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At a traditional ceremony held in the Scottish Highlands, Ramesh Cidambi, Dubai Duty Free’s Chief Operating Officer, was made a member of the ‘Keeper of the Quaich’ by the Scotch Whisky Society. The honour, which was first introduce in 1988 by the leading Scottish whisky distillers, recognizes the significant contribution made by an individual in the promotion and sale of Scottish whisky worldwide.
Cidambi, who was accompanied by his wife Alpana, was among the new members inducted as Keepers of the Quaich at the ceremony held in Blair Castle in Perthshire, the ancient home of the Earls and Dukes of Atholl. The Keepers of the Quaich takes its name from the two-handled drinking bowl, which in Gaelic is describes as ‘cuach’ or ‘quaich’ – a vessel long associated with the drinking of Scottish Whiskey. The official proceedings for the ceremony were overseen.
Mr. Peter Gordon and Mr. Peter Prentice, Grand Master and Chairman, respectively, of the Keepers of the Quaich Society, and the induction took place in the presence of the Grand Quaich. The banquet was spectacular and held in the Great Hall of the castle with a stirring rendition of the Address to a Haggis as part of the festivities.
His Grace the Duke of Argyll, Torquhil Campbell, a Patron of the Society and a keen supporter, was among the distinguished guests at the banquet, and which featured noted broadcaster Mr. Andrew Neil as the Guest Speaker for the evening. The attendance at the banquet of senior executives from all the leading distillers in Scotland is a testament to the success of the Society in promoting the growth of scotch whisky worldwide.
Cidambi joins a long and illustrious list of fellow nominees over the years, which includes Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of Dubai Duty Free, who was made ‘Keeper of the Quaich’ in 2006 and more recently, in 2016 was inducted as ‘Master of the Quaich’, the highest honour to be received. Former Dubai Duty Free President, George Horan, was also named ‘Keeper of the Quaich’ in 2008.
Commenting on the induction ceremony held in Scotland, Cidambi said: 'Being made a Keeper of the Quaich is a great honor and I am delighted to be part of such an historic society that includes industry giants such as Colm McLoughlin, who has been in the duty free industry for 50 years this year. Also George Horan, our former President, who like Colm has worked closely with the Scottish whisky suppliers over many years and has built up the business. Scottish whisky currently accounts for 44% of our Liquor sales and 89% of our whisky business.'
Fellow Dubai Duty Free inductees to the ‘Keeper of the Quaich’ include Sharon Beecham, Vice President - Purchasing and Ajay Bhatia, Assistant Manager – Liquor and Tobacco, who were inducted as members in 2012 and 2018 respectively.
To date, there are over 2,700 Keepers from more than 100 countries while a select few have been subsequently distinguished as Master of the Quaich, representing thousands of years of shared experience and knowledge. Keepers of the Quaich supports international chapters of the society in nine key markets around the world – where members continue to promote the values and prestigious image of Scotch Whisky.
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