilets opposite the oven, anoriginal green metal spiralled staircase takes you down to thebasement where there are other original features like the cast ironwalk-in safe door, plus a smaller combination hatch safe. Thekitchens are located down here as are the toilets. And these havebeen decorated in rich copper tones, square sinks and taps andlots of posh hand wash and moisturiser. The design has capitalised on the versatility of the building, andeach of the three spaces has its own unique appeal.

AUGUST 11 DRAM28

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DRAM AUGUST 1131

When Di Maggio’s bosses Mario Gizzi and Tony Conettadecided to retire L’Ariosto in Glasgow and re-open it asBarolo Grill, they knew they’d encounter some resistance.

The well loved Italian restaurant had been part of the brickwork onMitchell Street for generations, attracting many devotees along theway.Operations manager Chris Finnieston explains, “L’Ariosto was wellknown for its dinner dances, which ran for years. But we are notrunning them at Barolo. Some of the regulars are feeling a bit lost,so they took a bit of warming to the idea of Barolo, but noweverybody can’t help but be bowled over by what we’ve done.”The £500K refurbishment, which was designed by Iain McLeod atStudio Mac Design, has totally changed the restaurant, but reallyonly the bar has moved. The designers have worked wonders withthe odd shape of the place, and replaced its gloomy interior with amuch airier, but still cosy, feel. This has been achieved through amixture of ceiling lights, a mural, a mirror and rich colours andtones. Structural changes have been minor, apart from the barwhich has moved, the male and female toilets have also beenswitched, to make the latter bigger, which makes more sense. There are still a few familiar items from L’Ariosto, most notably thesilver fronted fridges – a real classic design – and the huge mirror.It used to hang behind the bar, but after a buff up, it now hangs inthe restaurant.There are a few other constants too in the new design, but thefloor is not one of them. Instead of carpet the entire floor featurescream terrazzo tiles throughout. The walls are a combination ofexposed brick and various stylish wall coverings in browns andcopper/burnt orange tones, and the lighting is as miscellaneous.The bar is now on the left as you enter. It’s a classic design withgrey marble top, and plain cherry oak wooden back bar made up ofwine racks. Above the bar are some fantastic lamp shades, whichare thin cone shapes, made from a plastic that has been mouldedto look like honeycomb. All the components here mesh togetherexceptionally well. Back to the entrance, and immediately to the right is a seating areaincorporating booths where the bar used to be. The booths have

been upholstered in squidgy brown leather, there is exposed brickcladding on the wall and, again, some talking point lighting. It’sessentially a black see-through material draped over a frame, andwouldn’t look out of place at a séance. Chris explained that theselights have split opinion, and that they are still undecided on whetherthey will remain a permanent fixture. They are one of four lightingdesigns and, I have to say, I think that they look smart. This areahouses an equally stylish mirror along the wall opposite the window.It’s a mosaic of lots of different shaped mirrors fused together asone, across the entirety of the wall opposite the window. And this isthe only area that benefits from any natural light. At the bar, and just beyond, remains narrow, as right opposite arethe toilets, before it opens out into the main area of the restaurant– with booths along either side. On top of what separates eachbooth from the next is an ornately-etched rectangle of glass, litfrom within, and these really come into their own in the evening.Above the booths hangs lighting design number three. Blackchandeliers, some with mini-shades over candle-shaped bulbs, andfurther into Barolo, there’s a variation on the same theme,

