Old Bean is Arbroath’s newest addition to the coffee scene

Coffee cups will be raised in tribute to the Old Bean who served as the inspiration behind the newest addition to Arbroath’s hospitality scene today.

Gary Boyd, 29, brings a taste of New York to Angus with the opening of the Old Bean Coffee House in Millgate.

Influences closer to home also play a part, with the memory of Gary’s late uncle, a driving force behind the venture.

“The name of the coffee house was inspired by my late Uncle Frank (Donaldson), a well-known face in town and a true inspiration for me when I was growing up.

“‘Old Bean’ was a phrase that he would often use. He would have a pot of fresh coffee every morning and it was him that first introduced me to good coffee.”

An illustration of Uncle Frank provides the Old Bean’s logo, as drawn by his friend the artist and former Arbroath High School teacher Rikki Craig.

Offshore worker Gary, a former pupil of Arbroath High School, hopes people will share his love of coffee and invites them to whet their whistles with an array of different artisan roasts.

Gary said: “While there are many cafes in the area, I felt there was a gap in the market for a coffee house, very much in the New York style.”