A tough job

IT’S a hard gig, travelling around the world selling Scotland’s finest craft beers. Which is why we have every sympathy for the good people at Craft Beer Clan of Scotland.

Chris Miller, director of Clan parent firm JW Filshill International, is heading to Dubai next week to showcase the wares of around Scottish craft brewers and distillers at what is believed to be the world’s largest food and drink trade show.

Mr Miller said: “We’ve high hopes for Gulfood again this year, building on last year’s success. These high-profile trade events enable us to promote Scotland’s brewing and distilling industry and put our country’s world-class craft products into the hands of key influencers, buyers and distributors.”

With as many as 100,000 visitors expected to attend the Gulfood event, it could be one heck of a party on the oil-rich emirate.

Royal highlight

JOHN Watson has a career of highlights to look back on.

And the Glasgow-based entrepreneur, best known for building up his family printing business over several decades, was able to add another one to the scrap book this week.

Mr Watson, pictured, is a long-standing supporter of Social Bite, the social enterprise set up by Josh Littlejohn and Alice Thompson, and was among the party which greeted Prince Harry and fiancé Meghan Markle at its Edinburgh sandwich shop this week.

Writing on Facebook, Mr Watson said he spoke to the couple about Social Bite’s Sleep in the Park initiative, which raised more than £4 million to help tackle homelessness.

“A charming couple who were both greatly interested in the hugely successful Social Bite philosophy,” Mr Watson posted.

He added: “The Watson Foundation has been delighted to support such amazing vision over the last 6 years.”

Style council

THE Bottom Line made a rare foray into the celebrity world recently when it interviewed television presenter Gok Wan about his new Scottish business partnership.

The story about Wan’s venture with events entrepreneur Peter Ferguson was widely shared on social media networks, but one piece of feedback left our nose slightly out of joint.

One reader enquired, via a certain social media platform, whether this humble correspondent had taken the opportunity to be “styled” by the fashion guru.

We can’t possible think what motivated that particularly hostile line of questioning.

Farewell salute

IT has doubtless been an emotional few days for Scotch whisky executive Lauren Lacassagne.

Monsieur Lacassagne, a familiar face to journalists who have attended the Chivas Brothers Christmas media lunch over the years, announced last week that he will be stepping down as chairman and chief executive of Paisley-based distiller in July. He has held the role since 2013 but his association with Chivas owner Pernod Ricard goes back 30 years.

Given that length of service, perhaps a drop Royal Salute would be the best way to mark his departure.