National Chef of Scotland Gary Maclean and Edinburgh Food Hall Bonnie & Wild have launched a series of exclusive private dining events that will showcase the very best of the country’s food and drink.

The BBC Masterchef winner said his “Chef’s Table” experience will tell “the stories of Scotland’s amazing food and drink producers”. The three-day event, comprising six exclusive sittings, is being held at Bonnie & Wild’s Scottish Marketplace, in collaboration with the Islay-based Bruichladdich Distillery as part of its B Corp Month celebrations.

The Chef’s Table experience will see the award-winning chef personally prepare an immaculate five-course menu in front of guests while they enjoy an exclusive selection of aperitifs, drams and cocktails courtesy of the socially minded distillery.

B Corp Month is a global initiative to highlight companies and organisations committed to using the power of business to transform the global economy to benefit local communities and the wider environment. Bruichladdich became a B Corp in 2020, the first whisky and gin distilling company in Europe to achieve this prestigious status.

Gary says: “After taking part in last year’s Cop 26, I felt even more fired up about promoting our national larder and telling the stories of some of Scotland’s amazing food and drink producers who put sustainability and the environment at the heart of their business.

“By hosting these dinners in Bonnie & Wild’s Scottish Marketplace, and partnering with the B Corp Bruichladdich Distillery, I can bring these food and drink stories to a wider audience. I want to show people exactly why we should be so massively proud of the amazing produce and producers of Scotland.”

Gary’s five-course meal opens with a serving of artisanal rye bread and broth, before moving on to a course of traditional Scottish root vegetables and barbequed celeriac. A seafood course puts Shetland mussels on the menu, accompanied by sustainably sourced Gigha halibut.

Gary explains: “Halibut has become a victim of its own popularity, and is now an endangered species. However, the incredible Gigha Halibut company have pioneered a land-based aquaculture system that means they can produce these beautiful fish sustainably and cleanly. Rather than a detrimental impact on the environment, one of the by-products is cleaner sea water.”

Following the seafood course is a serving of game, with a smoked roe deer loin taking centre stage.

Gary says: “By eating local, culled roe deer, whose population is more than 350,000, we help to reduce the damage these herds cause to wildlife, forests and crops, while also avoiding the environmental impact that industrial animal farming can have.”

For the fifth and final course, the humble apple takes centre stage, with Gary sourcing the fruit from the myriad small orchards around the Scotland, including many within urban environments.

He says: “Local community gardens are found all over Scotland. They provide an abundance of seasonal organic produce, while also serving as a hub for local communities. They provide a platform for people to learn more about diet and the environment as well as learning the skills to grow healthy food. And it helps us all to be more aware of the food we have around us, in our gardens, our communities, and in our wild lands.”

Dinner guests will be treated to a range of drinks from Bruichladdich Distillery, including an Old Fashioned made from Port Charlotte 10, pear juice and native spices; a martini made from The Botanist Gin, silver birch vermouth and fermented gooseberry; and a highball comprising Bruichladdich’s Classic Laddie single malt whisky, rhubarb and rosemary.

Gary, who won BBC Masterchef: The Professionals in 2016, says partnering with Bruichladdich Distillery was the perfect fit. “We’ve partnered with Bruichladdich for B Corp month, which works to promote businesses that have a strong social purpose. They have a superb portfolio of drinks, and possess an ethos that chimes strongly with my own beliefs and approach to cooking and sourcing food.”

By John McHugh

This time last year, amid frenzied activity in the residential property market in Scotland, driven by the unprecedented external factors of which we are all aware, I suggested that a levelling out and a return to more normal conditions might not be a bad development.

Chance, as they say, would be a fine thing. Instead, the impulse to transact has remained as buoyant as ever, catalysed by what now seems like the new normal – a constant lack of supply and heightened demand – leading, of course, to the ever-upward march of prices.

As we progress through the early stages of 2022, whilst it would seem reasonable to expect this exuberance to last a bit longer, the crystal ball has become rather cloudy of late as a number of fairly significant external factors start to intrude.

