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Simon looks to on-line angels to help the mix





Simon Collier prepares a cocktail.
Simon Collier prepares a cocktail.

A BARMAN is looking for financial movers and shakers to help underwrite the costs of setting up a new cocktail bar he intends opening in Thurso.

Qualified mixologist Simon Collier reckons he has all the ingredients to make a success of the venture he hopes to get off the ground next month.

Originally from the south of England, he plans to reopen the Newmarket Bar to realise his dream since turning 18 of running his own bar. The once-popular town centre bar has been out of action since its previous operators pulled the shutters down in January

In April, he founded MRC Bartending Ltd with the vision of delivering a new type of bar experience. It will serve freshly created cocktails and mocktails (non-alcoholic), fruit-based mixed drinks, teas and coffees. He has a long list of options from flavoured syrups and bases to iced concoctions and coffee or tea-based cocktails.

He is funding the project with the support of BankToTheFuture.com, which uses crowd investing as an alternative to getting money from banks. Mr Collier is looking to raise £20,000, but his pitch will only be funded if at least £16,000 is pledged by noon on July 29. So far £5,520 has been raised.

Mr Collier grew up in Gloucester and moved to Caithness in 2004 for a short break from the city, but ending up staying.

He said: "I was going to be a doctor, but did my first shift in a bar at the age of 18 and knew it was what I wanted to do.

"I’m currently the only trained mixologist working in the area. I’ve been working my way up the chain to manager level and it’s now my chance to take the step into taking on my own bar.

"There’s currently no venue for the local people to go to enjoy expertly created cocktails and blended drinks, with the closest offering in Inverness."

Mr Collier said the plan is to open the bar at the beginning of July, but there has been a delay with the licence.

"A meeting was held recently to sort out a full licence, but we didn’t get it," he said. "That’s been delayed until August now. We’re going to go for an occasional licence for now, from July 1."

"The opening day is kind of dependent on funding levels, so it could be in the middle or end of July.

"We will get there though. The pitch has only been launched for a week and a half now and we had £5,000 raised in a day. That’s 25 per cent of our total in a day."

Mr Collier said the bar has the facilities to get up and running, but he wants to use the £20,000 to buy equipment including blenders, coffee machines, shakers and strainers. Some of the money will also be used to train the new staff.

He said: "We’re also looking to expand beyond the business by not only training our staff, but, as the company develops we’ll be offering masterclasses and group events to people.

"I’m looking to get things on throughout June and to have some form of activity or meeting or some sort of event on.

"I’ve had lots of interest in the project and a couple of local donations too. If the whole community gets behind the idea and if everybody up here gave £10, I would have enough to get started."

Mr Collier said he had set himself a challenge by not going to the banks to get the funding he needs.

"Everybody knows the banks don’t lend any money any more," he said. "They claim to help out small businesses, but it’s very difficult to actually get any funding from them."

He added: "The idea behind it is every donor to the bar will have a vested interest in making the bar successful."


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