In our latest wine column with Tennent’s Direct, SLTN popped into Mharsanta in Glasgow to talk seasonal Scottish produce and quality wines with senior general manager Mae MacInnes.
Located in the heart of Glasgow’s Merchant City, Mharsanta focuses on ‘proper Scottish hospitality’, offering its customers a seasonal menu of the best Scottish dishes accompanied by a list of quality wines. The venue is part of independent group Lomond Leisure, which operates outlets in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Arrochar.
The Dish
Slow cooked Ayrshire pork belly, served with creamy mushroom sauce, Stornoway black pudding pithivier, creamy mash, savoy cabbage & bacon.
The Wine
Rare Vineyards Marsanne-Viognier (France).
How would you describe the customer demographic at Mharsanta?
Mae MacInnes, senior general manager, Lomond Leisure: “Typically our demographic is a little bit older. So your 40 to 70 year-olds.
“We do get a lot of your ladies who lunch crowd. But we also do a lot in the travel trade market. So we work with a lot of different tour groups and partner with them. So if they’ve got a coach tour for a week and they’re going around Scotland they’ll come and use our venues to showcase what Scottish food is all about. They’ll maybe try haggis for the first time, that kind of thing. So a lot of our market are tourists. We’ve kind of captured that market and we’re always looking to expand on it and grow.”
With such a diverse customer base, how challenging is it to put together the right wine list for your clientele?
“It can be quite difficult. Especially nowadays, I think people in general are much more interested in the things they drink. They want to know where it comes from, if it’s a wine they want to know what grapes are used, what region it’s from. I think people have a lot more knowledge than maybe they used to. And people do look for certain things. Like they want their Sauvignon Blanc to be a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, or they want their Merlot to be from Chile. They’re a bit more clued up these days, so we always want to make sure we cover the general basics but also keep an eye on trends as well – what’s new, what people are into.”
How closely do you work with Tennent’s and what is the company like to deal with?
“We’ve had a really long relationship with Tennent’s here and in the other venues. It’s been a good partnership for a long time now. All the wines come from Tennent’s.
“Our Tennent’s rep, Scott, and the wine manager, Liam, are always super helpful and knowledgeable. If they have something new coming in or if we’re updating our menu, they’ll offer to come in and do staff training. It’s helpful for us to know if anything is going out of stock as well. They’ll be there with something that is a direct replacement. They’re super helpful in that way.”
Why is Mharsanta a good fit for Tennent’s Direct?
Liam Dunn, wine development manager, Tennent’s Direct: “We have had the pleasure of working with Mharsanta for many years. It offers the finest selection of Scotland’s larder in a relaxed and friendly setting in the heart of the Merchant City. They have a wonderful fruity wine from the south of France, Rare Vineyards Marsanne-Viognier, which I recommend with everything from their Hand Dived King Scallops to white meat. With their classic Scottish Lamb or Venison I would always recommend their Argentinian Malbec or Rioja Crianza. They also have a very cosy private dining area which is ideal for small group parties.”
