An island business, which has gone from strength to strength since lockdown as a result of the owner’s unique approach to using local produce, is delivering an eco-friendly expansion with support from HIE.
The Temple Café is a bakery and deli business built near the remains of an old stone temple in Northton, South Harris.
Temple Harris Ltd is owned by Amanda Saurin who relocated to Harris, from Sussex with her husband Julian after buying the café and the croft across the road in 2019.
Amanda very quickly started running out of space in the café since reopening last year following restrictions. She said:
“I started looking around for another building and found one in Leverburgh that had been empty for a few years. This additional building, which is not too far from our current Northton café, will allow us to grow the business and offer more food and drink ranges from locally sourced produce. We are delighted with the support received from HIE for our expansion project.”
The company secured up to £124,834 from HIE to develop and bring back into use the building in Leverburgh, ten minutes away from Northton.
Temple Café has enjoyed a successful season under the new management and five people are currently employed there. It is expected that once the Leverburgh building is converted, six new jobs will be created.
The new building will offer the extra space Amanda needs to launch the coffee roastery, smokery and for food preparation as well as to expand the drinks range.
A new non-alcoholic drink was recently launched by Amanda called Wild Eve. The drink is made from ingredients such as roses, oats tops and honeysuckle, which is harvested from her croft, and some sugar kelp seaweed from the nearby shore. The product is already proving popular with customers.
Everything available at Temple Café is made by hand using locally sourced botanicals, including the range of baked goods, jams, teas and even beauty products.
Before moving to Harris, Amanda had been looking at botanicals and researching what they could offer in terms of flavour. She has worked with the Isle of Harris Distillery as part of her previous apothecary business for several years and was a frequent visitor to the island.
The business has a large focus on low carbon and Amanda is committed to using eco-friendly products. All the packaging used is compostable. She plans to charge a small deposit for cups made from discarded husks of coffee beans and on return of the cups.
While expanding the business, Amanda is keen to help reduce the number of vehicles that drive through Northton. She plans to offer bikes that people can cycle from the main road to the café, offering a discount as an incentive. She will also encourage the use of electric charging vehicles and plans to erect rapid charging points.
Gordon Macdonald, account manager at HIE, said:
“This exciting project adds to the rich variety and high-quality food and drink offering found in Harris. There is growing interest in products that use local ingredients and promote product provenance. Providing year-round jobs in South Harris is great news and I am very pleased we have been able to provide support."
Gnothachas bìdh is dibhe Innse Gall ri leudachadh agus a’ cruthachadh obraichean
Tha gnothachas sna h-eileanan a tha air a dhol bho neart gu neart on ghlasadh-sluagh, mar thoradh air dòigh-obrach air leth an t-sealbhadair a thaobh cleachdadh air toradh ionadail, a-nis a’ dèanamh leudachadh nach eil cronail don àrainneachd, le taic bho Iomairt na Gàidhealtachd ’s nan Eilean (HIE).
Is e gnothachas an lùib bèicearachd is biadh fìnealta a th’ ann an Cafaidh an Teampaill a chaidh a thogail ri taobh an t-seann teampaill san Taobh Tuath ann an Ceann a Deas na Hearadh.
Tha Temple Harris Earranta ann an seilbh Amanda Saurin a rinn imrich à Sussex do na Hearadh còmhla ri a cèile-pòsta Julian, an dèidh dhi an cafaidh agus a’ chroit tarsainn an rathaid a cheannach ann an 2019.
Thòisich Amanda a’ ruith a-mach à àite sa chafaidh glè luath on a dh’fhosgail i an-uiridh, an dèidh do na bacaidhean an togail.
“Thòisich mi a’ coimhead airson togalach eile agus lorg mi fear san Òb, a bha air a bhith falamh fad iomadh bliadhna. Bheir an togalach a bharrachd seo, nach eil ro fhada bhon chafaidh againn san Taobh Tuath, cead dhuinn ar gnothachas fhàs agus raon nas fharsainge de bhiadh is deoch a thairgsinn bho thoradh air a bhuileachadh gu h-ionadail. Tha sinn air leth toilichte leis an taic a fhuair sinn bho HIE airson ar pròiseact a leudachadh.”
