Scotland’s finest bars and pubs have been revealed at a glitzy awards ceremony for the Scottish Bar & Pub Awards 2022 in Glasgow on Tuesday (30 August).
Hundreds of Scotland’s licenced trade gathered together to celebrate their achievements, enjoying entertainment from Abba MANIA.
Crowning the nation’s most loved pubs, the prestigious event saw over 27 venues and individuals pick up the coveted awards from up and down the country including Glasgow’s Ga Ga, Troon’s The Fox and Edinburgh’s Black Ivy and Virgin Hotels.
Organiser Susan Young said, “It’s been another incredible year for the annual Scottish Bar and Pub Awards as we’ve recognised some of the most creative, hard-working and beloved venues in the country.
“Following a difficult few years for the licensed trade, it’s fantastic to see so many venues dedicate their time to staff training, inventive menus and new initiatives.
“From Inverness to Dundee, Troon to Uddingston, this year’s winners have gone above and beyond to provide exemplary customer service, create new cocktails or champion their local live music scene.
“I’d like to give a special mention and warmest congratulations to our DRAM Lifetime Achievement Award winner Colin Blair from Buzzworks and Inspirational Woman of the Year, Giovanna Eusebi from Eusebi Deli – they are two worthy winners and a credit to our industry.
Congratulations everyone and thanks for once again helping us shine a spotlight on Scotland’s best venues!”
Full Winners List:
DRAM Lifetime Achievement Award
Colin Blair (Buzzworks)
Antos Dog Friendly Pub of the Year
Black Ivy, Edinburgh (above)
Aro Procurement Customer Service Award
The Huxley, Edinburgh
Benromach Whisky Bar of the Year
The Piper Whisky Bar, Glasgow
Deanston Whisky Guru 2022
Matt MacPherson, The Malt Room, Inverness
William Grant Bar Apprentice 2022
Gavin Lidbury, The Finnieston
Contribution to the Industry Award 2022
Jim Hamilton
Hi-Spirits Best Live Music Venue 2022
Box Bar & Club, Glasgow
Hospo TalentManager of the Year 2022
Matt Colligan, Bier Halle
Hungrrr Technology Adopter 2022
Scoop Restaurant Group, Glasgow
Inspirational Woman of the Year 2022
Giovanna Eusebi, Eusebi Deli
Inverarity Morton Restaurant of the Year
Ga Ga, Glasgow
Kopparberg New Bar of the Year
The Fox, Troon
Licensee of the Year
John Black, The Fort, Dundee
Award for Success
Paul Stevenson, Paesano
Molinari Casual Dining Award 2022
Caffe Parma, Glasgow
Molson Coors Scottish Bar of the Year
Kelvingrove Café, Glasgow
Buzzworks & Montpeliers
Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year
Matt MacPherson, The Malt Room
Old Tom Gin Hotel Bar of the Year
Virgin Hotels, The Commons Club, Edinburgh
Pernod Ricard Best Late Night Venue
Why Not Nightclub, Edinburgh
Scottish Bar & Pub Awards Community Pub of the Year
Clippens Inn, Linwood
Stoli Sustainability Award
Eusebi, Glasgow
Independent Operator of the Year
Jonathan MacDonald
Scoop Restaurant Group, Glasgow
The Busker Cocktail Bar of the Year
Lido, Troon
Scottish Hospitality Group Special Recognition Award 2022
David Cochrane, HIT
Scottish Bar & Pub Awards Team of the Year
Lisini, Uddingston
Sunday Mail Pub of the Year
The Palais, Glasgow
In their 27th year the Scottish Bar & Pub Awards, dubbed the hospitality Oscars, spotlight Scotland’s licensed trade and independent operators, rewarding the country’s most loved venues.
Finalists are shortlisted from an online vote open to the public, with over 3500 votes cast this year and visited by an esteemed panel of judges to crown the final winners.
The awards recognise everything from Kopparberg’s New Pub of the Year, Hi Spirits Best Live Music Venue and even Antos Dog Friendly Pub of the Year. The winners were announced from amongst 75 finalists at last night’s glittering awards ceremony at the Doubletree Hilton Glasgow Central, as Scotland’s finest bar and pub operators came together to celebrate a bumper year.
