Latest news with #IanFerguson
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
What to expect from from Ayrshire's new Tales restaurant at famous Brig o' Doon
We sample some of the food on offer at the iconic venue following a comprehensive makeover. After a £2.5 million renovation, the Brig o' Doon House Hotel in Alloway has officially open it's new restaurant - Tales. Ayrshire Live were invited along to the soft launch of the restaurant before it opened on Monday, June 6. For regulars of the previous Coven restaurant at the hotel or those who have never visited before, here's what you can expect from the new Tales restaurant. It is like nothing has changed on entering the hotel with the original monochrome chequered tile flooring still in place. Walk a little further though, and you are welcomed into the new lounge bar which prefaces the restaurant. The cosy seating offers an opportunity for diners to get a quiet drink before their meal. Once seated by the hostess, you can fully take in the surrounds of the new restaurant. A stunning mural depicting a scene from Robert Burn's Tam O' Shanter adorns the interior wall which is designed to reflect the theme of the restaurant - it's all about telling the next tale. Behind the floor to ceiling windows around the rest of the room is the view the revamp was made to picture - the Brig o' Doon itself and the banks of the river. Look closely at the waters on a sunny day and you might just catch a glint of silver - it is rumoured that a previous owner of the hotel lost silverware in the river. A piano sits in the corner and the resident pianist creates the ambiance for the evening - a relaxed, acoustic vibe perfect so as not to disturb but there ready to step in for a lull in the conversation. The menu has been created by head chef Ian Ferguson who sadly passed away recently. His colleagues though have stepped up to the plate to deliver his vision. On our visit, we combined the Buttermilk Chicken Bites and BBQ Pulled Beef Bao Buns starters which made an excellent combination to share - the bao buns presented in a traditional wooden dish. For the main course, we sampled the Traditional Steak Pie and 8oz Fillet Steak - both served with perfectly cooked spring greens. With flaky pastry and tender meat, the steak pie was an instant hit while the fillet was accompanied by a side of man 'n' cheese. Delicious desserts followed - the Scottish Sundae bringing iconic Scottish ingredients together and the Raspberry and White Chocolate Tiramisu proving to be an excellent twist on an Italian favourite. With a relaxed, modern which remains true to the hotel's identity and a £20 two-course market menu offering a more affordable option, the new restaurant is worth a visit whether your familiar with the old place or not.
Business Wire
20-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
SiFive Collaborates with Red Hat to Support Red Hat Enterprise Linux for RISC-V
BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SiFive, the gold standard for RISC-V, today announced a collaboration with Red Hat, the world's leading provider of enterprise open source solutions, to bring Red Hat Enterprise Linux support to the rapidly growing RISC-V community. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 is available in developer preview on the SiFive HiFive Premier TM P550 platform. This is an exciting expansion of the fast-growing global software ecosystem for RISC-V Share The SiFive HiFive Premier TM P550 provides a proven, high-performance RISC-V CPU development platform. Adding support for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, the latest version of the world's leading enterprise Linux platform, enables developers to create, optimize, and release new applications for the next generation of enterprise servers and cloud infrastructure on the RISC-V architecture. 'Empowering the software developer community is an important part of realizing our vision to enable our partners to deliver systems with a meaningfully lower total cost of ownership than incumbent platforms,' said Ian Ferguson, VP, Vertical Markets at SiFive. 'Delivering Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 developer preview on the popular SiFive HiFive Premier P550 provides a strong foundation to inspire the next generation of enterprise workloads and AI applications optimized for RISC-V.' RISC-V provides enterprises and datacenter companies the flexibility needed to meet strict cost, power, and performance needs in the AI era. Both Red Hat and SiFive are active participants in the RISC-V Software Ecosystem (RISE) Project that is focused on optimizing open source software for deployment in RISC-V-based systems. SiFive's high performance RISC-V technology is already being used by large organizations to meet compute-intensive AI and machine learning workloads in the datacenter. 