DRAM January 2012

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257 DRAM MAGAZINE JANUARY 2012 ISSN 1470-241X DRAM INTERVIEW: LAURIE NICOL DRAM 2012 GONGS DUKES LE MONDE ZYKA DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

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January issue of the only dedicated on-trade publication in Scotland, DRAM.

Transcript of DRAM January 2012

257DRAM MAGAZINE

JANUARY 2012

ISSN 1470-241XDRAM

INTERVIEW: LAURIE NICOL • DRAM 2012 GONGS • DUKES • LE MONDE • ZYKA

DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

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JANUARY 12 DRAM

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DRAM JANUARY 123

CONTENTSJanuary 2012

DRAM 2012 GONGSDRAM Editor Susan Young gives her owngongs.

NEWSThe latest news from around the trade.

FEATURES

REGULARS

A GRAND YEARLaurie Nicol has now got a year under herbelt at the Grand Central. Susan Youngreports.

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DESIGN FOCUSThis month we take a look at three venues -Le Monde in Edinburgh as well as Zyka andDukes in Glasgow.

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05SUE SAYSStraight talking from our very own Editor.17

WELCOME

10THE LOW DOWNJim Anderson writes about beer duty,13

First of all I would like to wish all our readers avery Happy New Year. Here’s hoping 2012 isa more productive year for the Scottish

licensed trade. The good news is...Christmas didgive most licensees a turn. Sales may not havesurpassed 2010’s festive period, but it appearseveryone has seen an increase over last year.Our annual buyer’s guide was published at the endof December and this month you all get acomplimentary copy. I hope you find this guideuseful. It’s amazing how many brands changeownership over the course of the year, but at leastour guide gives you a contact number should youwish to stock a particular brand. This month our licensee interview is with LaurieNicol, the General Manager of the Grand CentralHotel. She is pictured on our cover with Glasgow’sLord and Lady Provost. The hotel re-opened justover a year ago, and I caught up with Laurie to findout how she had found the first year. We also take a look at some recent refurbishments- Le Monde in Edinburgh, Duke’s in Glasgow andZyka in Newton Mearns. This issue we also have my annual gongs. Find outwho made an impression on me during 2011.

[email protected]

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DECEMBER 11 DRAM

NEWS

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FESTIVE PERIOD PROVES A MIXEDBAG FOR SCOTLAND’S ON-TRADE

This year’s festive period did boost sales for Scotland’s pubsaccording to licensees across the country, but not to theextent of years gone by.

David Wither, MD of Montpeliers in Edinburgh, told DRAM,“We had a very strong December with sales up 20% to the25th December, which is substantially more than last year and2009.”

While Sandy Gourlay, pictured left, GeneralManager of Glasgow’s Oran Mor said, “Wehad an excellent festive period. We did muchbetter overall. Our turnover was up, ourcorporate business for Christmas partiesincreased and we saw increases in otherareas of the business too.”Don Lawson who owns Johnny Foxes inInverness commented, “Our sales weremuch the same as they were last year, andlast year wasn’t great.” His Manager atJohnny Foxes Ailsa McCallum said, “The fivedays between Christmas and New Year were

excellent. Everyone seemed to come out to celebrate. WhileHogmanay was steady.”Meanwhile in Falkirk Brian Flynn of Behind the Wall was in goodspirits reporting an increase in business on last year. He toldDRAM, “I would describe it as a very good festive period. Weincreased our business and we were busy right from the startof December. It was much appreciated.”In Glasgow Carlo Citti, who owns Campus, Club 520 andO’Couture, said that his outlets were quieter than usual atHogmanay but very busy the week before. He said, “This is thequietest Hogmanay we have had and I would put it down to thefact that Glasgow cancelled the Hogmanay party in GeorgeSquare. Although they had a family day, who celebrates NewYear at 10pm? I hope they bring it back next year. New Year,this year, was all about Edinburgh. When the city councilcancelled the party they said they would help the trade withadvertising, I didn’t see any, and nor did anyone contact us.”He continued, “The funny thing was we doubled our ChristmasDay business at Campus. It seems that you cannot predictthese days how the business will perform. It’s up and down likea yo-yo.” Donald Macleod of CPL said, “I was pleasantly surprised thatwe sold so many tickets for our Hogmanay events in advance.The sales were much more than we anticipated. This wasprobably because there was no party at George Square. Peoplewant to know where they will be at the bells, and wantguaranteed entry. Because we had worked at marketing and

selling our events, we did very well.”However all the licensees were agreed the festive period is notthe golden goose it once was. Said David Wither, “The wholeHogmanay period is quite challenging. It’s definitely not asmassive as it was.” Sandy Gourlay said, “Times are changing, and we have tochange with them. We all have to work harder to givecustomers what they want.”Donald Macleod commented, “Black Friday is a thing of thepast. I think there are too many licences, chasing too littlebusiness, and the discounting that goes on cannot make you aprofit.”

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JANUARY 12 DRAM6

NEWS

Catherine Hardy and Jacqueline Fennessy(pictured above) the enterprising duo behind theLeft Bank and Two Figs, opened their latestventure The Bungo Bar and Kitchen in Decemberon Glasgow’s Southside. The pair have transformed what was formerlyThe Fotheringay pub with a £250,000investment. The new-look which extends to twofloors and a basement, which will be used as afunction room, took nine weeks to complete.The pair have been looking for a new site formore than four years, but the idea to open in theSouthside came from their customers. Jacqueline told DRAM, “The initial idea camefrom our customers. We were always gettingasked when we were opening up somewhere inthe south of the city. And after our plans for CafeMao fell through we started looking, but nothingcame up. Then the Fotheringay came up for saleand we liked the fact that it was in Strathbungo.

There is a community spirit here which is verymuch like the community feel in Gibson Streetwhere Left Bank is.”She continues, “Initially we were just going to givethe place a small make-over, but we didn’t wantto go down the route of just changing the paintand the name, and we are very pleased with theresult. The fact that we have been so busy sincewe opened speaks for itself.”Bungo has two eating areas and a large bararea. Says Jacqueline, “This time we wanted tokeep a larger bar, and we will be applying for a1am licence.” The bar’s interiors were designed by PaulaMurray, of Supertonic, who worked with Scotsartists to emphasise the sense of community,including re-upholstering furniture with fabricdesigned by Timorous Beasties and made by ButeFabrics.Next month we will have a full feature on Bungo.

