East Kilbride hospitality entrepreneur Struan Barclay has been recognised as a rising star of Scotland’s licensed trade after being named the winner of the Black Ivy and Montpeliers Rising Star Entrepreneur award at the 2026 DRAM Awards.
Barclay, joint owner of East Kilbride hospitality destination Ruby’s alongside former Crystal Palace and Scotland internationalist James McArthur, was recognised for his work in launching and establishing the venue, which has also been named Best Bar at this year’s awards.
Held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Glasgow, the DRAM Awards celebrate the people, venues and businesses making their mark across Scotland’s hospitality and licensed trade.
The double success comes 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 Barclay and McArthur, Ruby’s was created with the ambition of bringing a vibrant, modern hospitality destination to East Kilbride, with a venue designed to cater to everything from breakfast and lunch through to evening cocktails and celebratory occasions.
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 here, 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.