'The continued adoption of open source and open standard technologies continues to accelerate innovation across the industry,' said Ronald Pacheco, senior director, Red Hat Enterprise Linux Product and Ecosystem Strategy, Red Hat. 'With the growing demand for RISC-V, we are pleased to collaborate with SiFive to support Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 deployments on SiFive HiFive Premier P550 to further empower developers with the power of the world's leading enterprise Linux platform wherever and however they choose to deploy.' The developer preview of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 is initially available for use on the SiFive HiFive Premier P550 platform. SiFive is collaborating with Red Hat to prepare Red Hat's product portfolio for future intersection with RISC-V server hardware from a diverse set of RISC-V suppliers. "Native Red Hat Enterprise Linux support on SiFive's HiFive Premier P550 board offers developers a substantial enterprise-grade toolchain for RISC-V. This is a pivotal step forward in enabling a full-stack ecosystem around open RISC-V hardware,' said Dave Altavilla, Principal Analyst – HotTech Vision and Analysis. To learn more about the SiFive HiFive Premier P550 development platform, please visit: About SiFive As the pioneers who introduced RISC-V to the world, SiFive is transforming the future of compute by bringing the limitless potential of RISC-V to the highest performance and most data-intensive applications in the world. SiFive's RISC-V compute platforms have enabled leading technology companies around the world to innovate, optimize and deliver the most advanced solutions of tomorrow across every market segment of chip design, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, automotive, data center, mobile, and consumer. With SiFive, the future of RISC-V has no limits. Red Hat, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and the Red Hat logo, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and other countries. Linux® is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries.
Daily Record
12-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Historic Ayrshire restaurant to reopen after 'elegant' renovation
The restaurant, which has doubled in capacity to 90 covers, is housed in a purpose-built wraparound extension with "unspoiled sweeping views" overlooking the River Doon. A historic Ayrshire restaurant is set to reopen later this month after undergoing an extension and renovation. The Brig o' Doon in Alloway will welcome guests to the new Tales restaurant from Friday, May 29. A brand new menu has been put together to accompany the new restaurant following a series of four taster sessions. In January, the restaurant closed at the hotel for a "complete makeover" but functions have continued to be held. Purchased by the RAD Group from Costley & Costley in 2022, the Brig o' Doon has undergone a number of changes as the new owners invest in the hotel, restaurant and wedding venue. RAD Group say the name for the new restaurant, Tales, was inspired by the rich storytelling heritage of Robert Burns. Taster sessions were led and hosted by group executive head chef Ian Ferguson and co-owner Vivien Kyle, giving guests a sneak peek at both the new Scottish menu and the newly extended dining space. The restaurant, which has doubled in capacity to 90 covers, is housed in a purpose-built wraparound extension with "unspoiled sweeping views" overlooking the River Doon. The "romantic" interiors have been personally curated by Vivien Kyle and will feature "earthy tones, soft textures, and rich furnishings, alongside a hand-painted mural, bespoke art, and sculptural lighting". The space also includes booths, an "elegant" private dining room and an outdoor terrace perfect for summer drinks and alfresco dining. Speaking about the taster sessions, Ian Ferguson said: 'Coming back to Brig o' Doon after 25 years feels incredibly special, and to launch a restaurant like Tales here is a real honour. 'These taste sessions were a brilliant way to connect with our guests and the local community, and their feedback has helped shape a menu that celebrates the best of Scottish produce while telling a story with every dish. 'We can't wait to welcome everyone through the doors and share what we've created.'
