Welcome to your latest IN Touch newsletter
What better way to get 2024 off to a delicious start than by announcing the return of Aberdeen Restaurant Week?
The team at Aberdeen Inspired are delighted this will be record-breaking outing for the massively popular foodie fortnight with more than 70 restaurants, bars and café’s taking part from January 22 – February 4.
On offer will be a dizzying array of choice, from the best of Scottish food and drink to fine cuisines from all around the world.
It is a tasty treat for diners too, with special menus at very special prices which mean you can visit old favourites and find new hidden gems too, all without breaking the bank – more than once, if you want to.
It is also a fantastic reminder of how lucky we are in Aberdeen to have a food and drink sector, full of fabulously talented people from the kitchen to front-of-house, that can rival anywhere in the country.
Aberdeen Restaurant Week is a great way of supporting that industry by boosting the number of diners eating out at a traditionally quiet time of the year – and hopefully returning time and time again.
All of this brings people into the heart of Aberdeen, not just to eat but also to enjoy all the other great attractions the city has to offer – and maybe even spend a night in a city centre hotel.
That’s why Aberdeen Restaurant Week is such a great boost not just for the restaurants taking part but for the whole of the city centre.
And the importance of Aberdeen Restaurant Week is underlined by the fact we have attracted a £5,000 grant from the Scottish Government Regional Food Fund to help us expand the event – which is why we have more restaurants than ever before taking part.
So, we’ve set the table for a fine feast of fabulous food – now it’s over to you to round up your family, friends and colleagues and tuck in. Bon appetit.
Best wishes,
Adrian Watson, Chief Executive, Aberdeen Inspired
Stories
Biggest-ever Aberdeen Restaurant Week invites discerning diners to delve into delicious dishes
Delve into delicious dishes with the return of the biggest-ever Aberdeen Restaurant Week to banish the January blues.
The massively popular foodie fortnight returns from Monday, 22nd January, to Sunday, 4th February and this time more city centre restaurants, bars and cafes across the city will be taking part than ever before – a record-breaking 74 in total.
From cuisines around the world to the best of Scottish food and drink, Aberdeen Restaurant Week will be a showcase for the fantastic talent that makes the Granite City a haven for lovers of fine dining.
You can read more about it here.
Curated in the Quad’s £24,5000 gift for Charlie House
Aberdeen’s glittering festive market, Curated in the Quad, raised more than £24,500 for Charlie House.
The event, held over six weekends in the run to Christmas Day, was organised by Charlie House and Aberdeen Inspired to not only raise money for the north-east charity but also showcase the finest local producers and creatives.
Bosses with both Charlie House and Aberdeen Inspired – the city centre Business Improvement District – said they were delighted with the £24,000 total, which is £2,000 more than the event brought in last year.
You can read more about this great news story here.
Image credit-Glen Cairns/ VisitAberdeenshire
Aberdeen Christmas Village organisers hail ‘incredible feedback’ from visitors
Organisers of the hugely-popular Aberdeen Christmas Village are delighted by the “incredible feedback” from visitors to one of the biggest and best festive celebrations in Scotland.
The glittering village wrapped up on Hogmanay after six-weeks at Broad Street, offering attractions ranging from the debut of a new Ferris wheel to the return of the popular ice rink, along with food and drink stalls.
Organised by John Codona’s Pleasure Fairs on behalf of Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeen Inspired, the village – along with the Curated in the Quad festive market – attracted thousands of people into the city centre.
Read more about it here.
‘Heart-racing’ moment for winner of £500 Aberdeen Gift Card from Union Square and Aberdeen Inspired
The lucky winner of a £500 Aberdeen Gift Card says scooping the prize sent his heart racing.
Dr Gordon Watt won the prize in the great Christmas giveaway organised by Union Square and Aberdeen Inspired – who introduced Aberdeen Gift Card to the Granite City.
“It feels surreal, but fantastic,” said the 39-year-old mechanical surveyor from Muggiemoss.
Read more about this heart-warming story here.
Polish Scottish Mini Festival returns to Granite City
A unique series of events will be staged in Aberdeen as part of the 7th Polish Scottish Mini Festival.
Staged by the Polish Association Aberdeen, the fun festival celebrates the Polish community’s role in the rich cultural life of the Granite City, along with a message of unity, openness and respect and the importance of building bridges.
Starting on Friday, 19th January with a concert of Polish folk music by the Svahy trio at the Blue Lamp, the festival will include concerts, a Polish-Scottish ceilidh, workshops, a weekend of Polish cinema and an exhibition in the Cruickshank Botanic Garden on Scottish migration to Poland. More details can be found here.
The last weekend to take the Night Bus
This weekend (12-14 January) marks the last weekend of the Night Buses. Don't stress about finding a late-night taxi – simply hop on the Night Bus at Union Square! Stagecoach Nightbird bus service is running until 14th January on Friday and Saturday nights, from midnight until the early hours of 4 am
Cash and contactless payments accepted with fares ranging from £6 to £9. The bus routes serve many locations throughout Aberdeen, as well as major north-east towns such as Stonehaven, Portlethen, Banchory, Westhill and Ellon. Passengers can travel to any stop along the route.
Download the Stagecoach App and live track your bus for a seamless journey or for timetables and more information. Full timetables and further information can be found here.
Image credit - Iona from Northfield Academy
What impact did Aberdeen Christmas Village have on your business?
Aberdeen Christmas Village offered six weeks of festive fun on Broad Street – but what impact did it have on city centre businesses?
That’s the question Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce is asking local firms as part of an evaluation study on the Village, which was staged by Codona’s in partnership with Aberdeen Inspired and Aberdeen City Council.
The Chamber is asking as many businesses as possible to take part, by sparing five minutes to fill in a survey – and every response is valuable.
In return, firms completing the survey can nominate a charity of their choice which will be entered into a random draw of a £50 donation.
The link to the confidential survey is here.
Last chance to express your views on the Experimental Traffic Regulation Order 2 (ETRO2)
Aberdeen Inspired would like to hear the views of our levy paying business on the changes to ETRO2 with the consultation period ending on Tuesday 23 January 2024. Please help us by completing the following short survey here by Tuesday 23 January 2024.
The main purpose of ETRO2 is to support the City Centre Masterplan by establishing a priority route for buses, while still maintaining access for pedal cycles, taxis, goods vehicles and authorised vehicles (namely, private hire vehicles). This will enhance bus reliability and travel time, thereby encouraging bus services as a sustainable transport option.
After the consultation period, Aberdeen City Council will then decide if the ETRP will become permanent. Visit here for more info or if you have any specific concerns or feedback on the new scheme.
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