NEW BAR AND RESTAURANTFOR GLASGOW’S SOUTHSIDE

The Loch Lomond DistilleryCompany, owned by Sandy Bulloch,has increased its turnover from £17.83mto £18.3m in the year to March 21,2011, but pre-tax profits slipped from£351,543 to £295,973. The Bullochfamily also own The Glen Catrine BondedWarehouse plant, Wm Morton andPortavadie Estates. Paul Walsh, Diageo’s chief executivehas been appointed a non-executivedirector of Avanti Communications.Montpeliers turnover for the year to

24 April 2011 dipped 4.4% to £15.3m,according to the firms accounts. Pre-taxprofit also dropped. But Montpeliers’directors said the results had still beatentheir expectations given the “background ofweak consumer confidence and a difficultretail environment in Edinburgh”. State-owned Czech brewery Budvar hasrevealed that 2011 exports rose by 7.8%.Budejovicky Budvar exported more than17m gallons of beer to some 60 countrieslast year, the best result in 116 years. Whyte & Mackay has reported a

60% fall in profits to £12.4m in itsaccounts to 31 March 2011. A fall from£31.7m the previous year. Turnoverdropped 20% to £169.5m. The downturnis attributed to the company shifting itsfocus from ‘bulk’ output to investing it itsown brands and marketing. The companyis owned by Vijay Mallya’s UnitedBreweries. Maxxium UK, the distributionbusiness jointly owned by The Edringtongroup and Jim Beam, saw pre-tax profitsrise 31% to £5m in its most recent

A new eatery has opened atLochinver at the communityproject called The Mission. Theman behind it is chef PeterCullen, who previously worked atAndrew Fairlie’s at Gleneagles.This is the third dining option forthe village which only boasts apopulation of 600, and thecompetition is Chez Rouz at thenearby Inver Lodge Hotel, and theMichelin-starred The Albannach. The café, which is situated on theground floor of a smallcommunity owned and run hostelserves freshly preparedaffordable meals and localseafood. With chef Petercreating a simple but qualityoffering where guests pick uptheir own meals from thecounter.

Billy McEneny has leased out the site of the former Balthassar on GlasgowÊs Ingram Street tobusinessman and commercial property owner, Stuart Boufoy. The American –style bar/dinercalled Brooklyn Bar & Grill, opened late last year, after the unit had lain empty for some month afterMcEneny and former leaseholder Alan Tomkins parted company. General Manager GrantMckendrick told DRAM. „What was a French café-style interior has been transformed into aAmerican bar diner, complete with jukebox, classic arcade games and pinball machine.‰

A FOODIE HAVEN

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DRAM JANUARY 127

BOTHWELL BRASSERIE OPENS

accounts. Turnover increased by 11% to£233m.Bombay Sapphire gin is the world’snumber one premium gin by value for athird consecutive year. The brand, sawyear-on-year growth of its share by valuewithin the premium gin category for the 12months to the end of December 2010. Itrecorded an increase of 1.5 share pointsto 38%, according to IWSR (InternationalWine and Spirit Research),. While theoverall gin market has remained flat inrecent years, the popularity of Bombay

Sapphire continues to grow. Source data:IWSR 2010Eddie Watson, the Aberdeen pubboss who died of cancer last year, has leftmore than £1.4m in his will. The 85-year-old owned The Grill, in Union Street. Liquidation proceedings have been startedagainst Carabee Ltd who formerly ranWhitecroft Mansion and the Hetland HallHotel near Dumfries. Whitecroft has beenclosed since October, but the running ofHetland Hall was taken back by its owner,Jan Anderson, at the same time and it is

still open for business. David Hill, ofaccountancy firm BDO, was appointedinterim liquidator following court action atDumfries by Her Majesty’s Revenue andCustoms earlier this month for anoutstanding bill in excess of £100K.Stephen Bryson and Diane Scholes are theonly two directors of Carabee.A Cosmo restaurant is expected to openin Aberdeen this year at the cities UnionSquare shopping centre. Plans are alreadyunderway with a Spring opening expected.

The Bothwell Brasserie has opened on the siteof the former Da Luciano’s after Billy Peterkinsold the restaurant to Jeff Currie andStephanie Gilmour. Peterkin, and his businesspartner, only bought the restaurant 18months ago after former owners, Morris Inns,went into administration. Jeff is well known onthe restaurant scene, and also lives inLanarkshire. He told DRAM, “I am absolutelyexhausted, but as you know it has long been adream of mine to have my own place. Withsome 30 years in the hospitality industryunder my belt, I’m delighted that my dream

has finally come to fruition.” He continues,“The general consensus has been that it isgreat that someone local is now running it andI look forward to welcoming new and oldcustomers.” Jeff who worked for theCricklewood years ago, has also spent anumber of years at Rogano, and lately withAlan Tomkins at Urban Grill in Glasgow. SaysJeff, “The opportunity came up, and here Iam.” The restaurant has undergone a mini-makeover, and obviously Jeff has added hisown touches. “I’m sure my customers will beimpressed.”. he says.

Macdonald Hotels, the Scottish-owned hotel group, has reportedthat turnover for the 18 months tothe end of last March had grownstrongly up from £131m to £200m,however pre-tax profits fell from£5.2m to a loss of £5.3m. £4.8mof which can be attributed to a risein interest rates on its borrowing.

December saw The Scotsman Hotelin Edinburgh sold to its formerowner, Sheikh Mohamed Bin Issa AlJaber. He bought it back afterstriking a deal with administratorsKPMG, to repay just over £24m.However the sale will leave Bank ofScotland out of pocket. It hadoriginally had £51.2m worth ofloans outstanding. Theadminstrators say that the offerrepresented the “optimum outcomefor creditors.”

The Residence Inn has opened inEdinburgh. This, the first ResidenceInn branded property in the UK forMarriott International, has 107bedrooms, and will be operatedunder a management contract withGladedale Ventures. Situated in theQuartermile, the hotel offers studioand one bedroomed suites.

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It appears that steak houses are becoming theorder of the day but they are as far removedfrom the old Stakis Steakhouse as possible. Atthe end of October Signature pubstransformed the restaurant at The RutlandHotel in Edinburgh into Kyloe Restaurant andGrill with chef David Haetzmann ordering hisbeef from Hardiesmill in the Borders, and nowBarrie Brown is opening his own steak house,called Steak Edinburgh, at 12 Picardy Place,formerly known as Hawke and Hunter. The

new restaurant, will replace the Green Room,which was used as an entertainment venueand club in the past. They say it is a “conceptthat’s different from any other in the city.” Itwill open next month. The Butchershop Bar and Grill in Glasgow openeda few years ago with the same ethos, and it hasdone very well. Owner James Rusk brought the idea over fromthe States bringing to Glasgow the feel of aManhattan-styled steakhouse.

STEAK: THE ORDER OF THE DAY

Taj Tandoori in Prestwick has been named Best in Scotland at the British Curry Awards held late last year. OwnerRabinder Singh Uppal, better known as Bobby, says it was one of the best moments of his life. He was presentedwith his award by celebrity chef James Martin.

¬ Rosemount Taverns has spent £100k on the renaming and refurbishing the former Jeanie Deanson Glasgow’s St Vincent Street as Barco. Two new tenants, business partners Richard O’Brien andIlir Kapidani are now operating the bar which opened last month,. The new look Barco has afresh and contemporary style. Craig Bruce of Rosemount Taverns told DRAM, “We had to strip thewhole place back to basics in order to bring it up-to-date, the floor, ceiling, walls and the bar too.The bar is a mixture of marble and granite, with glass pillars, booths and a grey pastel colourscheme.” Richard O’Brien and Ilir Kapidani have both worked together before at The Shack andThe Garage. Richard told DRAM, “Once we saw what had been done to the place it was a nobrainer. Rosemount has really turned the bar around we can’t wait to get out teeth into growingthe business.”

