Desperately Seeking the Greatest Scottish Bars and Pubs
There are some of the best pubs and bars in the world in Scotland but the question is ‘What bars and pubs have made an impression on Scottish customers this year? That’s the question that the organisers of the 2019 Scottish Bar and Pub Awards are asking. For this year’s awards theme follows along from the success of this year’s movie hit The Greatest Showman.
The organisers are aiming to recognise The Greatest Bars and Pubs in Scotland although organiser SusanYoung admits that that’s exactly what they have been doing for the past 24 years. She comments, “It’s hard to believe that it has been 24 years since we first started the licensed trade pub awards – we were the first magazine to celebrate all that’s good and great about Scotland’s licensed trade.”
She continues, “Last year we had an exceptional entry – with customers voting online. We received more than 3,000 nominations and then we sent our mystery shoppers out.”
Edinburgh winners included Brewhemia, Black Ivy, Sygn, Usquebae and Montpeliers. The bars picked up the accolades Molson Coors Beer Bar of the Year, Hotel Bar of the Year, Disaronno Cocktail Bar of the year Whisky Bar of the year and Casual Dining Award, respectively. While awards also went to Glasgow’s Brel, Aberfoyle’s The Forth Inn, The Olds Mill at Pitlochry, The Pop Up Geeks in Edinburgh, Buzzworks in Prestwick, The Dowans Hotel in Aberlour, Kylesku Hotel in Sutherland, T- Bar in Ayrshire, The Citizen in Glasgow and The Swan Inn, Eaglesham.
The awards have a dedicated website and you can vote online at www.scottishbarandpubsawards.com
Susan Young comments, “Obviously bars and pubs can nominate themselves but they should also encourage their customers to vote for them. After all, you have got to be in it, to win it.”
The finalists will be announced at the beginning of July with the awards ceremony taking place at the Hilton in Glasgow on 20th August.
April 2019
Enquiries to Susan Young on 0141 221 6965
Scottish Bar & Pub Awards 2018 Photo Gallery
2018 Winners Announced!
We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2018 Scottish Bar & Pub Awards.
Congratulations to our winners and a massive thank you to everyone who took part!
Antos Dog Friendly Pub of the Year
The Forth Inn, Aberfoyle
BII Award for Customer Service
The Old Mill Inn, Pitlochry
Buzzworks/Flow Young Entrepreneur of the Year
Rachel Carpenter & Linden Wilkinson, Pop Up Geeks
Critics' Choice Casual Dining Award
Montpeliers, Edinburgh
Diageo Award for Social Responsibility and Community
Buzzworks, Prestwick
Disaronno Cocktail Bar
Sygn, Edinburgh
DRAM Manager of the Year
Caroline Wright, Jinty McGinty's, Glasgow
Gordon & MacPhail Award for Success
The Dowans Hotel, Aberlour
Hotel Scotland Hotel Bar of the Year
Black Ivy, Edinburgh
Inverarity Morton Wine by the Glass Award
Kylesku Hotel, Skye
Kopparberg New Bar of the Year
T-Bar, Ayrshire
Molson Coors Beer Bar of the Year
Brewhemia, Edinburgh
Open Ear Country Pub of the Year
The Swan Inn, Eaglesham
The Pub Spy Award
The Citizen, Glasgow
The DRUM Social Media Award
John Carrigan's, Hamilton
William Grant & Sons Bar Apprentice 2018
Ellie Raeside, Candy Bar, Edinburgh
A Wee DRAM Whisky Bar of the Year
Usquabae Whiskey Bar and Larder, Edinburgh
The Wee Guide Best Outside Area
Brel, Glasgow
2018 Finalists Announced!
It's been a top scoring year for the 2018 Scottish Bar and Pub Awards with more than 3,000 nominations for bars and pubs received for the awards. This has made it a record year.
The public, and drinks company representatives, have been voting in their droves on the Scottish Bar and Pub Awards website and the finalists are revealed below.
Says organiser Susan Young, who publishes industry magazine DRAM, “Last year we had nearly 2,000- entries and this year that number has soared. We also had more people telling us why they were voting for their favourite bar or pub which has helped us whittle the entries down.”
She continues, “The standard of entry has been particularly high and in some categories instead of four finalists there are five. Mystery shoppers have been visiting the nominated pubs, and judges, including myself, have been visiting the venues to ensure that the winners of the awards are 'simply the best.'
The Awards list and finalists list are alphabetical.
