Bubble tea, acai bowls, milkshakes, sundaes, crepes, gelato.
Feeling parched yet? Well, your hunger cravings and sweet tooth will need curbing within the next few moments, that’s for sure.
For those asking why, it’s because we’re about to discuss all things The Captain’s Parlour.
Eateries serving up appealing scran are not hard to come by in this day and age. But finding a business with an interior and view that also provide the wow factor can be challenging.
Fear not foodie fans, for the increasingly popular dessert parlour offers this, and more.
The Captain’s Parlour: A run-down
The Captain’s Parlour has wowed food and drink fans since opening last April as an add on to the existing 30-year-old restaurant The Captain’s Table, located in Findhorn.
The businesses are owned by Simon and Katrina Paterson, but it’s 21-year-old manager Neve Kidd who holds the fort at the parlour.
It boasts an Instagrammable interior and food and drink offering, making it a hot spot for tourists and visitors alike.
More than £20k was invested in the eatery, which was mainly put towards the purchasing of freezers and counter space.
Neve started working at The Captain’s Table at the age of 15 and has gone up in rank ever since.
In 2020, the ambitious youngster wanted to take responsibility for the sweet offering at the venue. So in January 2021, the team started looking into ways of launching a dessert-style area to go alongside the restaurant.
She said: “When I was stuck at home during lockdown, I’d spend hours creating menus and potential ideas and logos.
“I’d practice making ice cream sundaes and milkshakes and decorating them, too. I had so many ideas.
“Simon was keen on everything. He always just told me to do whatever I wanted so I could be as creative as I liked, and that is the best part of the job.”
‘Picture perfect’ treats
Inspired and determined to make the menu enticing to all, in terms of taste and appearance, Neve got stuck into creating the Instagrammable offering.
The Captain’s Parlour serves Italian-style gelato by Mieles Gelateria, as well as:
- Acai bowls
- Crepes
- Sundaes
- Milkshakes
- Bubble teas
- Pink drinks
- Iced coffees
The eatery even serves cereal coffee which is, essentially, an iced coffee with syrup topped with whipped cream and cereal.
Flavours include Lucky Charm, Cinnamon Crunch and Cookie Crisp.
Weekly specials are also available and are advertised on the business’ social media pages. Previous examples include a Milky Way milkshake and a Percy Pig milkshake.
“We first opened with a basic menu including milkshakes, sundaes and gelato scoops,” added Neve.
“We continued with this menu during the summer of 2021 and, although it was small, it was a hectic period and the public really enjoyed the products we were producing.
“When the summer season came to an end we started to quieten down a bit and had the chance to expand on our menu introducing crepes, bubble tea and acai bowls.”
The goal of the business is to bring something new and different to the area, and it has delivered.
Hungry locals and tourists
The parlour has a loyal following of customers from “Buckie, Nairn and everywhere in between”. Not only that, but people also travel from further afield.
Neve said: “We are still a relatively new business and I’m sure there are many people who still don’t know about us, so our goal is to continue having something on our menu that suits everyone.
“Our team doesn’t just target children or adults alone, we target different things for each age range so when families or groups of friends come in, there really is something for everyone.
Instaworthy inside and out
The Captain’s Parlour was formerly a concrete room left empty in the winter.
In the summer, it was used as a gathering point for people going out on boat trips as part of Simon and Katrina’s other business, North 58 Sea Adventures.
Now it boasts pastel pink, purple and turquoise walls, fairy lights and a neon sign which reads, ‘The Captain’s Parlour’, and is adorned with pink and white flowers throughout.
“We take pride in all products looking picture perfect,” Neve added. “We wanted a part of the parlour to act as a good background for pictures and the flower wall definitely provides that.
“However, we do of course have a view over the Findhorn Bay which you just can’t top, especially on a sunny day.
“Even though we worked hard on getting the interior right, the outside view is unbeatable and nothing compares.”