It was a Stonehaven love story that brought couple Rod and Lesley Leslie together.
The town’s outdoor pool set the scene back in 1974 when Rod, aged 17, and Lesley, aged 14, first met.
Sadly, their young love didn’t blossom and they went their separate ways.
It took another 30 years for the pair to cross paths once again, before they married at the outdoor pool in 2012.
Today, they run a B&B and set of tea rooms together out of Artduthie House.
Artduthie Tea Rooms was Lesley’s brainchild and since opening five years ago, it’s been treating locals to stylish hospitality and exotic teas.
Cakes are also in abundance with the Victorian building, making Artduthie Tea Rooms one of the best afternoon tea spots in all of the north-east.
For Lesley, her tea rooms are a haven within the town she loves.
This charming town
“My parents came from Stonehaven,” says Lesley.
“My dad joined the air force so I was brought up in England, but Stonehaven was my family home.
“Every single summer I was here.”
Lesley went on to spend most of her adult life in England, working from her own physiotherapy practice.
That was, until she met Rod once again back in the north-east and the rekindled pair opted for a life change.
“I worked as a physiotherapist for 35 years while I was in England and Rod was an IT consultant,” says Lesley.
“When we got married, because our parents in the north-east were getting older, we thought we’d see more of them and do something different with our lives in the process.”
Though Lesley says she’s always had a creative streak, she never envisioned herself running a business in hospitality.
Yet, when the right property in Stonehaven came along, so too did her and Rod’s vision for their new careers together.
“We just got this idea that we’d quite like to do something different together,” says Lesley.
“When the property we’re in now came on the market, we thought we could run a B&B and a tea room.
It’s a big Victorian house built in 1870 and it’s been a guesthouse since Stonehaven became a holiday spot in the 1920s.
“It has a huge downstairs area which used to be an art gallery, but we realised it was a bit of wasted space.
“So, we thought we could run a tea room to be in fitting with the style of the house.”
Rod now oversees the B&B side of Artduthie House while Lesley is in charge of the tea rooms.
Tea heaven
Artduthie Tea Rooms first opened its doors in March 2016.
Contrasting from bustling coffee shops that are in abundance today, Lesley says she was keen to create a different kind of experience with her tea rooms.
“When Rod and I were looking and sitting in coffee shops ourselves, we were conscious that it’s often quite noisy,” says Lesley.
“The tea rooms are more genteel; they’re quieter, brighter, prettier tea rooms rather than a modern, noisy, dark coffee shop.
“People like the atmosphere, they can see their friends, have a nice chat and I think it’s very pretty.”
Popular among Stonehaven locals, the business offers a wide variety of teas each with their own adventurous flavours.
“We offer Pavilion teas in flavours like mint and various fruits,” says Lesley.
“But we also do specialist loose leaf teas called suki teas – they’re very special.
“There’s one called apple loves mint, as well as another called oolong orange.
“I encourage people to (try different teas) with their afternoon teas, because you can have any tea you like during them.
“You can start off with an Earl Grey and move onto a Darjeeling and we wouldn’t charge any extra.”
Afternoon tea
Afternoon teas at Artduthie are a splendid occasion.
Homemade bakes and cakes are all prepared on site using local ingredients, with Rod’s mother’s signature Bakewell tart the only product they bring in from elsewhere.
With demand for afternoon teas still high during lockdown last year, Lesley came up with an ingenious solution.
“During lockdown, we survived through doing takeaways of our afternoon teas,” says Lesley.
We were running around Stonehaven with all the stands, cakes and sandwiches, and collecting all the empties by the end of the day.
“We got to find out where our locals lived that way as well, which was nice.”
Homely
Being situated 10 minutes away from Stonehaven beachfront, Lesley explains that the tea rooms aren’t as often visited by tourists as some of those by the sea.
But for those who plan their visit, Lesley aims to make the experience as homely as possible.
“I think our ethos has mainly been to treat people how you’d like to be treated yourself,” Lesley mentions.
“I always loved providing hospitality in my home; it was my favourite thing to have people round for dinner.
“I’ve always enjoyed making food whether it’s savoury or sweet, so I think (the tea rooms) are an extension of whenever I had guests round to my own house.”
Passion
A quick scroll through Artduthie Tea Rooms’ Facebook page shows Lesley’s passion for her local area.
Vast countryside and morning sunrises paint a pretty picture of Stonehaven, which Lesley hopes encourages people to enjoy the best of what’s around them.
Likewise, in Artduthie Tea Rooms, enjoyment is never far away.
“When I’m in the kitchen and I can hear people laughing and chatting away, it really puts a smile on my face,” says Lesley.
It’s great listening to people’s stories and hearing what they’ve been up to week-to-week.
“It’s nice for people to come away from their home into a surrounding where they can just relax.
“(I love) providing that opportunity for people.”
A round of questions with Lesley Leslie of Artduthie Tea Rooms…
Most underrated drink?
I’d probably say the suki loose leaf teas we have at the tea rooms.
If you were a drink, what would you be and why?
I’d have to pick my favourite which is a latte. It’s full of flavour!
What’s in your drinks cabinet at home?
Whisky. And a bottle of white wine.
Most unusual drink you’ve ever tried?
Hmm, I just go for drinks I like most of the time! But looking at the tea room teas, I’d say the apple loves mint tea is quite unusual.
Worst experience with a drink?
Going somewhere when you’ve ordered a cappuccino and it’s just all froth. It’s not even coffee, it’s just froth.
Any secret tips of the drinks trade?
I would say if you can get the latte milk right, it makes a huge difference to the taste of the coffee. If you get the temperature just right, as well as the swirl, it’s great.
Best food and drink pairing?
My go to favourite is always spaghetti Bolognese and a glass of white wine.
If you were stuck on a desert island, what three drinks would be there with you?
Tea, a bottle of white wine and maybe something sensible like water. I was going to say whisky!
You have to serve your favourite superhero or celebrity a drink. Who is it and what do you serve them?
My current hero is Malala, who was the Pakistani schoolgirl that was shot by the Taliban. She now lives here and is such an inspiration. I’d probably have a lovely cup of tea with Malala.
To book or find out more about Artduthie Tea Rooms visit their website.
