By Susan Young
The Bier Halle is 25 years old. I find that hard to believe in many ways because I was there on its opening night. In fact, we covered the opening party in our sister publication Repertoire. But not only that it looks almost identical today as it did then, bar the wear and tear, and there is not much of that when you consider the volume of people that have passed through its doors.
I have to say when Colin opened the Bier Halle it was a shock to the system because up until then the bars that he had opened were of the style-
bar variety. For example, The Lounge, The Living Room and The Apartment, although I’m not sure that he didn’t steal these names from his dad – who had nicknamed his sons Lounge Barr, Cocktail Barr and Disco Barr. Says Colin, “Matt worked in boutiques and he was called Cocktail Barr, Adam always faffing around he was called Lounge – and I think I was the Disco Barr …it was his wee thing.”
Colin also opened clubs including The Tunnel and Volcano. These were the heady days of the 90s – when partying was the be-all and end-all. When we went out just about every night until the very early hours. He and his former wife Kelly were mad about fashion, music, and hospitality and they excelled on all fronts. If there was a party to be had they were hosting it. Roll on to today and we both admit we prefer to be home and tucked in before the witching hour of 8pm!
But by far the most successful of Colin’s venues has been the Bier Halle.
We caught up to reminisce over a cup of mint tea and a shot of the Bier Halle speciality a Werther’s distilled vodka shot.
The Bier Halle was designed in collaboration with Colin and Alan Pert, who now resides in Australia. It was the very first of the industrial-led venues to hit Scotland. Its polished concrete floor, industrial-style lighting and heavy wooden furniture may seem quite normal today, but back then it was a revelation.
Colin explains, “Alan had just come back from Berlin, and I was fed up having to re-do a bar every three years. I didn’t want to repeat the faults that I had despaired of in the style bars. I was fed up spending 15% on repairs and renewals.
“We used Douglas Fir for the tables – the hardest wood you can get, saddle leather for the seat cushions – again the hardest wearing leather and concrete.“
He points to the lighting rig above us, “In 25 years we have only had to replace one bulb!”
However the Bier Halle just about didn’t happen because Colin had to raise £160K to get it open and at that, he was at a point in his career and personal life when things had been tough. He was newly divorced and bankrupt.
But Colin, as anyone who knows him will tell you, has that ability to bounce back and when he gets an idea he is relentless with it.
He took his Bier Halle idea – which was to have a bar which championed beer and that only served beer that was created in the country of origin, to Angus Meldrum who was the boss of Tennent’s at the time.
Colin explained what he wanted to do, but when Angus suggested that the loan – without any security – would require the bar to sell Tennent’s, Colin didn’t feel it would fit in with his idea but when he told his sister Liz, who was his bookkeeper, the news, she told him to get right back in there and agree to take it. They needed the cash to get the Bier Halle off the ground.
Says Colin, “I then asked Angus to tell me more about Tennents and he told me the guy that invented Tennents had studied Czech brewing methods – and that the main difference was the water used.
“So I came up with the idea of serving a Bier Halle badged lager that was Tennent’s, and he, after a slight delay, agreed to that, and we got the money and Liz became my partner in the business, and is still my partner in this business while Angus became a good friend.”
He continues, “It was a good move for Tennents because although we had estimated we would sell 300 barrels of beer a year, we did, and continue to do about 700 barrels a year. But today we have a deal with Molson Coors and not Tennent’s.”
Colin then embarked on a tour of as many breweries as he could. One of his favourite visits ever was to Weihenstephan- he smiles, “Everyone in the town works for the brewery. It’s only 20 minutes or so from Munich Airport and when I am there I feel like one of the family.”
But he also loved his visit to Asia and to the Tiger Beer brewery. He smiles, “They couldn’t have been more hospitable but they couldn’t pronounce my name – they used to call me Corin and they took me everywhere from Stripper bars to art school bars, and had me eating Scorpions and snakes. The brewery was like something out of Dr No – they all wore white coats and it was spotless. It was fantastic.”
When the Bier Halle first opened it stocked hundreds of bottled beers but now it has reduced its selection to 70.
Says Colin, “When we opened we were one of the few bars specialising in beers, but now there are a lot of people who like to offer something different and there are customers who like to experiment.”
The day it opened when you walked in you could smell the incense. Colin didn’t want people leaving the Bier Halle to smell of the pub. Says he, “I love fashion and I was keen that when people left here the smell of the pub wouldn’t cling to their clothes.”
He also invested in a top-notch air conditioning system and sound system – which would allow people to talk to each other and which could be ramped up for pre-clubbers.
Certainly, when the Bier Halle opened it refreshed the drinking repertoire in Glasgow although initially there were doubters that it would succeed.
Colin smiles, “Someone told me that women wouldn’t come to a basement bar and drink beer. But when I was in Spain I could see that women were drinking San Miguel. I thought things were changing and they were.
“One of my proudest moments was when I looked around the Bier Halle not long after we opened and it was full of women and there were only two men. At that moment I knew we had cracked it. It was a proud moment”.
He continues, “We attract all ages here.” He is right. As I look around the bar there is a father and daughter eating pizza, a group of Belgium football supporters enjoying a beer, a more elderly couple in for a bite of lunch and umpteen tables filled with folk out for an afternoon drink.
Over the years food has become more important. But it is “consistency” Colin says that brings people back. “I’ve had the same chefs since we opened. People get the same quality of food year after year – and we are well known for our dishes. The dough we use in our pizzas is not as filling as Italian dough, and we have a very good gluten-free offering. Some people come miles just for our pizza!”
He admits the goulash and chilli that the pub serves came from a Hungarian Housewives Cookbook that he bought in Borders bookshop many years ago.
He says, “I thought they were great recipes and we have kept the same dishes every since. “A lot of people come to eat, we have a 40/60 food-to-drink split. Eating is a big part of our culture and I like that part. We are not just a pub selling booze. That’s important. We also attract a preclub group but on a Friday Saturday only and having an outside experience is great too.”
Certainly, the outside space does a roaring trade. Colin jumped on the opportunity to utilise adjacent outside space and over the years, with canny negotiating, he has managed to adopt other outside area sites in the vicinity but admits it would not have been possible if he hadn’t purchased some nearby storage space – so he has the ability to store his outdoor furniture.
He is set to open a ‘Hot Bar’ outside Charlotte Tilbury’s soon. That will bring the number of outside seats he has to 120. The space is utilised all year round, particularly at weekends.
He has also been quite savvy when it comes to attracting local workers to the bar. All local staff get a 20% discount at the bar. Colin believes this has helped to create a social hub and he hopes when their customers ask where to go for a drink that the retail staff recommend the Bier Halle.
He tells me the Bier Halle would not be the success it was without the team he has behind him – from Drew – who came in to help him at the Lounge and never left, to his sister Liz, and son Josh.
Also, the team members who have been at his side through thick and thin. Colin admits that celebrating the 25th anniversary brings a tear to his eye, but he also tells me that from next year son Josh and daughter Skye will take over the day-to-day running of the business.
He says, “Skye is more front of house and has come back to Scotland to take over, and Josh has opened his own very successful bars – it’s time for the next generation to make their mark. As it is I don’t make a decision without talking to Josh. Over the last 25 years, Drew and I have been here just about every day – now it is time for us to have a bit more time to ourselves.”
However, if you think Colin is retiring… think again! He will remain focussing on his trademark expression “It will all end in biers!”
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