JANUARY 12 DRAM8

The Log Cabin Hotel near Kirkmichaelhas been taken over by the couplebehind the Nae Limits adventure

company, John and Kate Mason-Strang. Thehotel, which was built in 1967, was alwaysan unusual destination for skiers, as it wasmodelled on a Scandinavian ski chalet, andthe new proprietors intend to restore thechalet to its original glory. It has 13bedrooms which can accommate 37 people,and boasts a Viking long-boat carved intowood in the main lounge, as well as turf roofsand an open fire. A guest recently described

as like “walking into a Cinzano ad.”Kate told DRAM, “The cabin was an ideal fitwith what we already do. It’s a naturalprogression for us.” She continued, “We’vealready made some improvements, forinstance we’ve introduced a more loungy feelto our public area with cosy and comfortableseating. We are also using the open-fire a lotmore and generally speaking have made thecabin more homey. It’s got a ‘shabby chic’look.” The couple plan to make a wide rangeof adventure sports available through thehotel come the Spring.

Plans to revamp Edinburgh’sCowgate have been given thegreen light by councillors.Jansons Property have beengiven the go ahead to startwork on a £35m developmentwhich will see the creation of a259-bed hotel, a nightclub andretail outlets. However thenews has not pleased heritagegroups who have described thenew development as “anarchitectural fudge” and a“poor pastiche” of theCowgate’s design.

The Glenkindie Arms Hotel,near Alford,in the North East,has re-opened with a newtenant. Euan Mackie, who alsoruns the Allargue Arms Hotelat Corgarff has taken over thepremises, after former tenantchef Ian Simpson filed forbankruptcy.

Residents of Dunsmore inDumfriesshire got an earlyChristmas present when Mikeand Elizabeth Williams openedthe Flying Pig in time for thefestive season. The new pub,the only one in the village, wasformerly the village shop. Thenew owners are not strangersto the village, in fact they ranthe George Hotel there for sixyears before moving to Cyprus.While they were away the hotelclosed, and was put up forsale. But now that they areback, they are confident thatthe Flying Pig will bring new lifeto the village.

NAE LIMITS FOR THE LOG CABIN HOTEL!

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The Waterwheel Inn at Bieldside, Aberdeen has closed. The 21-bedroomproperty was owned by local businessmen Billy Cowe, Sandy Hunter andMike Wilson.

Sanda, the 400-acre island offthe Mull of Kintyre, now has asmall hotel and restaurant,which will be open to the publicbetween March and September.The island, which was bought bySwiss entrepreneur Michi Meierand his partner Berni Civelekerin 2010, formerly had a pubcalled the Byron DarntonTavern, which was popular with

sailors, but now guests will beable to stay over in the hotelwhich has accommodation foreight guests, alongside a finedining restaurant which seats30. Originally some peoplethought that the island would bekept as a private retreat andlocals have welcomed the newsthat the island will be accessiblefor part of the year.

SMALL HOTEL FOR SANDA

The Meadowpark Hotel and Red Room nightclub in Bridgeof Allan has bought by Mitchells and Butlers from theadministrators. The leaseholders, Kenilworth Inns Ltd, havedone a deal with the company and have relinquished thelease. The new owners, who took over this month, haveclosed the premises and plan to re-open come Easter as aVillage Pub and Kitchen outlet. A spokesman for M&B said,“This is an excellent opportunity for Mitchells & Butlers totrade with a brand new pub restaurant in the area, andrepresents significant investment in the local economy.”

MEADOWPARK SOLD TO M&B

The AD Rattray Whisky Experience and Whisky Shop has nowopened at Kirkoswald in what was the old Kirkoswald PrimarySchool. The new tourist attract is owned by Tim Morrison amember of the Morrison-Bowmore dynasty. Tim and his family livedin Kirkoswald from 1981 to 2008 before moving to Turnberry andtwo of Tim’s youngest children went to school in the very building

that now houses the Whisky Experience. The new facility will run a programme of educational courses aboutwhiskies, which should be appealing to sommeliers and licenseesand bar staff with a keen interest in whisky. Former bar managerof Turnberry Hotel, Raphael Marionon, will host the tastings, aswell as having responsibility for the shop.

A NEW WHISKY EXPERIENCE FOR AYRSHIRE

BAR NEWS

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAMAberdeen: 01224 896 826 • Alloa: 01259 728 510 • Dumfries: 01387 259 466 • Dunbar: 01368 862 323

HEAD [email protected] 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

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DRAM DECEMBER 11

BELHAVEN COMING tUESDAY AM LATESTS

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAMAberdeen: 01224 896 826 • Alloa: 01259 728 510 • Dumfries: 01387 259 466 • Dunbar: 01368 862 323

HEAD [email protected] 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

DRAM_257_Jan12_v2 (DESIGN_PC's conflicted copy 2012-01-16)_DRAM 253 17/01/2012 16:20 Page 9

Carlo Citti may nothave invented thescanner which scansyour passport/driving licence and yourthumb, but he was the first in Scotland toinstall it. His customers now have a state-of-the-art entry system which allows themto come out without ID. Ideal now thatChallenge 25 is in force. And it’s abusiness aid too allowing him to get a realpicture of who his customers are and what their socialpatterns are.

John Gilligan is theworthy recipient of thisgong. Who would have thought a yearago that today he would be leading theTennent’s sales team? It certainly goingto make for an interesting 2012, and itwas an inspiring appointment and thisleads us on to…

This has tobe Stephen

Glancey – JG’sappointment came out of theblue, and putting a man in tolead the sales team with thereputation that John has,shows that Tennent’smeans business.

JANUARY 12 DRAM10

SURPRISE OFTHE YEARGONG

TECHNOLOGYWHIZZ GONG

RECRUITER OFTHE YEAR

GONG

This is a joint gongwhich goes to the Blairs and the Simpsons.Their respective companies,Buzzworks and Simpsinns,have opened terrific outletsin 2011 and only a few milesapart. Family companies thatcontinue to invest in thetrade are to be applauded.

ENTERPRISINGAYRSHIRE

GONG

DRAMGONGS2012EVERY YEAR THE QUEEN ANNOUNCES

HER NEW YEAR HONOURS, BUT DRAM

EDITOR SUSAN YOUNG GIVES HER OWN

GONGS TO PEOPLE AND EVENTS WHO HAVE MADE AN IMPRESSION. HERE GOES…

The most impressiveevent had to be the

Keeper of the Quaich Ceremony (bar theDRAM awards of course). The splendour ofBlair Castle combined with the pomp andceremony, made it our Red carpet event ofthe year. It was a great evening, and I wasdelighted to become a keeper of the Quaich.However another gong should go to DavidUrquhart of Gordon & Macphail for

managing to get my guest, Robert, to enjoy whisky…something Ihave failed miserably to do!

The winners here areBacardi Brown-Forman’sAlison Hart and sis GemmaLeisegang of West Brewery…a night out with these two cancause serious damage to yourliver… not to mention theensuing chaos. These twoknow how to work hard andplay even harder!

The whiskysales rep who went

into a well known

DRAM JANUARY 1211

Billy Lowe… back inthe driving seat at

Saltire Taverns, and lovingit. It’s great to see his enthusiasm back…indroves. Can’t wait to see what he does at TheHudson. Mind you his golf swing could nowsuffer!

