New restaurant opens in ‘fantastic' Scottish city suburb
Herringbone Barnton is the fourth site to be opened under the brand by family-owned hospitality group Buzzworks, joining sister venues in Goldenacre, Abbeyhill and North Berwick.
Chris Robinson, general manager of Herringbone Barnton, said: 'We're so excited to be opening our doors here in Barnton – it's such a fantastic community, and we really feel we're bringing something special to the area.
'The venue looks incredible, our team has been training hard and is full of energy, and we just can't wait to welcome everyone in.
'There's a real buzz about the place already, and it's been amazing to see how excited people are to have a Herringbone on their doorstep.
'We've poured a lot of love into every detail, from the menu to the interiors, and we hope our guests are going to feel that from the moment they walk in.'
Food will be served from 9am daily, with full breakfasts, coffees, breakfast bowls, toasted croissants, avocado on toast, and much more available.
Mr Robinson also said: 'Whether you're stopping in for a laid-back brunch, catching up over dinner with friends, or enjoying a relaxed drink at the bar, there's truly something for everyone.
'We're here to be a neighbourhood favourite, and we can't wait for the locals to come in and make it their own.'
Aviva 'firmly on track' to buy Glasgow employer Direct Line
Insurance giant Aviva has declared its £3.7 billion takeover of Direct Line is 'firmly on track' as it told the City that it has 'got off to a great start in 2025'.
Aviva reported a nine per cent rise in general premiums to £2.9bn for the first quarter yesterday, amid 'strong performances' in personal and commercial insurance.
General insurance premiums in the UK and Ireland were up by 12% to £2bn, with 8% growth in personal lines and 15% in commercial, reflecting new business wins and the £242 million acquisition of Probitas. The latter paved the way for Aviva to re-enter the Lloyds market.
The company also reported net flows of £2.3bn into its wealth business compared with £2.7bn in the first quarter of 2024, as the growth of its investment platform was more than offset by the outflow from a large workplace scheme which switched to another provider.
AROUND THE GREENS
Full steam ahead for Muir of Ord's 150th anniversary
This article appears as part of Kristy Dorsey's Around the Greens series
Muir of Ord Golf Club was originally established as a 9-hole course in 1875 at the instigation of Alexander MacHardy, who at the time was the chief constable of Inverness-shire Police and is often referred to as the 'pioneer of golf' in the Highlands.
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Western Telegraph
3 days ago
- Western Telegraph
Fire risk warning issued by Aviva amid increase in claims
The number of garden fire claims increased in April and May this year, according to data from insurance giant Aviva, overtaking every other month in 2024. The insurer said that the average fire claim involving a garden in the UK amounts to nearly £16,000. The rise in fire claims comes off the back of the UK experiencing its sunniest spring on record. The UK has just endured its sunniest spring on record. (Image: Lucy North/PA Wire) Around 630 hours of sunshine were recorded across the country between March 1 and May 27, according to provisional figures from the Met Office. This beats the previous record of 626 hours set back in 2020. The biggest fire risks in UK homes and gardens An increase in people enjoying barbecues and bonfires in their gardens during the warmer weather is, in part, being blamed for the increase in fire claims, Aviva said. Lightning claims have also increased over the past five years, according to the insurers data. Lightning strikes can spark fires in homes, Aviva warned. They can cause electrical items to break or malfunction, leading to fires. Staying safe during a thunderstorm Examples of some fire claims seen by the insurer include: Sheds, fencing and decking being destroyed by garden bonfires Embers from a barbecue landing on a shed and setting its contents ablaze Ash from a fire pit causing a garage fire Senior underwriting manager at Aviva, Hannah Davidson, said: 'Although warmer weather is often welcome news, we're urging people to remain vigilant when it comes to fire safety. 'The warm weather, paired with a lack of rain means that once started, a fire can spread very quickly – particularly as the ground is dry. 'Popular items in gardens, such as wooden fences and sheds, can be flammable, causing flames to spread quickly. "A small fire in the garden can also spread to the home, causing significant damage. 'Whether it's hosting friends for a barbecue, charging devices and tools outside or in the home, or even hanging a mirror outside in your garden for decoration, it's worth paying close attention to what could become a potential fire hazard.' Things that could invalidate your home insurance How to avoid a fire starting in your home Following the increase in claims, Aviva has issued several safety tips to help reduce the risk of a fire in your home or garden: Fire safety Aviva said: "If possible, it is best to avoid garden bonfires which can quickly get out of control, especially during dry and windy conditions. "If you do light a fire, never leave it unattended and keep water or a hose nearby. "Exercise caution with fire pits and extinguish them before you go inside." The insurer added it is also a good idea to keep an eye on fires in neighbouring gardens, in case they spread. Barbecue with caution Before barbecuing, Aviva urged Brits to check the weather forecast for any wind which can make barbecuing "significantly more dangerous". People enjoying barbecues in their gardens during warmer weather is one of the theings being blamed for an increase in fire claims recently. (Image: Getty Images) The insurance experts explained: "Gusts of wind can carry hot embers or sparks several feet away, increasing the possibility of a fire. "When barbecuing, be mindful that ash can stay hot for days, so wait until it has cooled before disposing. "Always place disposable barbecues on a non-flammable or heat resistant surface, away from grass, fences, or sheds and leave them until they have cooled completely." Unplug appliances once charged Overheating lithium-ion batteries can cause fires, so always unplug chargers once tools are fully charged. Aviva added: "Avoid charging devices overnight or leaving them unattended." Watch windowsills Sunlight magnified through glass objects can start fires, Aviva warned. "Keep mirrors, bottles, and other reflective items away from direct sunlight," the insurer added. RECOMMENDED READING: Dispose of cigarettes carefully Cigarettes and matches can easily ignite dry grass or decking. Aviva said: "Always extinguish them fully and dispose of them safely."
