Award winning Scottish catering and hospitality firm, Saltire Hospitality, has expanded its retail business following its latest win to operate the café at the National Library of Scotland (NLS) for the next two years.
The NLS attracts over 20,000 visitors a month and is the world’s leading centre for the study of Scotland and the Scots as well as a major European research library, with collections of world-class importance.
The Edinburgh based company, which also handles major outdoor events, corporate functions, weddings and private dinner parties, took control of catering for the NLS café this month, which has grown the worth of its retail arm to over £1million.
Saltire will be serving freshly made bespoke hot and cold snacks produced on-site at its Central Production Unit in Ingliston for the NLS café situated in the George IV Bridge Building, which has 65 covers and is open seven days. Existing and new staff with retail experience have been recruited to run the café.
Other high profile retail contracts for Saltire Hospitality include two of VisitScotland’s five star tourist attractions; Rossyln Chapel and the National Mining Museum, handling the operations for both cafes. To fulfill retail contracts, Saltire Hospitality works in partnership with sister company, Saltire Patisserie, which also provides outlets such as Dynamic Earth, Harvey Nichols, Aurora Hotel Collection and the Montpellier Group with daily deliveries of fresh breads, desserts and pastries.
Drive for growth
To continue to drive the growth of the retail business, Saltire has appointed its first retail area manager John McNiven, who joins the firm with 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry including staff management roles at Edinburgh venue, The Dome, and for Belhaven Brewery in Stirling.
John McNiven said: “As we push to grow the retail business my role will be to ensure a continued high quality standard of service and product is delivered across our units and that our well trained, passionate staff provide excellent customer service.
“Many of the NLS staff use the café and feedback since we opened its doors at the beginning of the year has been very positive, with sales already exceeding expectations.”
About Saltire Hospitality
Founded in 2000, Saltire Hospitality has a £3m turnover and employs 50 staff at its Ingliston head office, production unit and bakery with a further 15 employees based at sites across Midlothian. Last year, the company also boosted business within outdoor public events by securing high profile contracts for the official street party to celebrate the Forth Bridges Festival and the Commonwealth Flotilla reception party.
Saltire Hospitality’s managing director, David Peters, said: “A drive to grow the retail business is part of Saltire’s broader expansion plans and prestigious contracts such as National Library of Scotland enable us to demonstrate that we can deliver a full catering service using locally sourced, fresh produce on an ongoing basis to venues with high footfall.”
Pictured: John Coll Head of Access for the National Library of Scotland and Saltire Hospitality’s newly appointed retail area manager John McNiven tuck into an edible book at the NLS café.