THIS MONTH WE ASKED SOME OF THE KEY PEOPLE IN THE TRADE TO TELL US THEIR PREDICTIONS AND VIEWPOINT ON THE YEAR AHEAD. THANKS TO:
Andrew Morrison, Sales Director, MAXXIUM UK; John Gemmell, Commercial Director, HEINEKEN (pictured); UK; Stuart Ellis, UK Sales Manager, Gordon & MacPhail; James Byrne, Retail Development Manager, Molson Coors; Steve Anand, Sales Director, Inverarity Morton; Alan Hay, Sales Director On-Trade, Tennent’s; Peter Risk, Senior National Account Manager, Diageo; Harry Greenhalgh, On-Trade Category Manager, William Grant & Sons UK Ltd. This is what they had to say:-
WHAT SHOULD LICENSEES DO TO KEEP AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION IN 2018?
ANDREW MORRISON: Understand what consumers need and what the consumer trends and drinking trends are not just now…but on the horizon. Never compromise on customer serve and retail standards and invest in staff training – they are the biggest influence in your bar.
JOHN GEMMELL: Have a very clear digital strategy. The world is changing fast. We used to say that the customer journey started outside of the pub, but it is now often on the phone. It is not enough to just have a website or Facebook site, you need to have a clear plan on how to capture customer insight and convert it in to a trading advantage. Taking advantage of true customer intimacy can be enhanced by technology.
STUART ELLIS: Continually reviewing products across all categories and being aware of what’s hot and what’s not, utilising the research and knowledge offered up by their suppliers is key to ‘keeping ahead of the curve’, these guys are there to help. As well as having a ‘core’ range of product, it’s important to keep each category fresh by continually reviewing new entrants to the market and understanding what their point of difference is and what that allows you to offer your consumers. Being independent makes you nimble and able to react to ‘new’ in vogue products quicker than the national competition.
JAMES BYRNE: Consumers are going out less, but spending more when they do. Offering drinkers a range of products across categories can ensure repeat purchases. Ensuring the experience is high quality can also encourage word of mouth; ensuring draught products are looked after with regular line cleaning and are served in a clean, branded glass.
STEVE ANAND: Licensees should continue to look at range and offer serves and experiences that customers cannot easily replicate at home.
HARRY GREENHALGH: With people facing growing economic pressure on their disposable income, they want to make sure they really enjoy their experiences when they do choose to spend. So getting the drinks offer right is key, especially with premiumising consumer tastes, but looking at other aspects of your offer, from food to activities and service, is also important.
ALAN HAY: Drinkers are discerning, knowing what they like, but often open to trying something different. When it comes to ranging, it’s about striking a balance between staples like Tennent’s Lager, Magners and Caledonia Best but also having options from around the world like Heverlee, Menabrea or Pabst Blue Ribbon.
PETER RISK: With consumers increasingly demanding better quality experiences, delivering superior service is now crucial to driving incremental sales. Under-par staff training or bar set-up not only affects profits but can also result in poor quality drinks and customer dissatisfaction. Improving staff knowledge, speed and efficiency will allow licensees to deliver a smooth service each and every time, to enhance customer experience and drive sales.
Consumers are increasingly interested in provenance, ingredients and the stories behind products and brands. They also seek out options which offer some form of customisation or combinations that they might not expect to see. The spirits category is able to tap into all of these – it is full of possibilities and therefore offers a real opportunity for licensees to drive spend in their pub or bar. Licensees can ensure that their outlet exceeds their competitor’s offering and make the most of any occasion by stocking up on must-stock premium variants as well as a wide range of the best-selling brands.
With 84% of UK adults using social media and with lots of people using the internet to find a venue, having an online presence has never been more important. As well as using it to recruit new customers who are looking for inspiration on where to go, digital channels are great for engaging with customers and getting feedback on your offer, all in a very cost effective way.
2018 will see several key sporting events including the Winter Olympics, Rugby Six Nations, Commonwealth Games and FIFA World Cup – providing a profitable opportunity to drive customers into outlets. Licensees can inspire customers by shouting about sporting events with promotions in-outlet and with the help of social media ahead of the fixtures. Taking table bookings or advertising sports packages in advance is a simple but effective way of positioning pubs as a sporting venues during these key periods.
T in the Park will not go ahead in 2017, festival organisers DF Concerts and founding partner Tennent’s have confirmed.
