THE HUSBAND and wife team behind high-profile Glasgow restaurants The Butchershop Bar & Grill and Hutcheson’s City Grill is gearing up for a year of diversification after unveiling its latest venture, The White Box, in Glasgow city centre.

The latest offering from Rusk & Rusk, which is run by Louise and James Rusk, is an events space aimed at the small wedding, corporate presentation and art exhibition market.

It occupies the space underneath restaurant So LA, which the couple opened on the city’s Mitchell Street last month.

Mrs Rusk said that by complementing their portfolio of restaurants with a different kind of venue she and her husband were signalling their intention to diversify into new areas in the coming year.

“We never rush into things and have a number of significant projects that we have invested time and money in over the last year, which we expect to launch in 2019,” she said.

“Innovation is a key priority for Rusk & Rusk and we’re excited to be taking our brand into lifestyle areas with the launch of our first retail products in early 2019, with more to follow.”

Mr Rusk added that the firm’s plans for 2019 are based on two things: “an understanding of the market through years of careful progression and our gut feeling for what will work”.

“It also has to pass our own test – if we don’t utterly believe in it we won’t do it,” he added.

In addition to the Butchershop, Hutchesons and So LA, Rusk & Rusk owns the 158 Club Lounge and the Spanish Butcher.

The latter opened in December 2016.

Now in its 10th year, the business employs over 200 members of staff across its portfolio of venues.