A light-hearted look at people that Editor Susan Young feels deserve a DRAM New Year honour and why.
Angela Vickers – Woman of the Year Gong
Angela is CEO of Apex Hotels which over the last year has expanded into country house hotels snapping up Meldrum House Hotel and the
Pine Trees, Pitlochry which has just undergone a make-over and just before the end of the year Apex bought Dunblane Hydro. As well as heading up Apex for many years she was the Chair of the Hospitality Industry Scotland and has only recently stepped back, although she still is involved – in fact she picked up the 2024 HIT Industry Award last year – a well deserved accolade. Angela also is a guiding light with many other organisations and is happy to share practices and offer advice when required.. She really is a professional and through and through and never seeks the limelight… that why she gets our 2025 Gong.
Louise Maclean – Early Bird Gong
Louise is beginning to get herself noticed by the national media who turn to her when they need a comment or a representative of hospitality to give a viewpoint. As a key member of the Scottish Hospitality Group she is always on hand – even at 5am. As a result she has become a regular contributor to Five Live’s ‘Wake up to Money’ show… for that it means getting up in time for the 5am show… earlier of course to prepare…and she is great – putting across her points eloquently and succinctly and making the case for hospitality. Well done.
Colin Barr – Biggest Party Animal Gong
There’s no doubt about it the Bier Halle’s Colin Barr is still the biggest party animal in town. I don’t know how he does it. He has been a DJ and has been throwing parties for the last 40 plus years… and still enjoys it. He just loves entertaining and seeing folk have a good time whether in his own premises or in Ibiza – his home from home.
Blair Bowman Keeping an eye on DRS Gong
Blair Bowman, knows more about the Deposit Return Scheme than most – and having been very critical, and right, about the former Scottish
DRS – he is still on the case with regard to the upcoming DRS. In fact he has posed the question, “Can a DRS really succeed unless it’s UK-wide and excludes glass?” Keep up the good work Blair.
Fallon Cowley – Multi-Tasking Gong
Not busy enough with her bars and restaurants in the Maraki Group, owner Fallon Cowley branched out and opened a furniture company called Viano Interiors a few years ago with Vivien Smith, which now has shops in Clarkston and Bothwell- and only last month she also launched a beauty business in Bellshill called Wellex. There’s no stopping Fallon, I just wish I had her energy.
Rachel Reeves – Chancellor of Exchequer Bruiser of the Year Gong
Talk about giving the trade a knock out blow – Chancellor Rachel Reeves did this in her budget when she moved the National Insurance threshold from £9,100 to £5K and increased contributions and the minimum wage. If she honestly expects that to encourage growth – she is living in cloud cuckoo land. Her lack of understanding of how business works has meant this year she gets our gong, however the Scottish Government are not off the hook – they only passed on £22m of the rates relief to hospitality despite the fact they got Barnett cash of £145m from the UK Government.
Gordon Bell- Long Service Award Gong
One of the nicest guys in the trade is Gordon Bell, and when he left Tennents/C&C In 2016 he told
me he was planning on taking things a bit easier – a kind of semi-retirement with a bit of consultancy thrown in… the draw of Tennents drew him back in first as a consultant and just over two years ago he rejoined full-time, and this year became Director of Logistics – Scotland and Group Primary for C&C. Although Tennents has had various owners during Gordon’s tenure – it is more than 30 years since he started selling the brand… and he is one of the few familiar faces left there.
Chris Murray – Stripper of the Year Gong
I’ve know Chris Murray for many years, first meeting him with his late father Ian at The Ship in Irvine, which Chris still owns today. I was talking to him ahead of my move to West Kilbride when he revealed he lived there too. Thanks to Chris I got myself a lovely decorator and not only that but Chris came and lent a hand stripping wallpaper too. A real gent. I’ve promised him and wife Lauren a New Year’s drink!
David Wither and Billy Lowe – Mentors of the Year Gong
David Wither and Billy Lowe support a DRAM Award for Emerging Entrepreneur which sees them mentor someone over a year. The winners were Alex and Rachel Palumbo of Hey Palu & Chancho in Edinburgh. However this year they went above and beyond – and have continued their association with some of the runners-up – who tell me that they have had some invaluable support with advice from the entrepreneurs.
Portie Graham – The most lovable dog Gong
We’ve always been dog lovers at the DRAM and it is great that Manorview boss Steve Graham takes his dog Portie – a Portugese water dog with him most of the time. And he is the cutest and cuddliest dog out there and also the most exuberant too. So this year’s gong goes to Portie.
Ceri Smith – Surprise facilitator of the Year
Organising and keeping a surprise is not easy and I always prefer to keep our Lifetime Achievement accolade under wraps until the recipients received it and without someone on the inside – that cannot be achieved. So a big thank you to Ceri Smith of Montpeliers and the team there – who helped us spring the surprise on Ruth and David Wither. The look on their faces was priceless. And to son Craig and daughter Emma who also managed to keep the secret – mega thanks.