A Wishaw restaurant owner and whisky fanatic has been recognised for his love of our national tipple.
Derek Mather scooped the Whisky Guru of the Year at the Scottish Pub and Restaurant awards earlier this week.
And Derek, who has had a keen interest in whisky since he was 18, beat a shortlist of four other whisky fans to lift the prestigious award.
Speaking to Lanarkshire Live, Derek said: “I was really happy to win, but if anything I was more excited to be recognised for my hobby.
“It was a huge awards ceremony in The Hilton and there were around 600 people there.
“We aren’t on the tourist trails, being in Wishaw, so that means that people have to almost come out of their way to visit us.”
Derek runs Artisan with his wife, Fiona where they have an impressive collection of more than 3000 bottles of whisky in their snug.
He received his first bottle of whisky from his dad when he was 18 and has been a fanatic ever since.
Having had a tough 18 months with restrictions, the couple are looking to get their business back firing on all cylinders.
Derek went on: “We really hope that we can start to operate as normal now.
“We are known for our whisky nights and tours and already have groups from Germany, Sweden, France and the USA interested in coming to visit.”
“When people come to visit us they spend time in the local area, spending money on local hotels and shops.
“It’s really important for us to keep that up and make sure Wishaw is on the map.”
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