Restaurant announced for Greenock cruise ship visitor centre

One of Scotland’s largest hospitality groups, Buzzworks Holdings, has  announced it will bring its flagship restaurant Scotts to Greenock, creating over 70 jobs for the town.

Set to open at the new Greenock Cruise Ship Visitor Centre, currently under construction on the banks of the river Clyde, the restaurant will be the dynamic, family run business’s first venture in Inverclyde, offering fantastic food and drink in a world class venue that local residents will be proud of.

Scotts, synonymous for its delicious dishes made from the best local ingredients available across the west of Scotland and beyond, will bring its relaxed all day dining and drinking offering to the new £19.2 million cruise ship visitor centre in Greenock, making it the perfect escape for discerning diners, both during or outwith the cruise call season.

The new visitor centre is supported by UK and Scottish government investment through the Glasgow City Region Deal and is being delivered by Inverclyde Council.

With a significant seven figure investment from Buzzworks, the new restaurant venue will be designed by Jim Hamilton, featuring a stunning open air rooftop terrace with panoramic views across the water and capacity for 150 covers within the restaurant for guests.

Due to open towards the end of 2022, the stunning seafront venue will be Buzzworks’ fourth Scotts restaurant, joining Scotts of Troon and Largs, as well as its newest Scotts, based in the East at South Queensferry, just outside Edinburgh.

Scotts, which has built up an enviable reputation over the past 17 years, will delight guests with locally landed seafood and the freshest ingredients from Scotland’s larder. In-house mixologists will also develop an enviable list of signature cocktails and carefully curated wine lists to bolster its excellent drinks menu.

Kenny Blair, Buzzworks Holdings MD, said: “Having been in the pipeline for over three years, this is another significant step forward in our continued growth strategy as we continue to branch out from our historical base in Ayrshire. The venue not only fits our ethos of enhancing communities through great hospitality, but will allow us to bring a new exciting dining experience to the area and help create numerous opportunities for the local community to work with a company that has ranked within The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For over recent years.

“We pride ourselves on the delicious food, excellent cocktails and world class service our venues provide to customers, so it’s an exciting time for the business as Buzzworks extends its portfolio further and takes Scotts to Greenock. We can’t wait to begin fitting out the venue to showcase our take on stylish costal escapism and look forward to finally opening our doors to both the local community and visitors alike.”

The addition of a Buzzworks restaurant is the latest piece of the jigsaw, which will see the dedicated Greenock cruise ship visitor centre feature a museum paying tribute to the late artist George Wylie, who worked as a customs officer in Greenock and lived in Gourock for many years and a dedicated arrival and departures hall for the many cruise ships that dock in the area.

The development is being delivered by Inverclyde Council and being funded by the UK and Scottish governments through the Glasgow City Region City Deal with a contribution from the George Wyllie Foundation via the Dunard Trust.

It is estimated that the development is expected to increase visitor numbers to 150,000 a year and provide a £26 million boost to the Scottish economy.

Councillor Stephen McCabe, leader of Inverclyde Council, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Buzzworks and their famous Scotts brand on board for the restaurant space within the new Greenock cruise ship visitor centre.

“This will not only bring a quality operator to Inverclyde and significant inward investment into the local economy but will also deliver a large number of jobs to the area.

“As we can see, the new Greenock cruise ship visitor centre development is full steam ahead and is really starting to take shape.

“This will be a fantastic facility not just for cruise ship passengers and crew but for the whole of Inverclyde and further afield all year round.”

Buzzworks currently operates a portfolio of fourteen venues including Scotts in Troon, Largs and South Queensferry, Vic’s & The Vine in Prestwick, Lido venues in Prestwick and Troon, The Tree House in Ayr, The Long House and The Duke in Kilmarnock, The Mill House in Stewarton, The Corner House in Kilwinning, The Coach House in Bridge of Weir, The Bridge Inn in Linlithgow and their newest venue, The Fox Troon.