A Black Isle luxury hotel guests can “fly into” has revamped its kitchen and restaurant. Newhall Mains has spent a five-figure sum to transform its former event space into a eatery offering local produce. Euan Ramsay, who opened the business four years ago, said he spotted a gap in the market with the majority of local restaurants being seasonal.
The hotel sits 20 miles north of Inverness and has also added a new library lounge and cocktail space. It has its own private airfield, thought to be the only of its kind in the UK. Restaurant redesign can help us serve guests and locals, says owner Mr Ramsay said the Black Isle is full of fantastic restaurants — but the majority of them are seasonal.
After deciding to take a “huge risk” in opening all year round for the first time, he is hopeful the reward is a “solid” venue for both guests and locals. Mr Ramsay said: “After a few years of reduced offerings, I thought it was time to make a big investment in an area we were really missing. “The main investment is the restaurant, we stripped out a large area which was previously used for events and weddings.
“We have rejuvenated the space with a new library lounge for cocktails and, of course, the restaurant itself. “Our client base sees a lot of international travellers and although there are some fantastic restaurants in the Black Isle, some may close early, or other not open at all on certain days. “We saw a spot for another solid local restaurant where guests and locals alike could come and try some of the fantastic products which are on our doorstep.
” The investment has seen eight staff join bringing the total to 22. This includes new head chef Alex Henderson. Newhall Mains uses local produce in new restaurant Mr Ramsay is keen to stress the importance of local produce and said the restaurant will use as much as they can.
He said: “One of the highlights of the menu is the volume of local produce. We get our shellfish from Caithness and use a Munro’s Butchers in Dingwall. “Our pork, beef and lamb all come from local farms, which is really important to us.
“The local heritage is such a huge part of everything we do at Newhall Mains, the aviation history up here is why we have an airfield.” Mr Ramsay also realises the importance of affordability when it comes to hospitality, and has taken several measures to make sure locals aren’t priced out. He added: “Affordability isn’t easy to be candid, but we know how integral the local market is to success and survival.
“Hospitality has faced a number of issues and especially in the Highlands with it being seasonal. “It’s key for us to crack the local market with food prices and be creative where we can to avoid the inflated market. “We serve under-utilised cuts of meat and make sure the quality can still be expected for the price paid.
” Ramping up operations After a soft-launch in June, Mr Ramsay said operations are ramping up. He said it’s all part of continued plans to “grow organically” by reinvesting any profit from the previous year. Mr Ramsay said: “Investing in bricks and mortar is a risk and reward situation.
Our bigger investment has been in people. “It’s our biggest cost and I know our growing team is full of fantastic and highly skilled people.” Newhall Mains offers flying lessons and flight experiences from its airfield, where it accepts guests in small aircrafts.
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