The Courier
5 days ago
- The Courier
‘Call me Mr Tea' — The people scalded by Perthshire's great tea scandal
Picture the scene: Paris. March 14, 2015. The great and good of the world's tea industry gather for a lavish party, a celebration of their achievements over the past 12 months. This night at the Salon de Thé awards is a special one for Scotland, as Perthshire's own Wee Tea Plantation scores a coveted gold award. The company's Dalreoch white tea has been crowned the best tea in the world. The announcement sparks a media buzz. The plantation's Tam O'Braan tells BBC Five Live presented Nicky Campbell that morning he cannot attend the ceremony as his wife is about to give birth to twins. But he says he is sending a colleague to read out the speech he penned. 'I suppose you could call me Mr Tea after winning such a major award,' he told reporters. Coupled with a silver gong from the Tea Exchange in London, it really is a remarkable achievement for a Scottish business – particularly one set up just over six months earlier. Except the awards ceremony never happened. O'Braan – known by prosecutors as Thomas Robinson – made it up to boost sales and win contracts. The fake awards were part of a wider deception that hoodwinked not only the owners of some of the country's best known hotels but also wholesalers, journalists, landowners and businesses. Robinson was this week convicted of an elaborate £550k fraud, taking in five-star hoteliers and genuine tea growers. At his trial, he distanced himself from the Salon de Thé prize claiming it was gourmet tea firm Mariage Freres' award. But he said he remembered seeing some kind of gold medallion. 'I didn't get to keep it,' he said. 'But it must have had some standing because the buyers from Fortnum and Mason wanted to display it in their store.' Asked if the whole thing was made up, he said: 'I'm taking it on trust that the award does exist.' The Courier was also caught up in Robinson's web of lies. In February 2017, we reported how thieves had stolen tea leaves from his Dalreoch farm. The report was based on information provided to us by the company, while Robinson was recovering from a heart attack we were told. The theft was never reported to Police Scotland and it emerged during the trial the thefts may have been faked ahead of a council inspection of the land. Here we look at just a handful of others who were caught out by Robinson's great tea blag. In hindsight, alarm bells should have been ringing for London tea seller Alistair Rea, when Robinson – his best customer – asked him to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). The document was purportedly a legally binding contract demanding Mr Rea's silence on all correspondence between him and Robinson. Robinson first contacted sole-trader Mr Rea in August 2015, when his business What-Cha, selling top end tea from around the world, was starting out on eBay. He asked how degradable his loose leaf black tea was, before putting in an order for 30kg. He asked for it to be delivered to a PO address in Glasgow's Bath Street. Over a period of nearly three-and-a-half years, Robinson ordered about 700kg of loose leaf tea from as far afield as China, Malawi and Sri Lanka, often at thousands of pounds a time. He often asked about the produce and requested photos to see if they were 'leafy enough'. Mr Rea, 36, said he had never before been asked by a customer to sign a confidentiality agreement. 'I agreed to sign it to keep the business relationship going,' he said. The paper was sent from Robinson – not from a lawyer – in October 2015, not long after he began buying from What-Cha. In February 2016, Robinson visited Mr Rea's business premises – a spare room at his Islington home – to pick up more tea. Robinson explained to the tea vendor he had been out of action for a while following a heart attack and would making big orders to help catch up with customers. Mr Rea did not know Robinson had a tea plantation but suspected he had been selling on his tea leaves. Peter Pejacsevich, a forester and farmer who owns 680 acres of land on the banks of Loch Tummel, said his interest was piqued when reading a news article about Scottish tea plantations in 2016. One of the people mentioned in the piece was Perthshire's Tam O'Braan whose tea, it stated, was being sold by Fortnum and Mason. Mr Pejacsevich, 70, decided to investigate further, with the idea of growing tea plants on his own land. By email, he contacted Robinson, who he knew only as O'Braan, before meeting up at his Amulree site. There, he could see about 100 or so plants, about a metre high, despite Robinson's claims he had a field of tens of thousands of plants near his home. 