Associated Press
20-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
PINATA Partners with Allied Beverage Group to Launch National Accounts Command Center for the Alcohol Industry
PINATA, the leading provider of cloud-based collaborative workflow software for front-line execution, today announced the launch of its National Accounts Command Center, a first-of-its-kind platform developed in partnership with Allied Beverage Group to bring real-time execution tracking, compliance, and coordination to alcohol suppliers and distributors managing National Account programs at scale. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: Allied Beverage Group, one of the top-ten wine and spirits distributors in the U.S., worked closely with PINATA to refine and optimize the platform to ensure it addresses the real-world execution challenges of suppliers and distributors navigating complex National Account programs. 'Allied Beverage Group is a leader in executional excellence, and we partnered to develop a system that sets a new industry standard,' said Ian Ferguson, CEO of PINATA. 'Winning a National Account placement is just the beginning - the real challenge is execution. For too long, suppliers and distributors have relied on disconnected tools, email chains, and spreadsheets to track compliance and performance. The National Accounts Command Center changes that, giving teams real-time visibility and control to ensure every placement, activation, and compliance requirement is executed as planned.' Industry-Proven Execution at Scale The National Accounts Command Center is the first execution platform purpose-built for the complexities of National Account mandates and optionals in the alcohol industry. It provides: A Centralized Hub for National Account Execution – A real-time, single source of truth connecting suppliers, distributors, and field teams Automated Compliance & Activation Tracking – Data-driven monitoring ensures placements, promotions, and activations meet agreed-upon standards POD-Level Execution Gap Reports – Identifies compliance gaps and facilitates corrective actions before they impact sales Seamless Distributor & Field Team Collaboration – Built-in workflow automation, reporting, and task management tools keep all stakeholders aligned Allied Beverage Group served as a key validation partner in the platform's development, working with PINATA to optimize execution tracking across the complex National Accounts landscape—coordinating placements, compliance, and activation across hundreds of account partners and individual locations in both on-premise and off-premise environments. 'For distributors, staying aligned on National Account programs has always been a challenge due to the sheer volume of updates and inconsistent formats,' said Hana Konheim, Vice President of On-Premise Sales at Allied Beverage Group. 'PINATA's National Accounts solution streamlines communication, ensures compliance, and—most importantly—gives us actionable insights to work with our suppliers to drive incremental sales across accounts.' One Source of Truth: PINATA's Integrated Platform for the Alcohol Industry The National Accounts Command Center is just one part of PINATA's broader platform, designed to help every player in the Alcohol ecosystem manage complex workflows on a single end-to-end platform. PINATA powers a range of critical workflows for suppliers, distributors and execution partners, including: Sampling & Brand Ambassador Programs – Ensures compliance and effectiveness of in-store tastings and experiential activations. Retail Merchandising & Display Compliance – Tracks shelf placements, promotional displays, and retail execution at scale. Event-Based Execution & Experiential Programs – Provides real-time reporting and ROI tracking for brand activations. On-Premise Audits & Account Compliance – Verifies menu placements, pricing, and distributor execution across key accounts. By consolidating National Account execution, retail activation, field marketing, and compliance tracking into one platform, PINATA serves as the industry's single source of truth for execution—allowing suppliers, distributors, and execution partners to manage every touchpoint of their business with one integrated system. Click here to get started with PINATA's National Accounts Command Center! About PINATA PINATA is the leading cloud-based collaborative workflow platform purpose-built for industries that rely on front-line execution. From alcohol to CPG and retail, PINATA's cutting-edge technology transforms historically fragmented workflows into streamlined, data-driven systems—connecting corporate teams, regional managers, distributor partners, and field teams in real time. About Allied Beverage Group Allied Beverage Group is New Jersey's largest and most comprehensive wine and spirits distributor, ranking among the top ten beverage alcohol distributors in the U.S. Allied represents the product lines of the world's leading suppliers, servicing licensed package stores, restaurants, hotels, and clubs across New Jersey. Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 03/20/2025 07:30 AM/DISC: 03/20/2025 07:33 AM
The Independent
11-02-2025
- The Independent
Omagh bombing survivor tells inquiry he placed sheets over victims' bodies
