Aberdeen-based SugarBird Wines is today announced as the preferred bidder for the Burns Pavilion at Union Terrace Gardens bringing a high quality wine selection curated from across the world to the heart of the city centre.
The popular West End business is to open a second wine bar which will offer in-demand wine tasting events and feature outside table seating on the viewing platform taking advantage of the high point of the newly-revamped gardens.
The new venue in the two-storey Burns Pavilion will be called SugarBird in the Gardens and is due to open later in the year.
Aberdeen City Council Finance and Resources Convener Councillor Alex McLellan said: “It is positive news that SugarBird Wines will be expanding into the Burns Pavilion, adding to their extremely successful Union Grove premises, which will provide a boost to the local economy as well as attracting people to the rejuvenated Union Terrace Gardens.”
Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader Councillor Ian Yuill said: “Sugarbird Wines already has significant experience in running popular and award-winning premises and restaurants. I am sure this new wine bar and event space will be a real boost for our city centre.”
SugarBird Wines will be continuing its popular premises in Union Grove which operates as a wine bar and retail space, hosting weekly wine tastings. The owners, Alex and Ruth Grahame, also have a successful restaurant in Cape Town, South Africa, and were previously the owners and proprietors of the award-winning Hornblowers restaurant and take-away in Gourdon.
Alex Grahame, co-founder of SugarBird Wines, said: “This is an extremely exciting next step in the SugarBird story. We’d been looking around at various premises for a while, but The Burns Pavilion at UTG offered something different and felt special - we could truly picture our brand evolving at this beautiful city centre location.
“Our mission and ethos is to always put customers and their experience at the heart of what we do and the loyalty we have received since first opening in 2021 is a huge driving force behind this growth.”
The Burns Pavilion is one of three similar prestigious buildings looking over Union Terrace Gardens, which has reopened after a £28million refurbishment. All three of the Pavilions are now let - Common Sense coffee house and bar opened last summer in the Rosemount Pavilion, and the Our Union Street project at The Union Street Pavilion.
Pic caption: left to right, Cllr Alex McLellan, Alex Grahame, Ruth Grahame, Cllr Ian Yuill.