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AUGUST 11 DRAM32

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although this time they’re encased in a white cylindrical shade.Again, the jury’s still out on whether or not to make them all oneway or the other. Personally, I’m all for diversity, and think thecontrasting designs look great.Then we’re at the heart of restaurant which also boasts a centralisland area of banquette seating, with the same illuminatedpartitions and brown leather upholstery. And the ceiling haspainted glass recesses with lights behind them. These can bedimmed or brightened according to the time of day.Right at the very end of this area is a wood-burning pizza oven,which certainly adds a dramatic kick to Barolo, and the flames arenoticeable as soon as you’re in the door. Explains Chris, “It had tobe a certain height because we wanted the flames to be visible fromthe doorway and it always attracts positive comments fromcustomers.”Along the wall to the right is a giant mural of Barolo Castle and thepretty wine village of Piedmont, in sympathetic burnt orange andcopper tones. A photographer was also dispatched to thispicturesque part of Italy, and his work is on display all over therestaurant in the form of black and white framed photos. Beyond here, right at the back, is the area where the L’Ariosto teadances used to take place. This area can now stand alone forprivate dining or corporate functions, as it has plasma screens anda surround-sound system, or it can simply be annexed by therestaurant. It‘s design is characterised by some interesting creamwallpaper with a ribbon design, all very tastefully done. There arealso illuminated wine racks embedded in the back wall, which ispanelled in darkish wood.And, as always, I popped my head into the facilities to finish, but theywere in darkness. In his eagerness to display the dimmed ceilinglights, Chris had knocked out the loo lights by mistake. But at the flickof a switch, all was remedied, and the loos were as immaculate aselsewhere, with a plain classic cream tile and wood interior.With Amarone in Edinburgh opening at roughly the same time,Mario and Tony have had a lot of plates in the air recently. But nocorners were cut with this design, there’s nothing rushed about iteither. The design is thoughtful, stylish and quite ingenious in places.

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DRAM AUGUST 1133

AUGUST 11 DRAM34

SUESAYS

Mark Goldinger tragically lost his battle with Glioblastoma lastmonth. He was diagnosed with stage four of the condition inDecember last year, and is survived by wife Cathi, and hischildren Ben and Rebecca.Throughout his career Mark shunned the spotlight, despite beingthe creative force behind many of Glasgow’s most successfulclubs – including Bunker and Bamboo. Mark’s business partnerand friend Brian McIlvaney says, “What I will miss most abouthim is his humour. He was a shy man until you got to know him,but once you did, you got to see how funny he was. He had a drywit, and he was also incredibly sharp. In the twelve years that weworked together, we never had a cross word. He did prefer towork behind the scenes and wasn’t particularly showy. “Despite the inoperable nature of his condition, it was able to bemanaged for a while with intensive radiotherapy, and Markcontinued working throughout, and enjoyed a family holiday inItaly just six weeks before he passed away.Mark began working with Peter Stringfellow in London after

graduating from Leeds University. He then went on to work withRon McCulloch, and together they opened Henry Afrikas inGlasgow in the 80s, before buying Fat Sam’s in Dundee. Then heand Ron McCulloch opened Club Cuba in Spain, which wasmanaged by Colin Barr. A stint with Stefan King in the QueenStreet club Archaos followed, where he met Brian McIlvaney,with whom he went on to open Trash, The Temple and TheShack, and latterly Bamboo and Bunker.But, according to Brian, his first love was music. He explains,“He was a trained saxophonist and always had a musicalinfluence in his life. He managed a house music band called theNightcrawlers, as well as running two music labels. He can addtwo fantastic film scores to his tremendous legacy – Rain, withNeve Campbell, which is currently in production, and a film calledAnuvahood.”Mark Goldinger may have been the “quiet man of clubs”, but hewill be remembered for his warmth, and genuine love for theindustry.

by Jason Caddy

OBITUARY MARK GOLDINGER

Glasgow is one of the UK’s best-value cities,according to a survey by TripAdvisor, whichlaunched its inaugural cost-comparison index

(Trip Index), with the news. What I love is that theresearchers based their evidence on the combinedcost of one night at a four-star hotel, a pizza, a drymartini and a five-mile taxi journey. Why a drymartini? It’s not exactly the most popular drink inGlasgow or for that matter around the country. Whynot a glass of wine, or a vodka and coke? The cashtotal in Glasgow came to £131.40, while the bill inEdinburgh was £174.01, so obviously it isn’t justthe taxi’s that are more expensive there.

I read recently that in Switzerland they turn the daytime Lido’s (swimming pools) into bars/clubs atnight ie the Barefoot bar. No they don’t drain thepool, instead they set up the bar around thepoolside and very civilised drinkers enjoy theirevening al fresco. Can you imagine if that was inScotland …you would need pool attendants toensure that folk didn’t go for a swim!

