Three sisters are opening a new seaside cafe in Fife’s East Neuk.
Fiona Ramsey, Anne Ramsey and Jane Taylor will open Salty Dog Beach Cafe at Elie Harbour on Friday.
The sisters will run the takeaway coffee shop – which will also offer food, smoothies and ice cream – from the Elie and Earlsferry Sailing Club building.
Fiona says the trio “always had a dream of opening a cafe together”, but had to wait to make it happen.
Sisters opening Salty Dog Beach Cafe at Elie Harbour
She told The Courier: “Jane lived in Australia for years and was a theatre charge nurse.
“She then also moved to France so it wasn’t possible.
“My sisters are now both retired and I am a member of Elie and Earlsferry Sailing Club and they advertised that the lease was available for the takeaway, so we just did it.
“It has been about two months from when we first saw it to now.
“We didn’t even have a fridge, never mind several, so we have had to get all of that.
“I have worked over the years in various hospitality places but latterly as a child and youth worker at Largo Church.
“I also worked at the Zest cafe in St Andrews and at the Inn at Kingsbarns years ago.
“We have all kind of dropped in and out of hospitality.”
Fiona, 53, works at Largo Church, while Anne, 63, is a retired occupational therapist and Jane, 69, is a retired theatre nurse.
The sisters have lived in different places over the years, but now all live in the East Neuk area.
The logo for Salty Dog Cafe is modelled after Fiona’s dachshund, Jake, who died in February.
Salty Dog Beach cafe to offer food and drinks at Elie Harbour
She said: “He was like a son for me and my partner and I couldn’t have done this if he was still here, so it seemed like it fell into place to use him on the logo.
“Every time I look at the logo I get a lump in my throat and people have been recognising him.
“The cafe will be a takeaway with us serving from the hatch; people can sit outside or take food to the beach.
“Our menu includes bacon rolls, bagels, chips, smoothies, hot and cold drinks, sweets and ice cream.
“We have also got plans to do outside catering and our plan for the winter when it is quieter is to do meal deliveries.
“At the moment it will be the three of us but we may be looking to take on some local staff if it is busy.
“I have still got my day job and my sisters just don’t want to stop, they are both on pensions but they are young at heart and are still able and up for it.
“They are not the kind to just sit around.
“We have dreamed of this and have for a long time.”
Salty Dog Beach Cafe will open at Elie Harbour on Friday.
The takeaway cafe will have opening hours of 10am until 5pm, seven days a week, with the possibility of longer hours during summer.
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