A Dundee man wrote a “5,000-word essay” to help his favourite bar win a top Scottish award.
Kandy Bar on Seagate was named Venue of the Year at the Proud Scotland Awards, which celebrates the LGBTQI+ community.
Customer James Grant, 46, nominated the venue with a lengthy explanation of why it deserved to win.
Kandy Bar owner Paul McLaren then invited James and his mum Linda to the ceremony at the Radisson Blu hotel in Glasgow, where they picked up the prize.
James told The Courier: “The service that Paul and his team give is second to none.
“They treat everyone as if they are friends.
“In Kandy, it’s true what they say (on the sign in the window) – you have lazy days where it’s not too busy and very relaxing.
“In the evenings it becomes a hotspot of nightlife for both young and old.
“No matter gender, race or religion, everyone is welcome in Kandy and the team there make everyone feel safe and secure.
“I also mentioned the cleanliness of Kandy as everything is always immaculate – in fact, you won’t find anywhere cleaner as Paul takes great pride in the appearance as well as the atmosphere.”
Proud Scotland Awards: Kandy Bar a ‘safe zone’ for customers
Paul says James nominates Kandy Bar for the award every year.
He said: “James wrote a 5,000-word essay on why he and his mum enjoy coming here as it’s a safe zone for him.
“We were nominated and the judges arrived unannounced.
“They said how clean the bar was – they said it’s probably the cleanest toilet they’ve seen.
“It wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for James and Linda.”
Paul said the win was a “real honour”.
He added: “If it wasn’t for the team behind us, led by manager Gavin, and our customers we wouldn’t have won it.
“To be recognised as a venue that people are noticing says it all.”
Kandy Bar will host a Pride event on Saturday June 15, to coincide with Dundee Pride.
Amongst those performing at the event are RuPaul’s Drag Race star Vicki Vivacious and Lola Fierce from Glasgow.
A few doors along from Kandy Bar, the new Firewater bar has opened on Seagate.
Conversation