A survivor of the Omagh bombing has told how he placed sheets over victims' bodies during the carnage in the aftermath of the explosion. Ian Ferguson, who was working in his family business on the day a massive car bomb devastated the centre of the Co Tyrone town, told the Omagh Bombing Inquiry that his life was changed forever. The inquiry has moved into a new phase and is hearing from witnesses and people who were injured in the 1998 Real IRA attack. The public inquiry was set up by the Government to examine whether the explosion, which killed 29 people including the mother of unborn twins, could have been prevented by the UK authorities. Giving evidence, Mr Ferguson said he was working in the Spick And Span dry cleaning business on the day of the bombing. He said it was a 'typical Saturday morning' and people in the street outside his shop were 'happy and joyful'. Mr Ferguson said that following an alert he was preparing to leave his shop when the bomb exploded. He said: 'The rails with the garments at the back of the shop fell to the floor. The smoke alarms and screaming started. 'The two girls I had working with me, they started to panic. 'I have a back yard so I took them out to ensure they were safe.' Mr Ferguson said he took his staff members away from the scene and left them in the care of a police officer before returning to his shop. He said he noticed that the engine of the car which had exploded was still on fire. It was just carnage, the screaming and crying, the smell of smoke, it was just terrible Ian Ferguson Mr Ferguson said: 'I went back into the shop and took two fire extinguishers. 'Me and another gentleman, I don't know who it was, started to put the blaze out. 'From that, it was just carnage, the screaming and crying, the smell of smoke, it was just terrible. 'I started then to help people, lifting them off the ground. 'I remember lifting a lady on to a piece of wood and using it as a stretcher to take her down the street. 'I don't know how long but I spent most of the day carrying people.' Mr Ferguson said he then went back to his shop to let his parents know he was safe but was so disorientated he could not remember their phone number, so called a friend to contact his parents. I felt so thankful to be home. A lot of people went to town that day and never came home Ian Ferguson He said: 'I went back out to help again. There were people bleeding, so I brought towels, blankets, anything I could get from the shop to use as bandages to help people. 'I don't know how long it lasted. I met the late Father (Kevin) Mullan on the street. 'He was giving people the last rites and I was putting sheets over them.' He added: 'I went home that evening, I can't remember what time. 'I felt so thankful to be home. A lot of people went to town that day and never came home.' Mr Ferguson told the inquiry he had been fighting against depression ever since and does not like to be in large crowds. He said: 'That day changed the whole layout of the street. 'I lost so many friends and colleagues who never came back to work. 'On a Saturday evening we would have met up after work and had a drink and talked about how our week went. 'That has never happened since because people have left.' A barrister then read statements to the inquiry provided by two women, Valerie Hamilton and Edel Doherty, who were in Omagh when the bomb exploded. Ms Hamilton was working in a shop when she was told by police she needed to evacuate. I take medication to help with anxiety caused by what I saw that day because what I saw can never be unseen Valerie Hamilton Recalling the moment the car bomb detonated, she said: 'There was a flash and an immense heat, I put my hands up to my head and I shouted 'no!'. 'The bomb had exploded. The next thing I knew I was sitting at Shop Electric on the pavement, in the foetal position with my hands still up at the side of my head. 'I don't know how I got there. 'When I opened my eyes all that I could see was the smoke and debris everywhere and the smell of burning.' Ms Hamilton suffered serious eye injuries, a fractured hand and multiple shrapnel wounds and still suffers from hearing loss and anxiety. Her statement said: 'I take medication to help with anxiety caused by what I saw that day because what I saw can never be unseen. 'It causes me so much stress and tension that I have chronic pain as I relive that day every day.' Ms Doherty's statement said she had been shopping in the town. After the explosion, she made her way towards the town centre to search for a family member. It was chaos. People were screaming, crying and I remember meeting ash-covered faces. I could only see their eyes Edel Doherty She said: 'I was approached by a policeman, he asked if I had any first aid training. 'I followed him into Boot's chemists where he directed me to lift anything which would absorb blood, like nappies or sanitary products. 'I proceeded to run, carrying the products towards the area of the bomb. 'It was chaos. People were screaming, crying and I remember meeting ash-covered faces. I could only see their eyes. 'There was a horrible smell and alarms were ringing constantly.' Ms Doherty said she found a young boy lying in the street. She said: 'He was lying on his back, he was conscious, his eyes were open but he was not talking. 'I knew his injuries were severe and beyond my skills to fix. 'There was a door lying nearby. We used this as a stretcher.' She said she placed the boy in the rear of a police Land Rover. She said: 'The sights that I saw that day remain with me to this day. 'They were horrendous, body parts, pieces of flesh, broken bodies and water and blood gushing down the street. 'Casualties with clothes blown off them, the walking wounded wandering around like zombies.'