Wm Morton’spurchase of InverarityVaults was completed in doublequick time, and came out of left field.Alan Russell said at the time, “I wasn’tgoing to let this one get away.” Thepurchase means that the company now has a turnover in the regionof £50m, and in the next month its name should be finalised. It’sbelieved that the new name will be Inverarity-Morton – I hope folk arenot going to appreviate this to IM – because that just wants me to addthe word Jolly on!

To Frank Murphy and hisfather Brian and the rest

of the clan who took over ThePot Still in Glasgow at the end ofthe year. It’s been a while sincethe two worked together, but Iam sure they will liven the pubup and provide plenty of banter

for their customers.

To Mario Gizzi and TonyConetta, two of thehardest working guys I know. Lastyear they re-vamped L’Ariostoand renamed it Barolo, openedAmarone in Edinburgh and a DiMaggio’s Caffe in Aberdeen. Andthere are plans afoot for furtherexpansion this year. I’m surprisedtheir wives ever see them!

Tom Cullen, who wasonce known as the Prince

of Darkness, because of hisfondness for all things black… has now movedon to grey. Not only that but he has been knownto appear without his dark specs too! Thechanges have been more prevalent since he hasmoved to Molson Coors… maybe the brewershould adopt the slogan ‘refreshes the partsthat other beers cannot reach!’

WORKAHOLICGONG

FATHER AND SON

GONG

SURPRISE BUY GONGPLONKER OF THE YEAR

GONG

WARDROBEMAKE-OVER

GONG

GOT HIS MOJO BACK

GONG

SISTERLYSHENANIGANS

GONG

whisky pub and said that his whisky company wasn’t interestedin Scotland. Basically he was saying we are not interested in your business or in helping you grow it. Whether foreignmarkets are more important, long-term, than Scotland to the

whisky industry, is not here nor there. What is important is thatbrands are respected in their home… and this sort of attitudedoesn’t earn it!

RED CARPETGONG

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M

N O

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healthful than a smaller volume of normal-strength beer. It certainlyisn’t more economical. “The new 2.8% duty level is silly,” saysBrewDog co-founder, James Watt. “It rewards tasteless blandbeers and the morons who drink them with lower prices. It is likegiving unhealthy people a discount at McDonalds.”“For the government to say that reduced duty rate will give

drinkers a wider choice of beers,” said one Highland publican,“makes it sound like they invented the idea. For years, we’ve beenselling Sweetheart Stout at 0.55 alcohol units as well as Belgianbeers from 0.625 alcohol units to 0.75 alcohol units [per serving].If pubs have been too lazy to seek out these alternative beers allalong, what makes anyone think they’re going to stock them now?”For reference, one pint of 2.8% beer equals 1.59 alcohol units.Although not recognised as a separate market, lower alcohol beers

have always been a part of theUK scene. “When I was alad,” says Rob Hill, ownerand head brewer atHighland Brewing Companyin Orkney, “everything was3.4% or 3.5%, so when youwent to work the nextmorning you weren’t out ofyour head.” His Light Munro

at 3% was introduced as a old-fashioned mild. He followed it up a couple of years later withChristmas Ghost at 2.8%. “It was an incredibly hoppy, pale beerand the feedback was good.” But the risks involved in brewing abeer of limited appeal are great, particularly a real ale with loweralcohol, thus shorter shelf life. “When you’re in free trade, youcan’t brew something every week without knowing it’s going to sell.”Fergus Fitzgerald is the head brewer for Adnams. He brewed SoleStar at 2.7% for sale in December through a limited number ofAdnams pubs. “Everybody was very complimentary, and said that itdidn’t taste like a low-ABV beer,” he said. Are breweries makinglower alcohol beer to take advantage of the lower productioncosts? “Clearly that’s the reason. I don’t think that there was anyconsumer demand for lower alcohol beer. That’s not to say thatpeople won’t go for it. It’s got to find it feet yet.”The initiative for brewers to produce lower alcohol beers hasn’t yetproven to be as attractive to pubs. When we spoke to themarketing department of J. D. Wetherspoon to ask if they weregoing to stock any lower alcohol beers, we were told, “it is notsomething that has been discussed.” Brewery-tied houses, however, may have little choice whether ornot to stock a lower alcohol beer. At The Star Tavern in theBelgravia section of London (a Fuller’s house), Mighty Atom (2.8%)was put on offer soon after the duty discount went into effect, at40p per pint less than London Pride at 4.1%. “It sold, surprisingly,very well,” said Karen Tinklin, who is the current tenant of the well-established pub, along with husband, Jason. “The feedback fromthe customers was very good. It looked nice, it held a head well.You don’t think a beer this strength will look this good.” As forMighty Atom standing the test of time at The Star, Mrs. Tinklinsaid, “When Fuller’s do a new beer, people will try it. Depending onthe time of year, Mighty Atom would do very well. It was good tobring it in during Christmas, for drivers, for example.”

Tucked into the 2011 Budget was a measure that created twobrand-new bands of beer duty, effective from the 1st ofOctober 2011. The duty on any beer with an alcohol content

from 2.9% to 7.5%ABV (inclusive) would remain unchanged at18.57 per hectolitre-percent. Beers above that range, however,would shoulder a 25% duty surcharge, whilst beers from 1.3% to2.8%ABV (inclusive) would see their duty cut in half.“The purpose of this measure is to tackle problem drinking byencouraging industry to produce, and drinkers to consume, lowerstrength beer,” the government’s Policy Objective for the measurestates. “The reduced rate for lower strength beer will help to giveresponsible drinkers a wider choice of products.”In the months that separated the measure’s unveiling and itseffective date, many brewers rose to the bait with announcementsof new, lower alcohol beers. Other brewers adjustedthe alcohol content of existing beers to fall withinthe new duty band.CAMRA (TheCampaign for RealAle) heralded themeasure by dubbinglower-alcohol beersthe “People’s Pint,”proclaiming the duty measure “a win-winscenario for both the industry and Government inpromoting a responsible drinking message,” going on to say thatlower-alcohol beers would serve a multitude of purposes, fromsaving pubs to improving punters’ cash flow to helping re-hydration. The statistic that CAMRA used to illustrate one benefit may,however, at least partially cancel at least two others. A punter“could save 50p per pint if they choose a lower strength beercompared to an average 4% ABV bitter,” based on a pub’s 50%gross profit margin. Assuming that the punter chooses a 2.8%beer at £2.50 instead of a 4% beer at £3.00, their 30% reductionin alcohol intake would result in a 17% cash savings, meaning a25p pint-for-pint gross profit loss for the publican over normal-strength beers. Given no change in customers number or pints percustomer as compared to the days before the duty cut, the pubwould have to increase its sales volume in order to make up lostrevenue. Government thinking suggests that punters will achieve the samelevel of satisfaction with x pints of lower-alcohol beer as they dowith x pints of normal-strength beer. CAMRA seems to agree: theysay that their beer-tasting experts were unable to detect any tastedifference between 2.5%ABV beers and 3.5%ABV beers. Butdoes the typical beer drinker drink beer simply for flavour? If not, they might be tempted to have an extra pint. If two pints ofnormal-strength beer turned into three pints of lower alcohol beer,it would result in a spend of £7.50 for 4.7 units of alcohol insteadof £6.00 for 4.5 units of alcohol. Or -– thinking the lower alcoholbeer to be a “safer” choice – the punter might switch to a pint oflower alcohol beer after having had two pints of normal strengthbeer. Either way, he will then have provided the pub’s needed salesvolume, but at the cost of personal cash flow, at the same timehaving undermined the responsibility issue mentioned in thegovernment’s Policy Objective stated above. A greater volume of lower-alcohol beer may or may not be more

DRAM JANUARY 1213

% ABV DUTYSURCHARGE

1.3 - 2.8 Cut in half2.9 - 7.5 Unchanged

7.5 upwards 25%

BEER DUTY

THE LOW DOWNBY JIM ANDERSON

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YEAR!

