A catering firm that used its bricks and mortar venue for events has transformed the space into a cafe due to restrictions caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The team behind Kate’s Bespoke Catering opened The Tasting Room in Inverbervie in October 2019 as a space in which they could hold private dinners and supper clubs.
As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, husband and wife team Liam and Kate McKenna, made the decision to transform the venue into a cafe in order to keep their business operating.
Events pause
With the weddings and events industry, their main source of income, now in the process of reopening for larger gatherings, the duo have now opened The Tasting Room up permanently, offering breakfast, brunch and lunch options for sit-in or takeaway.
Liam said: “With the instability of the event scene moving forward we have decided to diversify a little and have opened The Tasting Room permanently for breakfast, brunch and lunch.
“Since the first lockdown we have been unable to host events and the restrictions meant that our usual communal dining experiences which we hosted were not possible.
“We made the decision to open up The Tasting Room as a cafe space instead. We loved having the space to open it in that capacity and decided that it was something that we wanted to continue to do going forward.”
Specials
Open Wednesday to Saturday from 8.30am to 3.30pm customers can enjoy a range of dishes, as well as specials which have included roast plum and basil soup, a vegan Mediterranean vegetable tart with salad, a coronation chicken ciabatta, and a crayfish cocktail ciabatta to name a few.
He added: “We have a small menu with breakfast and brunch offerings, as well as coffee and a selection of sweets and bakes. We have a number of specials which change on a weekly basis to keep the menu interesting and fresh.
“We have also partnered up with Wicked Cheesecake, based in Cowdenbeath, and we will be selling them from this Saturday onwards. We will be the only people selling them in the north-east so you’ll only be able to get them from us.”
“Like with our The Tasting Room offering we like to showcase local produce wherever we can.”
Seating up to 28 people, the team has grown, ensuring those staff employed by the catering firm for events have roles at the cafe while the industry picks up with bookings again.
“We can accommodate 28 covers at the moment but we’re hoping to increase this as restrictions allow. We’re also able to offer takeaway just now which can be enjoyed nearby, or even at Inverbervie Beach,” said Liam.
“With weddings and events starting to resume we decided to employ some extra part-time staff to assist with the running of the cafe.
“As so many hospitality workers having changed profession due to the pandemic, we are hoping to train and encourage some younger people now entering the hospitality industry, too.”
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