AN CAFAIDH MARA –

GREAT FOOD, GREAT PRICES AND GREAT LOCATION

An Cafaidh Mara (café by the Sea) is Lochaber’s newest eating and meeting venue which has already established itself as a popular destination since opening at the end of January. Located at the soon to be commissioned Thomas Telford Corpach Marina beside the Caledonian Canal basin, the business is operated by local man, Robert Coull, who has many years of experience in catering and offering hospitality to high standards.

The café literally fills a gap in the market as the only easily accessible food outlet between Fort William and Glenfinnan and is being greatly welcomed for meeting this need, with easy parking right at the door and a great menu to choose from for sit in or take away.

In designing and thinking though the menu of snacks and full meals, Robert has harnessed his extensive industry knowledge by offering a wide range of dishes from plain, simple and traditional to the occasional exotic dish (see the recipe on page 11), combining his vision with the specialised abilities of staff in producing a choice to suit every taste, including vegetarian and vegan meals.

By using as much local produce as possible every dish offers only the finest, freshest ingredients, carefully prepared and cooked to bring out the best in them for maximum customer satisfaction.

Another part of Robert’s vision is to pay staff fairly, with no difference made between youngsters and adults doing the same job in receiving the same rates. Also, being very conscious of these difficult financial times for customers, he is helping families to economise while still enjoying an outing by fixing children’s meals at just £2.50, with no loss of quality, but certainly reducing the bills.

Adults, too, benefit from the An Cafaidh Mara philosophy of ‘home cooked’ feel at an affordable price on all dishes, including cakes and scones, freshly made in the kitchen every day to ensure the best possible taste. Since opening, the café has been extremely busy, sometimes even with people queueing for a short time to get a seat, such is the reputation of quality and value.

Disabled access was also built in from an early stage, with no steps anywhere and an area specifically set aside for wheelchair users. The café is also pet friendly, so any passing dog walkers can happily pop in for a coffee, cake (and maybe a bit of shelter) in warm, welcoming surroundings to watch the weather pass through the large windows overlooking the loch.

In the coming heady days of spring and summer a large outdoor seating area will also be a very popular addition to the café, described by Robert as “sitting in a postcard”, with spectacular views across the marina, loch and onward to the distant hills.

Great local food, beautifully and freshly prepared in an ethically run café, easily accessible to all and in a fantastic location, with really attractive prices – An Cafaidh Mara – Dè a bharrachd a dh’ fhaodadh tu a bhith ag iarraidh?

What more could you want?

March Time

The first thing to note about this month is that the clocks go forward by an hour in the wee small hours of Sunday March 26 with the potential of late appearances at Sunday events for those who miss the changeover. Whatever the time, don’t miss anything in this Lochaber Life where you will find lots of information of things to do and exhibitions to see. A new feature, which will be appearing every couple of months, will be photographs taken by members of Lochaber Photographic Society, who, like many organisations are keen to welcome new members to share their interest and take part in their activities. While they are happy to explore the world of photography in almost all weathers, personally I am hoping for some nice, even warm weather to spend some time outdoors. Have a good time in March. Faigh deagh àm sa Mhàrt. Iain

FRONT PAGE PHOTOGRAPH:

The group from Fort William’s Smelter who took 10,000 steps a day, walking the equivalent of Fort William to Athens in just a month.