Diageo has lodged a planing application for a new on-site solar energy farm at its Leven packaging plant in Fife. If rubber stamped, the plans would see 12,000 solar panels installed on vacant land at the 150-acre plant that would produce 4 megawatts (MW) of electricity.
It’s part of Diageo’s plan to achieve net zero carbon emissions from its direct operations by 2030.
It will be built within the existing footprint of the Leven packaging plant site – produces 40 million cases of spirits each year – and has been planned to ensure minimal visual and environmental impact on the surrounding area.
The group says that is has so far reduced half of the carbon in its operations already, the business aims to remove the rest by 2030, harnessing 100% renewable energy everywhere it operates.It has also committed to partnering with suppliers to halve indirect carbon emissions.
Diageo says that in Scotland alone, its Scotch whisky distilleries Oban, Royal Lochnagar and Brora have already achieved net zero carbon emissions.
Oban-based hospitality entrepreneur, Paul Sloan, of Diversity Leisure has opened a new boutique hotel in Oban. The nine-room property is called No. 26 By The Sea and has been designed by Dominic Paul of Glasgow-based IBDP. The new hotel was formerly the Ach-Na-Mara, or Meadow By The Sea, guesthouse.
The Victorian building was originally built in 1895, and is located by the sea, on the Corran Esplanade. as a result the rooms have great views of the bay and islands.
The rooms have all been individually themed. There is a cabin room, a garden room and a Scottish room, the latter has a four-poster bed.
Some rooms have balconies to make the most of the great views and the hotel also has a private garden. The hotel’s public areas feature jewel colours, bespoke furnishings which have been sourced from around the world – the result is a warm and inviting space with lots to comment on.
The owners describe it as a Stylistic Boutique House Hotel, it certainly is.
It also has an Honesty Bar. General Manager Ioana Moldovan explains, “We decided to have an Honesty Bar as we want our guests to feel as they are home away from home(is basically a bar without a bartender and guests help themselves). To enjoy the true taste of Scotland, we fully stocked the bar with a large variety of local products as Whisky, Rum, Gin, Vodka, Liqueurs etc.
The bedroom, which have all been individually themed feature curtains and soft furnishing supplied by Select Contract Furniture. They too are colourful and in keeping with the hotel’s quirky feel.
From baths at the foot of your bed to a room which makes you feel that you are in Sweden instead of Oban, there is plenty to catch your attention.
Owner Paul Sloan also owns various restaurants and bars throughout Scotland and his love of food is demonstrated by the events the hotel plans to hold once COVID allows. They will include Cooking Classes and Wine Club. The No 26 Cook School is both informal but informative, whether a beginner or a pro, it will teach the basics as well as in-depth techniques to create some of the most amazing culinary dishes from around the world.
Three pubs had to close in Lanarkshire last week – they had visits from staff that were working for the Call Centre at the heart of the recent Covid-19 outbreak – so they had to close for a deep clean. While in Oban a cafe had to shut because one of their staff contracted the virus and tested positive. It just emphasises how important it is to maintain the Covid-19 precautions in your venues – from social distancing to wiping down all surfaces regularly and providing hand sanitiser and of course I would not be having customers in without doing ‘Track and Trace’ or ‘Trace and Protect’. For our industry, the word ‘protect’ is certainly crucial – if want to protect our business we need to protect our customers and employees. Nobody wants to close again and the power of social media is such that if customers don’t feel safe they can, within two minutes, decimate your business by going on Facebook and having a rant. Right now everyone is cautious and we need to give them confidence – if may feel like overkill but rather overkill than closed!
Some people have been really busy since the lifting of lockdown measures but for some, it has been slower than anticipated and for others, who have been rammed, the stark reality is kicking in – costs are outweighing the revenue, and that can’t be sustained long-term. So the sooner we can get rid of social distancing the better and the only way that is going to happen is if the infection rate stays down. So we all have our bit to do – we must encourage folk to be sensible and careful. They say younger folk and drunk folk can’t maintain social distancing… if they can’t and they are in your premises – move them on.
I love the steps some folk are taking to make a coin – SWG3 in Glasgow are offering party groups of 15 people space in their Ronnie’s Bar and Bike Shop garden terrace for four hours for £200, it includes a welcome drink. I can’t make use of the offer – I find it hard to rustle up four friends never 15!
Mind you charging people for making a reservation I do think is the way ahead – the number of no shows that have reported over the last two weeks is really disgusting. I think what is happening is that people are booking two hours slots and then not making it to their next one or booking multiple slots and then depending on their mood choosing where to go. It has been a problem in London for a while – but this is the first time it appears to be rearing its ugly head here. Here’s hoping now that people are becoming aware of how it impacts on your business that there will be less of it.
