6,534 miles for the only medal of 2020

2020 is obviously a year which none of us will ever forget. I am very thankful however, that much of the ongoing fitness has been possible, and I have remained free-of-injury for the entire year. And the year has ended with a single medal, which took me 6,534 miles to achieve. 

Here is the medal, against the mirrored shine of Balbirnie's Long Gallery 2020 Christmas tree. 

 

As part of the scope of entering for this medal, everyone had to provide their own 20 character medal wording: 

Nicola Philp is a fellow member of the amazing, local, friendly and inclusive (£20 per year for membership) Glenrothes Triathlon Club, and was Race Director for the 2019 Balbirnie Duathlon. 

Reflecting back on my 7 year fitness journey, it's certainly fair to say, that nearly all of it has been target-driven. Sign in for an event, you know it's going to take place, fail to prepare, prepare to fail, and vice versa to the contrary! 

At this time last year I needed a really good motivational tool, by which to train for July 2020 IronMan Austria. We only found out that the event was cancelled, a few weeks before it was due to take place. By which time I was certainly fairly well prepared and ready to go. Weight continues to drop for 3 weeks through the apex of preparing for an IronMan. My summer 2020 weight dropped to near 12 and a half stones, and that was with supplementing the evening meal every night! 

So, what was the VR 3000? Virtual Reality 3000 miles. Here's how it works, 1 mile running or fast walking = 1 mile. 1 mile swimming = 4 miles running. 4 miles cycling = 1 mile walking. Annual target 3000 miles combined. All aspects must be recorded on Strava, either in the real or Virtual world. Nicola collates all accumulating records for all involved, and sends out a weekly Sunday 5pm email, so everyone involved can see where they are, and where they are meant to be! The entire challenge was split into options of either 1,000 or 2000 or 3000 miles. 

Hence, my total journey for 2020 was 6,534 miles. This equates as Markinch to Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur, host city for the 2019 global hotel awards! 

With swimming very constrained indeed during 2020, I was mostly focussed on cycling and running. Fast walking was only officially introduced as an option during Lockdown, and I had one (September onwards) 500 mile section of fast and turbo walking combined. As an average weekly basis, my commitment to achieve the VR 3000 took a weekly input averaging 11.5 to 12 hours, sometimes more than that. 

Focussed on not injuring myself, in all honesty I can certainly say that I would be able to retrospectively state that many 2020 miles could be classified by coaches in training terms, as 'age and capability junk miles', for example, 'rolling down the road' on Wattbike, at an easy pace with the singular purpose of racking the mileage. Many other hours however, were not, it's a matter of putting the body through what it can withstand, without getting an injury. The VR 3000 overview gave me a great understanding that fitness per se, can perhaps be better termed as 'conditioning', as you are 'simply conditioning' the body to cope with what will be asked of it in the future. 

Within the weekly 11.5 to 12 hours of training, there were however so many times that ever so gradually, I put myself through levels of endurance, which I hadn't done before. The results were the breaking of every single running Personal Best record, for all distances, and a steady increase in cycling capability, to reach Functional Threshold Power (the most power you can deliver over a measured sustained 20 minutes), of 267 Watts. If you want a full technical breakdown of 6 months of 2020 IronMan preparation and training, here's the 2020 fitness blog.

I finished the VR 3000 at the end of November, and during December I pretty much had the month off. First time per se, with a rest like this, since 2014. Time for body recovery, and a physical and mental rest as well. And I have to say, oh my goodness me I cannot wait to get started with training again. New Year's Day 2021, a 10k slow run beckons. 

So, goodbye to 2020, and wonderful news to start 2021. Because Nicola has offered to repeat another VR challenge for 2021! This time around, I've entered the VR 2000 section, my reasoning being that I've now nailed a 3000, and will be better placed for IronMan training focussed on 8 to 9 total hours training per week, focussed absolutely on 100% quality training, with continual provision for really punchy sessions, with many more repeating bursts of sustained speed, as I think these combine to deliver much better overall conditioning. 