In a statement released today, DF Concerts said it would “take a break” in order to address the problems that hit the festival after it was forced to move from its long-term base at Balado in Perthshire to Strathallan Castle in 2015.
Its first year at Strathallan was beset by access and traffic problems, while this summer’s event made headlines after the drug-related deaths of three festival goers and a rise in crimes including the theft of a cash machine.
DF Concerts said “we have tried our best to work with the pressures placed upon the site” but that “continued restrictions means that the negative impact on our fans and the limitations placed on their experience is too great.”
The company concluded, “We now need to take stock and take a year out to try to resolve the issues so that we can once again deliver the kind of camping festival you are used to and deserve.”
“For over 23 years, T in the Park has been at the heart of Scotland’s music scene – with you, by our side. But for now, sadly, we need to take a break.
“We launched T in the Park with one aim: to give Scottish music fans an unforgettable weekend with their friends enjoying the best acts from around the globe. And to say we achieved this together is an understatement. T in the Park has become one of the best known, biggest and most loved festivals in the world. When we launched back in 1994 there were only two music festivals in the UK – now there are many and T in the Park paved the way for all that have come and gone in Scotland since. We created more than just a festival; we created a family and decades of wonderful memories.
“However, the last couple of years have had their challenges. Against our will, and despite a prolonged fight, we were forced to move from Balado, Kinross in 2015. This move was a mammoth task for the event and one that was compounded by a series of onerous site restrictions placed upon us as preparations for the event in 2015 took place.
“As the build up to the festival was well underway we were informed by Scottish Government Ministers that we would have to apply for full Planning Permission due to the presence of an unregistered, but protected in law, osprey’s nest. The constraints – logistically and financially – that the resulting planning conditions put upon us are simply not workable.
“We tried our best to work with the pressures placed upon the site by bringing in an additional team and fixing the first year traffic issues, but ultimately we’re not in control of the overall site layout and the continued restrictions means that the negative impact on our fans and the limitations placed on their experience is too great.”
“We now need to take stock and take a year out to try to resolve the issues so that we can once again deliver the kind of camping festival you are used to and deserve.”
Tennent’s Lager is launching six new founts for its flagship brand, its first major redesign in over 8 years.
The new founts feature iconic artwork from the brand’s 130 years of brewing history, and have been created using cutting edge manufacturing techniques.
Images shown in the initial six are of the Tennent’s Lovelies, The two pint glasses, ‘ThirsTy’ slogan, animated pint, the alphabeT and an art deco image of the brewery. More designs will be released so they can be tailored to suit the style and audience of Scotland’s diverse range of pubs, clubs, restaurants, hotels and entertainment venues.
The founts will be previewed at T in the Park next month, and then rolled out across 150 pubs and bars across Scotland, with a full roll-out to follow later in the year.
In what is a market first, the fount casings are interchangeable, allowing the brand to offer unique founts to help customers create a real talking point at the heart of their bar. The introduction of the new founts follows the recent launch of Tennent’s newly designed glassware to the on-trade.
Paul Condron, Marketing Director at Tennent’s said; “We’re incredibly proud of our new founts, which are truly unique in the market. We wanted to bring something new and exciting that would engage drinkers and further demonstrate our commitment to the Scottish on-trade. When we shared our ideas with customers and consumers, this design immediately stood out and the reaction was fantastic. The finished product is even better than we expected. The new founts will create a real talking point on the bar and ultimately drive sales which is what it’s all about.”
Tennent’s Lager has created a limited edition Tennent’s Lager infused steak pie and launched a social media competition to find the best ‘dad joke’.
The steak pie has been created by ex-Gleneagles pastry chef Albert Close, who is now at the Tennent’s Training Academy, and is being offered as a prize alongside a limited edition 12 pack of lager for winning entrants to the competition. The lager packaging is designed in a retro style with the message ‘Here’s to you, Auld Yin!’.
Prizes will be delivered to winners by the Sunday (19th June).
Tennent’s Lager has a new modern pint glass which 20mm taller than its predecessor, and boasts a nucleated glass base, and the iconic red T logo is outlined in gold on the front of the glass. The brand name and the legendary Hugh Tennent signature is embossed below, while on the back of the glass, the message “Brewed with Passion in Scotland Since 1885” completes the design.
