The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took a walk down memory lane when they bumped into an old friend in Pittenweem on Wednesday.
The couple were invited to sample a seafood barbecue during their visit to the Fife fishing village, when they realised they recognised the chef.
The chilled langoustines, crab and lobster – all caught in the Firth of Forth – were laid on by Amy and Jack Elles of the Harbour Cafe in Elie.
And, by coincidence, it turned out Jack attended both Eton and St Andrews University with Prince William.
“I thought it was you,” said the Prince. “I remember you.
“Your hair’s grown a bit longer since then.”
Amy and Jack buy their produce from the fish market in Pittenweem, where their Royal Highnesses heard about the impact of the last year on Scotland’s east coast fishing industry.
Fishermen’s Association
They met fishermen from the Pittenweem Fishermen’s Mutual Association, set up as a cooperative in 1948.
They also spoke to families and were introduced to association president William Wood and harbourmaster Alan Anderson.
William and Kate took time out to chat to local nursery school children who had joined the small crowd waiting to greet them.
The pair laughed when one small boy tapped them on the shoulder as they crouched down and desperately tried to show them a card his classmates had made.
The three and four-year-olds proudly handed over the gift, which read: “Hope you enjoy your visit.”
Lobsters
The Duke and Duchess were also presented with a bouquet of flowers by eight-year-old Sam Scott from Pittenweem.
Sam was joined by brother Sean, 15, mum Pauline and dad Richard, who is vice president of the fishermen’s mutual association.
Richard, who catches around 180 lobsters a day in a one-man operation, said it had been a challenging year.
“The restaurants here were all closed but luckily Europe still wanted our seafood so we were only stopped for about a month,” he said.
“Others were stopped for longer so it was very difficult.”
Since its launch, the fishermen’s mutual association has evolved into oil distributors by installing oil tanks on the pier, opening their own chandlery to supply gear and fishing needs for the boats.
It now also supplies clothes, homeware and other products to the general public.
