How time flies in Hospitality! There we were what feels like literally a moment ago, back in 2019 attending our last awards night dinner for The Scottish Hotel Awards. (Following the March 2020 pandemic lockdown, the 2020 awards were presented in an online format.) What a journey we have been on since then, on the Balbirnie rollercoaster. Lockdown, a well documented £1M financial hit, Brexit's profoundly negative implications for hospitality, very significant food and beverage price increases, a tripling of gas and electric energy costs, interest rates through the roof, removal of rates relief (whilst England continued), and vat today back at an extortionate 20%! Against all of this, the never-ending task of re-investing back into the fabric of Balbirnie House continues, as an ongoing necessity.
Similarly, the ongoing endeavour to always deliver as much value-for-money for all visitors to Balbirnie House. As an example, a summer 2023 pint of in our Millennium Ballroom £5.95 🍺👍 - significantly less than many venues elsewhere.
My very lovely wife Gaynor and I in Balbirnie's front hall, about to head to Glasgow for the 2023 Scottish Hotel awards:
It's great to see the annual awards re-establish for 2023, and all results are now live on the official website. Without doubt THE night of the year for Scotland's hotel sector.
Whilst over recent years we have very sadly seen many hotels not being able to afford to continue operating, the night itself this year, in many ways, was a celebration of the very existence of the 2020 - 2023 designated survivors of Scotland's hotel sector.
Reflecting on history, it has always been a very difficult set of decisions, as regards who within the entire Balbirnie brigade should be attending the awards and representing what we do. Usually very significantly enhanced by official mid year updates, and extremely personalised judge visits and assessments.
At the most intense in our history, back in 2016 judge David Welch made five visits, and collated an entire ring binder file on all aspects of what we do, some 400 photographs, personal interviews, and a detailed appraisal of our company margins and accounts. That ongoing process led to Balbirnie House becoming Scotland's 2016 National Hotel of the Year, certainly a career-defining accolade for our entire hotel brigade.
It was previously my tradition that on the bus on the way to each awards night, (and a massive thanks as always to Capercaillie Travel), that I take the opportunity to say a few words to my 11 fellow work colleagues. In my hands as I spoke this year, were strips of golden glitter which I have kept from the 2016 stage cannon!
There were 3 distinct themes for my chat this year.
1. The first truly massive award we received for weddings, first decade of this century, The VOWS Industry award, absolute pinnacle for the entire Scotland wedding sector. '500 guests in attendance, you could have heard a pin drop in the seconds before that final stage announcement of the night!'
2. How incredible it was 2 weeks ago, to visit London for The Independent Hotel Show, and to stay for the first time as a hotel guest, and as a returning former member of staff, at the legendary and iconic hotel where I started my career 39 years ago. I am of course talking of Claridge's. 'The tiling in the front hall remains the same today, otherwise over the years every single square foot of the hotel has been re-thought, re-worked, re-interpreted, re-designed. It is a hospitality lesson to us all on the importance of never-ending change, without ever losing sight of where we've come from.
3. And then. 'We know we are on shortlist for potentially winning for the 15th time this year, for the biggest wedding award for Scotland's hotel sector. If we are indeed successful tonight, and adding to the fact that we have now seen 8 best-in world Hospitality awards from Haute Grandeur global hotel awards, including Best Wedding Hotel in the World for the 4th time in 2023, then I am calling it, every single future prospective new future wedding client can be welcomed upon arrival with the brand new phrase, 'Welcome to the most celebrated wedding venue on Planet Earth!' Nice one Scotland! 🐐
For the record, Haute Grandeur deployed research teams years ago, to establish if there was any other hotel in any other country, which had seen wedding recognition in their own country, in any way whatsoever aligned to what Balbirnie House has seen here in Scotland. They could not find any comparable circumstance, as it does not exist.
It's always cool to keep things somewhat reserved and under-stated, under-promise and over-deliver always works well, but the incredible accumulation of awards history is certainly what it now is.
And I remember reading somewhere years ago, that if a youthful Lord 'The Apprentice' Alan Sugar was selling trainers out the back of his van in a London market, his sale sign would state 'TRAINERS FOR SALE!' So, with Balbirnie's awards in comparison, it is what it now is!
Balbirnie's hotel brigade were the recipient of five awards this year, here goes:
Drinks upon arrival:
Bars Manager Sean Van Der Westhuizen DRINKS PASSION AND SERVICE. In 2023 Sean is helping oversee drinks purchasing, continuing to evolve and refine new emerging capabilities for cocktails, as well as looking after all bar systems and bar team.
Head Chef Sharon Munro received CHEF MEDAILLE D'OR. With a history at Balbirnie House all the way back to 2004, and as at 2021 stepping into the role of Head Chef as the first female to do so in our history, this was a very, very emotional award for all of us to be there to see. So incredibly well deserved and a truly wonderful inspiration for all girls (and boys!) heading into professional kitchens today.
When we think about 2023 specifically, we are looking to deliver the many favourites of a wonderful Grill focussed on Scotland's finest Josper oven charcoal-grilled steaks, and The Modern Age menu is a truly great totally standalone compliment for this. The point being, amongst the 2023 cost-of-living crisis, we have blended Grill traditions with practicality and commercial viability, and then brought a totally new innovation with The Modern Age.
The Modern Age? Very arguably our best dish result thus far, here is the Kris Currie and Head Pastry Chef Neil Dunlop take on a 2023 Deep-Fried Mars Bar:
The Modern Age was inspired at outset by the truly epic Chef's Table series on Netflix.
Balbirnie's 2023 Restaurant award with Head Chef Sharon Munro, and Lewis McNab who is heading up our 2024 front-of-house Orangery team:
And so, once again on an awards night we then arrive at 2023's wedding hotel awards! Hundreds of hoteliers momentarily go into a hush, and there it is.
Drum roll please. 🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁 And that's 15 for Balbirnie House!!!
The appraisal for 2023 Wedding Hotel of the year was from judge Laura Coventry. As well as considering all aspects of what we are working with for weddings in 2023, Laura also visited for an incognito overnight stay (under a different assumed name), part of which included experiencing a personal property show round from our wedding planning team, with a view to holding a (theoretical) future wedding. That appointment was with Leah Kinnes below, who joined our wedding planning team direct from school, at age 16, nine years ago.
And back to work at Balbirnie House we then go!
The 2023 calendar year has been tremendously busy for weddings at Balbirnie House, and from our confirmed future diaries, 2024 is already looking even busier. One very special day at a time, onwards and into the future.
In terms of weddings, October 2023 has been our busiest ever October for the future, with 21 weddings booked. Memories are Made of This!
With our sincere gratitude to everyone involved with re-establishing The Scottish Hotel awards, our brigade past and present, our customers and our suppliers.
All best wishes in hospitality,
Nicholas
MD Balbirnie House
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