Having embraced the 2020 VR in the knowledge that fast walking wasn't originally included, in many ways I've found that I absolutely Love fast walking, maybe even more so I think, than slow pace running. I'll flag this up now in case you see me heading down Markinch High St, a confession! 

Here's a link to that Nordic Walking clip. So, I'm ordering my poles! 😎 Nordic Walking, google the tutorials, this subject matter has global coaching. Simply put, the entire upper body gets a workout comparable to legs fast walking/ running. Now that has to work! There's even such a thing as a Nordic Walking World Cup! 

Nicola Philp has made two very significant VR challenge changes for 2021. Firstly, the opening challenge distance has very significantly reduced from 1000 to 500 miles. This means that someone could achieve it with two or so+ hours of fast walking per week. Maybe that someone is You! Secondly, 4 miles cycling = 1 mile walking/ running, has now changed to 3 miles cycling = 1 mile walking/ running. That's fairer and more relevant. 

Whilst writing this Blog, I've just received the final 2020 VR email. 

For those us who were of a mind to try 2020's 3000 category:

A massive congratulations to all fellow finishers. NB Andrea Gillan, and what a final weekly push from Alexandra Kotowicz to cross the line, both are also GTC members. 

In the 1000 category, well that's quite a story for my very lovely wife Gaynor, who enjoyed the challenge so much, ended up more than doubling the achievement, and finishing top of the leaderboard. 

You can sign up for the 2021 VR Challenge (£22 Entry) via this link:

***365 day Swim Bike Run Challenge*** 

All best wishes for 2021, 

Nicholas 

MD Balbirnie House 

THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE HOSPITALITY TUNNEL

Our sincere gratitude to everyone who has visited Balbirnie House since we re-opened. Delivering Bistro al Fresco was a summer 2020 we'll never forget, and when we moved back inside to open 'Food in the Woods' in our Millennium Ballroom, we were truly on a roll, until we were placed under all ongoing and enhanced, accelerating Tier restrictions. 

Thank you to all who have encouraged us, and those who have sent us a never-ending ongoing stream of messages of support. This has literally meant the world to our brigade. 

The scale of challenge across the span of Scotland Hospitality was already epic beyond belief, and then came the announcement last week, of a further 3 week Tier 4 Lockdown, to begin on Boxing Day. 

In breaks between yesterday's sessions running The Pass in our main kitchens, I thought I'd share a few statistics on a thread over on our main twitter feed.

It's easy to gauge reactions, so today's Blog post is an expanded and simplified adaptation of the thread. 

Our initial March 2020 Lockdown was a £1M hit. We are now estimating a further 250k loss, trying our absolute best to trade during all imposed Tier restrictions, in the timeline July 2020 to end December 2020. We estimate that the new 2020 Boxing Day 3 week Lockdown, will cost a further 130k. This now totals a quite staggering 'differential' compared to where we would have been if Covid hadn't happened, of £1.38M ... So let's hope that it's a once in a century circumstance!

As we moved through summer 2020, we were very fortunate indeed to receive Scottish Enterprise PERF (Pivotal Enterprise Resilience Fund) grant assistance of £85,000 - which now equates to 6% of that differential. A drop in the ocean, therefore. 

2020 financial cover has been arranged by company directors. If we completely forget about where we would have been if Covid had never happened, and instead only consider our net position today, this is covered by the loss of previously accumulated cash reserves (which were held for a very, very rainy day), a new £300,000 CBILs loan, and a new £200,000 overdraft facility. 

But there is now light at the end of the hospitality tunnel, specifically as the Covid vaccine rollout has now initiated. 

It is absolutely staggering in all contexts, but we are now holding bookings for 190 weddings at Balbirnie House, in 2021 alone. We cannot wait to resume normal trade. 

Simply put, it's now a case nationally, of what remains of the Scotland Hospitality sector, somehow being able to sustain itself until being able to trade normally again. 

Perhaps it's the case that as vaccinations are being given to those most vulnerable first, then those over 80 years old, then those over 75 years old, and so on, that Tier restrictions can similarly and quickly reduce in a way which is ratcheted to the vaccine rollout? Until then reaching the point where we once again reach totally unrestricted trading. 