Last year was a big year for Laurie Nicol, GM of Glasgow’sGrand Central Hotel. Not only did she bed a new hotel in, butshe also got married. Susan Young caught up with her

recently. Laurie Nicol coincidentally has a best friend called Susan Youngwho happens to have two cocker spaniels…just like me, and in factwas on holiday with her when I called. But what is not acoincidence is the success of the Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow,where she is General Manager. Laurie and her team are a greatexample of where there is a will there is a way. The hotel celebrated its first birthday in September and Laurie tellsme that the hotel has exceeded all expectations, not least her own. She tells, “I don’t just like going to work. I love going to work.” Infact when Laurie heard about the plans for the Grand Central, itwas she who contacted them about the role of GM. She tells me,“I had a good feeling about the hotel. I thought that is the job forme. All I had to do was persuade Principal Hayley that was thecase. Even though they went to open market, and interviewed a lotof people, I was persistent. I was prepared to do anything to getthe job because I really felt it was the job for me. When they toldme in September 2009 that I had the post, I was delighted.”She didn’t actually join the team until January 2010, because herprevious employers Hilton Hotels kept her to her notice period, andwhen she did, she immediately took a role in the transformation.Says Laurie, “There was a project manager who worked with thecontractors. However, I was the person going to operate the hoteland I wanted to make sure it was just right. I asked more specificquestions. Getting involved in the refurbishment was challenging,but it is amazing what I learned.”Since joining the hospitality industry at the tender age of 15, Lauriehas basically worked her way up the ranks and has worked forsome of Scotland’s top hotels. She says, “I like telling people that Istarted out as a waitress.” In fact after joining the Moathousehotel (now the Crowne Plaza) she decided against doing a degree,much to her father’s chagrin. But says Laurie, “That was theinfluence of Stephen Carter. He offered me a supervisors job, atthe same point as I was considering leaving to go to Uni, and bythat time I had the bug, and of course the idea of earning £10Kseemed to me at 18, a fortune.”She continues, “I learned a lot from Stephen. I love getting out andabout speaking to people. That is what he does, and when I workedwith him, I did want to be like him. He is an icon in this trade. Evennow, when I am in the office, I feel that I should be out speaking toour hotel guests.”After leaving the Moathouse, she moved East to the ICC inEdinburgh to work with Leith Catering. Explains Laurie, “I startedpre-opening, and was involved in the recruiting and training of staff

LAST YEAR WAS A BIG YEAR FOR LAURIENICOL, GM OF GLASGOW’S GRANDCENTRAL HOTEL. NOT ONLY DID SHE BEDA NEW HOTEL IN, BUT SHE ALSO GOTMARRIED. SUSAN YOUNG CAUGHT UPWITH HER RECENTLY.

and procurement. I was Operations and Banqueting Manager, with200 staff to manage and up to 900 guests at a time to cater for.”She stayed there for two years, says Laurie, “I became banquetedout!”Her next move was to Stakis and her first sales job at the ParkHotel in Falkirk. She stayed within the sales environment for thenext decade, even after Hilton bought Stakis in 2007. She hadvarious roles around the country – and worked with hotels rangingfrom the Caledonian in Edinburgh to the Dunblane Hydro andDunkeld, the Glasgow Hilton, Grosvenor and Strathclyde Hilton inroles which eventually led to her becoming Director of BusinessDevelopment. She says, “This role merged the revenue and salesfunctions – in the past conference, banqueting and reservationswere deemed a separate entity to sales and there was oftenconflict. I really enjoyed the challenge of bringing the two together.” In 2007 she took on her first manager’s role, at the Grosvenor inGlasgow. Says Laurie, “It was a small hotel, but it was asecondment so that I could see if being a manager suited me. I wasalso pregnant, and when I left to go on maternity leave, I could havegone back to the Grosvenor but I decided I wanted a bigger role,and went back into business development but this time I also hadresponsibility for Newcastle.”But that as they say ‘ is history’. Her role as GM at the GrandCentral is the role that she relishes most. Having been involvedright at the beginning and helped develop the hotel, she feels that

GRAND A

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she genuinely has a relationship with the hotel, unlike any other jobshe has ever had. And her team too, she believes is unique. Shecomments, “We recruited the staff ahead of our opening. I felt abit like a football manager, selecting the right team, and then ofcourse the opening date was pushed back from April toSeptember. I was worried that I might lose them. But PrincipalHayley were great and we kept them all for the duration. Of courseit meant that our pre-opening budget got bigger. We have shareda lot of trials and tribulations. We have been through a lot togetherand we have all been pushed to the limit. This has made us a muchstronger team..” Opening a hotel in the middle of a recession may not have been anideal scenario, but Laurie doesn’t believe that there has been anyreal impact on her business. She explains, “If you open somethingdifferent and niche, which is what we did, at the bottom of themarket, I believe you can reap the benefits. I don’t think putting astandard corporate hotel would have been as successful. The factthat Principal Hayley calls the group ‘A collection’ speaks volumes.I have the freedom to make decisions here, and I don’t have toadhere to what Manchester or York does. We share best practice,but I can make market-led decisions here. That is so refreshingafter working for Hilton.” She continues, “I like the fact thatPrincipal Hayley is not a big company. I feel more responsible, Ialmost feel like it is my business. And I like the fact that the owner,Tony, visits once a month. I have to look him in the eye and tell himhow we are doing. I think I work better like this. Our figures do

speak for themselves but I want to make sure all the other boxesare ticked too.”With some 75,000 sleeper nights under her belt, and 115,000diners, plus four star accreditation – the Grand Central is certainlyon-track. But Laurie has no intention of slacking off. “We need tokeep our customers coming back. I believe that we should treateach day as if it was our opening day. Keeping standards up is soimportant. What I am concentrating on now is fine tuning thebusiness. Last year I didn’t have time to look at the detail, but nowI do. And of course I am looking to push profit where I can.”The hotel is now fully operational, with the Champagne Central Bar,Tempus restaurant, Deli Central and Ballroom all contributing tothe bottom line. Says Laurie, “I always loved thechampagne bar,and its success has exceeded my expectations. Tempus is alreadyestablishing a name for itself as a separate entity, and this year Iam expecting the deli to come into its own.”I think Laurie is right, the Grand Central role was made for her. Andnow she has also ensured that the history of the grand dame ofGlasgow hotels is commemorated with the publication of a bookcalled ‘Glasgow’s Grand Central Hotel’. Laurie says, “There are somany stories about the hotel, and so many people are connectedto it in some way. I am delighted with the finished book. It is evenbetter than I imagined.” So what next for Laurie? She smiles, “I’m not sure. I will be 40 in2014. That is going to be a big year for Glasgow with theCommonwealth Games, and I am planning on being here.”