Writing in the Express Jimmy Young has picked upon the fact that Richard Smith, the former editor ofthe British Medical Journal and his cronies simply,‘plucked the figures out of the air” when it came todetermining the recommended weekly alcohol limitsin 1987. I’ve been writing about this for years!However maybe there is now some progress. ACommons Science and Technology Committee is toexamine the evidence behind the current British

guidelines…and will compare them, to for instance,Italy – which allows a bottle of wine more a week;Spain and Ireland which allow two glasses of winemore, and New Zealand and Japan which allow halfa bottle of wine more. I still can’t believe that ouralcohol health policy is based around figures‘plucked from the air!”

Cameron House are now offering a WhiskyAfternoon Tea aimed at men. Perhaps before theydo this they should get their ‘Champagne afternoontea’s sorted. My mother recently received a gift ofchampagne afternoon tea in the Whisky Bar atCameron House – a beautiful view was promised.Instead, despite pre-booking, the Whisky Bar wasclosed when they got there. They were seated inanother area which had no window, but they didn’tfeel that this did the gift justice so decided to goback another day. Another date was fixed. Yes, theygot their window seat, and after a wait of half anhour, champagne, which they had to go to the barto ask for. This was despite the fact that the waiterwas the same person who had been on the lasttime they came, so you might have thought hewould have given them extra attention, after all thiswas their return visit! It fell far short of a five-starexperience in all aspects. It would put me off buyingsomeone a gift like this, no one wants give a lessthan perfect experience!

Billy Lowe has bought The Hudson in Edinburgh –this now means that he has managed a pincer

movement on his pal David’s outlets. Sandwichedbetween Le Monde and the Hudson are Tigerlily,Opal Lounge and Rick’s. There is absolutely no truthin the rumour that the two, both keen golfers, arelobbying for George Street to be turned into a pitchand putt!

Congratulations to Martin Wishart. His latestventure The Honours, which opened its doors lastmonth, is proving a hit with diners. Before it openedit had 1,200 bookings, and since the opening dinershave raved about it. A review by critic Richard Bathin the Scotsman began, “If you're lucky enough toget a seat at Martin Wishart's new brasserie, TheHonours, then cancel everything else and go. Ihaven't enjoyed a meal more in years. The sameseemed to go for all those around us. The Honourshas all the makings of a runaway success.”

The last six months have taken some well knownoperators out of the Scottish pub frame. First of allJimmy Marr’s Estate went down, for the secondtime in the last few years; and more recently CastleLeisure Group called in the administrators, followedclosely by Festival Inns and Bradley Stevens who hadSt Jude’s and Bar Soba. In American these businessset backs would be looked on as pretty normal –after all Donald Trump went bust and look at wherehe is now. No business is without risk, and I’m surewe haven’t seen the last of this year’s administrationcases, but I am sure some of the operators willbounce back in another guise.

DRAM AUGUST 1135

02DRAMBUIE 15YO Drambuie has just launched Drambuie15 yo. A connoisseurs expression ofDrambuie drawn from the Company'sfinest selection of 15 Year Old SpeysideMalts. Selected for their soft complexfragrance and flavour, the rareSpeyside Malts ideally complementand balance the herbs and spicyaromas of Drambuie's famed secretrecipe.Drambuie 15 has a velvet softmouth feel with a tang of lemongrassand warming malty notes, berriesand heather. A finish of shortbread,fresh herbs and the unmistakablelong afterglow of the Drambuie elixirresults in a refined, drier expression,perfect for sipping and savouring eitherneat or over ice.

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01HIGHLAND PARK MAGNUSThe long-awaited and much anticipated third, and final,edition in Highland Park’s Magnus Series has now beenreleased. Earl Haakon continues the story from the Orkney

Inga Saga but reflects the darker, more sinister characterby bringing the murderous cousin into the spotlight.Highland Park Earl Haakon adopts the character of itsnamesake through 18 year old cask strength single maltgiving a character-busting ABV of 54.9%. This Orcadianbeast encapsulates the spirit of Haakon, a true berserkerand warrior, to capture the depth of flavour of HighlandPark’s multi-award wining 18 year old but adding a newdimension achieved through one vatting. With only3,300 bottles available worldwide, this third edition is setto sell out in record time and build on the success of bothEarl Magnus and Saint Magnus.The Earl Haakon bottle is entirely black glass, made in the

same historic way as the previous two bottlings, and is presentedin an open black wood window wooden gift box.

