Stuart Singer never quite suspected that when he took on Oldmeldrum’s Redgarth Hotel, he would still be behind the bar some 35 years on.
But decades later, the popular publican says he is still the “first in and last out” of the building almost every day.
During that time Stuart has weathered various storms that have beset the hospitality industry, surviving and thriving in the face of a pandemic that put paid to many similar businesses.
He’s even been immortalised in a grisly Stuart MacBride detective novel.
And, as he was preparing the premises for a party to mark the milestone, the granddad looked back over his time at the Redgarth…
When did Staurt Singer take over the Redgarth?
At the turn of 1990, Back to The Future: Part II was top of the cinema box office, painting a fantastical picture of how the then-distant year 2015 might look.
Meanwhile, a forlorn Margaret Thatcher was entering her final year as Prime Minister.
And top of the UK singles chart was Hangin’ Tough by the New Kids on the Block.
Over in Oldmeldrum, the new kid on the block at the Redgarth Hotel was Stuart Singer.
How did hospitality career begin?
To his generations of customers, it might seem like the ever-smartly- dressed Stuart was born for the role of pub landlord.
But when the Kintore native left Inverurie Academy aged 18 in 1970, he entered the world of insurance.
It was years later, through his father-in-law, that Stuart ventured into the hotel trade.
Peter Forsyth owned the Commercial Hotel in Insch, the Banks of Ury in Inverurie and the Lodge Hotel at Old Rayne.
After helping out at his venues on the weekend, Stuart decided to get more involved
In the early 1980s, he began a successful stint at the helm of the Boar’s Head, something of a Kinmuck institution at the time.
“It took off from there,” Stuart recalls…
Redgarth went on the market at end of the 1980s
But by 1988, Stuart recognised that the future of the trade relied on serving up both drink and meals.
He said: “We realised that drink alone was not going to get us the living we needed, we probably needed something with a kitchen…
“And, around that time, the Redgarth went on the market.”
The dad-of-two took the leap of faith, buying the business at the end of 1989 and spending a few weeks sprucing it up before opening the doors on January 10, 1990.
In the years after, he turned a flat upstairs into three bedrooms. That number was doubled in the following years, and the inn now offers six rooms.
Stuart Singer and the Redgarth make appearance in crime thriller
By the 2000s, Stuart Singer and the Redgarth had become synonymous.
And when a local crime writer started conjuring up his latest grisly thriller in the corner of the bar, he decided to include Stuart in the book.
The writer was Aberdeen’s Stuart MacBride, and in Flesh House the pub boss serves protagonist Logan MacRae as he’s on the hunt for a cannibal serial killer.
Stuart adds: “Stuart MacBride would sit in the corner of the bar for a while, spending time writing, and I got to know him quite well.
“We even produced a special beer for his first novel, and it was quite a fun time.”
‘An excellent host and a lovely man’
On hearing of the milestone, Mr MacBride yesterday paid tribute to Stuart’s time behind the bar.
He told The Press and Journal: “The Redgarth used to be my local, and stopping in for a pint on the way home from work on a Friday was one of our favourite rituals.
“Not only is Stuart Singer an excellent host, he’s a lovely man – the pub wouldn’t be a third the place it is without his genial hand at the tiller and friendly smile behind the bar.”
The top-selling writer added that he will be “raising a glass in his honour” tonight.
Mr MacBride is just one of thousands of “interesting people” Stuart has encountered while running the bar.
These days, guests stay at the Redgarth from all over the world as they explore Aberdeenshire.
“We get people from all walks of life,” Stuart smiles.
“But they are all treated just the same when they come in here.”
How has Stuart Singer navigated challenges while running the Redgarth?
The past few decades have not been without their challenges for country pubs and hotels.
One of those previously owned by his father-in-law is among many now boarded up.
The Lodge, at Old Rayne, shut in 2008 and faces an uncertain future – with demolition a possible option.
But Stuart tells me he’s had an answer for every problem.
Amid concerns the smoking ban in 2006 could discourage people from visiting, he built a rather inviting shelter… And this “party room for smokers” is still there to this day.
How did Stuart respond to new drink driving laws?
When the drink driving limit change came in a few years later, there were again fears for rural pubs.
Lowering the legal limit from 35 to 22 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath effectively ruled out having anything to drink and then driving.
Many thought this could be the death-knell for venues like Stuart’s.
But the veteran publican explains that he had always been an advocate for low alcohol beer, making a point of stocking several options.
“We always have six to eight non-alcoholic drinks here, which is more than you get in some places in town,” he tells me with some pride.
After that, the oil and gas downturn hit the north-east’s hotel trade as fewer and fewer firms were putting up workers in premises.
“You just couldn’t depend on that any more,” Stuart acknowledges.
“But we have managed to make up for that by welcoming more tourists.”
In 2018, The Redgarth won a “country pub of the year” award:
How did pandemic change the way the Redgarth works?
But of course, the biggest challenge to the sector arrived in 2020 – just a few weeks after Stuart had celebrated his 30th anniversary running the Redgarth.
Suddenly people were barely allowed to leave their homes, never mind travel about on holiday.
The Redgarth was forced to close for three months, and reopened to a new world of rules and regulations.
But like many workplaces, the venue had to embrace technology to survive – which meant an overhaul of how it had been run for decades.
Stuart explains: “My bookkeeper and I spent a lot of time updating things, moving our accounting to ‘the cloud’ for a start… And we had never done online banking until then.
“Basically, we had to embrace technology for the first time – and there was no escape after that!”
The Redgarth also joined online booking websites like Expedia and Booking.com, as this became “the only means to fill rooms”.
Do you have fond memories of The Redgarth? Let us know in our comments section below
‘It’s been a joy every day!’
Scrolling through photographs of the last 35 years, Stuart admits that “not for a minute” did he think his stint at the Redgarth would last so long.
But time flies when you are having fun.
“It’s been a joy every day,” he smiles.
“There’s no secret to it, you just keep your head down and make sure you’re looking after the people that come in.
“And I’m still the first in and last out almost every day!”
But the 72-year-old now has the premises on the market, priced at £825,000, and is looking forward to spending more time with his little grandson.
Stuart just hopes someone will take it on and “continue its success”.
Whoever it may be will have a tough act to follow.
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