Woman opens cafe in former Fife church in mum’s memory

A Fife woman has opened a cafe inside a former church in memory of her late mum.

Evelyn Craig’s new venture, Hamish and Baby Monkey, opened in the old Strathmiglo Church on Friday.

The cafe opening, in time for Mother’s Day weekend, comes after the death of Evelyn’s mum Irene in 2023.

Evelyn said: “She had cancer and I looked after her.

“I didn’t really have a purpose after that.

“She always looked after my kids while I was working and then I looked after her which was ideal.

“The kids have now gone, flown the nest, and mum did as well. I just wondered what I could do.”

Baby Monkey opens in former Strathmiglo Church

Evelyn, from Lundin Links, recalled the moment she decided to open the café.

She said: “The church came up and there was a table in it that said on it: ‘This do in remembrance of me’.

“I read it as ‘Do this in remembrance of me’.

“I thought it was a sign and decided to put in a cheeky offer and see how I get on.

“They accepted and it didn’t fall through.

“The table went into auction, it wasn’t part of the church.

“I had to go to the auction and buy the table back.

“It’s now pride of place and it’ll be where I put my cakes.

“I’m really pleased about it.”

Evelyn purchased the building, erected in 1787, when it was put up for sale by the Church of Scotland.

She said: “The cafe is only 10% of my planning application. The church is quite big.

“I’m also selling antiques, vintage clothes, books, absolutely everything.

“There’ll be plants outside.

‘So much to buy and see’ at new cafe and antiques shop

“The cafe side of it is so people, when they’re coming in, they may spend a couple of hours because there’s so much to buy and see.

“The café is an add-on – you get rolls and cake with a flask of coffee with a cup and saucer inside a picnic basket.

“You order in the café then sit anywhere in the church or outside in the courtyard. It’s like a mini picnic.”

“I had a B&B 20 years ago and I opened a tearoom inside it so I have the experience. Perhaps that was why, maybe I thought that’s what I’ll do.

“Business-wise, it was really for the customers.

“If they’ve travelled far, they can come in, have a sit down and a nice, wee picnic.”

Hamish and Baby Monkey, named after Evelyn’s cats, is open three days a week.

Evelyn said: “Everyone is so excited. It has taken six months of hard labour and I’ve done an awful lot of work myself.

“People have been coming in and out and are looking forward to being back in the church.”