A cliffside cafe just outside of North Berwick has been praised by a Conservative MSP for South Scotland, Craig Hoy, and Conservative council candidate for North Berwick Coastal ward, Judy Lockhart-Hunter, after the pair visited it last week.
Drift cliffside cafe sits above Canty Bay near North Berwick and offers stunning panoramic views of Bass Rock, Tantallon Castle and North Berwick Law.
The cafe is built from up-cycled shipping containers and offers seasonal Scottish produce which is freshly prepared everyday. It has become a popular spot for locals and has become an attraction bringing visitors to the area.
Mr Hoy and Mrs Lockhart-Hunter were joined by owners Jo and Stuart McNicol to discuss rural enterprise and agritourism in East Lothian.
Drift supports Scottish Enterprise’s Agritourism Project and provides expert and peer group support, knowledge exchange, skills development and confidence building to a wide range of agritourism and rural businesses throughout Scotland.
The growing business currently employs 22 staff – mostly young people based in the North Berwick area – with ambitious plans to expand further.
Commenting on the visit, Mr Hoy said: “Drift is a fantastic enterprise which has brought tourists into East Lothian from right across the UK.
“It’s freshly-made produce and fantastic clifftop views of the surrounding landscape is a stunning sight to behold.
“I am also impressed by Jo and Stuart’s focus on skills-development for local young people, and their support for rural businesses across Scotland as part of Scottish Enterprise’s Agritourism project. I look forward to seeing their future plans to develop much needed Agritourism facilities in East Lothian.”
Conservative candidate for North Berwick Coastal, Judy Lockhart-Hunter, added: “It was fantastic to meet with Jo and Stuart to learn about rural enterprise and what they are doing to encourage and support growth across the sector.
“The outlook from the cafe towards the sea is magnificent but it was inspiring to see such a positive outlook inside the premises too. We met a number of members of staff, some had been promoted and others were working through apprenticeships.
“It is fantastic that young people in our community have these types of local opportunities. Jo and Stuart spoke about their vision for DRIFT’s future and it seems like a really exciting time for the business.
“If elected in May, I hope to support local businesses across the ward to thrive.”
Owners Stuart and Jo McNicol said: “It was a great opportunity to meet with both Craig and Judy to talk about Drift, our journey so far and our plans and opportunities going forwards.
“We have a number of young and enthusiastic staff on the team who have either achieved a high accolade in their modern apprenticeship or are working towards them and other SQV qualifications. We see the provision of these to be of great importance in developing skill levels and confidence and are proud to support each and every team member on their journey.
“To raise awareness of the ever growing Agritourism sector and a desire to offer greater engagement between towns and the countryside was also really important. With plans to plant an orchard of up to 1900 fruit trees we see this as another route in achieving this goal.”
