Crieff Hydro Unveils £5M Dining Transformation

Crieff Hydro has completed its £5M dining refurbishment project which sees the creation of six new bar and restaurant venues and refreshed menus for its existing dining spots. One of the largest single investments ever made by Scotland’s oldest registered trading company, it heralds a new era for the company, with the sixth generation of the Leckie family having steered the project.

By positioning itself as one of the most exciting dining destinations in Scotland, the hotel aims to meet the needs of new and younger generations with its new restaurant lineup, whilst remaining focussed on retaining its loyal family market.

New venues include EAST, an Asian small plates concept; The Ballroom Bar, an elegant, relaxed, contemporary day-to-night bar; and The Winter Garden, an airy Victorian heritage space which has been modernised and offers all-day dining.  A new panoramic brunch and afternoon tea destination with sweeping views over Strathearn Valley, Loggia has been introduced.

Menus across all the new restaurants champion the very best of Scottish provenance, with Crieff Hydro’s team of chefs working closely with the long-standing local suppliers to bring as much local and regional produce to the heart of the menus.

The project vision was set by Richard and Charlie Leckie – the sixth generation of the Leckie family to be involved at Crieff Hydro, working alongside Fiona Leckie the longstanding Head of Interiors. Support was provided by Denholm Partnership Architects, who have worked with Crieff Hydro on a number of key projects over the last two decades, with all interiors concepts and designs created by Glasgow based 3 Design. The fit out of the entire project was undertaken by principal contractors Thomas Johnstone.

The revamped interior and design concepts bring an uplifting, contemporary feel with modern twists on the hotel’s heritage.  Whilst the new restaurant and bar spaces are vast, the design and layout has ensured the table spaces have an intimate feel with each restaurant space uniquely defined with its own distinct personality and character.

The Ballroom Bar was pivotal to the whole layout, with an oak stained, glass and metal work gantry. The bookcase wall with the hidden door leading to the adults-only speakeasy bar is a completely new concept for the hotel.

Elements of the existing design from the public areas were brought into the new spaces but with new colourways to create a luxurious, elegant and timeless feel. Inspiration came from the Crieff Hydro archives, with curios dotted around the new spaces, including historical documents such as 1 penny payment stamps, wax seals and old share certificates.  90% of the artwork is bespoke and from Scottish artists.

Stephen Leckie, CEO Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels:

“This is our single biggest project in decades and opens another significant chapter in Crieff Hydro’s 157-year history. For us, investment large and small is always about creating something better for our guests and for our team here. This is no exception, but the scale of the transformation I believe will really put us on the map for food and drink in Scotland.  We’re incredibly excited to share these new spaces with our loyal guests and those discovering Crieff Hydro for the first time and we’re confident that the variety and style of the new venues will broaden our appeal and create even more memorable experiences for guests staying or dining with us.”

“It’s fitting that as we look to fulfil the needs of a new generation of Crieff Hydro customers, that this project has been driven by the next generation of my own family. We know that our guests are looking for unique experiences, not just any standard hotel restaurant and bar. As an independent business we have more freedom and flexibility to create something really unique.”

Charlie Leckie, Associate Director Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels said:

“My brother Richard and I were very aware that refurbishing the restaurants and bars was a chance to bring them right up to date for our own generation.  Like many of our guests, we enjoy the variety of interesting places to eat and drink around Scotland or further afield. So, we wanted to bring some of the best of that to Crieff Hydro. We really believe that a wide choice of food and drink is such an important part of a guest’s experience and shouldn’t just be ‘ok’ – it needs to be right up there with what people expect of their favourite West End eateries whether that’s in Edinburgh, Glasgow or even London.  So, we’ve tried to take the best of all that but deliver it in a way that is uniquely Crieff Hydro and fits in with all the history and tradition we’re both so proud of.”