HELLO and welcome to the PM Business Briefing, as a Highland hospitality group has added a cocktail bar and bistro to its stable of bars and restaurants in the north of Scotland.
Cru Holdings, named Independent Multiple Operator of the Year at the SLTN Awards earlier this year, has taken over The White House on Inverness’ Union Street.
The acquisition comes with an extension of the property’s tenancy by 20 years, which cements Cru Holdings’ "commitment to providing fantastic food and drink to Highland customers for decades to come", it said.
Fifteen jobs will also be retained in the Highland hospitality industry as a result of the deal.
Ken Loades, Cru director, said: “When the opportunity presented itself to add The White House to the Cru Holdings family, we knew it was the right move. Its reputation for incredible cocktails and delicious food aligns perfectly with everything we strive to achieve in our venues.
“We’d like to reassure customers that from the moment we take over, it’s business as usual. All bookings will be honoured, and you’ll still receive the same high quality of service you’ve come to expect at The White House.
“All Cru Holdings vouchers will also be valid for The White House – and all existing White House vouchers will be extended to include all Cru Holdings bars and restaurants.”
The White House is described as one of Inverness’ "best-loved bars".
Mr Loades added: “We’re proud to support the Highland hospitality industry and help popular venues like The White House stay open for many years to come.
“We’re committed to ensuring the hospitality industry thrives in the region, by guaranteeing a high quality of service across all our venues and ensuring the industry is an attractive place to work by offering benefits like the Real Living Wage.”
Cru Holdings is the Highlands’ leading hospitality group, with a portfolio of seven bars and restaurants in Inverness and Nairn including Prime, Bar One, Scotch & Rye, The Classroom, The Wee Bar, The White House, and The Keg.
Culloden Moor holiday village plan rejected
Controversial plans to build a £1 million holiday village on historic Culloden Moor have been turned down by the Scottish government despite one of its own officials advising it should go ahead.
Inverness Paving Ltd wanted to convert an equestrian centre on the site into a leisure facility with 13 lodges, a car park and restaurant. However it was rejected twice by Highland Council and an appeal has now been turned down by government ministers.
Agenda: Hydrogen is not just for the future, it's here now
COP26 has put the issue of climate change higher up the agenda than it has ever been before.
That is true at government level, but it is also true at an individual level. We are behaving, or at least considering behaving, in quite different ways than we have before. I was in a bar in Edinburgh the other day where each item on the menu carried an estimate of the CO2 emissions used in its production. It nudged us into eating a climate-friendly lunch.
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