TV star Kate Thornton hands prizes to 23 venues, individuals and operators and Harry Hood takes 2012 Award for Industry Achievement as 17th annual SLTN Awards are unveiled in Glasgow
CELEBRATION, drama, tears, laughter and joy.
No, this isn’t a summary of the final episode of this season’s Downton Abbey, but the presentation of the 2012 SLTN Awards in Glasgow last week.
This Morning presenter Kate Thornton was the celebrity compere as the winners of 23 individual award categories were announced before 700 guests at the Hilton Hotel, with success coming from all parts of the country.
Glasgow, and in particular Stravaigin in the west end, was the biggest winner on the night.
But there was joy too for people and businesses in and around Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Fraserburgh, Fort William, Perthshire and Ayshire, as the industry’s finest operators put their business challenges momentarily to the side and reflected on a year of success.
It was an especially memorable night for everyone connected to Stravaigin, the bar and restaurant owned by Carol Wright and Colin Clydesdale, which triumphed in three categories.
Equally the best haul ever taken by an individual business at the SLTN Awards (Edinburgh venue Voodoo Rooms scored a hat-trick back in 2008), Stravaigin won the Wine, Inspiration and Restaurant of the Year (under £35 category) Awards.
But while Stravaigin equalled a record a Highland business made a brand new one. Fiddler’s in Drumnadrochit, led by malt enthusiast Jon Beach, won the Whisky Bar of the Year Award for an unprecedented fourth time.
Stravaigin’s success capped a great night for Glasgow at the Awards, with the west end venue one of seven winners from Scotland’s biggest city.
Campus, Carlo Citti’s student-led venue on Sauchiehall Street, was at the double, taking the inaugural Year of Sport Award and the Social Responsibility Award.
Two venues in the east end of the city took awards: The Kimberley Tavern in Tollcross was named Community Bar of the Year and West on Glasgow Green was named Family Outlet of the Year. And there were wins for three city centre venues: The Rooftop Terrace at 29 on Royal Exchange Square took the Award for Best Smoking Facilities; Mal Spence of five-star hotel Blythswood Square was named Mixologist of the Year; and Metropolitan on Candleriggs won the award for Late Night Venue of the Year.
But Glasgow didn’t have it all its own way. Ayrshire hotel firm SimpsInns netted two of the prestigious corkscrews – not only did Waterside in Seamill win the Refurbishment Award, the project that brought it to life also gained founder Malcolm Simpson the Entrepreneur Award.
Cheers in Fraserburgh had plenty to shout about, winning one prize (Beer Quality) and taking highly commended slots in two (Best Smoking Facilities and Social Responsibility).
The night’s other winners were: Bond No.9 in Leith (Spirits Bar of the Year); Alec Trousdale of the Queen’s Arms in Edinburgh (Barperson of the Year); Orchid in Aberdeen (Cocktail Bar of the Year); The Roost in Bridge of Earn (Restaurant of the Year £35 and over); the Oak Tree in Balmaha (Independent Pub or Bar of the Year); Dale Monk of the Crofter bar in Fort William (Licensee of the Year); Martin Young of the Mains of Scotstown Inn in Bridge of Don (Award for Community Giant); and PB Devco in Aberdeen (Independent Multiple Operator the Year).
The ceremony concluded with the Award for Industry Achievement, which this year went to Harry Hood, the founder of Lanarkshire’s Lisini Pub Co
Visit http://www.sltnawards.com
Winners and highly commended finalists
Spirits Bar of the Year, sponsored by Bacardi-Brown Forman Brands
Winner: Bond No.9, Edinburgh
Highly commended: 99 Bar & Kitchen, Aberdeen; Treacle, Edinburgh.
Whisky Bar of the Year, sponsored by First Drinks
Winner: Fiddler’s, Drumnadrochit
Highly commended: Bon Accord, Glasgow; Whiski Rooms, Edinburgh.
