Latest news with #BarrasReborn
The Herald Scotland
27-07-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Bus firm owned by former Rangers directors doubles profits
We revealed this week that McGill's, the 'largest independent bus firm in the UK', posted that the earnings rise was partly down to acquisitions. James and Sandy Easdale. (Image: Jeff Holmes/JSHPIX) The Greenock-based firm owned by billionaire brothers Sandy and James Easdale put forward results covering a 'wide and diverse portfolio'. The firm said: 'McGill's Bus Group is Britain's largest independently owned bus company and a pioneer in fleet decarbonisation, with over 110 zero emission electric buses.' Read the full exclusive story here ANALYSIS 📈 Why the case for a 'Scottish visa' just got stronger Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is sticking to his red lines on Brexit. (Image: PA) At times like these the dogmatic nature of politics must really frustrate people in business. While Sir Keir Starmer sticks to his Government's red lines on Europe – meaning there will be no return to the single market, no re-joining the customs union and no freedom of movement under his watch – the UK's economic prospects will continue to be constrained. This includes in Scotland, which of course voted resoundingly to remain in the European Union in the referendum of 2016, and has been living with the consequences since. But how long can the current state of affairs continue? Starmer has so far resisted calls from the Scottish Government to introduce a "Scottish visa" to help the country deal with the labour shortages it faces, but the issue is simply not going away. Read Scott Wright's analysis here SERIES: THE BARRAS REBORN 🍽️ How The Barras stealthily became Glasgow's most exciting foodie destination The Barras has slowly but surely evolved into one of the city's most exciting foodie destinations. (Image: Newsquest) Whelks, mussels and white sugar-coated doughnuts might well be what first come to mind when you picture food from The Barras Market in Glasgow. None of the above is wrong, with the Loch Fyne Shellfish Bar on London Road celebrating 65 years in business and Danny's Donuts still firing up their fryers every weekend. But elsewhere, thanks to a team who have invested time and effort into curating a line-up of street food vendors unlike any other, The Barras has slowly but surely evolved into one of the city's most exciting foodie destinations. As part of our Barras Reborn series, The Herald sat down with market manager Chris Butler to discuss the influx of independent culinary talent now based in the East End and how this contributes to the shifting identity of a 104-year-old cultural landmark. Read Sarah Campbell's article here AROUND THE GREENS ⛳ Coming soon to a club near you: Golf vending machines A mock-up of what the proposed vending machines might look like (Image: Newsquest) This article appears as part of Kristy Dorsey's Around the Greens series Officials at discount retailer Affordable Golf are sizing up plans to roll out vending machines at clubs across Scotland selling items such as balls and gloves to players who might otherwise be caught short.
The Herald Scotland
24-07-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
How The Barras became Glasgow's most exciting foodie destination
But elsewhere, thanks to a team who have invested time and effort into curating a line-up of street food vendors unlike any other, The Barras has slowly but surely evolved into one of the city's most exciting foodie destinations. As part of our Barras Reborn series, The Herald sat down with market manager Chris Butler to discuss the influx of independent culinary talent now based in the East End and how this contributes to the shifting identity of a 104-year-old cultural landmark. Pictured: The Pizza Cult at The Barras (Image: Robert Perry) 'I took on the role about a year ago, and one of the first things that I really wanted to change was the area where most of our food places are now,' Butler says. 'Before that, it was a sort of dead space and a real thorn in my side. 'I would go over there and think there's so much potential here, it was crying out for some sort of injection of life.' Before joining the Barras team, Butler spent 10 years employed as a funeral director, but found himself searching for a change after the death of his wife. Considering a career path that would utilise previous experience in the retail and food industries, he fondly remembered working in the bar at The Barrowland Ballroom during his younger years as some of 'the happiest times he'd had'. A conversation with friend and long-term Barras manager, Tom Joyes, followed, and when Butler was offered a new role, their attention quickly turned to the market's food and drink offerings. Pictured: A dish from Colombian Bites, one of The Barras latest foodie vendors (Image: Robert Perry) 'We have a great team of people to work with who have new ideas all the time, especially Tom, who has been here for 40 years,' Butler continues. 