Buccleuch Arms, St. Boswells
100 lbs of best beef per week makes a lot of steak pies but customers can’t get enough of the delicious bar food at the Buccleuch Arms near Melrose! Food sales now represent 60% of turnover in this 19-bedroom country hotel where locals make up a good proportion of custom all year round - always a good sign.
General Manager Billy Hamilton, sensitive to popular food trends, has been introducing more and more fresh produce since he came to the Buccleuch Arms four years ago. He also made a decision a while back not to totally change the content of the menus, but instead to change the way they described the food, at the same time creating more transparency and highlighting quality local produce. Thus “Smoked salmon with bread and butter” became “Hand sliced Teviot smoked salmon, crisp salad, lemon wedge and brown bread”, immediately giving it greater appeal and letting the customer know that the salmon is from the local smokery which has an excellent reputation.
The Buccleuch Arms’ menus will soon also name the farms which produce the meat and poultry they use. This advertising can work well for suppliers also, as the hotel’s diners become their new customers. And fresh quality produce does not have to be the most expensive. Tasty, traditional dishes are in vogue again. One of the hotel’s most popular dishes, “Pan fried lambs liver, bacon and onions with mash potatoes and rich red wine gravy”, is also one of the cheapest.
The Buccleuch Arms Hotel
The Green, St. Boswells
Melrose , TD6 0EW.
01835 82243