The owner of Stonehaven’s Seafood Bothy has handed back thousands of pounds after fears about “scary” lobsters scuppered business-boosting plans.
Maria Lewis last year bought an old fisherman’s shed along Shorehead in the hopes of transforming it into a second branch of her food business.
It would, she hoped, offer a safe place to trade from when waves force the closure of the converted horse trailer she operates yards away on the town’s pier.
And it would also act as a “mini museum”, with lobsters in tanks allowing youngsters to learn about their local seafood.
Last week, we revealed that Aberdeenshire councillors had quashed the plans due to road safety concerns along the seafront stretch.
Committee chairwoman Wendy Agnew sparked uproar by suggesting that children could be so spooked by the sudden movement of a crustacean that they could flee into traffic.
‘Scary’ Stonehaven lobsters spark social media frenzy
In the days that followed, the matter became something of an internet meme.
One man even got Chat GPT to compose a poem about the peculiar saga in the style of Robert Burns, sharing the result on social media.
It began: “Oh, Stonehaven harbour, braw and bonnie sight,
“Wi’ lobsters in a tank that shine sae bright,
“But bairns are feart, they scunner at the sight…”
Stonehaven Paddleboarding joined in on the fun too:
And a professor from Boston even weighed in on the issue, ridiculing the Conservative councillor’s “silly” claims.
Amy Bryzgel said she “used to love going to the fish store to look at the lobster tank” as she grew up in New England.
She added: “I never heard of any kid getting spooked by them!”
What silliness! I grew up in New England in the US where lobster is a summer staple and I used to love going to the fish store to look at the lobster tank. I never heard of any kid getting spooked by them!
— Prof. Amy Bryzgel (@PerformtheEast) March 17, 2023
As the lobster debate reached boiling point, fishing crews from the area even poked fun at the stooshie by dressing up as 6ft tall versions of the clawed creatures.
Maria opened up her Seafood Bothy for a photo opportunity with the large lobsters.
‘We’ve had to hand £20,000 back now’
When I speak to Maria on Tuesday morning, she still can’t quite believe the storm that it caused.
And though she can smile about it now, she says that the blow to her business is no laughing matter.
The trader revealed she has not quite ruled out trying for planning permission again – even if she feels the odds could be stacked against her.
And she opened up about her ordeal in trying to see her plans through – including having to return a £20,000 grant to help revamp the old shack.
Maria said: “Marine Scotland gave us a grant towards it because they thought it was a good idea.
“But it was reliant on the planning permission, so we have had to give the £20,000 back now.”
Reflecting back on the crunch meeting, she said Mrs Agnew’s conclusion was “the biggest laugh of the day”.
And the £2,000 the Seafood Bothy shelled out on the application is money they will never see again.
‘I’m skint…’
Maria continued: “If it had been approved, we would have had it up and running by Easter.
“Because of this situation, I can’t work for four months of the year… I haven’t worked for the last four months and now I’m skint.
“I am very keen to get back to work on the pier.”
Now, they will most likely just turn the disputed unit into a storage shed.
Trader unsure about what to do next
More than 50 people wrote to the council to back the Seafood Bothy’s aims, while just 10 objections were received.
Despite all this, Maria was ready for defeat – she had been advised the road concerns were likely to stymie the plans.
But she attended the recent Kincardine and Mearns area committee meeting anyway, just to “get it off her chest and have her say”.
She added: “I’m not sure if there is much point trying to contest the decision.
“I’ve had people who know about planning suggest that I go to appeal.
“If someone, say from the council, came to me and said they can help by guiding me through the process… Then I would look at it.
“And I could try re-applying next year for the same grant.”
You can watch the fateful meeting where fears about Stonehaven lobsters were raised:
(Skip to about 50 minutes in to hear Wendy Agnew’s infamous speech)
Maria looking on the bright side after Stonehaven lobsters setback
Despite plunging thousands into the wasted effort, Maria laughed: “I see the funny side of it now…”
She added: “People feel sorry for me at the moment.”
And kicking off the season last weekend, she was buoyed by the support she received.
Maria explained: “I had people come from Arbroath, Dundee, Aboyne and Peterhead…
“International visitors naturally migrate to me too.
“And they don’t just visit me, they all go for a pint or an ice cream and spend money elsewhere in Stonehaven. They can spend the whole day here.”
Conversation