Elgin pub Drouthy Cobbler reopens after almost 18 months shut
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A POPULAR Elgin pub has reopened after being closed for nearly 18 months.
The Drouthy Cobbler was bought over by Speylife in May and, after eight weeks of refurbishments, reopened to the public at noon today.
Kevin Smith, formerly a director at Craigellachie Hotel, will run the bar with partner Tony Pollock, who currently owns a hair salon in Inverness.
The pair are hoping to change the direction of the place slightly – with more focus on food – but are looking forward to welcoming back old regulars.
Mr Smith said: "I don't want to lose that 'hipster' vibe the place has but we have gone in a different direction style wise.
"It's a public house and diner and the dining element is something we think Elgin could do with more of. We want to push for that. We definitely want to be more about food and not just a boozer.
"At the same time, we have the lane as a drinking area, with new furniture, new lighting and new courtyard garden.
"We are really looking forward to seeing the customers, people who previously loved the Drouthy, and all of our new regulars.
"We want to continue the reputation the place has and ensure it grows."
To start with, an experienced team of 18 will be working at the pub, including five in the kitchen.
However, Kevin, originally from Glasgow, hopes to run the Drouthy with a focus on giving youngsters an opportunity to grow and learn.
He added: "We want to work closely with get into work schemes locally.
"Our core team is massively experience with the minimum length of service in the hospitality industry being three years.
"This means that when we bring on trainees we have good folk to take them under their wing.
"I've worked in hospitality now for 27 years now, I've been there with the old school and it doesn't have a place in today's workforce.
"We will be aware of mental health pressures, we will have a wellness charter and are offering gym membership at Moray Sports Centre to our employees. We are also a real living wage employer."
For now, the Drouthy will be open from noon until midnight every day – except Sundays when it will open at 11am.
The new owners hope to run a 'Sunday social', which will be a boozy brunch, with a roast dinner on offer late in the afternoon.
The upstairs area will remain closed for the time being with a "new concept" to be launched at the end of the year.
If successful, Kevin and Tony hope that Speylife, created during lockdown last year, can go on to open up other venues locally.
