East Kilbride hospitality destination Ruby’s is celebrating a double success at the 2026 DRAM Awards, after being named Best Bar, while joint owner Struan Barclay was also recognised with the Black Ivy and Montpeliers Rising Star Entrepreneur award.
The awards, held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Glasgow, celebrate the very best of Scotland’s hospitality industry, recognising the venues, businesses and individuals making their mark across the sector.
The accolades come less than a year after Ruby’s opened its doors following a £700,000-plus transformation of the former Coppertrees restaurant on St James Way.
Led by Struan Barclay and former Crystal Palace and Scotland internationalist James McArthur, Ruby’s was created with the ambition of bringing a vibrant, modern venue that feels equally suited to breakfast with the family, lunch with colleagues, evening cocktails or a celebratory night out.
Since opening, the venue has established itself in the local community, with more than 100 covers, an adjoining bar and heated outdoor garden, alongside a menu focused on locally sourced ingredients and bold, flavour-packed dishes.
The DRAM recognition is a significant milestone for the independent venue, with the Best Bar award recognising the team’s work in establishing Ruby’s as a new hospitality destination in East Kilbride.
Commenting, Struan said: “We’re absolutely thrilled with the recognition Ruby’s has received. From the outset, our aim was to create somewhere that East Kilbride could genuinely be proud of, and the team has worked incredibly hard to make that happen.
“James and I had a clear vision for what we wanted to create when we took on the project and bringing that vision to life has been a huge team effort.
“Winning Best Bar so soon after opening is a fantastic achievement and a real testament to everyone who has played a part in building Ruby’s. We’re incredibly proud of what the team has created and excited about what’s still to come.”
The DRAM Awards are among Scotland’s longest-established hospitality industry awards, celebrating the people and businesses helping to shape the country’s licensed trade.
Table bookings are live at www.rubys-eastkilbride.co.uk, where visitors can also explore the full menus and follow the latest updates.
Ruby’s can be found on Instagram at @rubyssocial and on Facebook at Ruby’s Social.
For more information, contact: lisa.boyle@tigerbond.com