Glasgow’s bar and pub scene cleaned up at the awards, with local institutions like The Piper Whisky Bar taking home Benromach’s Whisky Bar of the Year, and the East End’s Palais Bar claiming the coveted prize of the night, the Sunday Mail Pub of the Year. West End mainstays Eusebi Deli won the Stoli Sustainability Award while Scoop Restaurants, operators of world-renowned venues Ka Pao and Ox and Finch, won Independent Operator of the Year.
Meanwhile, Edinburgh’s winners included Black Ivy for Antos Dog Friendly Pub of the Year (above), and beloved bar and restaurant The Huxley was recognised for exemplary service with the Aro Procurement Customer Service Award.
Newcomer The Commons Club at Virgin Hotels claimed the Old Tom Gin Hotel Bar of the Year, holding off competition from Gleneagles Hotel, Fonab Castle and Rusacks Hotel.
Outwith the central belt, the Scottish Bar and Pub Awards recognised some of the nation’s finest venues including Inverness’ The Malt Room.
Inverness native and bar manager of the venue Matt MacPherson took home two awards, crowned Deanston Whisky Guru 2022 and Buzzworks & Montpeliers Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year.
In Dundee, John Black of The Fort won Licensee of the Year, whilst The Fox in Troon was named Kopparberg’s New Bar of the Year, coming out top ahead of stiff competition from Jimmy Badgers, Giddy Goose and The Albyn.
The awards are Scotland’s longest running licensed trade awards, and celebrate the industry’s rising stars, community led initiatives and creative forces which drive the nation’s best venues.
For more information and a full list of winners head to www.scottishbarandpubawards.com
The Scottish Bar & Pub Awards 2022 finalists and winners.
*Note that the awards are alphabetical and in no particular order.
| Category | Finalist |
| Antos Dog Friendly Pub of the Year | Black Ivy, Edinburgh – WINNER |
| Antos Dog Friendly Pub of the Year | The Forth Inn, Aberfoyle |
| Antos Dog Friendly Pub of the Year | Inndeep, Glasgow |
| Antos Dog Friendly Pub of the Year | The White Stag, Callander |
| Antos Dog Friendly Pub of the Year | Brewhemia, Edinburgh |
| Aro Procurement Customer Service Award | The Coach House, Bridge of Weir |
| Aro Procurement Customer Service Award | The Fox & Willow, Ayr |
| Aro Procurement Customer Service Award | The Huxley, Edinburgh – WINNER |
| Aro Procurement Customer Service Award | Little Soho, Jordanhill |
| Benromach Whisky Bar of the Year | The Albananch, Edinburgh |
| Benromach Whisky Bar of the Year | Artisan, Wishaw |
| Benromach Whisky Bar of the Year | The Malt Room, Inverness |
| Benromach Whisky Bar of the Year | The Piper Whisky Bar, Glasgow – WINNER |
| Deanston Guru of the Year | Gillian Kirkland /The Piper’s Whisky Bar |
| Deanston Guru of the Year | Derek Mather/Artisan |
| Deanston Guru of the Year | Matt McPherson/ The Malt Room – WINNER |
| Deanston Guru of the Year | Alastair Shaw/The Gate |
| Deanston Guru of the Year | Simon Smith/ Whisky & Cynicism |
| DRAM Community Pub | Clippens Inn, Linwood – WINNER |
| DRAM Community Pub | Granny Gibbs, Whiteinch |
| DRAM Community Pub | Silver Wing, Edinburgh |
| DRAM Community Pub | The Weston Tavern, Kilmaurs |
| Hi Spirits Best Live Music Venue | Box Bar & Club, Glasgow – WINNER |
| Hi Spirits Best Live Music Venue | Harley’s, Ayr |
| Hi Spirits Best Live Music Venue | MacSorley’s, Glasgow |
| Hi Spirits Best Live Music Venue | St Luke’s & The Winged Ox, Glasgow |
HOSPO Manager of the year | Nicola Armstrong – Macgochans, Mull |
| HOSPO Manager of the year | Matt Colligan – Bier Hall – WINNER |
| HOSPO Manager of the year | Lee Little – Lido, Troon |