Laurie, centre, with herhardworking team.

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It’s back to the future for the bar on the corner of LumsdenStreet and Old Dumbarton Road in Glasgow. After many differentguises over the years, including a vodka bar and latterly Bar

Transit, it has now reverted to its original name, Dukes.The brief was to open the bar up rather than hide it behind tinywindows and a drab, grey interior, and make it more femalefriendly. New owners AB Leisure Ltd spent around £75k andcommissioned Mark Brunjes from CM Design to come up with thegoods. It certainly is more noticeable from the outside, and looksto have been extended. Although this is simply an optical illusion,according to Mark. He explains, “It looks as if the bar has beenadded to but this isn’t the case – we have just re-jigged the currentlayout slightly. The bar suffered from a pretty poor layout before,and the bar itself took up far too much space as the cast ironcolumns were incorporated into it and it was far too wide. Now thebar is tucked behind them. The partitioned kitchen at the end ofthe bar and the raised area opposite in the far corner alsocontracted the space. Both have now been removed.”The addition of new windows has also contributed to a feeling ofgreater space, with the old high level windows replaced by five fullheight windows, including two new ones next to the kitchen at theend of the bar. This allows in a lot more light as well as affording

DESIGN FOCUS: DUKES, GLASGOW

50

Restaurant & Bar Design Awards 2011 - ShortlistedScottish Design Awards 2008, 2009 and 2011 - Finalist

Wishing every success to AB Leisure with Dukes Bar

Designers of Amarone / Antipasti / BrewDog / Bocadillo/ BarbarossaDi Maggios / Dukes Bar / Eat Café / Esca / Epicures of Hyndland

Glenskirlie Castle & House / Ingram Wynd / Kember & JonesKudos / Lebowskis / The Merchant Hotel / Macsorleys / Sonny & Vito

The Buttery / The Italian Kitchen / The Italian Caffe / Two Fat Ladies / Zucca

Visit our new websitewww.cmdesignconsultants.com

Contact Mark Brunjes on 0141 341 0343 or [email protected] FOCUS: DUKES, GLASGOW

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Dukes a lot more standout presence from the outside, as passersby can now see a warm and inviting interior. The layout may have been tweaked but it’s not that much of adeparture from its last incarnation in that the door is in the sameplace with the bar on the left as you enter, booth seating on theback wall, and seating in the middle of the floor.Another change is the fireplace on the small wall opposite the bar.This had been covered up and what a find it was as it reallyenhances the design, topped off with a piece of timber that Markcame across in a skip near his home. The rest of the interior has a distressed quality to it – and this wasquite deliberate. Says Mark, “We used a company called ColemanProjects based in London that specialise in providing designservices for the film and TV industry. They made the white tilesbehind the booths look like 100-year-old factory tiles using ayellowing technique, with a similar four series process for theexposed brickwork. We wanted it to look like the original paintworkhad scraped off over time. They also put a rusting effect on thecast iron pillars.” The industrial look was also achieved by using a raft of reclaimedmaterials. These were supplied by another London-based companycalled Trainspotting, and much of what has been used in the bar is

PIC

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original as well as made to look that way. Explains Mark, “The greypendent light above the booths were reclaimed from the old Dunlopfactory in Birmingham, the clock came from a disused factory inthe former Czechoslovakia, and the cast iron luggage racks alsocame from decommissioned trains from the former Eastern Bloc.”Mirrors have also been used to great effect to enlarge the interiorand they have been smoked in sympathy with the rest of theinterior.Apart from the reclaimed wooden booths, the rest of the seatinghas been made from lightweight aluminium, with dark woodentables.The down lighting in the ceiling has been encased in an industrial-style an aged up and rusty cable tray that runs around theperimeter of the ceiling in a square. Down lighting has also beenemployed at the front of the bar.The bar is simple in constructive with exposed bricks, glassshelves, a slate bar top and pendent lighting. The kitchen is nowpartitioned off with a low level ribbed glass screen, from a bygoneera, circa 1950. These, say Mark, have long been discontinuedand therefore had to be specially sourced – but like the rest of theTLC evident in this project, the end result made it all worthwhile.

By Jason Caddy

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are delighted to have been involved in the refurbishment of Le Monde and wish it every success

in the future

chartered quantity surveyors project management capital allowances consultancy cdm

Late last year Billy Lowe decided that Le Monde on Edinburgh’sGeorge Street was in need of a bit of a touch up here andthere. Both floors housing the bar and brasserie areas in the

boutique hotel were slightly altered, although not so extreme thatthe original interior was lost or left looking in any way hotchpotch.John Mustard, Saltire Taverns’ Operations Director, gave me aguided tour of what Redhouse Design had devised and executed.Most of the change was confined to the first floor in what is nowa late night live music venue and piano bar after Saltire wasgranted a 3am licence from the end of this month. Says John,“This was the opportune time to make a few necessary changes tothe interior, by keeping a lot of what worked and adapting whatdidn’t, rather than doing anything too drastic.”Let’s begin with the area at the very front of the building, formerlyMilan, and now called The Library Bar. The glass vestibule thatleads you in from George Street remains, complete with its cool TVscreens, but inside, the bar has moved, and there are new comfychairs in front of a cool flame-effect wall-mounted black metal fireand some new and rather nifty white leather bespoke booths,supplied by Scott Reuter, along the wall on the right hand side. Andthe addition of several new sets of booths was the backbone of thisredesign, according to John. He explains, “When we take bookingsthe majority of customers request a booth, so the addition of moreof this type of seating was a major requirement in the design brief.”The seating area and fire are really cosy and the addition of a bookshelf either side of the fire does make this part of the bar a lotmore homely, yet it has a sophisticated edge to it also, and is idealfor both walk-in customers in search of a drink and a bite to eat,as well as hotel guests, and there is a door that leads directly intoThe Library Bar from reception.The bar was also moved from the wall on the left-hand side as youwalk in, to the back wall. This allowed an original window to beexposed that was preciously concealed, and a brand new bar wasbuilt in a horse-shoe shape and decorated with silvery grey mosaictiles.The glass back bar has also been extended to display a lot morepremium products. In line with this, there are lots more glassdisplay cabinets housed in the walls, displaying a selection of winesand champagnes from the list, including bottles of Tzarina, whichare actually dummies, because of the high cost per bottle. Butyou’d never know it, and the twisted bottle design and yellow liquidlooks great. This area leads into the main bar, formerly Vienna, now Sky Bar, socalled because of the addition of a city skyline mural running thelength of the far right wall, in front of a row of booths. It haselements of New York, and other cities, with the tops of a selectionof skyscrapers against a moody sky at sunset. The island barremains, complete with marble top, but the gantry has changedfrom metal to glass, and it’s been expanded at the same time –again with the express purpose of displaying more premiumproducts. The bar stools have also been reupholstered in cream

DESIGN FOCUS: LE MONDE

Protocol are pleased to beassociated with the supply of

furniture for Le Monde and wishthem every succcess for the future.