Wine Award, sponsored by Forth Wines
Winner: Stravaigin, Glasgow
Highly commended: Divino Enoteca, Edinburgh; Kinloch Lodge, Skye
Community Pub of the Year, sponsored by McEwan’s
Winner: The Kimberley Tavern, Glasgow
Highly commended: Grays Inn, Aberdeen; The Parkville, Blantyre
Refurbishment of the Year, sponsored by Business Cash Advance
Winner: The Waterside, Seamill
Highly commended: Dalziel Park, Motherwell; Vespbar, Glasgow
Barperson of the Year, sponsored by Molson Coors
Winner: Alec Trousdale, The Queen’s Arms, Edinburgh
Highly commended: Rhona-Kathryn Burton, The Bungo, Glasgow; Peter Brown, Linlithgow Bowling
Club
Beer Quality Award, sponsored by Tennent’s
Winner: Cheers Café Bar & Tavern, Fraserburgh
Highly commended: The Fly Half Bar, North Berwick; The Pot Still, Glasgow
Cocktail Bar of the Year, sponsored by Angostura Aromatic Bitters
Winner: Orchid, Aberdeen
Highly commended: Hyde Out, Edinburgh; Tiki Bar and Kitsch Inn, Glasgow
Mixologist of the Year, sponsored by Pernod Ricard and Bar Nomadics
Winner: Mal Spence, Blythswood Square, Glasgow
Highly commended: Dean Evans, the Finnieston, Glasgow; Iain McPherson, Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh
Award for Best Smoking Facilities, sponsored by Imperial Tobacco
Winner: the Rooftop Terrace at 29, Glasgow
Highly commended: Ardlui Hotel, Loch Lomond; Cheers Café Bar & Tavern, Fraserburgh
Year of Sport Award, sponsored by Heineken UK Winner: Campus, Glasgow
Highly commended: Rhoderick Dhu, Glasgow; Westport Bar, Arbroath
Restaurant of the Year, £35 and over category, sponsored by Bunnahabhain
Winner: The Roost Restaurant, Bridge of Earn
Highly commended: Brian Maule at Le Chardon d’Or, Glasgow
Restaurant of the Year, £35 and under category, sponsored by Bunnahabhain
Winner: Stravaigin, Glasgow
Highly commended: Wedgwood the Restaurant, Edinburgh
Independent Pub or Bar of the Year, sponsored by Kopparberg Cider
Winner: the Oak Tree, Balmaha
Highly commended: Sygn, Edinburgh; Vodka Wodka, Glasgow
Social Responsibility Award, sponsored by Diageo GB Winner: Campus, Glasgow
Highly commended: Bond No.9, Leith; Cheers Café Bar & Tavern, Fraserburgh
Family Outlet of the Year, sponsored by Coca-Cola Enterprises
Winner: West, Glasgow
Highly commended: the River House Restaurant, Stirling; the Waterside Bistro, Haddington
Late Night Venue of the Year, sponsored by Red Bull
Winner: Metropolitan, Glasgow
Highly commended: Slouch, Glasgow; Sugar Cube Nightclub, Glasgow
Inspiration Award, sponsored by Carlsberg
Winner: Stravaigin, Glasgow
Highly commended: Mundell Music, The Green Hotel, Kinross; Royal Mackintosh Hotel, Dunbar
Licensee of the Year, sponsored by Wallaces Express
Winner: Dale Monk, the Crofter, Fort William
Highly commended: Stephen McDonald, Lounge and Room, Largs; Graham Suttle, Lebowskis, Glasgow
Award for Community Giant, sponsored by Johnnie Walker
Winner: Martin Young, Mains of Scotstown Inn, Bridge of Don
Highly commended: Keren Cafferty, The Puffer Bar & Restaurant, Easdale; Stephen McDonald, Lounge
and Room, Largs
Independent Multiple Operator of the Year, sponsored by Smirnoff
Winner: PB Devco
Highly commended: Lynnet Leisure; Maclay Inns
Entrepreneur of the Year, sponsored by Punch Taverns
Winner: Malcolm Simpson, co-founder SimpsInns
Award for Industry Achievement, sponsored by Maxxium UK
Winner: Harry Hood, founder, Lisini Pubco
