The owner of a street food truck in the north-east is celebrating having secured her first bricks and mortar cafe.
Nikki Leys of The Liberty Kitchen in Aberdeen will unveil her first premises later this summer at the soon-to-be-open Greyhope Bay community and education centre at Torry Battery.
The centre itself will be made up of two 40ft shipping containers with a full glass front overlooking the sea and glass panels on the sides providing incredible views of our beautiful coastline.
The Liberty Kitchen at Greyhope Bay will seat around 20 to 30 people and will be a top spot for dolphin watching, too.
Launching The Liberty Kitchen, a converted horsebox, in January 2018, Nikki has been serving up hot drinks and a range of vegan and vegetarian goodies for customers across the north-east and further afield.
She said: “Opening up as a cafe is a dream come true. It was part of my plan when I started the food truck back in January 2018 so to have this come to fruition and in such a wonderful location is incredible.
“Excitement would be the main emotion, of course there are nerves involved in taking this next step!
“I have a genuine passion for people and our business has grown through word of mouth and with the support of such a loyal customer base. For that, I am so grateful and look forward to being able to offer even more to our customers, and with somewhere to sit and enjoy stunning views.
Virtual tour of the space
“This collaboration with Greyhope Bay is particularly fitting given our ethos and vision for a green and sustainable business which is so important to us. The Greyhope Bay team have been incredibly welcoming and it’s been amazing to be involved in the early stages and seeing the vision come to life.”
Street food to cafe
From working as a street food trader at events to now running her own cafe, Nikki, who is looking forward to the move, says things will operate a little differently, although the same delicious dishes, and more, will be on offer.
She added: “Operating as a street food trader, every event is completely different. Weather can be a huge factor, especially being in the north of Scotland, so we learn to adapt very quickly to different situations. Having a fixed location, and a cosy sheltered place for people to visit regardless of the weather will be a great advantage and will allow consistency for the business.
“Being an off-grid location and working within our power limitations will be very similar to how the Horsebox operated, too.
“I am also delighted to be able to grow the team and I look forward to the diversity and energy that we will bring to the cafe.”
Under way
The conversion of the container in which the cafe and other community outlets will be based is currently under way and Nikki says there will be both sit-in and takeaway options for customers to enjoy.
It will also be open all year round and will be a haven for those travelling to Torry Battery to view the dolphins which the area is widely known for.
“Visitors can expect incredible sea views, dolphin spotting, educational tours and lots more. A beautiful snug area with a wood-burning stove will be a lovely feature, especially during the colder months. From the cafe – a warm friendly welcome, amazing coffee, healthy vegetarian and vegan food and our much-loved cakes.
“Having been very much involved in the creative community and having a passion for wellbeing, I hope to bring both of these elements to the cafe. There are endless possibilities with such a beautiful location.
“We will be open for sit-in and takeaway, there will be a handy serving window for takeaway coffee and food and plenty of outdoor seating too. The cafe will be open all year round.”