EXCLUSIVE: The team behind The National are set to reopen The Mallard in Dingwall on Friday
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The team behind the successful relaunch of the National Hotel in Dingwall just a year ago is set to reopen the Mallard on Friday.
Diogo Montiero and Raffael Santos spoke exclusively to the Ross-shire about their plans to breathe new life into the well-known Dingwall watering hole and how they have no time to lose.
The previous landlords Richard Shanks and Angela Fulton have given up the lease with brewer Greene King freeing the way for Mr Montiero and Santos.
The reopening of the National was successful and warmly welcomed particularly by those frequenting both its hugely popular restaurant and bar The Stag but now they want to spread their wings.
If anything the move to The Mallard was prompted by the success of The Stag as demand began to outstrip what could reasonably be expected of a hotel bar.
Mr Montiero said: “So we've, we've been eyeing the Mallard since we took over the National really, the potential that this place has being so close to the railway station and the history of the place – we just really just saw it as a great opportunity for us to take on.
“We weren't expecting to see this opportunity so soon. So as it showed up we jumped at it and we didn't think twice to be honest with you. It's a great addition to the offering from the team from the National.
“So after we started in the National with the bar we think we are ready to extend it to the next level and the Mallard is the place and to do that – we're quite limited with what we can do.
“We're quite busy with everything that's going on with summer coming up, we're getting fully booked in the rooms and we have different functions going on every weekend and the bar really needs to be put in a different setting.”
Mr Santos agreed saying he too was keen to offer patrons of The Mallard what they could not get in The Stag from quiz nights to live music so that partygoers have the Mallard and late licensing while those after a quiet drink will still have the Stag.
“So for the Mallard we are planning to have a later licence – at the weekends we will close at 3am and do the National as a quiet place for the guests and for the locals as well of course obviously,” he said.
“We're planning to do live music here, we would like quiz nights and comedy nights as well and football as well so we definitely want to bring the famed Mallard back and bring everyone here.”
He added: “So that's what we're trying to do with The National. It's a different tone, a different place. It's gonna be good. And of course, there's always been great demand for The Mallard in the past.”