The new look glassware, which is currently being rolled out across thousands of Scotland’s pubs, clubs, hotels and restaurants,
To mark the launch, Tennent’s Lager http://www.tennents.com will run a promotion called “It’s Our Shout” in thousands of outlets, where consumers can win more than 90,000 prizes, ranging from complimentary pints to iPad’s and Spotify vouchers.
Paul Condron, Tennent’s Marketing Director, said, “Aside from our hugely successful limited edition glasses, this is the first major change to our glassware in eight years and we’re really pleased to unveil the results to our customers and consumers across Scotland. It’s a simple, modern, and premium glass that helps make that consistent great tasting pint of Tennent’s Lager a little bit more special.”
Tennent Caledonian has continued its commitment to Glasgow’s East End, after partnering with new music and entertainment venue, Saint Luke’s, which opened in September.
Tennent’s investment has helped towards the renovation and branding of the iconic site, including a mural by renowned street artist SMUG and mobile bars to minimise queuing at peak times. The partnership will also see Saint Luke’s stock a range of leading draught brands including Tennent’s Lager, Caledonia Best, Heverlee, Magners and Menabrea – as well as the Drygate portfolio.
Saint Luke’s is set to become a further welcome addition to the East End for locals and visitors alike – a truly multipurpose music and arts venue with a separate bar restaurant just off the main auditorium, making it perfect for a variety of different events. There has been great interest in the space already, with major Glasgow promoters and venue programmers such as DF Concerts and PCL joining global music channel MTV in working with Saint. Luke’s.
Michael Woods, owner of Saint Lukes, said, “My brother Tony, and I are delighted to work in partnership with Tennent Caledonian and feel the encouragement and support given from our initial meeting at the early construction stages to our grand opening. We look forward to the future and feel this will only bring more success working hand in hand with Wallace’s TCB. Exciting times ahead for the venue and the East End community.”
Paul Condron, Marketing Director at Tennent Caledonian said: “As a business that’s firmly rooted in the East End of Glasgow, we’re always looking for ways to support the local community, and Saint Luke’s is an exciting project that we’re proud to be associated with.”
Tennent Caledonian has invested in excess of £40 million to support the Scottish On Trade over the last 5 years, and St. Luke’s is the latest initiative in the East End to benefit from this support. As well as a number of pubs in the East End, Tennent Caledonian has also invested heavily in: the Wellpark Brewery, re-introducing tours to the public; the establishment of the Tennent’s Training Academy, which has seen 18,000 young people being trained to enhance Scotland’s hospitality industry; and the launch of Drygate, a Joint Venture with Williams Brothers, that has seen the creation of a destination brewpub, venue, shop and restaurant in a former Box Factory adjacent to Wellpark.
The Craigellachie Hotel in Speyside is a landmark with whisky enthusiasts due to its renowned whisky bar, The Quaich. It has recently changed ownership and has benefitted from a “sensitive” make-over, which was completed just in time for the recent Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival. As is often the case, when we visited it was still a work in progress, as the new Quaich Bar is still under construction, but the hotel itself was open for business as is the brand new pub on the ground floor.
The hotel was originally built in 1893 as a destination for the Victorians who wanted to take in the clean air and enjoy the local countryside, and it was bought by Londoner Piers Adam, who is best known for his involvement with some of the capital’s most popular night clubs, Mahiki’s, Bodo’s Schloss and Canaloa, Whisky Mist, and his private members venue, the Brompton Club.
You might have thought he would have brought some of his Londonesque style glamour to the Highlands, but in fact the make-over of the Craigellachie, involves very neutral colours and furnishings.
The hotel’s original features, such as fireplaces and cornicing have been retained, and there are some lovely antique furniture pieces. Its open fires have been re-instated, and each of the hotel’s 28 bedrooms and en-suites have been refurbished in keeping with the traditional feel of the hotel.
Thomson Projects carried out the work although Malcolm Thomson told DRAM, “Originally our brief was to refurbish the bedrooms, and do some external work. But then Piers came back and asked us to do the Copper Dog pub, breakfast room and new Quaich bar.”
If you are a returning visitor to the Craigellachie the first thing you notice is that when you walk in, the Quaich Bar, which was situated on your right and was a traditional dark green and tartan bar area with walls filled with whisky, has been converted into a bright and airy space which looks twice the size. This area is now considered to be a room for meetings – a boardroom of sorts, and houses a couple of cream sofa’s, a chaise lounge and an antique sideboard which acts as an honesty bar. The windows too appear much bigger – you certainly hardly recognise it as the same room.
