Sponsored Feature with LONDON ESSENCE
FOR the latest in our series with London Essence, SLTN visited Crieff Hydro – fresh from its recent £5.6m refurbishment – to talk to newly appointed Head of Food & Beverage Nisse Laiho-Murdoch about pouring perfect drinks at Scotland’s premiere family resort.
Eight generations on from its 1868 creation as a temperate ‘hydropathic’ hotel, Crieff Hydro has decisively addressed its historic shortage of bars with a major refit creating no less than 10 drinks outlets across the site, with a spectacular main bar at its heart, an upgrade that has involved the integration of London Essence Freshly Infused founts throughout.
How are your guests responding to the new-look Crieff Hydro?
“We used to have restaurants for hundreds of people, but only enough bar space for 70-odd, which never made sense. If people were wanting a pre-dinner drink or a post dinner drink, there wasn’t really a place for them to go.
“So this is the first time we’ve had a central bar in the hotel that guests can come to on a Friday or Saturday night… and it is just bouncing.
“These days, F&B needs to be much more about the experience and the wow factor. People are more money cautious. While they are still spending within our industry, when they do, it has to be worth every penny.
“What we can now offer them here really feeds into that.”
How do you tailor your drinks menu to the resort’s guests?
“Crieff Hydro is great for families – mum and dad, there with three kids to run about across our 900 acres – but our new F&B spaces make us perfect for couples too.
“Of course a key part of our offer is two hours of free childcare for guests each day, which creates valuable moments for those parents to be couples too.
“The demand then is for Aperol spritzes, espresso martinis, and Moretti on draught.
“What works particularly well with the London Essence Indian Tonic Water is our own 1881 Hydro Gin, which we make ourselves at Peebles Hydro. That is a very big seller.
“Our bar team come up with their own cocktails, and we have a cocktail of the week, and our own seasonal specials, so there is something for everyone.
How has London Essence dispense tied in with the resort’s makeover?
“There’s more than a dozen of the Freshly Infused founts across our bars, and the addition of all those flavours post-mix is just incredible.
“People are now knowing the brand, and its flavours, so they will say ‘hey I’ll have the Raspberry & Rose Crafted Soda’, or ‘I’m going to try that gin, but I want it with the Blood Orange & Elderflower Tonic Water’, and that really does help us.
“Sustainability and storage wise, it is incredible. There is a clear price saving because it avoids the recycling of thousands of bottles.
“They’ve been a brilliant partner in the refurb.”
How have your bar team taken to the Freshly Infused founts?
“I had expected an operational challenge from customers accustomed to ordering a G&T and getting a bottle of tonic on the side. But that hasn’t been the case.
“The benefit of the London Essence product is we are saying ‘let our mixologists and bartenders look after you in terms of how the drink should be served’.
“That puts it back to the bar team, opening up a space for them to be creative.
“More practically, the fount smart screens are popular with our staff.”
Spritz serve:
- Aperol
- Prosecco Vita Amica
- London Essence White Peach & Jasmine Crafted Soda
Gin serve:
- 1881 Hydro Gin
- London Essence Indian Tonic Water
- Dehydrated orange garnish