Having traded through Tiers, we now know that losses are incurred in our circumstances specifically, for illustrative purposes: 

Tier 1 £500 per day

Tier 2 £1,000 per day

Tier 3 £2,000 per day

Tier 4 (suspended trading) £6,400 per day, gradually reducing after 3 months to £3,300 per day

Whereas as a generality, if we are able to deliver unrestricted trading, we usually generate positive EBITD (Earnings Before Interest Tax Depreciation) with an annual average of between £1,100 and £1,350 per day. And it is possible that this may increase to circa £2,000 per day when we fully re-open, as our diary is so busy. 

Without doubt, we're incentivised to start trading normally again as soon as is possible, so we can also begin to make inroads into the negatives experienced in 2020. It will certainly take us a few years to get back to where we were. 

Scotland's entire Hospitality sector is now awaiting a promised update from Scotland's government, setting out new financial support measures. It is clearly the case, that the sector needs to be supported between now and the resumption of unrestricted trading.

The full overview is very eloquently defined by Marc Crothall in an open letter from The Scottish Tourism Alliance to Scotland's First Minister. 

In the meantime, as we are entering Tier 4 on Boxing Day, we're now going to take the 3 week opportunity to deliver a Takeaway, hereby christened earlier this morning by (Duty Manager) Lewis McNab as "FEAST IN THE FOREST!"

Whilst otherwise closed and operating in suspended trading, our wedding planning department are setting up Zoom Virtual Special Events office beside the 2020 Long Gallery Christmas tree. It's going to be a lovely office! 

Traditionally, the days immediately following Christmas, and into the beginning of The New Year, are always the very busiest of the year for incoming new wedding enquiries. Our very best wishes to everyone who gets engaged over the 2020 festive season. 

Nicholas Russell / MD Balbirnie House 

Nicholas Russell to deliver media on 1320 miles #TheLongWalkToFreedom

Back in 2018 we published an extensive blog which confirmed I was going to deliver media reporting, and participate on that year's 500 miles blockchain walk. Specifically, due to my previous and ongoing delivery as Scotland's 'by circumstance' features writer on the ultra niche subject, of the interface between blockchain aka distributed ledger technology, and democracy. 

Since 2015: 

That 2018 post can be read here. 

The final summary of the 500 miles walk, and what it achieved, including a summary of Motion being Lodged in Scotland's Parliament by Jenny Gilruth MSP for Mid Fife and Glenrothes, can be read here: 

Fast forward two years. In the interim and as 2015 founder of YesDayScotland ongoing, I've been directly involved with multiple projects since then. 

This has included the honour of delivering first-in-world wording for wiring distributed ledger technology into what is currently in a holding status as the developmental prototype of a written constitution for Scotland, via project leader constitutional scholar Dr Mark McNaught. 

Main website and constitution itself. 

Delighted to confirm today that I'll be repeating the generalities of 2018, and I'll be heading on voluntary secondment once again, as one of ten 2020 core walkers. I'll be delivering media on the forthcoming 1320 miles project, which is headlined as 'The Long Walk To Freedom'. Main project website for infrastructure, mapping, interactive, volunteer networks and peripheral events, here. 

Over the last year and more, I've been one of the core admin involved with developing the scope of what is now termed as Scotland's 21st century National Covenant. There have been many citizens who have voluntarily deployed their resources and time, to deliver the finalised capabilities. My input has been with regards to architecture, and very specifically, all detailing with regards to all aspects regarding Ethereum blockchain signature processes. 

The Ethereum chain itself, can be viewed by anyone here. 

Here's an excerpt: 

Looks boring admittedly, but that's until you realise the enormity of how it's going to so profoundly influence the future. And what it can do today. 

I am so very honoured, and humbled, to have been able to deliver opening media on the technical detail of the project itself. This has extended to yesterday, and to the publication of a major article, which is our fourth blockchain article for Scotland's largest business network, Business for Scotland. 

