Crieff Hydro completes £5m dining refurb project

Crieff Hydro has completed its £5m dining refurbishment project, which has created six new bar and restaurant venues and refreshed menus for its existing dining spots. 

The project, which is said to be “one of the largest single investments ever made” by the Scottish company, aims to position the hotel as “one of the most exciting dining destinations in Scotland. 

While the project focussed on retaining its loyal family market, Crieff Hydro conceded that the hotel also needs to appeal to new and younger generations with its new restaurant line-up. 

New venues include EAST, an Asian small plates concept; The Ballroom Bar, a 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 also 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 menus.

Stephen Leckie, chief executive of Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels, said: “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. 

“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.” 

Charlie Leckie, associate director at Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels, added: “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.”