Protocol LtdUnit 2 Bankside Park, 28 Thames Road

Barking IG11 0HZ

Tel: 020 8591 6770Website: www.protocoluk.comEmail: [email protected]

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leather.Above the bar where once there used to be a painted mural hasnow been replaced by lots of little amber lights, reminiscent ofSaltire’s original Frankenstein outlets.The biggest change to this area, however, is to the left of the bar,and at the opposite side to the mural, in the form of a new set ofsemi-circular booths in chesterfield-style black leather. In front ofthese is a long wooden table with stools, ideal for small to mediumsize parties. This area used to house an S-shaped seating unitwhere customers would sit with their backs to the bar, so the newoutward-facing booths and communal table are a lot moreinclusive.At the very back of the space where a second smaller bar used tobe was deemed redundant once the unit had been up and runningfor a while, so the mini refit saw this bar removed in favour of acluster of smaller white leather booths, in an American diner styleformation.Upstairs is perhaps where the changes that have been made aremost obvious. The whole floor was used mainly for dining andtherefore, it was felt, that it wasn’t being effectively utilised.Explains John, “The restaurant would empty by 11pm, as therewasn’t a breakout space for customers to move through to so thatthey could continue their evening, so we wanted to change theculture of both the smaller Club Lounge Room and the main space,now called Dirty Martini.”The Club Lounge used to be very bright, but with the addition of aheavy velvet curtain along the window wall, and the royal bluecrushed velvet upholstery and black chandeliers, it has a gothicsplendour to it. There are of course a few nods to the preciousdesign, namely the mural of woodland nymphs bathing in a river,along the wall opposite the window.A short walk along a connecting corridor and you’re in DirtyMartini. The island bar is no more, and in its place is cabaretseating in blue velvet, and a stage along the back wall. Three sidesof the old bar were discarded, with the fourth, and the sameproportion of the back bar, remoulded into a single-sided bar alongthe right hand side wall.Dirty Martini will open until 3am with a live music offering fromacross the musical spectrum, but it won’t be too intrusive or heavyon the decibels, plus the space has been designed to bemultifaceted. John explains, “The volume will be closely monitoredso that we don’t go over the score with the evening entertainmentby becoming a ‘boom boom’ venue. By day, we will be hiring thespace out, as its flexibility now that the bar has been moved meansthat we can do theatre and conference-style set ups. There is alsoa large screen, not far off the width of the entire stage that willalso make it an attractive destination for meetings.”There’s also a baby grand piano on the stage and the whole lookand feel of the place really comes into its own at night, with all thered lights and candles creating a welcoming glow.Billy Lowe wanted to create a sophisticated live music venue andthat is what the redesign has achieved without robbing Le Mondeof its original identity.

JANUARY 12 DRAM20

Scott Reuter wish all the staff at Le Mondeevery success in the following year and were

proud to be able to supply them with thebespoke seating deserved of such a unique

establishment.

Tel: 0131 555 0990Email: [email protected]

SCOTT

REUTER LTD

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DRAM JANUARY 1221

ESTABLISHED FOR OVER 25 YEARS NORMALLY NEXT DAY DELIVERYKEENEST PRICES IN THE UKMASSIVE STOCKST: 01484 425007Email: [email protected]

PRICES FROM

NEW BROCHURE FOR 2010 AVAILABLE • NEW BROCHURE FOR 2010 AVAILABLE

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Indy Lalli was faced with a problem when realising his idea of anIndian restaurant and European grill rolled into one. Ventilation inthe purpose-built multi-million pound operation in Glasgow’s

Newton Mearns was a major factor, so he fitted an extractorsystem of which NASA would be proud. Explains Indy, “I wanted tocreate a chameleon-like restaurant that wasn’t just confined to fourhours of evening trade. The bar and European grill have widenedour catch net and we can now offer breakfasts, lunches, snacksand coffees. This meant installing the mother of all ventilationsystems to prevent the pungent aromas from Indian cookingwafting through to the grill - and a ventilation system on amammoth scale.” And it really is a beast! The heart of the restaurant which houses the central kitchen area,was designed with Indy, together with design studio of ib:dp.” SaysIndy, “As we built the place from scratch, the physical layout of theoutlet was something that we had to get right first time, for timeand cost reasons. The kitchen had to serve both areas. We alsohad to build upwards to house both toilets and the ventilationequipment.”Says Dominic Paul from the Design Studio of ib:dp, “The intentionwas to add a contemporary bar, European grill and Indianrestaurant as an alternative to venturing into the city. Nothing likethis had been attempted in the locale before.”The restaurant is conveniently located off the Newton Mearns turnoff from the M77 next to Waitrose, and is divided into two parts,the 80-cover Indian restaurant on the right hand side as you enterand a 65-cover European Grill. In between is a reception area fortake away food and a bar to serve the Indian restaurant andfurther in, and separating the two areas, the kitchen. Starting with the European Grill – a very bright and spacious bararea, giving way to a restaurant, with enormous walls of windowsallowing plenty of light in. The black granite-topped bar has a stylishwooden slatted front and a relatively plain back bar in slate grey

DESIGN FOCUS: ZYKA, GLASGOW

McCARTHY JOI!ERS Congratulations on the opening

of the Zyka Restaurant.

Best wishes for a successful future.

We were the main contractor on the project andit was pleasure working with everyone involved.

We provide general building services toconsumer and business clients covering

all trades.

Spittal FarmHamilton Road

CambuslangG72 7XW

Tel: 0141 641 7904Email: [email protected]

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with horizontal wine racks, mirrors and optics. Above the bar arethere are oval shaped lights with black cord shades. The floor is amixture of wood and grey slate tiles and the ceiling is painted inplain white. Opposite the bar are a number of tables and chairs, upholstered inred calico, overlooking an outdoor decking area, which in turnoverlooks a sculpture of a horse’s head, which is a copy of an AndyWarhol, according to Indy.At either end of this seating area are two semi-circular booths, likeWaltzers, with large black circular lights, and I’m sure that thesewill be the most coveted spots in the whole place. This area leads into the Grill which is south facing and on the dayof my visit, sun was streaming in and warming up the placenaturally. But for later on in the evening there’s a fire to take over,set right in the middle of the dining area and housed at shoulderheight in a wooden unit. There’s also a huge mirror on the back wall with a diamond patternthrough it. I also want to talk about the wallpaper in this room, asit’s so luxuriant, particularly the black ribbed paper which, saysIndy, was a pain to put up, describing it as like a “tuxedo” inthickness. There’s also some black and white textured wallpaperwith an ivy pattern on it.The Indian restaurant is a contrasting space, it’s smaller and withno windows There is banquette seating running down both sides of therestaurant with tables and chair in the middle. There are alsosome circular tables in two of the corners, partitioned off byscreens that have been designed to look like those used intraditional Indian houses, in a pattern known as Jalie.Other notable features in this area include the artwork on thewalls, commissioned by Indy and painted by local artist KuldipMcGallagly. Indy wanted them to reflect traditional Indian life, butwithout the clichés. He says, “I didn’t want pictures of the Tal

BY JASON CADDY

Mahal, or other subjects that are so often used to decorate Indianrestaurants, and I think that Kuldip McGallagly’s unique vision andtalent has captured this brilliantly.”The colour scheme is a mixture of light green walls and upholsteredchairs, and black and white wallpaper. The light shades kind ofmatch this, and again are a nod to a traditional Indian design witha contemporary twist. They are made from black metal with a cutout pattern designs so that the light shines out and this looks verypretty.This is certainly one of the most thoughtful and considered designsI have come across in the Indian restaurant sector and the fusionof east meets west could have gone awry. But a hefty investmentand attention to detail ensured is a triumph in design.