Read via: 

Plan to gain independence via Scotland’s Blockchain Covenant explained

Project organisers for the 1320 miles project have asked core walkers for a reason from those who are wishing to participate. I'm there for all aspects re blockchain democracy, and have delivered a further article detailing key aspects. 

I have huge ongoing commitments at Balbirnie, especially due to how we are needing to work during the challenges of restricted social distanced trading. As things stand, I'll be covering the walk's week 1 in full, onwards from the Eilean Donan start line 18.9.2020, and then will hope to somehow be able to complete 500 miles within the entire duration of the 1320 miles walk. 

Best wishes one and all, Nicholas 

Balbirnie House breaks the in-house wedding booking record! Again!

It's with a measure of total disbelief that I'm typing this morning! Because in context and timing, what I'm about to detail is something which has never happened before at Balbirnie House, and that's saying something! 

Traditionally, our very busiest time of the year for incoming wedding enquiries, starts on the 27th December. It's the same every year, and it happens due to the fact that so many couples get engaged over Christmas. This then continues, and we always have 3 very, very busy weeks of new enquiries. It can be a very frustrating process for couples who only wish, for example, a Saturday in the next 18 months, because these dates will already be pre-booked by other clients. 

January each year? Surf's Up! 

We maintain meticulous records for all incoming new client enquiries. 

Hospitality with a capital H. And if we make new history, we celebrate! 

Original image below ⬇️ via Rob Thomson / Lifetime Photography: 

And on the subject of in-house records, back in 2012 I personally met 89 prospective future wedding clients in a row, who all then subsequently placed a future booking into the Balbirnie House future Special Events diary. I said back then that we'll never see that particular record surpassed, and it certainly still stands today! No need to engrave new steak knives!

So here we are today. We are absolutely over-the-moon to confirm that we have a new monthly record. Much to the accumulating surprise of our wedding planning team! 

And we kept going! 

During August 2020 we took brand new bookings for 26 future weddings. Staggering, but there it is. 

This has never happened before in history, let alone happened in summer. To see this unfolding circumstance occur when we don't even know when we can resume with providing the backdrop for non-social-distancing weddings, it really is an astonishing circumstance. 

Why and how has it happened? Five thoughts on this. 

Firstly, there are many hotels which totally mis-managed the total chaos of the Lockdown for their wedding clients, March 2020 onwards. Subsequently therefore, reputations tarnished in the small world of online recognition for hospitality and consistency. We can only look back now on the amazing work that our wedding planning team put into doing every single thing in our capability, to go a country mile and all the rest to work with our weddings clients in such a caring, thoughtful, structured and cohesive way. It was literally, the moving of a Hospitality mountain, and it continues today with a rolling process of review for all clients, 12 weeks in advance. Some of our wedding clients moved eg from April 2020, to August 2020, then October 2020, and onwards further. Underlined, the 26 figure above is not for re-scheduled clients, it's only for brand new clients. 

Secondly, in what is very clearly now an accelerating set of catastrophic circumstances across the span of Scotland's entire hospitality sector, those clients who are seeking to book a wedding venue in say 2022 or 2023, are very much seeking measures of comfort and faith, that their intended wedding venue will still be in business. We don't have a crystal ball for the future of the global pandemic, but Balbirnie House is certainly fully re-financed today, and the same as all wedding venues, we're very patiently waiting for new government updates. 

Thirdly, many wedding venues have sadly not been able to afford to re-open, and do not envisage re-opening. We have had many enquiries from couples who have been told that their wedding venue elsewhere is in that unfortunate status, and their originally intended wedding cannot therefore proceed. 

Fourthly, our new 2020 wedding literature has such a range of offering and value, it has taken a few months of settling in, for prospective new clients to realise what happened. Balbirnie House was the recipient last year of the Haute Grandeur award, for Best Destination Wedding Hotel, in the global category. Our management team have therefore felt it more important than ever before, to do all we can to offer value, in conjunction with all aspects of every client journey, intended fully in such a caring, helpful and thoughtful way. This is beyond the remit of 'simply planning a wedding day', extending to help clients visualise the possibilities, and prepare for the many emotives, additionally these days into elements of sensory perception. 

