An Alness pub has been crowned Scotland’s Community Pub of the Year.
The Station, a hotel and bar on the Highland town’s High Street, bagged the title for a second year running at the SLTN Awards on Friday, November 8.
Meanwhile, The Dipping Lugger in Ullapool won the Best Restaurant of the Year (Fine Dining) and MacGregor’s in Inverness the Music-led Venue of the Year.
And the newly opened Tarragon by Graham Mitchell in Aberdeen and Johnny Foxes in Inverness were Highly Commended in the Best Restaurant of the Year (Casual Dining) and Independent Bar of the Year categories respectively.
An unexpected victory for the Station in Alness
“We were not expecting to win it for a second time in a row – I don’t know if anybody has done it before,” said Jill Munro, who runs the family-owned business.
Jill’s dad Billy took over the High Street premises eight years ago while she joined as a manager two years later.
The 53-year-old worked as a teacher before becoming the manager of the hotel and bar in what she described as a “total career change.”
In just a few years, the Munro family has converted the pub into a pillar of the community.
The Station in Alness wins Community Pub of the Year
Manager Jill Munro explained that the pub’s “family” is a mix of locals, businesspeople and workers and tourists.
“It’s like a living room in which everybody talks to everybody,” she said.
The hotel also hosts a lot of local groups, such as the local book club or monthly events for the armed forces veterans.
The Station employs 32 people in the town.
Jill said: “I call them The Station family.
“The community is really important to me, and this award highlights the importance pubs have in rural areas.
“We’re the heart of the community.”
From teacher to bar manager
Jill told the Press and Journal she was a teacher before she decided to go for a “total career change’ when her dad Billy needed help with the family business.
She said: “I decided to take a break from teaching.
“I just loved managing the hotel and the pub, I just loved it.”
She said there are quite a few similarities between a pub and a classroom.
“In both places you sometimes need to be a bit strict at times,” she joked.
Local produce and a ‘legendary secret recipe’
The Station also serves some popular dishes from its restaurant.
“We have an excellent restaurant that uses local products and it’s all freshly cooked by three senior chefs,” Jill explained.
The manager said the venison, sourced from their own farm Heathfield Highland Estate is always very popular.
However, she revealed that the most “legendary” dish is the Station Hotel macaroni.
She said: “People ask me for the recipe all the time.
“We had a wedding at the weekend.
“About 10 people asked me for the macaroni recipe, but it’s a secret.”
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