Business on ice
THERE is a lot more to curling than throwing stones at windows.
That is the view of accountants at Johnston Carmichael, who believe the sport gives business people an insight into how to develop a winning strategy.
With the Scottish Curling Junior Championships, sponsored by the firm, under way in Aberdeen, managing partner Niall Farquharson said the rules and ethics which govern one of Scotland’s oldest sports offer a template for success in the business world.
To wit, he says forward planning, team working, constant communication and the flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances are the cornerstones of success in the rink as well as in commerce. Sounds very cold and calculating.
Cocktail joy
THE fields of North-east Scotland do not immediately spring to mind when one thinks of cocktail culture, but times are changing – and fast.
Arbikie, the Scottish distiller which makes gin and vodka from ingredients grown on its Angus estate, has tasted success in the prestigious World Martini Championships in London.
Working with bartender Francesco Petracci of The Gibson in London, it won the title of “World’s Best Martini 2018” for their cocktail which combines Arbikie’s AK Gin, Sea Herbs Vermouth and Smoked Liquid, garnished with lemon zest and “served with style”.
We suspect the Arbikie team may not be shaken, but stirred.
Burns business
AS thousands prepare to gather for Burns Suppers around Scotland, and no doubt further afield, this evening, some Scottish food and drink suppliers will no doubt by raising a glass to the Ayrshire bard.
Discount supermarket Aldi has revealed that its suppliers of products traditionally associated with Burns celebrations will share in a sales bonanza worth more than £340,000. These include McIntosh of Strathmore, Traditional Scottish Ales and Highland Game, whose products have been among thousands of lines sold in 762 Aldi stores in Scotland, England and Wales.
It is little wonder that Graham Nicolson, group buying director of Aldi Scotland, declared that “Burns Night is big business”. Perhaps the man himself would have drunk to that.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here