Licensed Trade Hero 2020 is a brand new category at this year’s Scottish Bar & Pub awards reflecting the times we’re living through and this got us thinking about Hospitality Heroes that have gone above and beyond during the Covid crisis. Today we honour Louise Maclean of Signature Pubs.
Louise Maclean has worked non-stop from the start of lockdown to ensure that Edinburgh-based Signature adapted its business, kept all staff engaged while being a fierce standard-bearer for safety in hospitality – like when Nicola Sturgeon was persuaded to visit the group’s Cold Town House on Grassmarket, giving it the safety thumbs-up and sending out a clear post-lockdown message to the world that hospitality venues were safe environments run by responsible operators.
Staff were also engaged online with training programmes and fun activities and Louise helped pivot the business so that McLarens at Holy Corner could serve takeaway beer – with ‘Scranavan’ serving snacks and a takeaway food service too of course.
Louise was made Business Development Director in September this year no doubt in part at least in recognition of all her hard work during this time. She began her career with the company in 2013 as Head of Sales, Marketing and PR before being made Director of Sales & Marketing in 2013.