I think the variety of outdoor areas that I’ve seen so far have been absolutely amazing – the effort that folk have gone to – although it did amuse me when I saw the ‘worst one in Scotland’ highlighted in the press – it was literally the bin area.
I was really sorry to hear about the death of Jamie Murray one of the brothers behind the Ship Inn in Irvine. My thoughts are with his family. He really was a great guy. I know it has left very many people shocked and upset, me too. When the magazine is back we will do an obituary I am sure many of you will want to contribute.
Another unexpected death during the last few weeks was that of Brenda Thomson of The Crookston Hotel a very popular landlady. Her mass was held on 21st July. Brenda’s obituary will be in the next issue of the DRAM which will be out the first week in August.
The UK Government has published a call for evidence for a fundamental review of business rates, something for which the trade body has the trade has been pushing for. It has also confirmed that the next revaluation of non-domestic property in England, previously scheduled for 1 April 2021, will now take effect on 1 April 2023. Here’s hoping that the Scottish Government follows suit.
The Government has also said it recognises the need to reform the current duty system to support the pub sector in the longer term and will publish a call for evidence before end September 2020.
UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “Securing a full review of the business rates system has been a priority for UKHospitality and its predecessor trade bodies for years. We identified it as the largest barrier to growth in our sector years ago. We have pushed extremely hard to convince the Government to act on this, so it is great to finally see positive action.
Lastly but not least we WILL be running our awards this year – and we will be out and about judging – the voting will be up and running from the 3rd August – so share it with your customers. The date is 20th October – I am so hoping that we don’t have to shift it any later – but by hook or by crook we will be celebrating all that is good and great about the trade as soon as. It’s good to be back!
John McNulty’s award-winning Etive Restaurant has relocated to Oban, to allow the chef and his new business partner, sommelier David Lapsley, to concentrate on the restaurant brand.
The Taynuilt, the old coaching Inn, where John launched Etive in 2017, is undergoing a major refurbishment and will re-open later in the year as an unlicensed guesthouse. Meanwhile the new restaurant is now up and running in the old Light of India premises at 43 Stevenson Street, Oban.
David told DRAM, “When John opened Etive, it was with the plan for the hotel and restaurant to become a destination for people. However, we quickly found although it was successful, most of our custom was coming from Oban.” He continued, “I’d been thinking about buying my own restaurant and then it made sense for us to do it together.”
Says John, “We have worked really hard to establish the Etive so it is very exciting to be joining Oban’s culinary scene and introduce what we do to an even wider audience.”
The new site can seat up to 20 customers, and will follow Etive’s ethos at the original restaurant “where sea meets land”. It will operate as a showcase of John’s cooking, with affordable a la carte and tasting menus that concentrate on innovative cooking using the very best locally sourced produce. It opens from Wednesday – Sunday for lunch and dinner.
A new festival called West Coast Whisky Feis is to take place in Oban in July to champion Scotland’s west coast distillers.
The festival, which runs from 12pm– 6pm on Saturday, 22 July, is the brainchild of local drinks retailer, Oban Whisky and Fine Wines.
Euan Finlayson, owner of Oban Whisky and Fine Wines, said, “We wanted to create an event that shows off the incredible whiskies that the west coast has to offer.
“The aim is to offer a range of whiskies and master classes that can appeal to newcomers and aficionados alike.”
The event held at at Oban’s Skipinnish Cèilidh House will bring together a number of west coast distilleries, with 17 confirmed so far, including Isle of Arran, Caol Ila and Ben Nevis distillery. The local Diageo-owned Oban Distillery will also hold on-site master classes.
The local Diageo-owned Oban Distillery will also hold on-site master classes, while Skipinnish Ceilidh House will host a range of exhibits from west coast distilleries and food stalls highlighting local producers.
Ticket holders will be given their own dram glass and will be able to take samples from all of the exhibitors.
There will also be a nosing competition where attendees can attempt to identify various whiskies by smell alone, with a bottle of single malt whisky up for grabs.
Samples are included in the event ticket price and master classes are available for an additional fee.
Oban Live has two sponsors in the shape of from Moët & Chandon and Jägermeister. The inaugural event, which will take place in Oban’s Mossfield Park on Friday 13th and Saturday 14th May, will now boast a Jägermeister VIP Area as well as Ice Cold Jägermeister on tap at bars throughout the stadium. Oban Live organisers have also arranged for an official Moët & Chandon bar. Champagne will also be available for VIP ticket-holders at a bar in the dedicated lounge. Daniel Gillespie, Oban Live Artistic Director, said, “We’ve over the moon to have some of the most renowned drinks brands on board to support Oban Live this year.
