How Funding Unlocked our Community Spirit

The Lass O’Gowrie café and bakery was opened in May 2022 by independent operators, Alison and Robert Abercrombie – best known as Ali and Bob. Serving up artisan cakes and bakes, homemade food and warm service, the business is everything you might expect from a bespoke, local enterprise.

However, a six-figure investment in a run-down, outof-use building has breathed new life, community spirit and economic gain into the small rural village of Errol in Perthshire and has launched a thriving second career for United Nations ex-employee, Ali.

“Bob and I had been working in Kosovo for over ten years when we decided to make the move back to Scotland. I’d been at the United Nations, and he was employed by the Judges and Prosecutors Rule of Law mission.

“Over the years we’d travelled extensively, and good food was one of our greatest pleasures. What was apparent to us was that it wasn’t always cost that brought the best experiences. Whether it was Michelin star or straight from a street truck, flavour and service were always the two most important things. It may sound obvious, but all too often, the commercial opportunity outweighs the basic rules of hospitality.

“We wanted to ignite our passion for seasonal and local produce, to show off and be proud of what was on our doorstep, and to take into careful consideration the important issues of community, sustainability and food miles.

“We had lived in Edinburgh before we left but we were both keen for a slower-paced, more enjoyable quality of life. Bob is originally from Inchture and, on realising what the Carse had to offer, it all fell into place.

“We started our journey with AliBob Café, which was an operation within a local fruit winery. However, towards the end of 2020, after seven years in business, we had the opportunity to do something more meaningful for ourselves and for the local community.

“We had created a delivery service during lockdown, delivering food parcels and other essentials to customers who were isolated and vulnerable. There are 10,000 people living in the Carse and many of them were loyal customers. We had learned on the job when we first opened, and it was our turn to give back and say thanks for the support we’d received – it really did feel as though we had a civic duty to do more.

“The building we now occupy, the Victoria Hall, had been lying empty on the High Street of Errol for eight years. Owned by Errol Park Estate, it was built in the 1900s and had been used for many things over the years – from a cinema in the ‘50s, to the local Scout hut in the ‘90s.

“Our experience up to that point meant we had a clear vision, we knew what would work and what wouldn’t work, and we knew we could deliver for the people in the community – at this point there was no food or coffee offering, or even a daytime gathering place, in the surrounding area.

“However, the refurbishment was significant; a yearsempty building was always going to present challenges, and on closer inspection we realised it needed completely rewired, all bathrooms replaced, a kitchen fit out, a services move – and that was before we started on the cosmetics and our vision for a truly sustainable, energy-efficient approach that would minimise our environmental impact.