Ventilation and Noise Control Ltd

R&MWe were delighted to design andinstall the kitchen and restaurant

ventilation for Zyka, Newton Mearns

16 Whin Place, Nerston Ind. Estate, East Kilbride G74 3XSt: 01355 263070 F: 01355 263846 M: 07857 831131

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SUESAYS

Happy New Year. Mind you if you read the headlinesyou might wish you hadn’t got out of bed. Forinstance The Guardian reports:- Beer sales plunge

as Britons stay at home• Pubs selling 14m fewer pintsa day than in 1979 Brewers call for tax freeze to halt therise of wine…oops this was a story from 2007. Heading:Profit warnings highest since 2001. The story runs: The23% increase in profit warnings is largely down to thecollapse in consumer confidence, triggered by high debtlevels and a slowing housing market,and because UKeconomic growth halved. This time the news is from2006… what I’m saying is what’s new about the doomand gloom reports. At the end of the day business iswhat you make it! And hard work always pays off.Instead of worrying about what 2012 holds, we shouldbe embracing the challenges. Life would be very dull ifevery year was the same!

Neilsen have revealed that the amount of alcohol sold inScottish shops and supermarkets has fallen since theban on multi-deals was brought in last October. Sales ofwine fell 5%, spirits by 3% and beer by 8% during thefirst eight weeks of the ban, compared with that periodin 2010. In England and Wales where the ban was notin place sales of wine went down by 4%, spirits by 1%but beer sales rose by 1%. It seems evident that the banis hitting beer sales in the off-trade hardest. GavinHumphreys from Neilsen says, “…if the measure wasdesigned to cut consumption then the immediate salesfigures suggest it is working."

On the subject of cutting consumption it appears thatNicola Sturgeon is bracing herself for a legal challengeto minimum pricing. But while the Scottish governmenthas dilly dallied, alcohol pricing is being reviewed acrossthe rest of the UK and the UK government will introducea ban on selling alcohol below a minimum price from 6April in England and Wales! Shops and bars will not beable to sell drinks for less than the tax paid on them. SoWHAT is holding it up in Scotland? Because it will begood news for the on-trade, who don’t generally sellalcohol that cheaply.

I always thought Glasgow was quite a sociable city, butaccording to a social networking website, CitySocialisingwho surveyed its 160,000 members, Glaswegians arethe wallflowers of the UK. The research showed thatGlaswegians don’t go out as much as their Englishcousins. In fact they rated 58% below the UK averagenumber of social days and nights out. Nottingham was52% below and Birmingham 47% below fairing the leastsociable of the English cities. The most sociable city wasdeemed to be Cardiff, with London coming in 6th and

Edinburgh coming in 9th. However the research wasbased around attendance figures at CitySocialisingevents, maybe Glaswegians prefer unorganisedentertainment!

Congratulations to Jeff Currie. He has just opened hisfirst restaurant – the Bothwell Brasserie, formerlyknown as Da Luciano’s. As anyone who knows Jeff willtell you, he is quite a character and I’m sure he will revelin the role. He does have a partner in the business, butknowing how difficult it is to get a word in when Jeff getsinto full flow, it’s likely to be a ‘silent’ partnership!

Meanwhile Lisa Wishart of Lisini Pub Co tells me that it’sbeen a very hectic few months for the family followingthe opening of Dalziel Park. But she stresses that it hasbeen a team effort with Grant Hood, the newly appontedoperations director for the company, making a hugecontribution, as well as Nicky Hood, and of course sisterSiobhan. It’s great example of a family working as ateam. I’m sure father Harry approves!

It strikes me that there is plenty happening in Glasgowand the west at the moment, while things are a lotquieter on the Edinburgh front. Since the beginning ofDecember I know of at least half a dozen new places thatopened in December in Glasgow, and that’s withoutthinking too hard but I struggled to think of even one thatopened in Edinburgh. If you know different let me know.

I am usually quite good at getting out and about, but lastyear the amount of publications we produced meant Ihad to spend more time in the office, but this year, I’mdetermined to get out and about more and not just on aFriday night… first stop the North East.

My local pub is now under new management and I amreally hoping that it improves. I’m also hoping that itstarts admitting dogs. I can hardly believe that I can takemy pooches into city centre pubs such as Left Bank,Stravaigin, the Ben Nevis, Lebowskis and such like, butboth the pubs in Fenwick have banned dogs. It seemsdaft to me in a village – where probably every otherhousehold has a dog, that you can’t pop into the local fora quick one on your nightly walk!

Talking of Left Bank the enterprising duo, CatherineHardy and Jacqueline Fennessy, who own it, and sisteroutlet The Two Figs (where incidentally I enjoyed a lovelylunch recently) have opened a new outlet on Glasgow’ssouthside called Bungo, as in Strathbungo and not theWomble. I wish them continued success.

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Buzzworks held their annual staff party at TroonTown Hall recently. As you can see it was a verystylish and glamourous evening.

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. [email protected] web. www.dramscotland.co.ukEditor: Susan Young • Chairman: Noel Young • Production: Jennifer Kelly Advertising Executives: Martin Cassidy, Emma MacDonald • 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 in anyform without the written permission of the copyright holder and publisher, application for which should be madeto the publisher. Articles published in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publishers. © MediaWorld Limited 2011.

ROUND UP

Morrison Bowmore Distillers (MBD), haveappointmented Rachel Barrie to the newlycreated position of Master Blendereffective immediately. Barrie will also headup the company’s Spirit Quality Control andlaboratory functions. She will join MorrisonBowmore’s Operational Senior ExecutiveGroup and report directly to AndrewRankin, MBD Operations Director and ChiefBlender. Barrie joins the company bringinga vast amount of knowledge and experiencehaving served many years in a similar rolewithin The Glenmorangie Company.

Innis & Gunn, has recruited DavidCockburn BAcc, CA as Chief FinancialOfficer. David,41, who was voted‘2010 Scottish Dealmaker of the Year’by Scottish Business Insider, now joinsthe Board full-time; previously, headvised the Board, where he played akey role in the development andstrategy of the business after the MBOin 2008.He previously worked withPricewaterhouseCoopers and GrantThornton.

BARRIE JOINS GLENMORANGIE INNIS & GUNN APPOINT COCKBURN

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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. [email protected] web. www.dramscotland.co.ukEditor: Susan Young • Chairman: Noel Young • Production: Jennifer Kelly Advertising Executives: Martin Cassidy, Emma MacDonald • 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 in anyform without the written permission of the copyright holder and publisher, application for which should be madeto the publisher. Articles published in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publishers. © MediaWorld Limited 2011.

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NOVEMBER 11 DRAM

IT’S BETTER TO BE BELHAVEN

Do you know what great sport feels like? – we’re talking football, rugby, tennis, horse racing, cricket – the whole works!

If the answer is yes, you should run your own pub business with Belhaven.

We’re looking for Lessees who’ll go the extra mile to please customers. We’ll give you all the training you need to get started and there’s a choice of agreement types too.

If you want to raise your game, you’ll find it’s better to be Belhaven.

0845 607 5331 www.belhavenleaseapub.co.uk

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