Antos Dog Friendly Pub of the Year
The Forth Inn, Aberfoyle
Saint Lukes, Glasgow
The Stable Bar, Edinburgh
Siberia Vodka Bar, Aberdeen
The Wally Dug, Edinburgh
BII Award for Customer Service
John Carrigan's, Blantyre
Lion & The Unicorn, Stirling
No 38, East Kilbride
The Old Mill Inn, Pitlochry
Buzzworks/Flow Young Entrepreneur of the Year
Jody Buchan and Sam Baxendale, Kin
Rachel Carpenter & Linden Wilkinson, Pop Up Geeks
Ryan Bowman, The Alpen Loge
Critics' Choice Casual Dining Award
Lord of the Isle, Craobh Haven
Montpeliers, Edinburgh
The Swan Inn, Eaglesham
The West House, Dundee
Diageo Award for Social Responsibility and Community
Akva, Edinburgh
Buzzworks, Prestwick
Driftwood, Glasgow
Manorview, Busby
Disaronno Cocktail Bar
Angels Hotel, Uddingston
The Parlour, Glasgow
Tigerlily, Edinburgh
Sygn, Edinburgh
DRAM Manager of the Year
Amy Maitland, The West House, Dundee
Matthew Ronald, Blue Dog, Glasgow
Caroline Wright, Jinty McGinty's, Glasgow
Gordon & MacPhail Award for Success
Meldrum House Country Hotel, Old Meldrum
The Dowans Hotel, Aberlour
The George Hotel, Inveraray
Under the Stairs, Edinburgh
Hotel Scotland Hotel Bar of the Year
Black Ivy, Edinburgh
Dakota Bar & Grill Edinburgh Forth Bridge
Orocco Pier Hotel, South Queensferry
Royal Mackintosh Hotel, Dunbar
Inverarity Morton Wine by the Glass Award
Vroni's Wine Bar, Glasgow,
Seamill Hydro Hotel, Seamill
La Petite Mort, Edinburgh
Kylesku Hotel, Skye
Acid Bar SWG3, Glasgow
Kopparberg New Bar of the Year
Black Ivy, Edinburgh
Finsbay Flatiron, Glasgow
Church on the Hill, Glasgow
T-Bar, Ayrshire
The Citizen, Glasgow
Molson Coors Beer Bar of the Year
Brewhemia, Edinburgh
The Angels Hotel, Uddingston
The Raeburn, Edinburgh
The Raven, Glasgow
Open Ear Country Pub of the Year
The Crosskeys, Kippen
The Hillside, Montrose
The Old Mill Inn, Killearn
The Swan Inn, Eaglesham
The Pub Spy Award
Inn on the Loch, Lanark
Outside Inn, Larbert
Souter's Inn, Kirkowald
The Citizen, Glasgow
The Riccarton Inn, Edinburgh
Scottish Bar and Pub Awards Social Media Award
Brewhemia, Edinburgh
John Carrigan's, Hamilton
Haig's, Penicuik
The Torfin, Edinburgh
A Wee DRAM Whisky Bar of the Year
Ballygrant Inn, Islay
The Black Cat, Edinburgh
The Lochside, Islay
Usquabae Whiskey Bar and Larder, Edinburgh
The Wee Guide Best Outside Area
Angels Hotel, Uddingston
Brel, Glasgow
Forbes of Kingennie, Dundee
Indigo Yard, Edinburgh
William Grant & Sons Bar Apprentice 2018
Anastasia Mourgela, Hutchesons City Grill, Glasgow
Ellie Raeside, Candy Bar, Edinburgh
Frank Donnelly, The Raven, Glasgow
Kris Rose, Scotts, Troon
Liam Kemp, Draffens, Dundee
Luke Bryant, Copper Blossom, Edinburgh
Patrycja Olska, Finsbay Flatirons, Glasgow
Richard Jones, The Pear Tree, Edinburgh
Sanni Fiina Jokinen, Pearce's, Edinburgh
Sarah Nelson, Holyrood 9A, Edinburgh
The awards ceremony takes place on the 21st August 2018 at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow's William Street.
Congratulations and good luck to all the finalists!
Voting Now Open!
We are delighted to launch the 2018 Scottish Bar and Pub Awards.
As usual, we are inviting nominations for the various categories from the trade and from customers too. If you are a rep and have trade customers who you feel deserve to be nominated please put them forward. We will also be inviting customers to vote for their favourite bars and pubs too.
As last year all the winning bars and pubs will be put forward for the accolade Sunday Mail Pub of the Year.
This year for the first time we have an award supported by Buzzworks and Flow – the two companies have collaborated to seek out enterprising young entrepreneurs, who they will mentor over the next 12 months.
Our sponsors this year include: BII, Buzzworks, Caledonia Inns, Critics Choice, Diageo, Disaronno, Flow, Gordon & MacPhail, Inverarity Morton, Kopparberg, Molson Coors, Wm Grant & Sons brands include Glenfiddich Single Malt Whisky, Hendrick’s Gin and Sailor Jerry; and the Sunday Mail.
Our final categories and sponsors will be revealed next month, but keep checking the website for updates.
In another change this year we will be surveying bar staff and customers to find out Scotland’s favourite spirits. These will be unveiled on the night.
Good luck!