Three young entrepreneurs are aiming to deliver a “five-star experience” after taking over a Blairgowrie hotel and restaurant.
Ellie Robertson, 24, and partner Alex Moran, 31, have bought The Old Cross Inn and Restaurant on Alyth Road in Rattray after it was put up for sale.
The couple will run the venture with friend and business partner Liam Thomson, 27, who previously worked in hotels in St Andrews.
Alex and Ellie opened burger joint Sliderz in the town two years ago and will continue running that business, but say they are ready for a new challenge.
New menu at The Old Cross Inn
Ellie, a student at St Andrews University, told The Courier: “We felt like Sliderz was kind of plateauing, and there was no more room for growth.
“We just loved the building blocks of taking on something like this.
“Then when this came up we were kind of swaying but it felt right, we came up and had all these ideas and everything fell into place.”
Alex has always aspired to own a business and has a passion for food, which he says he will bring to The Old Cross.
The restaurant menu will feature gluten-free options and high tea, along with dishes like tempura prawns, beef wellington, a steak sandwich, a smashburger and breakfast items.
Alex said: “Blairgowrie has just been missing a place like this – one that does reasonably priced food.
“We also want to do some really nice frozen cocktails, we’ll renovate the beer garden for summertime, and just make it a family-friendly place.
“We’ll just give it a breath of life.”
Young trio ‘buzzing’ to take over Blairgowrie hotel and restaurant
The trio said they are “buzzing” to get started and have recently hired a new head chef.
Liam is determined to put The Old Cross on the map.
He said:Â “I really want the place to be a place where people are confident they’re going to get a really good experience.
“It’ll be challenging for me going from a five-star mindset to more casual and laid back but I want to implement that attitude of ‘every guest who comes in here is going to have a five-star experience’.
“It’s scary giving up a stable career that I’ve worked hard for but it’s always been a dream of mine to have my own venue and if I can do it with people who are my best pals then why would I not?”
The trio are planning to open the bar and hotel by mid-March and the restaurant by early April.
Elsewhere in Blairgowrie, a jewellery and watchmaker is closing after 71 years of business.
A town butcher is also closing after a car ploughed into the shop.
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