Executive chef Paul Smith and front-of-house manager Laura Carey have had plenty to celebrate this year, having also taken over the Fintry Inn in May and enjoyed one of their first full summer seasons since Covid.
Stopping to acknowledge another milestone ticked off in Glasgow city centre today, Mr Smith said: “Being invited to speak at the panel this morning was a great achievement for us.
“I love the fact that we were standing up there alongside the likes of the Malcolm Group, Taylor’s Crisps and Dunns.
“As a chef, I’ve become very familiar with their work over the years, so it means a lot to us.”
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No stranger to the Herald’s Scottish Family Business Awards, last year Mr Smith and Ms Carey were recognised with the Commitment to Community Award for their efforts to revitalise the traditional village inn.
Looking back to the ceremony, Ms Carey said: “We would be nothing without our staff, so to be able to have them with us last year when we won the award was so important.
“When we took over the Inn at Kippen in 2019, there had been about ten managers there before us in a two-year period and it took a long time for the staff to feel confident enough to go over and ask a table if they were ok.
“We’re a small country pub that only employs 20 people, so to show them that we were up there along with the big boys was incredible.”
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Continuing to support their community by showcasing the best of local produce at both the Inn at Kippen and Fintry Inn, there are exciting times still to come for a team that credits strong family values for their success.
Ms Carey said: “It can have its challenges, don’t get me wrong.
“There have been times when over our own dinner table we’re still arguing about a new menu for the Inn, but that’s because we care.
“We’re very lucky to work with a team that understands exactly what we want from the business, and look out for each other too.”