Article by Jane Stone
This Sidings cafe is located in two train cars which are leased; at the Dufftown Railway (which is run by volunteers, some of which are there 4 days a week to help keep this part of Scottish Heritage open). The two carriages used for the café were made roughly in 1950's; and through the commitment of volunteers, the upkeep has been maintained over the years.
A little bit of History
The train station in Dufftown has been there for a great deal of time, being re-opened to the public, operated entirely by volunteers, in 2000 and 2001. The Keith and Dufftown Railway is still driven by volunteers, their dedication and the public's support keeping the railway active and well maintained.
On the 1st of March 2017, the Sidings Cafe was opened to the public, the rustic train carriages host a kitchen car and a cafe.
While having an interview with Karen, I was permitted to stay and observe the kitchen workings. Everything was handled quickly and professionally by Karen and her teammate for the day, Sue; Sue, being an incredible local artist.
Karen and Lisa both own and run the Sidings Cafe together.
Karen, a lovely lady, only recently moved into Dufftown after living just outside in a large house for many years; she owned a B&B for 10 years, which was often busy and full of guests. Her guests ranged from all over the place; visiting relatives, coming here for events, on holiday and was a half way stop for people in need of rest before another long leg of their journey. Karen maintained a high standard making sure her guests knew the best places to eat, telling them about the local places they could visit while they were in the area and on top of all that her outstanding service to guests also involved dropping them into Dufftown or other such places for restaurant reservations and Whisky Tours to name a couple.
Her partner with the business, Lisa; is currently working an Office job but will be finishing soon to join the team at the Café full time. She, like Karen, is also local to the area; so when the opportunity to take over the lease of the two carriages, it was spotted and was then a mutual agreement that they would give it a go.
Lisa cooks all of the scrumptiously delicious cakes and bakes that are offered at The Sidings Café. From the beautiful fruit scones to the Victoria sponge that was on display at the counter.
The Gluten Free chocolate cake was an immensely big hit, being gone halfway through the working day.
Even without upcoming events, The Sidings Café looks to become really busy, the premise booked for numerous dinners and parties already (the café can cater to up to 20 for private dinners). And with it busy during the day the café can sustain up to 42 people a day during the week.
Little to no noise from any traffic is heard as it is set a comfortable distance away from the road, supplying a “relaxing atmosphere”.
Karen takes great pride in her work and said that “We want it to be a step back in time. There is no WiFi or telephone. You can sit down, look out the window and have a rest and relax for a bit, away from modern life.”
What the café has to offer: high-quality home bakes, locally sourced and fresh ingredients for their dishes, only a small amount is frozen and everything is handled in an outstanding manner to make sure that food waste is kept to a minimum.
That morning’s breakfast was cooked fresh then and out of the kitchen (in my opinion) promptly, no time wasted from cooking to placing them all on the plate and delivering it at a suitable temperature. Karen who was doing the cooking along with this interview, was efficient all day within the kitchen which could be mostly due to the years that she had her B&B cooking for guests breakfast and through that time has developed her methods to a fine art, perfecting how she cooks and delivers the food; at a high and professional looking standard.
With the beautiful scenery they get delightful guests; one of which came in early yesterday morning with a wonderful gift that he had (or he had it) made for The Sidings Café. The gentleman, after thanking her for breakfast and paying, produced a box slightly large then A4 and handed it to Karen saying it was a gift.
Karen, after exclaiming “you shouldn’t have” looked upon a custom made clock designed for The Sidings Café. After numerous conversing beforehand, Karen while holding the clock was almost lost for words hugging the gentleman before he went to leave and on the verge of tears. The gift was well-received by the team.
The quaint café is a great place for locals and tourists alike; providing great meals and amazing customer service. They have a business card that is perched, available when you come in, which acts as a loyalty card; after so many visits you can receive a free Coffee or Tea!
The café is popular, their days have been “really busy” from their opening at 10:00 in the morning till their closing time at 16:00.
This cafe welcomes groups and parties of people of every age; they take bookings and provide Takeaway services! This Cafe is beautifully fashioned with a lovely interior; the layout space efficient and comfortable, the staff are lovely and create the perfect atmosphere to sit and enjoy a meal in. So how about popping in to say hi, have a coffee and an impressive bake or meal.
The Sidings Cafe has a Facebook page where you can see current progress and upcoming events!
"A quirky Railway Carriage Cafe providing breakfast , lunch , dinner home - bakes , afternoon teas, dinners by arrangement, Coach parties by arrangement Disabled access."
Keith & Dufftown Railway has a website where you can see upcoming events and find out more about the line and what they have to offer!Speaking of upcoming events the Railway will be in operation again on the 14th of April for their Easter Opening.
More information about the Keith and Dufftown Railway can be found here on the Moray Speyside Tourism website.
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