Scotland’s licensed trade celebrated in style at the Scottish Bar and Pub Awards on August 15th after the crème de la crème of the industry picked up industry gongs at the event held at The Glasgow Hilton, Glasgow
Glasgow pipped Edinburgh for the number of gongs given out with Saint Luke’s, Atlantic Bar & Brasserie, Vroni’s, the Bier Halle and Bag O’Nails all receiving accolades. However Edinburgh bars Bon Vivant and Hamilton’s flew the flag for the capital city. The Bon Vivant is Scotland’s Disaronno Cocktail Bar of the Year while Hamilton’s picked up the Tennent’s Quality Award.
Ayrshire businessmen Bill Costley of Costley & Costley and Colin Blair of Buzzworks were applauded by the guests as Bill received the Gordon & MacPhail Award for Success while Colin picked up the accolade Flow Entrepreneur of the Year. Meanwhile Arran’s Linda Johnson of Auchrannie was given a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Renfrewshire-based Manorview Hotels won the Bright Signals Social Media Award while Eaglesham pub The Swan was voted best for Casual Dining.
Galashiels was represented by The Clovenfords Hotel which won the Diageo Award for Social Responsibility and Community having opened a village shop in the pub.
Saint Luke’s in Glasgow was not only the favourite Dog Friendly Pub in Scotland but it also picked up the coveted Sunday Mail Pub of the Year Mirror, after judges deemed it the very best out of all the winners.
Stirling’s The Birds & Bees was given the top award in the category Sunday Mail Pub Spy of the Year.
Uddingston business Angels Hotel won the award for the best Renovation of the Year for its incredible make-over, and Bag O’Nails in Glasgow won the Kopparberg Independent Bar of the Year accolade. Vroni’s won Inverarity-Morton Wine by the Glass award and Atlantic Bar & Grill won the BII Customer Service Award. The Bier Halle team in Glasgow received the gong for Molson Coors Craft Beer Bar.
Whisky Bar of the year was hotly contested with The Keys in St Andrews the worthy recipient and the Country Pub of the Year title was won by The Old Mill Inn in Pitlochry. Makar Gin New Bar of the Year was presented to Milngavie establishment Finsbay.
The William Grant Bar Apprentice of the Year went to James Marchant-Wink of Rabble in Edinburgh.
The Awards, which were established 22 years ago, are the longest running honours for the Scottish licensed trade. They are run by industry publication DRAM. Said Publisher, Susan Young, “It’s great to see the standard of Scotland’s bars and pubs. They are a real credit to our hospitality industry. Well done, everyone.”
Photographs will be available from Thursday online at dramscotland.co.uk. If higher resolution images are required contact 0141 221 6965.
WHISKI Bar and Restaurant in Edinburgh has been announced as a finalist for the Wee Dram Whisky Bar of the Year prize at the 2014 DRAM Scottish Licensed Trade Awards, which take place at The Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow on Monday July 7th.
The Wee Dram Whisky Bar of the Year award seeks to recognise licensees that got to extraordinary lengths to promote Scotch whisky within their own establishment. An excellent range of whisky on the back bar is a necessity and staff should be well trained and enthusiastic when it comes to recommending whisky to their customers. A good, hearty Scottish welcome is also considered a must.
Owned by Gary and Anne Still, WHISKI has established a reputation for delivering the ultimate Scottish experience, at the heart of which is the traditional dram. The bar stocks over 280 whiskies, including the legendary Black Bowmore 1964, Release 1. They also invest a lot in staff training, with visits to some of Scotland’s most iconic distilleries organised regularly. Whisky events are also held at the bar all year round, with World Whisky Day on May 17th being one of WHISKI’s biggest days of the year,
The awards, dubbed the licensed trade ‘Oscars,’ are organised by licensed trade magazine, DRAM. Now in their 19th year, they are the longest-established awards of their kind in Scotland, recognising excellence in Scotland’s bar, restaurant and hospitality industries.
The Bow Bar in Edinburgh has been announced as a finalist for the Wee Dram Whisky Bar of the Year prize at the 2014 DRAM Scottish Licensed Trade Awards, which take place at The Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow on Monday July 7th.
The Wee Dram Whisky Bar of the Year award seeks to recognise licensees that got to extraordinary lengths to promote Scotch whisky within their own establishment. An excellent range of whisky on the back bar is a necessity and staff should be well trained and enthusiastic when it comes to recommending whisky to their customers. A good, hearty Scottish welcome is also considered a must.
Owners of The Bow Bar Mike and Joanne Smith are dedicated to Scotch whisky, managing to squeeze 275 single malts onto their back bar’s over-strained shelves, and they ensure their staff are as equally clued up on uisge beatha through the pub’s membership of Scotland Whisky, which trains its members to the level of Whisky Ambassador. A staff training whisky exam is also in place.
The awards, dubbed the licensed trade ‘Oscars,’ are organised by licensed trade magazine, DRAM. Now in their 19th year, they are the longest-established awards of their kind in Scotland, recognising excellence in Scotland’s bar, restaurant and hospitality industries.
The Pot Still in Glasgow has been announced as a finalist for the Wee Dram Whisky Bar of the Year prize at the 2014 DRAM Scottish Licensed Trade Awards, which take place at The Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow on Monday July 7th.
The Wee Dram Whisky Bar of the Year award seeks to recognise licensees that got to extraordinary lengths to promote Scotch whisky within their own establishment. An excellent range of whisky on the back bar is a necessity and staff should be well trained and enthusiastic when it comes to recommending whisky to their customers. A good, hearty Scottish welcome is also considered a must.
The Pot Still is a Glasgow institution, with owner Frank Murphy rejuvenating the venue since taking over in 2011. The bar now boasts 630 whiskies on its back bar, and tutored, private whisky tastings are also available for customers and Frank’s sister Geraldine hosts the UK’s only ladies-only whisky club from the bar. The Murphys’ passion for whisky is infectious, and DRAM’s judges were extremely impressed with The Pot Still’s dedication to Scotland’s national drink.
The awards, dubbed the licensed trade ‘Oscars,’ are organised by licensed trade magazine, DRAM. Now in their 19th year, they are the longest-established awards of their kind in Scotland, recognising excellence in Scotland’s bar, restaurant and hospitality industries.
WINNER:
Lismore Bar
Glasgow
The judges said of the winner, “Over the past year this bar has really taken on the whisky challenge. Its manager’s enthusiasm and training ethic has resulted in exceptionally knowledgeable staff – who are happy to recommend. The bar has also extended its range significantly and is selling, on the malt of the month front alone, 14 cases a month! Finalists:
Teuchters Landing, Edinburgh
Whiski Bar & Restaurant, Edinburgh