These include the spectre of inflation, every central banker’s recurring nightmare. This (February 2022) month’s Bank of England Monetary Policy Report says that inflation is expected to rise to around 7% in spring before the heavy artillery of interest rate rises is deployed to beat it back down.

This will come as a novel experience to many actual and aspiring homeowners who have known nothing other than a benign interest rate environment, but it will be nowhere near as bad as what buyers of a previous generation lived through in the seventies and eighties, when rates regularly hit 16% and 17%.

Utility prices are rising across the board – regulator Ofgem has just raised the energy price cap by £693, lifting average bills to £1,971 – and apparent muddle and indecision on future fuel security policy means price increases will continue to cause economic pain across the board.

What does this concerted assault on the general cost of living mean for the Scottish housing market as we plough through the year? That again depends on a number of interconnected factors.

Firstly, in these early weeks of the year, demand is still very much in evidence and there is still a plentiful supply of lending finance available. Deals remain on offer and borrowing is still very affordable although the spectre of interest rate rises could alter that.

Secondly, it is generally recognised that the savings mountain built up over the Covid years – £92 billion in the UK in Q2 2020 and a major factor in the demand curve – could now be subject to an element of inflationary erosion and a consequent dampening of enthusiasm.

It will take a long time to erode all the surplus money currently warming people’s pockets but the inevitable changes in expectations might direct the market back to the days when affordability rather than aspiration was the primary motivating factor.

Time will tell. Meantime, good areas in Scotland’s cities remain in strong demand and peripheral markets will probably continue to do well as unsuccessful urban buyers look further afield.

And, while governments may be encouraging people to return to their offices, agile or hybrid working – call it what you will – is now embedded in many people’s lifestyles and they are in no rush to consign the WFH abbreviation to history.

This means that the migration to the countryside and coasts is unlikely to abate, as gardens, views, countryside and local amenities have assumed a much greater importance to many. As well as offering a very different lifestyle, they have the added attraction of often representing better value.

At the moment, the Skip Index is also very much in the ascendancy. This, like the Crane Index in city centres, is an informal guide to local economic activity and skips have been littering the streets as many home owners choose to renovate, repair or extend rather than move.

As evidenced by our Architectural Services division – which provides plans and help with necessary permissions – one of the side effects of the lack of supply is that many people living in good areas are choosing not to get involved in the market contest and are enhancing their current situation instead.

So, there could be turbulent times ahead with significant challenges to personal finances. The much-trumpeted cost-of-living crisis is squarely upon us and could be the worst that younger generations have ever experienced, with the Bank of England warning that disposable incomes will take their biggest hit in 30 years.

However, residential property has been and will remain an aspirational and attractive proposition. People have a recurring and continuing desire to better themselves and aspiration is unlikely to go out of fashion any time soon, whatever the cost.

John McHugh is Managing Partner of DM Hall Chartered Surveyors.

A company aiming to bring a fresh approach to recruitment in Scotland has strengthened its team with the appointment of a divisional manager.

ORB recruitment, which opened its Scotland office in the Edinburgh Park Pure Office development last summer, has appointed Gregor Cruikshank to help drive the permanent side of the business.

Gregor has worked in recruitment for the past seven years, most recently as a recruitment manager specialising in white collar construction and property sales at STAR Recruitment.

Gregor said: “I really enjoy the unique approach ORB has taken to recruiting. Most recruiters are very secretive about everything they do, so much so it can make them very unapproachable and untrustworthy. ORB take the dark art out of recruiting with an honest approach and share information freely which makes the job so much easier and more enjoyable.

“What we do can make a difference to individuals and that’s why the biggest part of my job is getting to know everyone that I deal with. There is nothing better than knowing you’ve found someone their perfect position that will allow them to progress their career and also improve their lifestyle.”

