The Talla Na Mara community centre in West Harris now has its own restaurant.
Last weekend, the West Harris community was introduced to their newest culinary hotspot.
Talla Na Mara offers everything from light lunches to sit-down dinners in the heart of the Hebrides.
Manager Judith Johnston says their opening night was “amazing”, with an “unbelievable response from the community”.
“We were fully booked for dinner,” she says. Afterwards, she went home “in a bit of a daze”.
“I was thinking, did that really just happen? Did all those people come out to support us?”
The restaurant space at the West Harris Trust’s Talla Na Mara community centre has previously been outsourced to several independent businesses.
But the West Harris Trust has now taken it into its own hands.
“The Trust has been finding its feet for a very long time,” says Ms Johnston. “It’s providing social housing, it’s provided this amazing community building.”
Now, they’re in the financial position to be able to provide a place to eat and gather as well.
While opening a restaurant in a time of rising costs is a challenge, Ms Johnston says support from the Trust is providing a “cushion” that will help them get off the ground.
After deciding to open Talla Na Mara’s own restaurant, the next step for the West Harris Trust was finding a team.
‘Designed for the community’
“They looked for someone who they felt would bring their vision to life,” says Ms Johnston. “I was lucky enough to be that person.”
It’s a vision of somewhere “designed for the community.”
“I would not be interested in something that is geared purely towards making money,” says Ms Johnston. “Of course, we want to bring the tourists in. We have to have a sustainable business.”
“But that doesn’t mean trampling all over the locals.”
The team took “a lot of soundings” when designing the menus, and a loyalty scheme rewards regulars.
Customers can collect points at the till every time they stop by, which add up to discounts.
The restaurant will also be open part-time during the winter, hosting community specials evenings and lunch club.
‘We all need to work together’
Talla Na Mara hopes to support local businesses, too, by using island-based suppliers where they can. This can be anything from locally-caught seafood to eggs from a 16-year-old boy’s flock of chickens.
“Because it’s a small island, we want to provide for everybody,” Ms Johnston says.
“We all need to work together. We’re a community, we’re a family – and that’s what the trust stands for.”
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