An Ayrshire bar boss has told how he used Covid lockdowns as his inspiration to become the best in the business.
David Storrie bought his new venture just three months before the world was plunged into chaos with the first outbreak of the virus.
And much of his next two years were spent desperately trying to put his long held plans into action.
Now he's riding the crest of a wave after The Smoking Goat, the cosy venue with a big reputation in Ayr's Academy Street, was crowned Scotland's Best Independent Bar.
David, 38, revealed: "Our big selling point is that we bring a vibe of Glasgow and Edinburgh to Ayr and I think that played a big part in the award.
"It's a huge honour and has blown us away to win — thousands of venues across Scotland compete and to even make the final shortlist was an achievement in itself.
"The last couple of years has been tough for obvious reasons...so to get this recognition makes it all worth it."
David purchased The Goat in December 2019 before the onslaught of Covid left him fearing the worst.
He said: "I'd made a business decision and to have it taken out of my own hands was so frustrating.
"At points during the lockdowns, it was hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
"But in a strange way, I used it as a positive and tried to transform the venue as much as I could.
"We built a beer garden and added so many other touches to the business that meant we were ready to come back bigger and better when we re-opened."
The Goat, which employs just shy of 20 staff, is now one of the trendiest venues south of the city and even Tuesday night quizzes are standing room only affairs.
Victory at the Scottish Entertainment Awards — where they were also nominated for Best Burger and Best Pub — is now the icing on the cake.
David added: "We try to offer something for everyone, whether it's the quiz nights, our live sports, the acoustic nights or the DJ sessions.
"And the biggest compliment we get is when people travel from far and wide to come and visit because of the reputation we're now gaining.
"The staff have been amazing and this is for them. We've all put in so much effort to get here and now we want to enjoy this moment."
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