Gregor is the fourth member of ORB’s growing Scotland team, which has already had to move to a larger office as the business expands. Last year, the team won a contract with Time for You Care to fill 120 permanent care practitioner roles across Scotland in 2022.

In addition, as part of the firms’ expansion plans in Scotland, Gillian Nimmo, who joined ORB last year, has been promoted to director.

Alan Wallace, director at ORB Recruitment who leads the Scotland office, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Gregor to ORB’s Scotland team and also congratulate Gillian on her well deserved promotion.

“We have big plans for 2022 and it’s fantastic to have Gregor on board. His skills and experience will be a valuable asset as we continue to expand the business and drive a new era for permanent recruitment in Scotland.”

Stewart Olsen, Group CEO, also commented: “Having Gregor on-board is another step towards our vision for our Edinburgh operations, his skills and experience will prove invaluable to the expanding team in Scotland.”

Headquartered in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, ORB Recruitment is a specialist, dedicated recruitment consultancy offering effective recruitment solutions to clients across the UK.

The fast-growing company supports a variety of businesses within the manufacturing and production, healthcare and construction and engineering industries.

For more information, visit www.orb-recruitment.co.uk

Help to support Kids Operating Room!

Business Breakout is Scotland’s most exciting fundraising challenge! Teams will try to travel 124 miles, on a budget of £7.50, in a maximum of 6 hours. They’ll need to improvise and innovate to get to the finish line!

Businesses will have the chance to:

• Get teams together in person to have some long-overdue fun
• Do some team bonding as you use charm, cunning and your contact book to get through the 124 miles
• Win a £1,000 voucher for Tiso, our amazing sponsors
• Get some great PR (and photos!) as you fundraise for Scotland’s leading global health charity
• Network with other businesses

Find out more here: https://www.kidsor.org/get-involved/business-breakout/

• Almost one in five (17%) retailers in Scotland cancelled contracts last year with suppliers who fell foul of ethical and sustainable standards
• The cumulative value of these contracts across the UK is £7.1bn, new research from Barclays Corporate Banking shows
• Four in five (83%) Scotland retailers think long-term improvement to sustainable and ethical credentials is more important than overcoming short-term supply chain disruption
• Two thirds of younger shoppers will abandon their favourite retailers if they don’t show strong commitment to ethics and sustainability

 Almost one in five (17 %) retailers in Scotland have cancelled contracts with suppliers across the last 12 months who don’t meet stringent ethical and sustainable standards, new research¹ reveals.

The report out today from Barclays Corporate Banking – Reshaping retail: how ethics and sustainability are changing retail’s ecosystem – shows the pandemic and an increasing focus on Environment, Sustainability and Governance (ESG) are shifting business priorities. In a study of more than 300 retail decision makers, 51% in Scotland say sustainability is more important now than it was two years ago and 49% say the same about ethical standards.

Additionally, 83% retailers in Scotland think that a long-term strategy to improve their ethical and sustainable credentials is more important than overcoming short-term supply chain disruption. On average, retail businesses with more than 10 staff are investing £504,000 per year to improve their own footprints.

However, the imperative to be more sustainable and ethical is now being felt financially across the supply chain. Across the UK, the average is six contracts cancelled per retailer, with an average value of £306,000 per contract. Cumulatively, £7.1bn² worth of contracts have been cancelled across the industry over the last 12 months.

The most common reasons for cancelling contracts with suppliers were:

1. Use of unsustainable materials (39%)
2. Unfair working hours (37%)
3. Lack of membership to trade body that monitors ethical and sustainable standards (32%)

The importance of monitoring standards throughout the supply chain is reflected in the £179m³ retailers invested last year in joining trade bodies that monitor supplier performance in ethics and sustainability. Over a quarter (28%) of retailers signed up to new bodies last year, spending an average of £34,500 each in doing so.

