NEWS


Retail move pays off for Cawley


Going for gold: Lochgreen staff.


Troon hotel reaches for the stars


LOCHGREEN House Hotel in Troon has been awarded five stars by tourism body VisitScotland.


Part of the Costley & Costley Hotels’ portfolio, Lochgreen is set in a 30- acre estate with views of Royal Troon golf course and the Clyde coast. Its three AA rosette


Tapestery Restaurant is said to be popular with diners from across Ayrshire.


General manager


Gordon Shaw said gaining five stars from VisitScotland tops off a “fantastic” year for the hotel and the company, which was established by Bill and Cath Costley in 1985 and operates 11 businesses across Ayrshire. “The awards have been a culmination of much dedication and hard work from the whole team and we are delighted to have that recognised from our industry peers,” he said.


Palm Court


renews vows ABERDEEN’S Palm Court Hotel has scooped a top wedding venue award. The 23-bedroom hotel, part of G1 Group, was named Best Wedding Venue in the 2011 VOWS (Voted Outstanding Wedding Supplier) Awards, which took place in Glasgow earlier this month. “We can’t thank the people who voted for us enough – and we think it shows that in this industry it’s not all about the bottom line, it’s about providing good service,” said the hotel’s Graham Urquhart.


8 - SLTN - November 24, 2011


Transforming a country pub into a shopping and hospitality destination looks to have been a masterstroke by Alan Cawley. Gillian McKenzie visits the House of Darrach


I


F you had asked Alan Cawley 25 years ago to predict the direction his business would take, a move into retail may not have been his first reply. In the mid to late 1980s the


Cawley family ran Duck Bay Marina at Loch Lomond before going on to establish a chain of family restaurants under the Hungry Monk brand, with out- lets in Gartocharn, Lochwin- noch and Langbank. Food, drink and accommo-


dation were the mainstay of Cawley Hotels for more than a quarter of a century.


But last summer the business,


which Alan runs with sister Margo and her sons Stuart and David, took a bold new direc- tion with the launch of House of Darrach – a luxury retail and restaurant destination on the site of the original Hungry Monk in Gartocharn. Alan admits to feeling “nerv- ous” about the venture, which combines a 120-cover licensed restaurant and outdoor terrace with a shop (selling ladieswear, gifts and kitchenware), deli and an art gallery. There were also challenges


over funding, with the £1.5 million project ultimately financed by the company itself after the bank declined to back it.


“It was a conscious decision to make changes,” Alan told SLTN last week. “I think we thought we would roll out a chain of Hungry Monks.


“In hindsight, there were probably too many of them in a relatively small area. “I looked at what was hap- pening and there was a move towards places that offered more than just lunch; the places that were doing well were the likes of Dobbies gar- den centres, House of Bruar. “There’s nothing like that in this area; there are good farm shops and coffee shops but nothing that brings all of that under one roof. “I was nervous about spend- ing money at the ‘wrong’ time and it was new territory. “It was a big spend for us; it


was a gamble.” Fortunately, it’s one that


The six-month project to turn the Hungry Monk in Gartocharn into House of Darrach involved extending and completely revamping the building.


seems to have paid off. House of Darrach, so-called after a long-running family name and the name of Alan’s son, gained five stars from VisitScotland earlier this year, 12 months after it opened. It’s been equally well-received


by customers, with its broad offer (spanning everything from coffee and home-baking to fish and chips and beers, wines and spirits) appealing to a broad clientele. “It’s doing really well – and with very little advertising, it’s all been word of mouth so far,” he said. “Restaurants and bars are


having a hard time just now. Retail is also having a tough time but I think if you’re a niche retailer then you’re OK. “We go abroad to buy stock because we don’t want to be the same as everyone else. “We’re not competing with the high street.” Although Cawley Hotels has


branched successfully into retail it hasn’t diminished Alan’s appetite – or that of his nephew, group manager Stuart King – for the trade on which the business was founded. Duck Bay achieved record sales last year, with turnover


topping £3m. Weddings account for much


of the business at the Loch Lomond-side venue, which was revamped five years ago following a flood. The hotel, which has 20 rooms and four suites as well as a 176-cover restaurant with outdoor deck overlooking the loch, is also said to have benefitted from the ‘stay-cation’ trend. The other venues in the


portfolio are also said to be performing well, despite the challenging economic climate. The former Hungry Monk in Langbank, relaunched as The Wheelhouse three years ago, offers “affordable family dining”; a recently-introduced carvery has doubled the num- ber of covers the restaurant handles on a Sunday. A carvery has also been in- troduced seven days a week at the Hungry Monk in Lochwin- noch – the only outlet that still


carries the brand. And it seems Alan’s not fin- ished with House of Darrach just yet.


Planning permission is being sought to extend the outlet, adding another area for ladie- swear, which will create space to expand the deli.


There are also plans to intro- duce online shopping. One thing that’s not in the immediate future is adding to the group, which now employs around 300 staff. “I think we’re just going to take stock and catch our breath after this [House of Dar- rach],” added Alan. “I have a great sense of achievement with this; and we’ve never had as many compliments about anything else we’ve done. I have loved this project and I’d love to do another one. “If the right place came up, maybe we would.”


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