The Stuff he loves

Sandy is 43 years old, long time husband to Jane (who he married in 1997), and proud owner of his grey, striped cat Zelda and young dog Cooper.

He’s spent his working life in and around the world of luxury food, drink and cigars, and is passionate about all three.

He loves mixing up his own drinks and is especially proud of a recent batch of pear-rosé-wine which we’d love to try, but we’re sure it’ll be gone before we blink. He also has a penchant for whisky.

What’s the best place that you’ve visited and what did you love about it?

Spain has been home to some wonderful experiences for me over the years. Particularly remarkable highlights include restorative, reclusive breaks in Northern Mallorca; celebrating my 40th birthday at “La Tomintina” in Valencia; and discovering a deep love of both sherry and the food culture of Andalucía.

Much closer to home – although significantly harder to reach – is Islay, Scotland.

Memories of Islay include playing petanque on a small beach at Bowmore, with the delicious barley-tinged sea-spray filling my nose (and probably a few drams in my belly); visiting Finlaggan to see where ancient Scottish kings met; Celtic sculptures, incredible wildlife, a grand whirlpool and of course, whisky. The island is a place like no other.

If a push comes to a shove, what’s your favourite album of all time?

The 3 E.P.’s by The Beta Band.

And your favourite book?

I don’t read fiction as I’d rather get stuck into a video game like “Zelda; Breath of the Wild”, but I read a lot of books about drinks.

I took on a project in 2015 to create bespoke cocktails to showcase a new hotel opening, and wanted to do something really special for an amazing venue. I turned to “Good Things to Drink with Mr. Lyan and Friends” by Ryan Chetiyawardana and David Arnold’s “Liquid Intelligence” to help broaden my horizons. But the one that pushes me to think most laterally was “The Dead Rabbit Drinks Manual” by Ben Schaffer, Jack McGarry, and Sean Muldoon.

“The Good Life Society Hand Book” deserves a mention – I was delighted to contribute to that.

Oh, and what work of art do you love above all others?

Modern Art is something that chimes with me. I loved the Lichtenstein and Matisse exhibitions at Tate Modern a few years ago, and “Basquiat; Boom for real” at The Barbican blew me away, but Martin Creed’s Work No. 1059 probably tops my list. He took an unloved, overlooked and often stinky stairway that connects Edinburgh’s Old and New Towns, and using a wide range of Marble stone from across the world, created an aesthetically pleasing thoroughfare with a real sense of journey.

Edinburgh is a beautiful city, with many grand buildings and great sights. This is up there with the best of them in terms of its design, craftsmanship and ideology, but sits clandestine and almost unnoticed to most.

Do you believe in a god?

Hell, no!

Do you have a route that you walk or run that’s particularly special to you?

After living on the outskirts of a very rural village in very rural Scotland for over a decade, I’ve recently moved back near the sea. I’d lived by the beach in Edinburgh before my move north, and I missed it greatly.

I’m still exploring, but currently there’s a part of the beach that grabs me every time. It’s near the juncture with the harbour, and unlike the rest, where it’s all clean and near-white sand, this particular part is shingle and pebble.

At low tide you never know what you’re going to find as the sands can differ by metres in height from day-to-day. At high tide the sound of the crashing waves and crackling rocks are meditative and Zen-like.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure (or at least the guiltiest pleasure that you’re prepared to tell us about)?

There is nothing guilty about pleasure, as long as nobody is hurt or exploited.

What possession, more than any other, means the most to you?

I really value quality and have always bought the best that I can afford. When I was involved with opening a department store in Edinburgh in 2002, I fell for a Belstaff Trialmaster jacket. Even with a generous staff discount, it sucked up a fair chunk of my pay packet that month. I wore it everywhere, all the time. It was smart enough to wear out, not too padded, nor too light, and very good at keeping the worst weather at bay.

Over the years it has suffered a little from heavy wear, but just recently I’ve had it repaired. Even almost 20 years after I first bought it, the folk at the Glasgow store were happy to have it cleaned, rewaxed, and to fix the buttons and zips that had suffered damage – all without charge!

What’s your favourite word?

There’s plenty of Scottish swear words that appeal to the child in me, but they’re too rude to print here. I love that the words “whisky”, “vodka” and “eau-de-vie” all have the same etymology.

Cheese or pudding?

How about cheesecake? I really like both. Almost all the sweet things I eat I make myself, which stops me overindulging too often. One of the last presents my wife bought me was a huge wedge of Comte.

Wine or water?

I couldn’t tell you a single story that involves a great bottle of water I drank…

Working in a wine shop was what sparked my life-long fascination with great quality drinks, and helped shape my life so far. I’ve been to incredible places, had amazing taste sensations and met the best people along the way. All of that started thanks to my curiosity for wine.

What’s the best thing about Sundays?

Most of my life I’ve worked weekends, so Sundays were never a day of rest. 

Time off at home means cooking, drinking, music and listening to the radio, and dog walks. (Is this the bit I’m supposed to say “the weekly emails from SGI”)?

Who is your hero?

Bananaman.