Euan Murray, relationship director and retail sector expert at Barclays Corporate Banking, Scotland said, said: “The impact of COP26 in Glasgow and the need for all businesses to become more sustainable is now starting to hit home amongst retailers. We are seeing a marked acceleration and shift among retailers in Scotland towards prioritising sustainable and ethical standards in every part of their business operations. That is now starting to take its toll on retail suppliers with billions of pounds worth of contracts being cancelled every year.

“It’s being driven by increasing consumer demand and will rise even further as Gen Z enter the workplace and begin to earn their own money. Retailers must continue to monitor and improve their ethical and sustainability standards if they are to appeal strongly to younger demographics.”

The consumer demand for improved credentials is highlighted in Barclays’ research among 2,000 members of the public. While quality of product (84%) and price (76%) are shown to be the purchasing factors of most importance to consumers in Scotland, ethical and sustainable credentials (52% and 53% respectively) are not far behind.

Younger consumers are leading the demand. In fact, two thirds of 16-24-year-olds would stop shopping with their favourite retailer due to ethical concerns and 68% of 25-34-year-olds would cut ties and shop elsewhere if their favourite retailer was found not to meet sustainability standards.

There is, however, an upside for retailers, in that consumers are prepared to pay a premium for these higher standards. On average, Scotland shoppers will pay 5%⁴ more for an ethically-sound product and the same⁵ for sustainably-sourced goods.

Consumers do also feel there is room for further improvement with 69% wanting to see retailers make more ethical and sustainable upgrades in future.

As new heat and smoke alarm regulations come into effect, campaigning trade association SELECT has launched a goodwill initiative that will see its Members install free domestic alarm systems for some of Scotland’s most vulnerable people.

Sponsored by Aico, the European market leader in home life safety, the Alarm Ambassadors campaign will see qualified electrical professionals fit heat, smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms in selected homes across Scotland to ensure they comply with the new rules.

The recipients will be vulnerable older and disabled people who have been identified by Care and Repair Scotland, the charity which helps householders improve or adapt a home which is no longer suitable.

Alan Wilson, Managing Director of SELECT, said: “We are delighted to be launching this Alarm Ambassadors campaign, sponsored by Aico and supported by Care and Repair, which will help the people in Scotland who need it most and reinforce the importance of domestic fire safety.

“We were also delighted that so many SELECT members volunteered to give up their time and install alarms free of charge, demonstrating their commitment to keeping people safe and ensuring work is carried out to the highest standard at all times.

“The campaign is designed to help those in genuine need – and remind the public of the importance of using compliant products, installed by qualified electricians where possible, to meet the new legislation which came into effect on February 1.”

The first Alarm Ambassadors installation was carried out in Biggar, Lanarkshire by electrician Chris Liddell of SELECT Member business 2 Core Electrics. Also in attendance was SELECT President Donald W Orr and Tony Boyle, Relationships Manager from Aico.

Similar installations will now take place across Scotland, with electricians from SELECT member firms installing tamper-proof long-life lithium battery Aico alarms that are sealed, wireless and interlinked in line with the regulations. A completion certificate will also be issued once the work has been completed.

Mr Boyle said: “We were only too happy to sponsor this deserving campaign and help people protect their homes and families with high-quality alarm systems, installed by qualified electrical professionals.

“It is vital that we get the message across in Scotland that homeowners must act now to become compliant, and this campaign will help raise awareness of the type of products that should be fitted.”

The new government standard requires that all homes in Scotland must have a smoke alarm on every storey including hallways and landings, a smoke alarm in the most frequented part of the house, such as the lounge, a heat alarm in the kitchen and a carbon monoxide alarm wherever there is a fuel burning appliance.

Mr Orr said that it was vital that action is taken to meet the requirements sooner rather than later, and that a qualified electrician should be employed to install any hard-wired interlinked systems.

He said: “The Scottish Government has said that any necessary work should be done within ‘a reasonable period’ after February 1, taking into account individual circumstances.

“However, while homeowners do still have this time to become compliant, now is the moment to consult with a properly qualified electrician and plan any additions or alterations which may be needed.

