Residents and staff at Balhousie Care Group’s Alastrean House are celebrating the opening of the home’s brand-new community cafe.
Following weeks of hard work and preparation, resident Norma Davies and her daughter Amanda Schuneman were able to cut the ribbon on Wednesday 1 March and declare the cafe open.
Residents and relatives at the Tarland home had their say on what they wanted to see included, while they also voted on the name – with Lady MacRobert’s Tea Room coming out on top in the poll after seeing off several other contenders.
Open seven days a week, residents and visitors will be able to use the tea room whenever they like. It will also be staffed on Wednesday afternoons for an organised weekly visit by residents.
The cafe will also open to the wider public from 26 March, and staff aim to use it to build relationships with the local community.
Residents will have great fun putting their years of culinary expertise to good use by baking the cakes, while staff have also bought a bread maker to make the home is never without fresh loaves – and the aroma that goes with it!
Lori Fisher, Operations Support Manager at Balhousie Alastrean House, said: “We are so excited to be able to welcome our residents, relatives and friends to Lady MacRobert’s Tea Room.
“The idea came from relatives, staff and residents, who realised we had a large space which wasn’t frequently used.
“Our residents and their families mean the world to us, and our colleagues have worked incredibly hard to create a wonderful space for them. We are looking forward to showing it off to everyone who visits Alastrean.
“We can’t wait to greet our friends from the Tarland community when they drop in for a cuppy and a blether!”
The café is a wonderful, relaxing environment for residents to spend time with their families and friends, pick up a choice of drinks and snacks, and enjoy a chat with visitors from the local area.
Balhousie Alastrean is a beautiful building in expansive grounds, so the café will offer a general invitation for the community of Tarland to pop along and enjoy Alastrean House with the staff and residents.
