:

    • All advice and support

      Start your business

      • All start your business
      • Legislation
      • Measure your progress
      • Pricing strategies
      • Set up a business

      Improve your business

      • All improve your business
      • Create an inclusive business
      • Deliver a quality experience
      • Partner support opportunities
      • Understand your customers

      Grow your business

      • All grow your business
      • Funding opportunities
      • Online booking systems
      • Reach new markets
      • Sell with travel partners

      Promote your business

      • All promote your business
      • Create good content
      • Manage your social media
      • Manage your website
      • Marketing opportunities

      Sustainability

      • All sustainability
      • Create a climate action plan
      • Improve your sustainability
      • Measure your climate impact
      • Net zero and sustainability
      • Promote responsible tourism

      Support by sector

      • All support by sector
      • Accommodation
      • Active and outdoor
      • Events and festivals
      • Food and drink
      • Visitor attractions
  • Training and events
  • Contact us

Welcome to the new Business Support Hub. Please use this form to provide any comments or suggestions.

Feedback form
  1. Home
  2. Advice and support
  3. Support by sector
  4. Food and drink
  5. Food and drink case studies
  6. How Mharsanta create bespoke experiences for the travel trade

How Mharsanta create bespoke experiences for the travel trade

5 minute read • Last updated: 25 February 2025

The Lomond Leisure Group operate five restaurants and bars in central Scotland. They focus on hospitality, sustainability, environment and character. They've capitalised on opportunities with the travel trade.

Their venues include Mharsanta and VanWinkle in Glasgow and the Tolbooth Tavern, Edinburgh. They have big plans to expand this year with more venues opening soon. They've also been working with the trade trade.

We spoke to Sophie Mallon, Chief Marketing Officer of Lomond Leisure Group.

In this article:

  • Working with a travel trade partner
  • Creating unique experiences
  • Advice and support

Working with a travel trade partner

Bar staff making drinks at Mharsanta, Glasgow

Bar staff making drinks at Mharsanta, Glasgow

© VisitScotland / Luigi Di Pasquale

Opening their first Scottish venue in 2017, Sophie knew she wanted to work with a travel distribution partner and reached out to the experts straight away. 

“We quickly recognised an opportunity to collaborate with VisitScotland and People Make Glasgow (Glasgow Life) to offer our products and services to travel trade partners.” 

Sophie explained how valuable working with a travel partner can be.

“For a small business, travel trade partners can assist in promoting services to a broader audience through their marketing channels, which might otherwise be beyond our budget. This collaboration has been so valuable in expanding our reach and enhancing our offerings.” 

Creating unique experiences

Diners at Mharsanta

Diners at Mharsanta

© VisitScotland / Luigi Di Pasquale

Sophie recommends thinking about other businesses in your area that you can collaborate with to create new and unique experiences. 

The Tennent’s Beer Pairing and Scottish Dining Experience combines Mharsanta’s home-cooked style dishes hosted by a beer sommelier from Glasgow’s famous Tennent’s Brewery. 

At the Storytelling, Dinner and a Dram you can experience a kilted actor tell tales about Scotland’s myths, music and food which encourages visitors to feel like a local.  

“Our experiences are crafted to provide visitors with an authentic taste of Scottish culture, making them attractive options for travel trade partners looking to offer unique and memorable experiences to their clients.” 

 

 

How important is collaboration in the travel distribution journey? 

Collaboration is really important when developing new products. Sophie stresses that networking has not only expanded their reach but provided insights into market trends and best practices. 

She explained that "If there are marketing opportunities, interviews, or familiarisation (FAM) trips available that can help you reach a wider audience and showcase your offerings, be sure to seize these opportunities.” 

Lomond Leisure Group have definitely done that, as they’ve been part of marketing campaigns that would otherwise be financially out of reach due to a limited budget.

"Building relationships is crucial when working with the travel trade."

Find out more on how to deliver a quality food and drink experience.

Advice and support

We asked Sophie what advice she would give to another business thinking of developing new products and working with travel distribution partners.

It’s a process that’s taken Sophie and the team time and patience, but she said: “Firstly, get to know your market and build innovative and create experiential packages tailored to them. Attend trade events, build industry relationships and collaborate with other industry partners and local businesses.” 

Their expertise has been essential to our growth and in building and maintaining strong relationships with other industry players.

Have you had any support from a partner organisation?

Working with experts has definitely opened doors for Lomond Leisure Group. 

“We have been incredibly fortunate to receive support from partner organisations throughout our travel trade journey. Early on, we attended travel trade workshops that significantly enhanced our industry knowledge and helped us to remain competitive in the market. Once we had trade-ready products, we committed to a travel trade event, marking the true beginning of our journey, followed by a business development mission to the USA and Canada. 

We’re focusing on sustainable tourism working on eco-friendly tourism initiatives to promote sustainability to our visitors.

What’s in the future for the Lomond Leisure Group? 

Sophie is ambitious when it comes to developing new and sustainable products and they have two new venues opening this year: 

  • Gael & Grain, a pub in Glasgow’s West End 
  • Kirk O’The Lochs, Loch Lomond, a unique venue set in a historic church, offering an atmospheric dining experience 

 

Create your own quality food experience

Creating a memorable food experience for customers helps to increase your revenue and boost the local economy. Customers love authentic experiences which tell the story of your business, the local area and Scotland’s history and culture.

Deliver a quality food and drink experience

Related pages

How Buck & Birch incorporate tourism into their food and drink business

Buck & Birch produce craft Scottish spirits and liqueurs based Macmerry, East Lothian. They develop innovative products focusing on sustainability.
Case study
3 minute read

How Wilson's Farm and Kitchen became a successful agri-tourism business

Wilson’s Farm and Kitchen is in Kelso. It's a working farm offering tours and food experiences thriving through working with the travel trade.
Case study
4 minute read

How Spirit and Spice showcase Scottish produce and culture

Spirit and Spice is a family business offering authentic culinary experiences based in the Highlands.
Case study
4 minute read

How Edinbane Lodge developed an award winning business

Edinbane Lodge is a fine dining restaurant with rooms on the Isle of Skye. Hear how they've created an award winning business.
Case study
5 minute read

Sign up for the latest advice

Sign up for the Business Support monthly newsletter to get the latest advice and tips straight to your inbox. We’ll keep you informed with up-to-date insights, case studies and best practice guides to help you start, improve or grow your business.
Get the Business Support newsletter

About us

  • Policies
  • Accessibility
  • Cookies
  • Website feedback
  • Glossary of terms

Our other sites

  • Business Events
  • Corporate
  • Media Toolkit
  • Travel Trade
  • Scotland is Now
  • VisitScotland.com

Find us on

Find us on

Brand Scotland

© 2025 VisitScotland. All rights reserved.