Fhuair an companaidh suas ri £124,834 bho HIE gus an togalach san Òb a tha deich mionaidean air falbh bhon Taobh Tuath, ath-leasachadh agus a thoirt air ais gu feum.
Tha seusan soirbheachail air a bhith aig Cafaidh an Teampaill fon riaghladh ùr. Tha còignear luchd-obrach air am fastadh an sin gu làithreach agus thathar a’ sùileachadh gum bi sia obraichean ùra air an cruthachadh aon uair ’s gum bi an togalach san Òb air a dhèanamh freagarrach.
Bidh farsaingeachd a bharrachd san togalach ùr air a bheil feum aig Amanda gus an taigh-ròstaidh cofaidh, an taigh-smocaidh agus àite ullachaidh bìdh a chur air bhonn, a thuilleadh air leudachadh air an raon dheochan.
Chaidh deoch ùr às aonais alcol fhoillseachadh o chionn ghoirid le Amanda. Fon ainm Wild Eve, tha an deoch dèante bho ghrìtheidean leithid ròsan, coirce agus lus-na-meala, a tha gam buain air a’ chroit aice fhèin agus beagan ceilp mhilis bhon chladach. Tha fèill air an stuth seo le luchd-ceannach.
Tha a h-uile nì làmh-dhèante a tha ri fhaotainn ann an Cafaidh an Teampaill, a’ cleachdadh luibhean air am fàs gu h-ionadail, a’ gabhail a-steach raon de bhathar air fhuine, silidhean, teathaichean agus fiù stuthan maiseachd.
Mus do ghluais i do na Hearadh, bha Amanda air a bhith a’ coimhead ri luibhean agus a’ rannsachadh na b’ urrainn dhaibh a thairgsinn a thaobh blas. Bha i ag obair do Thaigh-staile na Hearadh mar phàirt den ghnothachas poiteigeireachd a bh’ aice roimhe airson grunn bhliadhnaichean, agus bhiodh i a’ tadhal tric air an eilean.
Tha an gnothachas a’ cuimseachadh gu làidir air càrbon ìosal agus tha Amanda dealasach a thaobh stuthan neo-chronail don àrainneachd a chleachdadh. Tha i a’ planadh air tasgadh beag airgid iarraidh airson cupannan dèante à cochallan phònairean cofaidh gus an tèid na cupannan a thilleadh.
Ann a bhith a’ leudachadh a’ ghnothachais, tha Amanda dealasach a thaobh na h-àireimh de charbadan a lùghdachadh a tha a’ draibheadh tron Taobh Tuath. Tha i a’ planadh air rothairean a thabhann a dh’fhaodas daoine a chleachdadh bhon rathad mhòr chun a’ chafaidh, agus a’ tairgsinn lasachadh prìse mar bhrosnachadh. Bidh i cuideachd a’ brosnachadh cleachdadh air carbadan dealain agus a’ planadh air puingean teàirrdsidh luath a stèidheachadh.
Thuirt Gòrdan Dòmhnallach, am manaidsear gnothachais aig HIE:
“Tha am pròiseact brosnachail seo a’ cur ris a’ mheasgachadh shaidhbhir de bhiadh is deoch àrd-chàileachdail a tha ri fhaotainn anns na Hearadh. Tha ùidh a’ sìor fhàs ann am bathar a bhios a’ cleachdadh stuthan ionadail agus a tha ag adhartachadh cleachdadh air toraidhean tùsail. ’S e fìor dheagh naidheachd a th’ ann an solarachadh obraichean fad na bliadhna ann an Ceann a Deas na Hearadh, agus tha mi glè thoilichte gun deach againn air taic a thoirt dhaibh gus sin a dhèanamh.”