'He knows the place inside out, but even he is still learning as he goes because back in the day, The Barras was a totally different beast to what it is now. 'After I started here, we pretty much ripped everything out and began from scratch. 'Christian from our multimedia socials team and I put together a database for businesses applying for spaces here. 'A lot of the interest we were getting was from people who hadn't been to The Barras in a long time, so we made sure to get them down for site visits and share our vision. 'Traders like the Ceylon Cartel got involved after pop-up events. I just liked what they did, all the blades flashing and things while they prepped and thought they'd be a good fit. 'And there's Alan McCurdy, the Crumbleologist, who has thousands of followers on TikTok now. 'He pitched me the idea, and even though I didn't have a space at the time, we knew it would be great, so we got him set up in a stall. As soon as one of the red huts became free, he was relocated there.' When it comes to delivering a market that's full of unexpected foodie surprises from authentic Colombian empanadas to freshly pressed green juice or Neapolitan-style pizza, Butler says it's imperative to maintain a firm understanding of what each unit and stall has to offer. 'We wouldn't have somewhere that just does chips and nothing else,' he says. 'And these days, people want more than just a cheap burger van. 'Every place has to have its own angle to stand out so that no one is serving the same thing. 'We are really diligent about what we want, and I think that's what stops us from becoming another bland food spot. 'It's a real melting pot of styles and nationalities that we've got here.' In an era of TikTok reviews and foodie bloggers, the team also strives to stay ahead of the game by closely monitoring trends and searching for emerging talent that could be a perfect fit for The Barras. 'We can tell what's trending on TikTok through the people that are applying to set up here,' Butler says. 'You'll get five people in a day saying, 'I've got this brilliant idea for a baked potato stall' as if we've not heard that before. 'And when The Great British Bake Off is on, we'll get people saying I want to do this specific type of pastry and just think yeah, ok, join the line. 'But you do have to be social media savvy, because if people can catch onto the right trends and find to deliver them with a sense of credibility and longevity, then it can work really well.' While Butler accepts that The Barras has not traditionally been considered a 'foodie' market, these recent developments clearly demonstrate the power that a diverse and well-thought-out selection of vendors can wield in attracting new demographics. 'We're not stopping here,' he confirms when asked if there are plans to expand the current list of more than 20 food and drink businesses on their books. 'We're thinking about getting a couple of containers over on the spare ground, and we're looking at getting some really good Indian food and a Chinese food stall over on that corner. 'It actually won't be called the spare ground, London Road or D Section anymore. We've decided on a moniker of 'Glasgow Place'. 'It will have its own identity so that whenever we talk about it on social media or anything, people will know exactly what it is. 'There's also talk of a toilet block which will make the place more like a wee food village, and we'll need to find a way to get more electricity for it all. 'We're not resting on the reputation we've built; we're going to keep pushing and pushing for more.' With yet more exciting transformations to come, Butler describes working in an area so important to Glasgow's heritage as something of a 'double-edged sword' as they strive to honour the legacy of The Barras while looking towards a bold new future. 'You're always going to have people who don't understand what you're doing, or object to it because they feel that too much is changing," he says. 'But I wake up every day looking forward to coming into my job because you know that no two days are going to be the same, and you have a chance to make a difference. 'I've just come back from a week off, and no word of a lie, there were well over 100 email applications in my inbox for people requesting stalls. 'Now, not all of them will be relevant to what we're after, but it's all about finding that wee nugget of something that seems like a great idea, then figuring out how to develop that and run with it. 'Especially with our food guys. I know that soon some of them will outgrow us, and that's ok because then we'll have the exciting job of finding someone new to take over. "I just hope that when they do move on, they'll say to people: ''I got my start at The Barras, and I'm where I am today because of it.''