Fifthly, as news of Balbirnie's continued 14th time annual success and status as Scotland's Wedding Hotel of the Year, and double 2018/ 2019 global Best in World awards has progressed through our literature and history, many prospective clients are automatically ruling out other potential wedding destinations, as this aspect of romance is certainly now absolutely unique to Balbirnie House. 

So, a huge congratulations all round for Balbirnie's brigade, a new commemorative photo commissioned for our wedding planning team, and our sincere gratitude to the 26 couples who booked in August and will be getting married in the future. 

All best wishes, 

Nicholas / MD Balbirnie House 

10,000 orders by App! Balbirnie's 2020 Hospitality Revolution!

If you had told us in early March 2020, that we'd be writing this article today, we would certainly have raised our eyebrows! 

No physical menus. Nobody to take food and drinks orders. No handwritten check orders being run to our kitchens. No cash accepted. Nobody creating guest bills, nobody physically accepting guest payment. WiFi everywhere in the gardens. Basically, a Hospitality Revolution!

And as for dining, Bistro al Fresco in the gardens! 

And not only the above combination, but in a timeline July 6th 2020 onwards and lasting less than 8 weeks, that we would successfully process over 10,000 guest orders, using an App? Or rather, THE Balbirnie House Hotel App. 

This was created for Balbirnie, by Criton:

A dozen of our brigade were on duty on opening day. We said on our social media channels that we could only begin to bring our other colleagues back to work, if we were able to justify this, based on how busy we would be. 

Our re-opening was certainly assisted by a lovely article in The Courier: 

Every single component was focussed on what we thought we could deliver for our local Fife community, emerging from Lockdown. Great food and drinks, great value. Savings enabled by technology, but deployed into increasing Hospitality even further. 

The initial dozen focussed everything we had in Hospitality, knowing that what we were about to deliver, could or could not help bring our colleagues back to work. 

What amazed us on opening day, was the fact that arriving guests weren't only familiar with the concept of the App, it was the fact that they had already downloaded it, and were already familiar with the menus, and even the overview of how to process an order. 

Bistro al Fresco wasn't a matter of opening up and starting. It was a couple of months in planning, conceived by those who were still working during March to July Lockdown. 

We shifted all reservations into ResDiary. 

In tandem with ordering via Hungrrr.

Our guest reviews for the first two weeks were basically 100% guest delight. 

As news of al Fresco then started bringing guests from beyond our core of regulars, this did bring a few further reviews which brought the technology into question, specifically if someone was for example trying to download the App, on a phone which was so old that it was incapable of doing so. 

Fundamentally, one of the main reasons for transitioning to App, was to deliver contactless service between brigade and guests, and the next reason was to be able to collect guest information for what we thought would eventually turn into a 'track and trace' system for Scotland Hospitality. We were correct! 

Some guests were disillusioned about having to input their payment information, at the point of placing each phase of order. But we worked with the technology suppliers to successfully then customise this into a one submission process. 

Other guests were disillusioned that there was no way to leave a gratuity, so again, this capability was customised. 

Very quickly after the opening days, we started getting busier, and busier, and busier. Watching guests arrive one after another, and being visibly so happy to be out after Lockdown, in many circumstances meeting friends and loved ones after months apart, well that was such a joyful aspect for us to see. Recognition that we'd gone a country mile to deliver safe social distancing for service, was certainly another. 

Our previous food and drinks service systems were designed to cope at ground floor level, with up to 100 guests. Quickly, as we began to bring more and more colleagues back to work, we needed to change systems, to create workflows capable of handling up to 350 guests per day. In amongst all of this, fully incorporating all new Covid-related and social distancing requirements. 

In many circumstances our working roles also changed. Personally, my own resources at outset were best deployed on The Pass, which is the focal point at which food transitions from kitchen, to front-of house service. Basically, 6 chefs delivering dish after dish onto a hot stainless steel 2m x 1m, and 'building' individual trays leaving the kitchens, with all cutlery, gourmet salts, accompaniment and dressings, at a rate designed as one tray per minute. You will either run The Pass, or it will run you! 