| HOSPO Manager of the year | Connor Smith – Hamilton Palace, Hamilton |
| HOSPO Manager of the year | Keir Beckwith, Gaucho |
Inverarity Morton Restaurant of the Year | The Dome, Edinburgh |
| Inverarity Morton Restaurant of the Year | Ga Ga Kitchen & Bar, Glasgow – WINNER |
| Inverarity Morton Restaurant of the Year | Kyloe, Edinburgh |
| Inverarity Morton Restaurant of the Year | Ralph & Finns , Glasgow |
| Inverarity Morton Restaurant of the Year | The Ubiquitous Chip , Glasgow |
| Kopparberg New Bar of the Year | The Albyn, Aberdeen |
| Kopparberg New Bar of the Year | The Fox, Troon – WINNER |
| Kopparberg New Bar of the Year | Giddy Goose, Perth |
| Kopparberg New Bar of the Year | Jimmy Badgers, Inverness |
| Molinari Casual Dining Award | Allegria Eatery, Largs |
| Molinari Casual Dining Award | Caffe Parma, Glasgow – WINNER |
| Molinari Casual Dining Award | Boar’s Head, Auchtermuchty |
| Molinari Casual Dining Award | Mediterraneo, Glasgow |
| Molson Coors Scottish Bar of the Year | The Fort, Broughty Ferry |
| Molson Coors Scottish Bar of the Year | Jute Cafe Bar, Dundee |
| Molson Coors Scottish Bar of the Year | Scotch & Rye, Inverness |
| Molson Coors Scottish Bar of the Year | Kelvingrove Café, Glasgow – WINNER |
| Old Tom Gin Hotel Bar of the Year | 18, Rusacks Hotel, St Andrews |
| Old Tom Gin Hotel Bar of the Year | The American Bar, Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterarder |
| Old Tom Gin Hotel Bar of the Year | Virgin Hotels, The Commons Club, Edinburgh – WINNER |
| Old Tom Gin Hotel Bar of the Year | The Lounge Bar, Fonab Castle, Pitlochry |
| Pernod Ricard Best Late Night Venue | Bourbon, Edinburgh |
| Pernod Ricard Best Late Night Venue | Charlie’s Loft, Glasgow |
| Pernod Ricard Best Late Night Venue | Moskito, Glasgow |
| Pernod Ricard Best Late Night Venue Pernod Ricard Best Late Night Venue | Nox, AberdeenWhy Not Nightclub Edinburgh – WINNER |
| Stoli Sustainability Award | Contini’s Scottish Restaurant, Edinburgh |
| Stoli Sustainability Award | Eusebi, Glasgow – WINNER |
| Stoli Sustainability Award | Gaucho, Glasgow |
| Stoli Sustainability Award | SWG3, Glasgow |
| The Busker Cocktail Bar of the Year | The Absent Ear, Glasgow |
| The Busker Cocktail Bar of the Year | The Cocktail Mafia, Edinburgh |
| The Busker Cocktail Bar of the Year | The Gate, Glasgow |
| The Busker Cocktail Bar of the Year | The Lido, Troon – WINNER |
| Independent Operator of the Year Bread Meets Bread (BMB), Glasgow | |
| Independent Operator of the Year | The Bruce Group, Edinburgh |
| Independent Operator of the Year | Buzzworks, Ayrshire |
| Independent Operator of the Year | Scoop Restaurants – WINNER |
| SUNDAY MAIL PUB OF THE YEAR | Habbies, Kilbarchan |
| SUNDAY MAIL PUB OF THE YEAR | The Palais, Glasgow – WINNER |
| SUNDAY MAIL PUB OF THE YEAR | The Station Bar, Glasgow |
| SUNDAY MAIL PUB OF THE YEAR | The Waverley, Wishaw |
AWARD FOR SUCCESS – Paul Stevenson, Paesano
BUZZWORKS & MONTPELIERS EMERGING ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR – Matt MacPherson, The Malt Room
CONTRIBUTION TO THE INDUSTRY AWARD – Jim Hamilton
DRAM LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD – Colin Blair (Buzzworks)
HUNGRR TECHNOLOGY ADOPTER – Scoop Restaurant Group, Glasgow
INSPIRATIONAL WOMAN OF THE YEAR – Giovanna Eusebi, Eusebi Deli
LICENSEE OF THE YEAR – John Black, The Fort, Dundee
SCOTTISH HOSPITALITY GROUP SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD 2022 – David Cochrane, HIT
SCOTTISH BAR & PUB AWARDS TEAM OF THE YEAR – Lisini, Uddingston
WILLIAM GRANT BAR APPRENTICE – Gavin Lidbury, The Finnieston