Aiming High
Young, assured and full of ambition, Jamie Rogers has overseen a transformation of the Traquair Arms Hotel, Innerleithen – and he’s only just getting started.
Jamie Rogers behind the well-stocked bar at the Traquair Arms
It’s early afternoon on a grey Thursday lunchtime in October, but there is still a buzz about the Traquair Arms Hotel in Innerleithen. The tables and bar area are full of couples, families up during the English school holidays, a smattering of post-ride mountain bikers and plenty of locals.
And greeting every one of them with a natural ease is Jamie Rogers, the 27-year-old hotel manager. That he looks so in his element is perhaps no surprise: his dad, David, has run the Traquair Arms for almost 20 years, so this has been Jamie’s home and workplace for as long as he can remember.
Jamie first started working in the kitchen aged 14 – a hands-on apprenticeship that continued as he went to college to take a business and hospitality course and, later, an HND in events management. “I realised that I had a good knack for this trade and it was what I wanted to do,” he says.
His dad agreed and, five years ago, offered Jamie the job of full-time manager, aged just 22. “I’m probably more relaxed now than when I started,” admits Jamie with a smile. “At first, there was a bit of having to prove myself to my dad as well as others in the town.”
Mountain bikers pass what has become a favourite post-ride hang-out
Initially, a big part of his job was to gain the loyalty of locals and then blend that with the growing number of visitors. “We’ve now got such a good mix of the two, which is not always easy to do,” he says. “We often get comments from residents about how welcoming the locals are.”
Fast forward to today and – following two lockdowns that were an obvious challenge – the Traquair Arms is a very different place. A refurbished restaurant now serves excellent à la carte food as well as more traditional pub grub, while a revamped main bar features locally produced beers from the likes of Tempest Brewery and Stewart Brewing, plus a vast selection of single malts.
Following the return of the mountain bike Enduro World Series to the Tweed Valley in 2021, the hotel struck up a relationship with leading bike manufacturer and race team Santa Cruz. The result is a Santa Cruz-branded second bar area that has become a favourite hang-out among visiting and local riders alike.
Elsewhere, further investment has seen the creation of six self-catering cottages in a converted stable yard at the back of the hotel, while riders are now well served by Ride Innerleithen, an excellent on-site bike shop offering sales, demos, servicing, local knowledge and more.
Located on-site, Ride Innerleithen has been a fantastic addition to the local bike scene
Clear vision
From the very beginning, Jamie had a clear vision for the atmosphere that he wanted to generate. “I wanted this to be a welcoming place where everyone could feel like they belonged,” he says.
And innovative food as well as drink has been at the heart of everything, all driven by a young, talented team in the kitchen, led by head chef Craig Harkness. “I’ve always said to the kitchen team, spread your wings – be creative,” explains Jamie. “It keeps everyone interested and engaged.
“To be honest, I’m in awe of what they do. There is not a number we can put through that kitchen that they can’t handle.”
In what has been the first full year since Covid, the team have served almost double the amount of people than in any other year. “The chefs, front of house and every department have done so well,” notes Jamie. “I take my hat off to them.”
Plating up in the busy kitchen
As we speak, there is no sign of custom winding down, with a busy summer having moved seamlessly into a similarly busy fishing season. But whatever the time of year, and however many people come through the door, Jamie’s mantra remains the same: “If we are not on it every single day, then people will not come back.”
It’s the kind of attitude that has seen the Traquair Arms win Best Pub in the Scottish Borders in this year’s prestigious National Pub & Bar Awards. “It was a real honour and a great way to acknowledge what goes on in the kitchen, but we want to go for more,” says Jamie. “I just know we have the potential.”
Further information
A 200-year-old former coaching inn, The Traquair Arms Hotel sits in the heart of Innerleithen, close to some of Scotland’s most celebrated mountain biking trails and world-class salmon fishing in the River Tweed. It offers a choice of 15 rooms, six self-catering cottages, secure bike storage, a launderette and an on-site bike shop.
Images: Ian Linton Photography