“Householders can quickly find their nearest electrical contractor on the SELECT website and members will be able to advise on design, installation and commissioning, as well as providing required certification.”

SELECT has produced a range of guidance about the new standard on a dedicated section of its website, including downloadable guides, technical manuals and an easy-to-follow animation.

Dawn Pianosi is promoted to Operations Director  

Edinburgh based Cullen Property today announced the appointment of Dawn Pianosi to its board of directors and her promotion to Operations Director.

Pianosi, brings over 14 years’ experience working in Edinburgh’s city centre rental property sector. She joined Cullen Property in March 2020 as Head of Property Management,  providing support to the operations side of the business, managing its unique ‘Trio Teams’ which service the property portfolio.  This comes at a time of anticipated growth for Cullen Property who have seen an uplift in landlord enquiries of over 200% in January 2022.

Dawn’s new role brings new responsibilities. She says, “I’m delighted to join the board at Cullen Property, whose overall vision I have so much respect for.  I’m blessed to work with an outstanding team of people and aim to give them more of a voice in the development of the company. My new role comes at an exciting time for Cullen Property, both coming out of the pandemic and managing our team and customer’s expectations of the ‘new normal’ in terms of procedures. But also with so many promising growth opportunities which lie ahead. ”

“In 2020, we expanded to welcome a fifth portfolio team to help meet our customer service goals. This bolstered our customer service capability, ensuring our team and our customers are both happy and well managed. With my years’ of experience in the Edinburgh property management scene, I know this is both an innovative and customer-centric approach. I really look forward to welcoming new clients and new colleagues in turn as we continue to grow the business in 2022, and beyond.”

Steve Coyle, Managing Director, said; “We are delighted to welcome Dawn Pianosi to the board here at Cullen Property. She has been a strong and reliable leader since joining the team in early 2020, tackling all the challenges that Covid-19 has thrown at us.  Dawn’s invaluable tenant and landlord experience and in depth knowledge of Scottish property legislation supports our customer-led goals for Cullen Property. We very much look forward to working together and seeing what can be achieved going forward.”

Cullen Property is one of Edinburgh’s leading property management and letting agents, currently managing a large portfolio, including over 200 HMO properties. Cullen Property’s current property stock available to rent is less than 1% of its managed portfolio. The Cullen Property team specialises in both professional and HMO property lettings in Edinburgh, including property investment sourcing, acquisition and refurbishment in prime city centre locations.

Anthesis, the largest group of dedicated sustainability professionals globally and one of the UK’s fastest-growing private companies, has appointed Ian Golding as Chief Information Officer. In this newly created role, Ian is responsible for setting the strategic direction and governance of Anthesis’ technology, data and digital capabilities and joins Anthesis’ Global Leadership Team.

Ian has more than 20 years of global technology leadership experience, including 15 years within the sustainability sector through his prior role as CIO & Partner at The ERM Group, during which he navigated the Group through its most significant growth phase across four private equity cycles.

In addition, Ian has held several interim CIO roles at purpose-led best-in-class global organisations, including most recently as Interim CIO at international STEM skills provider, SThree Plc, and Interim CIO at The Natural History Museum in London. During this tenure, Ian developed the technology strategy and vision to support its position as a world-leading museum and as a centre of excellence in scientific research on the Earth’s geology and life. Ian is also an investor, advisor, and a mentor for digital startups.

Stuart McLachlan, CEO of Anthesis Group, commented, “Anthesis was created with technology, digital and data at its heart, acknowledging their criticality in unlocking sustainable performance through faster, advanced, and data-led decision making. Ian’s exceptional experience and a successful track record in transformational change is a very valuable addition to our Global Leadership Team.”

Ian Golding, CIO, Anthesis Group, added, “We are at an inflection point where purpose-driven organisations are recognising and reacting to their exponential impact ambitions through the adoption of technology, data and digital. Anthesis is at the helm of driving change, for its clients and society, through an enviable portfolio of solutions. Acting on its goal of eliminating 3 gigatonnes of CO2e emissions by 2030 for its clients, Anthesis’ digital solutions are helping address the scarcity of sustainability skills while solving client problems to secure a sustainable future.”

