Stakkadale Cafe in Bigton hoped to welcome first customers from early in new year
The coffee connoisseur behind plans for a new South Mainland café said he is “raring to go” with the project.
Alex Green and his wife Sarah have been progressing plans for their Stakkadale Café in Bigton for a little over a year now.
And next month will hopefully see the development start to come to life as a key phase of the project begins.
Some of the plans have already been approved, funding has been secured and the latest application to install steel flues for the coffee roastery machine has recently been lodged with the council.
Initially, Mr Green had hoped to be opening this side of Christmas.
But with a building warrant application having take slightly longer than expected, he has been forced to delay the opening until January for the roastery and April for the rest of the café.
Once up and running, Stakkadale will feature a coffee bar and roastery, catering for Shetlanders as well as the many tourists who visit Bigton and St Ninian’s every year.
There are also plans to serve food and host visiting mobile caterers, such as a pizzas van.
Despite the slight delay, Mr Green said everything was still “very positive”.
“It feels like we are really starting something,” he said.
“Once the building warrant is approved, hopefully later this week, we’ll be raring to get going.”
Meanwhile, Mr Green, who served 16 years as an officer in the Royal Engineers, has been building a loyal customer base by serving up his Stakkadale coffee at the Bigton Bakery every Saturday.
“The local support we are getting is very encouraging,” he said
“The Saturdays are still very busy even though we’re starting to get into winter.
“So everything is still going well, we’re just waiting to get over this final hurdle.”
The application for the installation of the stainless steel flues, describes the café as being at the heart of Bigton, offering “an excellent opportunity for low-impact reuse within a scenic and accessible location”
The plans go on to say the development would restore a “much-needed local facility” offering space for “social connection, refreshment and amenity for for both residents and tourists.”
“The café will support local economic activity , particularly during the tourist season,” the plans state.
“The presence of a well-maintained and operational café enhances the attractiveness of the National Scenic Area by providing high -quality facilities that complement the natural setting.”
As part of the redevelopment, new air source heat pump[s will be installed, a sign will be place on the front. and internals refurbishment carried out to improve layout, and accessibility, including the addition of a new accessible toilet.