G&J Greenall owner De Vere Group, has sold for the UK’s oldest gin companyfor £7.5m to a new private equity vehicle which has been formed to buy thebusiness, led by Enzo Visone, the ex-chief executive of Italian beverage groupGruppo Campari and former investment banker Warren Scott. Greenallrevenues during 2010 were £46m.De Vere Group will now concentrate on its its core hotel and venue business.De Vere chairman Andrew Coppel said, “We decided to sell because we havebeen seeking to dispose of our non-core business.The company, which is led by chief executive Christian Rose, distils gin andvodka under its own brands and for clients including Bombay Sapphire andtheUK’s largest supermarkets.Greenall produces 70% of the UK's gin and exports around the world.

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The Bowmore Ben Nevis challenge Fundraisertook place recently the Grand Central Hotel,ahead of the 20th August event. Just some ofthe guests are pictured after enjoying a whiskytasting with Iain McCallum, Master of Malts.

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DRAM DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETINGPUBLISHED BY MEDIA WORLD LIMITEDUPPER FLOOR / FINNIESTON HOUSE / 1 THE STABLES YARD / 1103 ARGYLE STREET / GLASGOW / G3 8NDt. 0141 221 6965 e. dram@mail.com web. www.dramscotland.co.ukEditor: Susan Young • Chairman: Noel Young • Production Manager: James Devlin •Advertising Executive: Martin Cassidy • Editorial: Jason Caddy • Administration: Cheryl CookePublished by Media World Ltd. Subscriptions: DRAM is available by subscription for all other qualified personsinvolved in the Scottish Licensed Trade at the rate of £48 per annum including the DRAM Yearbook.The publishers, authors and printers cannot accept liability for errors or omissions. Any transparencies orartwork will be accepted at owner’s risk. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced inany form without the written permission of the copyright holder and publisher, application for which should bemade to the publisher. Articles published in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of thepublishers. © Media World Limited 2011.

AUGUST 11 DRAM38

MARK BAIRD IS THE NEW CHAIR OF THEFIFE LICENSED TRADE ASSOCIATIONMark Baird, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at DiageoGreat Britain (GB), has been appointed Chair of the Fife LicensedTrade Association. The role, which will last for two years, will involvechampioning the cause on the on-trade in Fife. Mark will be assistedby Martin Earls. Says Mark, “Not only does this give us theopportunity to further demonstrate our ongoing commitment to thelicensed trade in Scotland but also shows our commitment to Fifewhere we are the second largest employer and following our currentexpansion plans will employ over a thousand people atCameronbridge Distillery and Leven Packaging Plant.While Sandy Haxton, President of the Fife Licensed TradeAssociation, said, “Diageo plays an important part in the economyof Fife and Mark and Martin's experience will be invaluable incontinuing to develop the Association's role within Fife".

KING TAKES UPDOUBLE TREE ROLENatasha King has joined theDoubleTree by Hilton Dunblane asrestaurant manager of The Kailyard byNick Nairn. With more than sevenyears of experience within the industry,King joins the team having previouslyheld a similar role at The OneRestaurant in Glasgow's Crowne Plazahotel. She is now responsible for therunning all of the restaurant operationson a day-to-day basis, King will alsowork alongside celebrated TV chef NickNairn to maintain the Kailyard'sreputation for producing simple dishesfrom locally sourced ingredients.

ROUNDUPNEW GENERAL MANAGER FORTHE BALMORAL IN EDINBURGH

Franck Arnold has been appointedgeneral manager of The Balmoralin Edinburgh. Mr Arnold, whostarts this month, takes over fromIvan Artolli who was recentlypromoted to director of operationsfor the group’s properties in theUK, Belgium and Eastern Europe. Mr Arnold joins The Balmoral fromThe Jefferson Hotel in WashingtonDC, where as managing director,he oversaw an extensiverenovation of the property. And

prior to taking up his post in Washington, Arnold, who hailsfrom Strasbourg in France, was hotel manager of the FourSeasons Hotel Chicago. Says, Ivan Artolli,: “In Franck, wehave a seasoned hotelier who brings with him a blend ofluxury hospitality expertise and operational experience. I amconfident that under his guidance, The Balmoral will continueto prosper as Edinburgh’s leading five-star hotel. ”