Historic Conon Bridge Hotel eyes reopening next month with call for staff as delayed plans for village fall into place
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OWNERS of a historic Ross-shire village hotel set to reopen next month have issued an invitation for staff to join their team after weathering the coronavirus crisis to help their dream come true.
David Whiteford and partner Joseph have worked tirelessly for more than a year to breathe new life into the once-thriving Conon Bridge Hotel which fell into serious decline and disrepair before they bought it in September 2020.
The hotel was a local institution in its heyday, attracting a clientele well beyond the village and serving as a major community hub.
With significant investment ploughed into redeveloping the property, which sits in a prime position on the North Coast 500 route, the couple originally intended to open a family venue “the whole village could be proud of” late last summer.
The pandemic and other hitches slowed the process with the added cost of materials and labour also contributing to delays, but they hope to soon be able to announce an official opening date sometime in May.
A head chef and housekeeping staff have already been recruited, but Mr Whiteford has seven or eight additional positions to fill.
At least four of those will be full-time positions.
All staff will be paid the Living Wage, above the national minimum wage, and the owners are keen to enlist friendly, hard-working individuals who will fit the family ethos of the business.
Three will be a minimum of five people working in the chef’s kitchen team. The coffee shop and restaurant side of the business requires waiting staff and baristas, while the pub side requires a bar manager and a mixologist for cocktail specialities.
The 1780-built hotel’s rebirth as a family-friendly hospitality venue and gastro-pub geared for locals and visitors alike is expected to provide the growing Conon Bridge village with a significant economic boost, with employment opportunities for locals only adding to that.
“We are very close to finalising an opening date after considerable work in upgrading and re-styling large parts of the property,” Mr Whiteford, whose parents own Navity Farm in Cromarty, said.
“I’m quietly confident we can be open in four to six weeks. We’re almost ready, but we are still looking for staff to come on board in various parts of our team.
“It is a difficult time across the board for businesses to recruit staff, but we are seeing a lot of people coming to us because we are not a big corporation, are a family-run organisation and it will stay like that.
“We are a Living Wage employer and committed to the business and village for the long-term.”
Mr Whiteford (35) grew up in the area but returned north from London after working in store design and hospitality.
The lifeline hospitality industry across the Highlands has been struggling post-Brexit to meet staffing needs.
The well-known Applecross Inn, also enjoying a prime position to benefit from the NC500 and hugely popular with visitors to the stunning Wester Ross peninsula, has also been advertising for staff, posting a head-turning view from its premises to try and tempt a chef and front of house member of staff.
Its post to social media has been widely shared.
