Blantyre hotel and entertainment venue Crossbasket Castle – which has just undergone a £20million transformation aimed at setting a ‘new benchmark for hospitality in Scotland’ – has appointed Panos Dimou as its head mixologist.
Due to welcome its first guests this weekend, the new Crossbasket Castle offer is based around an ‘upscale’ 40-bedroom hotel and a 1920’s themed entertainment-led restaurant, Trocadero’s.
Dimou studied hospitality and tourism management in Greece, then worked in Mykonos and Switzerland, perfecting his craft in the five-star Badrutt’s Palace Hotel in St Moritz, where he worked as a bartender in its Nobu restaurant for two years, before moving to Glasgow in 2016.
As Crossbasket’s head mixologist, he is tasked with elevating the drinks offering to create a distinctive experience for guests, while working closely with the kitchen to marry flavours to the menu.
Dimou said: “We are creating something truly special at Crossbasket Castle. This is a place where attention to detail is crucial and we are taking exceptional care when selecting the ingredients and products that we use.
“Our drinks menu will have the finest selection of wines, spirits and champagnes, as well as a highly desirable cocktail menu, which offers a blend of theatrics and a sensory feast that will set it apart from anything else in Glasgow.
“At Trocadero’s the bar offering will be a central part of the experience, and not just an add on to the restaurant. When you bring in the entertainment aspect, you create an electrifying atmosphere that will draw in guests from all around the world.”
For this weekend’s launch, Trocadero’s tagline is ‘Where Champagne Flows and Anything Goes’, and the focus is on evoking the ‘Golden era’ of the 1920s, with cocktails themed around that decade.
Managing director of Crossbasket Castle, Graeme Green, said: “Panos’ years of knowledge combined with his experience from other notably extraordinary five-star hotels is a fantastic addition to our already incredible team.”