'I can't recall if he said if these were grown on the farm but the implication was that they were grown there,' said Mr Pejacsevich. The London-based landowner noticed Robinson had a slight limp, which he told him was 'the result of military action'. Mr Pejacsevich struck a deal to buy 1,200 plants at £15,000. Robinson was given a key and granted access to the farmer's land at Loch Tummel. He told Mr Pejacsevich a group of agricultural students had been employed to harvest the leaves. These so-called 'woofers' – a term for people who work for rural firms in exchange for bed and board – were said to have stayed at the farm with Robinson, although there was no evidence they ever existed. Some time later, Mr Pejacsevich was shown a tea menu from the Balmoral Hotel. It offered jasmine green tea 'grown on the banks of Loch Tummel'. Mr Pejacsevich said there had been no other teas growing near the loch and stressed he had not given Robinson permission to sell on tea from his plantation. In court, Robinson blamed a man called 'Billy' for looking after Mr Pejacsevich's crops. Antiques dealer and farmer Henry Baggott was – initially at least – an enthusiastic supporter. 'It was interesting to hear someone was growing tea in Scotland and doing it so well,' he said. 'It was exciting that someone was championing this here in Scotland.' He got in touch with Robinson – or O'Braan as he knew him – in 2015 and went to visit his farm. There he saw a few hundred plants. 'From what I saw, they seemed to be pretty healthy but it was all new to me at that stage.' During their talks, Robinson told Mr Baggott he had been in the army, 'in a regiment like the Paras.' 'If someone tells you they had been in the army, you believe them,' he said. After tests on his own soil at his wife's family farm near Castle Douglas, Baggott agreed to buy 700 plants. 'Tam came with a team from the plantation. 'There was very little guidance from Tam – it was very much dig a hole, pop in a plant and away we go. 'At the time, we thought this was great. 'It was only subsequently we looked closer and could see they had been badly planted and were in poor quality. They soon started dying.' In the first year, between 25-to-30% of the plants were lost. After about seven years, he only managed to harvest about 100 grammes of tea. Mr Baggott said Tam 'was a very hard man to get hold of after we initially planted his plants.'
South Wales Guardian
29-05-2025
- South Wales Guardian
Man who sold ordinary tea as unique Scottish variety found guilty of fraud
Thomas Robinson, 52, claimed to have cultivated the tea at his Perthshire estate using innovative techniques, but in reality it was sourced from wholesalers outside Scotland. Operating under the business name The Wee Tea Plantation, Robinson fraudulently sold the tea to high-profile clients in the hospitality sector between January 2014 and February 2019. In addition, Robinson, who is also known as Tam O'Braan and Thomas O'Brien, misled genuine Scottish tea growers by selling them plants under the false pretence they were a unique, locally-grown variety. Thomas Robinson was found guilty of fraud totalling nearly £600,000 following an investigation by the Scottish Food Crime and Incidents Unit. He defrauded luxury hotels and retailers by falsely claiming to supply premium tea grown in Scotland. Read more at — Food Standards Scotland (@FSScot) May 29, 2025 He also bolstered his credibility by fabricating academic qualifications and industry awards. An investigation by Food Standards Scotland (FSS) found Robinson's misrepresentations led to his clients losing a total of £584,783. Robinson was found guilty of two counts of fraud by a jury at Falkirk Sheriff Court on Thursday. Ron McNaughton, head of Scottish food crime and incidents unit at FSS, welcomed the verdict. 'This was not a victimless crime – individuals, businesses, and an emerging sector of genuine Scottish tea growers suffered real financial and reputational harm as a result of deliberate deception. 'I would like to thank the witnesses who came forward and supported the investigation – their co-operation was essential to achieving this outcome. 'It's a strong example of how partnership working and the dedication and skill of our investigative teams make it increasingly difficult for those committing food fraud to go undetected. 'We remain committed to protecting Scotland's food and drink sector from criminal activity and maintaining consumer trust.' He added that the FSS investigation had been 'highly complex and protracted', requiring co-ordination with 'partner agencies'. He continued: 'Fraud of this nature is often difficult to detect and even harder to prove, but we were determined to pursue every line of inquiry to build the strongest possible case.' Robinson is due to be sentenced at Stirling Sheriff Court on June 25.
