The hospitality industry on the island came together last Friday for the inaugural HIT the Rock event held at the Isle of Arran Distillery in Lochranza.
It was organised by the Hospitality Industry Trust (HIT) Scotland which is a Fife-based charity whose mission is to assist people to achieve their potential within Scottish hospitality.
The event raised a total of £5,123, after expenses, through ticket sales, a prize draw and auction. The main speaker for the evening was Jacqui Gale the chief executive of Arran Aromatics who spoke about the journey to rebrand the product range. Music was provided by Arran’s own Emily Divine.
Since 1994 HIT Scotland has helped those training to enter the industry and those already within, to realise their full potential. This is achieved through bursaries, scholarships, the emerging talent conference and other industry initiatives. They run more than 25 events in Scotland every year and one in London. These events raise considerable sums which allow us to fulfil our objectives, and bring the industry together.
David Cochrane, chief executive HIT Scotland said: ‘We were delighted with the enthusiasm and support of the inaugural HIT the Rock event. The quality of the planning, the venue and the overall hospitality shone through, and the industry really showed that they were up for a great night out. We hope that this will encourage many more people to apply for an emerging talent scholarship that will be delivered either locally, nationally of internationally depending on the request. The intention, based on the early feedback, will be to hold another event next year to showcase the learning from the scholarship and build on the success of this fantastic event.’