Hi, I am Sally, owner of Sally’s, Portlethen in Aberdeenshire. I am a qualified baker, and have worked in many catering roles over the years, including running my own bakery/cake shop for 9 1/2 years.

With the help of my husband, we took over from the previous café owner on 2nd March 2020. Then Covid hit, and we closed on 17th March!

We had planned to redecorate the café gradually, but as we were closed for the lockdown, and now with some extra money from the grant, we managed to repaint, and put our own stamp on the place much quicker. We also did more refurbishment sooner than planned, e.g. reflooring the café, installing ventilation, a new window, and a much bigger cake cabinet (definitely our best investment!)

As with all catering businesses, the length of time the lockdown lasted, and then the uncertainty of reopening, initially for takeaway, and then sitting in, with all the rules and regulations, it was a really stressful time for us. We were so grateful for the support of the local community.

Since reopening, the café has gone from strength to strength. We now have a team of 6, and we have continued to get busier and busier every year, to the point that we could be doing with a bigger café!

We now also have a Coffee and Cake trailer.  Day to day, it is used for me to bake all the cakes for the café in, but also to attend events which we have been invited to. In 2024 we had events on every weekend in the summer months, and hope to be invited back to most of them again this year. We were even invited to a flower show which was attended by His Majesty the King, although he didn’t stop for a coffee!

It has taken a lot of hard work, stress and determination to get through the last 5 years. But we certainly could not have done it without the great team that we have working with us. I love the fact that we all have our own personality, and strengths, that all come together to create a welcoming environment for all our customers. We always try to make time for a chat with the customers, and accommodate them as best we can, which is why most of our customers are regulars, and many of them have become friends. We once got a review that said we were “an ordinary little café in an industrial area”, and that’s exactly what we are…but you will always get a warm welcome, a laugh, and some nice food!

Supporting the local community is so important, we support local events and groups, and when we can, we donate raffles to groups who are fundraising, and we support the Portlethen Gala. We are also proud to sponsor the Portlethen Sport club under 17’s football team.

Even with the unfortunate luck that we had with covid hitting as soon as we opened, it has also been a lot of fun and laughter since taking over the café, and we look forward to the future, whatever that brings. We have met so many wonderful people along the way, and hope to meet many more in the years to come.

Thank you

Sally