THE Evening Times-sponsored title of Glasgow's Favourite Businesses attracted nominations from all over the city,

Today we profile another two of the six contenders for the 2015 title, which is part of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce's Glasgow Business Awards.

The winners of this and all the other categories in the awards will be announced at a special ceremony at the Hilton Glasgow Hotel on October 1.

IT was the 24 hours that changed Neil Maclean's life.

He had always intended to launch a large-scale business after university. By his own admission he had a few dozen business plans, but not one of them related to his degree in Sport and Exercise Science.

"I was 'that friend' who always has a new 'million pound idea' but never took it to market because it was so far outside of anything I knew," he recalls.

One night he was in his flat devising a business plan at 1am when his flatmate urged him to run a fitness course, as it was what he knew about.

"Within 24 hours, I had a meeting at the SECC and presented them with a business plan. Within two weeks I had met Jamie [Rose], overnight we became 50/50 partners, and within a month we had signed all the contracts. There was no turning back."

The result was last year's inaugural SFN Expo - SFN stands for Sport, Fitness and Nutrition. It was such a success that it is being repeated on August 29-30, and is being billed as the largest expo Scotland has ever seen in the field.

It is expected to attract between 10,000 and 15,000 visitors, and will have 125 exhibitors covering every aspect of sport, fitness and nutrition.

Among the highlights will be a range of Scottish, British and European Championships, and seminars featuring prominent names in fitness and nutrition "all with the key aim - to inspire you into the greatest year of your life," adds Neil.

Among the speakers will be Olympic bronze medallist Eve Muirhead, world record-holding Paralympic powerlifting champion Ali Jawad, and world-renowned names in health and fitness flying in from as far as LA and Australia.

Jamie Rose, who has worked as a personal trainer, joined Neil as business partner after meeting him in a slightly unusual way. "I was actually dating Neil's sister at the time - I still am! - and she introduced us," he said.

The duo initially formed a company, Valor Fitness, selling personal training packages online before developing SFN fully. It was a venture within a venture as without it, they couldn’t leave their 9-to-5 jobs and created the Expo.

Last year's inaugural event attracted 5,000 visitors and 70 exhibitors.

Neil and Jamie, who are both 24, were at pains from the outset to make their event different from its main competitors. One way of doing this was to promote natural bodybuilding, "which was quite a risk at the time, because we lost a lot of potentially huge exhibitors who didn’t support our ethos.

"We thought we would make a stand for natural bodybuilding and showcase what is achievable purely through hard work and dedication - even though this meant turning down extremely sought after stand sales at the time.

"We also wanted to make our expo the most inclusive one in the UK and not simply to focus on the extremes.

"Scotland has a bad reputation in health and fitness and we hope SFN can become a focal point for redressing this. It's not as intimidating as other expos."

Added Neil: "We're thrilled with the success of the Expo. It has taken a lot of work to organise but we think it will go from strength to strength and we have provisionally booked the biggest hall in Scotland, Hall 4 at the SECC, for 2016.

"Eve Muirhead took part last year and was so taken with it that she said to us, 'If you're doing this again, let me know'. We must be doing something right."

** Website: http://www.sfnexpo.co.uk/

OTHER restaurants may come and go, but La Bonne Auberge is still with us, after four decades.

"Not many restaurants have survived for 40 years, and it is great to still be flourishing," says Alan Taylor, general manager.

The West Nile Street institution is handily placed to attract custom from people attending the Royal Concert Hall, the Theatre Royal and the Pavilion. The Royal Scottish National Orchestra's home is taking shape just up the road, too, next to the Concert Hall.

It's the main host hotel for Celtic Connections, and also the unofficial after-show venue. "All the artists stay here, so between 11pm and 4am during the festival, this place is packed," says Alan. "We clear all the tables. It's not a restaurant; it sees lots of impromptu musical sessions.There's a good atmosphere during Celtic Connections."

It's easy to forget that La Bonne Auberge - 'Glasgow’s original Mediterranean Brasserie' - once had another home, on the other side of the city centre.

Maurice Taylor's original location for his restaurant was in Park Circus, 40 years ago.

"When he decided to build a hotel in West Nile Street, he decided, rather than having a regular hotel restaurant, to put La Bonne Auberge here."

The relocation took place in 1994, at a time when the Concert Hall was only a few years old.

The restaurant opened in its new home on Bastille Day that year, and has grown in popularity ever since. Its pre-theatre nights are very busy, as are Fridays and Saturdays. Gourmet dinners are another regular feature.

Among diners' favourites across the board are pate, French onion soup, and the lunchtime classic, Croque Monsieur with fries and a light cheese-chive sauce. "That's a staple," says Alan. "It has always been there."

At the time of the interview, the restaurant was crowded, thanks partly to trade stemming from the graduation ceremonies across the road at the Concert Hall.

"Why is the restaurant still doing well after 40 years?" says Alan. "I think it's down to consistency, really. We have always evolved. The menu has remained classical in some respects but it has also tried to introduce new things.

"There has been consistency of service, of food. We don't buy in, as some other restaurants do. Our cooking is done here, in our kitchens. The proper stocks, the base of all sauces, are all made here. We buy as much locally-sourced supplies as we can.

"The menu changes every 10-12 weeks. The wine list has a French influence but it's varied, and it is changed regularly."

Another key factor is the presence of its award winning Executive Head Chef, Gerry Sharkey, who has been in the kitchens at La Bonne Auberge for 19 years. Under him, the kitchens have been a real training ground for countless chefs.

** Website: http://www.labonneauberge.co.uk/