UK: Hotelier Stuart Riddle and wife Joanna have invested £1.2 million into the renovation of The Woodside in Doune, with a reopening planned in late July 2022.
The Woodside is the couple’s third property in the portfolio having acquired the site in November 2021. It is located in the centre of Forth Valley and is currently being updated to include a 140 cover venue.
When complete, the property will feature a pub, coffee house, restaurant, terrace dining, 11 letting rooms and a function suite. The Woodside will be accessible to guests and non-residents alike.
The couple began their hospitality journey in 2013 when they invested in the £700,000 development of the Stirling Arms to create The Riverside – a pub, kitchen and coffee house. It is located in Dunblane and caters to 140 covers.
Stuart Riddle said:“After a successful career in the corporate world and surviving several redundancy scares and numerous restructures, we felt we would like to be masters of our own destiny. We also felt that we could do it better than the nationals. At that point, I was 36, I handed back my company car keys and we created The Riverside.”
The Riddle’s then invested £1,200,000 into renovating The Allan Park Hotel in 2018. The 120 cover venue is located in Stirling and includes eight letting rooms, a pub, restaurant, and coffee house. It has been renamed The Allen Park.
Including The Woodside, all three sites will have a combined turnover in excess of £3,500,000 and will employ approximately 90 staff.
Riddle began his career working as a commis chef for AA Rosette awarded hotels, later becoming head chef at two AA Rosette Dunain Park Country House Hotel. Additional roles include menu development manager at the Spirit Group, catering controller at Bellhaven Pubs, and head of food development at Greene King.
