Brewers go direct as pubs close

SCOTLAND’S breweries are stepping up direct sales to consumers amid the latest coronavirus restrictions on pubs. Bars cannot currently sell alcohol indoors, with those in the Central Belt closed completely. Alva-based Harviestoun Brewery has lifted the lid on how the latest restrictions are hitting its business. Joint managing director Stu Cook said: “This is a…

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How to spot Scotland’s winter wildlife

Paul Sharman, business development manager at Hebridean Adventures, and binocular maker Swarovski offer tips for spotting winter wildlife in Scotland. 1. Be in the right place at the right time for the best chance of success There are some very seasonal highlights as well as localised species to target in Scotland, and a little forward…

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REVIEW: Tea for two at Edinburgh’s The Register Club

Having survived the many months of lockdown fads (exploding sourdough starters and endless banana loaves included) it’s high time we hung up our pinnies and let someone else do the baking. Indulging in a little luxury, we skipped off to Edinburgh’s The Register Club who have reopened their doors in style, offering us the chance…

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Game dishes to mark National Curry Week

THE British Game Alliance has unveiled an online cook-along and a series of recipes to celebrate National Curry Week. Braehead Foods will run the curry night on 26 November as part of Great British Game Week. Fifty participants will receive a link to the Zoom cookery session and a box of ingredients to create a…

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Scottish brands offer ‘Sober October’ serving suggestions

A PAIR of Scottish brands has teamed up to raise money for MacMillan Cancer Support during Sober October. Rapscallion Soda and alcohol-free “spirit” maker Feragaia will each donate £1 for each online sale made from Monday until the end of the month. Gregor Leckie, founder of Rapscallion Soda, said: “It’s always been our mission to…

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Sober October: soda, ‘gin’ and ‘beer’

As ‘Sober October’ gets underway, Peter Ranscombe rounds up some of the latest non-alcohol releases and revisits some old favourites. BETWEEN “Dry January” and “Sober October”, it’s getting harder and harder for a drinks writer to earn a living… so, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. The latest month of abstinence is the ideal…

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A Week in Whisky: ‘Pat’s’ collection goes under the hammer

THE largest whisky collection ever to come up for auction starts going under the hammer today. More than 9,000 bottles have been assembled by “Pat”, an anonymous collector, and are together expected to fetch $5 million (£3.9m). The first batch will be on sale at WhiskyAuctioneer.com until 5 October. Iain McClune, the website’s founder, said:…

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Review: Barolo, Glasgow

Elis Elliot visits a Glasgow institution that’s reopened recently following a refit. IT’S still a novelty, eating out, meeting friends and travelling. So it’s safe to say that I was a little bit excited by the prospect of taking a bus and a train to Glasgow to meet an old friend and enjoy cocktails and…

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A Week in Whisky: Colourful capers

GLENKINCHIE Distillery in East Lothian has been presented with a gold certificate by the Green Tourism scheme. The site is only the third distillery in Scotland to receive the accreditation. It is also the first premises owned by Diageo, Scotland’s largest distillery, to achieve the standard. The distillery has installed beehives, bat houses and bug…

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Festival to boost Glasgow coffee shops

GLASGOW Coffee Festival is taking to the streets to promote local businesses. The festival, which has been running for six years, was due to take place in May, but was postponed due to the lockdown. Plans to run the festival indoors next month have now also had to be changed to fit in with Scottish…

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