We are always thrilled to work with these brands, so to have them sign up to support the first year of the event means a lot to us all. Tickets are selling fast and there are now only 70 VIP tickets remaining, so we’d advise everyone to grab theirs to avoid missing out on what is guaranteed to be an amazing weekend of live music enjoyed along with amazing drinks from some of the world’s leading brands.” The line up for Oban Live 2016 includes KT Tunstall, Julie Fowlis, Capercaillie and Skerryvore.
Premier Inn has submitted plans for new hotel in Oban at Shore Street on the site of the existing Harbour Bowl bowling alley. As well as 81-bedrooms the hotel will have a ground floor restaurant and parking.
Ernst & Young (EY), who were appointed administrators of the MacLay pub group on Friday, have revealed that the two men handling the administration are Colin Dempster and Gavin Yuill. EY has also confirmed that it has already had a “number of expressions of interest.”
The administrator also released a full-list of the MacLays pubs – 15 of which are owned by the group, five are run under a management contract and a further seven properties which were transferred to LT Pub Management, a completely separate company, on Friday evening.
Joint administrator Gavin Yuill re-iterated the statement from EY on Friday when he said, “Faced with an unexpected funding requirement, the directors of Maclay Group plc and its trading subsidiary Maclay Inns Ltd decided to call in administrators to protect the business and safeguard jobs.”
He continued, “The contract for seven managed properties immediately transferred to LT Pub Management. EY will continue to trade the fifteen properties owned by Maclay Inns Ltd, plus the five managed properties as a going concern while a buyer is sought.
“The underlying business remains strong and we have received a number of expressions of interest as might have been expected given the esteem in which the brand is held.”
Speculation surrounds the fact that the administrators have revealed that the company had an “unexpected funding requirement.”
In February 2014, according to notes that appeared in the Group’s accounts, filed at Companies House its term loan facility of £10.5m with Lloyds Banking Group, “was not formally agreed until February 11, 2014.
Properties owned by Maclay Inns Ltd:- Abbey Inn & Bull Inn, Paisley; The Bank, Lansdowne Bar & Kitchen, The Lee and Three Judges, Glasgow; Braes, Dundee; East Port Bar, Dunfermline; Lorne Bar, Oban; The Rule, St Andrews; Southsider, Edinburgh; Tullie Inn, Balloch; Village Inn, Arrochar and West Port Hotel, Linlithgow. The five managed by Maclay Inns (now managed by EY) are Clerk’s Bar, Edinburgh; The Hope, Munro’s and The Raven in Glasgow and The Wick in Prestwick. The management contract for seven pubs have been transferred to LT Pub Management. They are Canal Station, Paisley; Clockwork Beer Co and DRAM Glasgow; Dog House, Balloch; Laird & Dog, Lasswade; The Steading, Edinburgh and Wheel Inn, Perth.
JD Wetherspoon have just opened The Corryvreckan in Oban after a £1.26m spend. The new pub which is located at The Waterfront Centre shopping mall, in Shore Street is managed by local Bradley MacLean and opens from 7am until 12 midnight Sunday to Thursday and 7am until 1am on Friday and Saturday. Food is served throughout the day, until 11pm every day.
The new-look pub features high vaulted timber ceilings with photos, local history and information boards relating to the history and characters of the area displayed in the pub, as well as artwork including a sculpture of a large bird and reclaimed timber from the sea.
Manager Bradley MacLean said, “We are confident that it will be a great addition to Oban’s community.”
Roddy Morrison of Oban is the first winner of the new Sky Sports app Pub Challenge. He won the £2,500 prize after proving he knows his football, topping the nationwide player leader board for September by answering the most questions correctly and scoring the most points. Sky customers can find out more about the Pub Challenge app, and check their venue’s position on the leader board, by visiting www.previewlive.co.uk/pubchallenge.
Oban Live has two sponsors in the shape of from Moët & Chandon and Jägermeister. The inaugural event, which will take place in Oban’s Mossfield Park on Friday 13th and Saturday 14th May, will now boast a Jägermeister VIP Area as well as Ice Cold Jägermeister on tap at bars throughout the stadium. Oban Live organisers have also arranged for an official Moët & Chandon bar. Champagne will also be available for VIP ticket-holders at a bar in the dedicated lounge. Daniel Gillespie, Oban Live Artistic Director, said, “We’ve over the moon to have some of the most renowned drinks brands on board to support Oban Live this year.