The new Quaich Bar, which will open later in the summer, is now situated at the rear of the hotel, and is much larger and brighter than the original. The wall will still be lined with whisky but now they will be cased bespoke cabinets, created by Thomson Projects, from ex-VAT (not of the HMRC variety) timbers. Explains Malcolm, “The timbers have all been kiln dried and the saw-milled timbers made into the panels. The shelves of the new cabinets are all under lit and give the bottles a golden glow. The bar itself will be formed in the shape of half a Quaich, but will be wooden like the original Quaich’s were, it is currently being hand-made.”
The ceiling in the new Quaich bar has also been wood panelled in Oregon pine, which is not original, but has been created by Thomson’s.
The other change to this part of the hotel is the addition of a balcony. Kevin explains, “When we looked at some old photographs of the hotel from around 1896 we spotted it had a balcony. And once Piers saw it he had to have it back. It is a direct replica of the original style.” Says Malcolm, “We had to re-create the original lattice work but I think it was worth it because it looks great.”
The balcony which is fairly substantial offers great views over the Spey valley and also presents guests with the ideal area to partake of a smoke.
Once you have got over the shock of the Quaich bar moving, you can enjoy the new-look entrance to the hotel which has also been given some TLC – all the floors throughout the hotel have either been restored or carpeted. In the public areas the wooden floors have been stripped back and lovely Chinese rugs now adorn them, while the stairs will be carpeted in Tweed. In the foyer the fire has been restored and now works, in fact all the fires in the hotel are now in working order.
General Manager, Kevin Smith explains, “We had five fireplaces, but only one worked. Now they all do, and we will be burning peat in them.”
The library has been re-decorated in a lovely yellow shade from the Farrow and Ball palette – in fact all the paint used is from the same colour palette – pale yellow’s, blues, sage green and cream. While the fabrics and upholstery mainly come from Johnstons of Elgin, and feature softly twisted line and lambswool yarns and tweedy marls. While the many throws you see throughout the hotel, particularly in the bedrooms, are also made of cashmere and from Johnstons too. Says Kevin, “We wanted to use natural fabrics, and have quality rather than bling. We wanted the hotel to have a country house feel and using a mix of fabrics and a neutral palate creates this impression.” There are also lots of different cushions scattered around which, although coming from Johnstons, feature fabric from Timorous Beasties.
The biggest changes in the hotel are the two wining and dining areas – the Quaich has been moved, and downstairs a new pub has been created called the Copper Dog.
Says Malcolm, “The Copper Dog was very much an organic build. We stripped the area back and then we could see the space that we had to work with. Before the area had been the dining room and it was very dark and quite dingy. When we stripped it back we discovered some lovely stone work and we simply restored the stone walls and wooden floors and painted the concrete floors. We also created walls lined with reclaimed whisky vat timbers which I think gives a traditional but homely feel to the bar. The idea was to make it look like it was a bar that had evolved and not one that had been designed.”
The Copper Dog, mischievously named after the cylinders distillery workers used to pilfer whisky from, also has a bar which is made of copper, with the front of the bar looking like it is made from whisky vats, and the lamps are also copper pan lamps. The furniture has been sourced from auction rooms, and much of it looks like it was made for the pub. Guests can now see into the kitchen, and can savour the tempting smells of the food, while large rugs add warmth to the bar.
Says Kevin, “Local suppliers have been handpicked including beef from Raeburn’s in Huntly, game from Estates Direct and sustainable seafood coming direct from Buckie. The bar is well stocked with a range of lagers and beers with Tennent’s lager on tap and a selection of real Scottish ales from the Windswept Brewing Company among other local breweries.”
Upstairs all the rooms have been redecorated and refurnished and every bathroom has been totally renewed. The colours are neutral, the fabrics are all top quality and the furniture includes four poster beds. All the bathrooms are tiled, with slate floors and Burlington sanitary ware. Says Malcolm, “They were originally avocado and that pink from the 70’s. Now they are white and we’ve used traditional tongue and groove wood and slate, with white tiles.”
Piers said of The Craigellachie, “Most of my businesses are related to bars and restaurants in London and internationally so I really hadn’t considered a hotel in the Highlands of Scotland. However, there is something special about The Craigellachie and Speyside. There is a real sense of community in the area and I really want The Craigellachie to continue to be part of that!” I’m sure it will be.