Fiona Black returns to one of the most famous venues in the Highlands which is back on its feet six months after the Spey burst its banks
THE Old Bridge Inn in Aviemore has gained a first-class reputation as a purveyor of good food, good wine and good music in the six years since Owen Caldwell and Kim Plimley took it over.
But that reputation almost went down the river – literally – when the Spey burst its banks in the wee small hours of Sunday, December 6 as Storm Desmond hit the country and the Old Bridge Inn found itself under two feet of water.
“We have an idyllic setting next to the River Spey but after six years of riding our luck without a flood our worst fears were realised when we got the call about the pub,” says Caldwell. “To make matters worse Kim and I were on a once-in-a-lifetime holiday to Australia so you can imagine our frustration and helplessness when we heard and we were on the other side of the world.”
While staff and locals battled the elements Caldwell and Plimley organised their flights home.
Six months later – on May 6 – the popular country pub and restaurant reopened its doors after a £200,000 refurbishment.
And while the couple hope never to live through a flood again it has undoubtedly given them a chance to redesign certain elements of the pub that they now realise needed updated.
“What we couldn’t ever have imagined is the scale of the damage. How it gets into – and destroys – everything,” says Caldwell. “As the water subsided the flood had clearly been devastating for us. All kitchen equipment, flooring, walls, bar – almost anything else you can think of was ruined.”
Like all business owners faced with a similar scenario, Caldwell and Plimley found themselves painstakingly working their way through a jungle of red tape, and learning about flood defences to the point where they could confidently build a paper pub at the bottom of Loch Morlich!
The Old Bridge Inn has now been flood-proofed with a flood wall, various drain mechanisms put in place and waterproof materials used in all the repairs. So should there be floods in the future, Aviemore should not be denied one of its main landmarks.
Both Caldwell and Plimley agree the pub is the most efficient it has ever been. “We haven’t changed the overall atmosphere and ambience of the pub,” they explain. “Rather it’s behind the scenes where we have gained so much. The bar is so much more practical to run while the kitchen has benefited hugely.
“We moved the walk-in fridge outside which gave us room to create a dedicated pastry section as well as an area for water baths and vac-pack machines so we could serve more sous vide dishes. It has really paid off. We now have induction hobs and overall are embracing more modern techniques.”
Now trading at gastro pub level, the Old Bridge Inn’s chefs, Chris and Gary McCall, source all food locally or from well-known suppliers whose focus is on quality. Visitors to this Speyside landmark can now enjoy wild halibut from Shetland, hand-dived scallops from Torridon, asparagus from Glamis as well as local lamb and venison – and so much more.
Food has always been high on the agenda here but now it has moved up to a different level. “We are so lucky to be in a part of Scotland which isn’t affected by the economic downturn,” says Plimley. “We are unique with our mix of food and live music and we have steadily gained a reputation for that – and it hasn’t been diminished by being closed for six months.”
As well as using as many local food and drink suppliers as they can, Caldwell and Plimley have adopted the same approach to the refurbishment and have endeavoured to use local tradesmen as much as possible. The stunning new bar, for example, has been created by Ben Bullough Carpentry Contacts of nearby Boat of Garten while the wood-effect porcelain tiles in the restaurant floor have been expertly laid by Darek Kwiczala who runs a business locally.
While keeping the character of the pub, in the dining area the couple have managed to create more space by changing the majority of the tables to two tops.
“We can do more covers now – anything up to 100 a night – and we have given the restaurant more flexibility,’ says Caldwell.
The décor too is in keeping with the surroundings and Plimley takes credit for that. “We have aimed at an old hunting lodge style,” she explains. “Although the inn is only 30 years old it has a feeling of age and we didn’t want to lose that. We have kept the open beams and while the bar is traditional we have mixed old with new in the restaurant area.
“Select Contract Furniture made the banquettes which are in the bar and restaurant and they work well,” she continues. “They are freestanding which means we can lift them and put them on top of the tables if there is any danger of flooding. They’re upholstered in a faux antique-look soft suede and are very comfortable.
“We have used Haig blue for the walls, Timorous Beasties wallpaper on one wall of the restaurant and then for the main feature wall we have used charred wood panelling which is very effective.”
Plimley adds: “We’ve used a mixture of old and new lights, sourcing the old church lights from Glasgow Architectural Salvage. We have added lots of eclectic pieces from the reindeer skin to gilt mirrors and antlers for the restaurant – but it really is a work in progress.”
Meeting Owen Caldwell and Kim Plimley you know this is a labour of love – they both gave up jobs in Glasgow to move to Aviemore six years ago. Caldwell was in finance and Plimley worked for the Glasgow Housing Association.
In that time they have built up a unique business with a small core team of four front of house and four in the kitchen.
“We are not hierarchical, we all play to our strengths and totally respect each other,’ says Caldwell, “so special thanks go to our staff who we retained throughout our six months’ closure. They have all worked tirelessly to get us open again and when customers come through the door and love our new look we know it has all been worth it.”