And there I have stayed, on The Pass since the beginning of July. 85 hours at work a week! In the two months, literally, I've only taken one day off work, as it was my birthday! To be honest, I've not wanted to take time off, because firstly I've enjoyed it so much, secondly we're doing absolutely everything we can do to begin to recover, following the £1M cost of suspended trading, and thirdly we wish to remain in business! 

In so many ways, a re-connection with Hospitality, taking this 53 year old back to being a teenager working as a chef in London kitchens. 

The view to the right:

And, the view to the left: 

Each printout, a multiple course meal for each table, all needing to be coordinated at the same time. Potentially up to 30 tables each 2 hour session. 6 sessions per day. (GDPR compliant image for Vibe Manager)

Bistro al Fresco, and its variants inside the house when we also opened for that mid July, have been a truly epic adventure in Hospitality. And it has been a profound experience for this hotelier, bearing witness to the combined efforts of our brigade. 

Some hoteliers might have sat back and simply continued as is, when we began to achieve delivery for 300 guests per day. To the contrary, at that point we pressed the pedals further, and began introducing more new dishes, and better new dishes. This has been a quite amazing exercise in consistency, and I especially pay tribute today, to the efforts of Executive Chef Oscar Sinjorgo, and our entire kitchen brigade. 

At 19.59 on 29th August 2020, we received App order number 10,000!!! It was a pleasure to personally serve those two Classic Prawn Cocktails, and of course, we despatched a bottle of Champagne, on the house. 

I really don't have the words to thank community for such support over these two months. On behalf of all at Balbirnie House, thank you is all I can say.   

And facing the continuing future, and ongoing social distancing mixed into autumn and winter ahead? We're basically going to shift Bistro al Fresco inside, into Ballroom Bistro, sub-titled 'food in the woods', taking everything we've taken this to thus far, and then adding even more ahead. 

A totally new take on Fixed Price 2 and 3 course lunch deals, a brand new take on Afternoon Tea, unprecedented gourmet sourdough Pizzas from our new Italinox oven, and also for the first time in our 3 decade history, a brand new offering of fondue. Our version, we're rolling with a blend of gruyere, fontina, and gouda. 

'Knock, knock!'

'Who's there?'

'Fondue!' 

'Fondue who?' 

'Exactly!' 😘

Ladies, tradition has it that if you drop something in the fondue (subject in 2020 to social distancing), you need to give every guy at the table a kiss! Gents, if you drop something in the cheese, you need to buy everyone at the table a round of drinks! By Balbirnie App!!! 😂

Còsagach and Hygge ahead!

During August 2020, incredibly in the context of timing and global pandemic circumstances, our wedding planning team have taken future bookings for 20 weddings. Nobody knows when we will be able to cater for weddings without social distancing in place, so in the meantime (and continuing to provide a 12 week rolling review for all wedding clients), we'll be continuing doing all we can for the evolution of Balbirnie's Bistronomie. 

Al Fresco has been so much fun, to conceive and deliver. We've had so many people asking us to repeat again next year, so we're going to have a very careful think about how we could perhaps do this, but it would only be potential to do so at times when our many weddings are not using the gardens. 

With the nights now drawing in, our 8pm table guests in the final weeks are arriving with blankets, into darkness, with table centre heat lamps, and the spectacular backdrop of the house lit by LED. Summer 2020 Hospitality we'll never forget you. 

With all best wishes from the brigade, 

Nicholas 

MD Balbirnie House 

2020 summer Memories were Made of This: 

The cherry on the top. Baked Alaskas, centred with vanilla ice cream and raspberry sorbet.

Bang Bang chicken.

Passionfruit and Mango Trifles with white chocolate shavings and popping candy, served of course in a beautifully chilled glass. 

Chicken Liver Pate Parfait, with Cumberland sauce. 

(Pate sealed with a very thin pouring of clarified butter)

Ciara McCulloch with the very first outgoing Baked Alaska, prior to the cherries being deployed! 

*Ends*