SCOTLAND’S National Chef, Gary McLean, has joined forces with a brewing industry veteran for a campaign to make St Andrew's Day a major event in the nation’s calendar.
Mr McLean, a former winner of Masterchef The Professionals, contends that the day devoted to Scotland’s patron saint has been “neglected in the shadow of Burns and Hogmanay”.
He has teamed up Nigel McNally, who revived the Kestrel lager brand in 2012 and played a key role in elevating St George celebrations in England, in a bid to give a higher profile to St Andrew. He estimates Scottish supermarkets, local retailers, pubs, bars, and restaurants are losing out on up to £40 million of turnover by not focusing attention on St Andrew’s Day.
Mr McNally, who is credited with driving a major increase in sales of English premium bitter Bombardier on the back of St George’s Day in the 1990s, said: “By Scottish standards, St Andrew’s Day is a relative non-event and at a time when figures show that UK pubs lost £5.7 billion of revenue from beer sales in 2021 and the retail sector remains in recovery mode with rising prices and supply chain issues, it’s time to do something about re-imagining what the National Day should look like.
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“We know from experience that we need to galvanise the trade, make some noise, and seize the opportunity staring us in the face,” said McNally.
The Kestrel Beer Co is launching a programme of special St Andrew’s Day promotions and deals backed by a nationwide marketing campaign to increase the focus on the country’s national day, which is outshone by both Burns Night and traditional Hogmanay celebrations in Scotland.
Mr McLean said: “Our industry has gone through hell from lockdowns to a recovery coming in fits and starts and now with the cost-of-living crisis, rising energy and produce costs, the sector could do with a proper shot in the arm.
“St Andrew’s Day has been neglected in the shadow of Burns and Hogmanay, but it’s our National Day and it seems mad not to make more of it. I believe our hospitality and retail sectors have real opportunities here and I want to do whatever I can to reshape our relationship with St Andrew.”
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