Anthesis’ portfolio of over 20 digital solutions enables clients to spot emerging trends and challenges, align business strategies and secure competitive advantage by anticipating and adapting at pace. These solutions include the Tesco Supplier Network, an online Activator Hub which connects more than 10,000 suppliers and promotes collaboration, innovation, and best practice approaches, and Vastum, Anthesis’ digital waste tracking tool, tracking waste from the producer to its destination and fate, so helping to reduce waste crime.

Anthesis received the 2021 Innovation Award from Fast Track 100, acknowledging its investment and development in green technology.

Leading international infrastructure group Balfour Beatty has been awarded the contract for the 1^st Stage of the Scottish Prison Service’s (SPS) project for the Design and Construction of HMP Highland.

This marks a milestone in the SPS’ plans to deliver a modern, fit-for-purpose replacement for HMP Inverness.

The first new prison in the Scottish Highlands for more than a century, HMP Highland will serve the Highlands, Islands and Moray areas, holding up to 200 offenders in purposely designed accommodation units.

The SPS mission is to transform the lives of people in their care so they can fulfil their potential and become responsible citizens. The new prison represents a step-change in prison design and service delivery for the Highlands and has been developed taking full consideration of Highland Council’s Sustainable Design Guide. It is also designed to be community facing; to be physically part of the community and help offenders reintegrate back into the local communities from which they came.

The strategic aims of the prison include delivery of a range of innovative practices in order to stimulate, promote and sustain cultural change within a custodial environment that is more humane, civilised and positively supports offender rehabilitation, reducing recidivism. The prison will build upon the existing community links of HMP Inverness and enable improved service delivery, whilst also improving the experience of visitors to the prison.

Architecturally, the entrance building takes the form of a central roundhouse with an integrated family centre as a focal point for visitors; historically roundhouses were used by communities not only as homes but as places of work and for communities to come together in. The main building reflects the flow of the River Ness and the colours of the Highland scenery. The long winding wave building form through the site means that, from street level, the building can never be viewed in its entirety and is not visibly institutional or custodial in the architectural concept or design of the public facing elements. Internally the focus has been on delivering good design in communal and service delivery areas for staff, visitors and prisoners which are modern, but also secure, safe and ordered.

Sustainability is also a major focus of the design, with energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions on site integral to the design in line with Scottish Government guidance on securing green recovery on the path to transitioning to net zero emissions by 2045.

BakerHicks have been involved in the project from the early stages following their award of the contract for the concept design through the SPS framework in 2016. They have provided multi-disciplinary services on the project throughout the design stages, including architectural, civil & structural, mechanical & electrical, and principal designer services.

Laura James, Head of Scotland at BakerHicks, says the company’s considerable experience and expertise in the custodial sector helped shape the design process:

“We are proud of our continued work with SPS, helping them to achieve their objectives in delivering new and best-in-class prison facilities across the country.

“Our design team have been working on this project since its inception, and it is genuinely ground-breaking in terms of custodial design. This new style of prison creates an environment that helps aid rehabilitation, as well as being more inviting for visitors and family members. It is a far cry from the oppressive prison buildings of the past and I am excited to have the opportunity to have seen the building develop from its original concept right through to construction and completion.”

Hector MacAulay MBE, Managing Director, Balfour Beatty also provided the following comment:

“We are delighted to be engaged by SPS to work up the detailed design and delivery of the new HMP Highland. We will draw on our extensive expertise in Modern Methods of Construction and Decarbonisation to deliver this ground-breaking new facility.”

Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service said:

“The investment that we have received from the Scottish Government means that we can continue to develop a prison estate which is fit for purpose for the 21^st century. The award of the pre-construction services contract to Balfour Beatty represents a significant step forward in delivering HMP Highland.”