Over the past few years we’ve been really focused on making alterations to our premises and services to ensure we’re providing the most inclusive and welcoming stop-off point for everyone. This year we’ve reach a new milestone with our first ever listing in Euan’s Guide, the travel guide for people with access requirements and we also submitted a blog post to the website, outlining our ambition to make award-winning fish and chips accessible to everyone. Click here to read the article about us on Euan's guide website. Today our facilities for those with access requirements include:
In addition to the physical alterations, taking our team on our accessibility journey has been crucial. We have put each team member through VisitScotland Accessible Tourism Training, which has helped our staff to become much more confident in communicating with and assisting disabled customers. The next step will be training several of our team in basic sign language with BSL courses and this should be achieved by the end of summer 2019, so our staff will be able to communicate with deaf customers more effectively. We don’t have a Changing Places toilet in Tyndrum yet but we are working to acquire some land and funding to build one. The nearest Changing Places loos at the moment are at Fort William, Crieff and Glasgow. Happily, the café today is immensely popular and can get really busy. During high season and at the weekends we tend to operate a no bookings rule but we understand this can be tricky for disabled customers. Therefore, for anyone with access requirements who would like to stop by, we make an exception to the rule and bookings can be made by emailing info@therealfoodcafe.com or sending a private Facebook message or by phoning 01838 400235 – whatever works best for you. We look forward to seeing you at the café soon and please feel free to offer us feedback on our facilities and service for disabled customers by writing a review on our Euan’s Guide listing. It’s our vision at The Real Food Café to make Tyndrum the most accessible destination in Scotland and we’re continually improving our offer to achieve that goal.
We have launched a very special new Taste of Scotland menu celebrating Scotland’s most infamous food and drink items!
Officially launching on 25th January to celebrate Burns Night, the menu features haddock and chips with homemade tartare sauce and mushy peas, alongside bite-sized Macsween’s Haggis and Charles Macleod of Stornoway black pudding. If that wasn’t indulgent enough, the meal is rounded off with a delicious Scottish dessert of Mackie’s Traditional ice cream, a chunk of deep-fried Mars Bar and toffee sauce. To accompany the food, choose from either Irn Bru, Scottish craft beer Innis & Gunn Original or Lager, or go all out and enjoy a dram of Oban 14-Year-Old Malt Whisky and a piece of Scottish tablet. The menu has been designed as a tongue-in-cheek take on Scotland’s national cuisine for visitors to the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. It is available for parties of two or more and should be booked a day in advance. Next time you’re stopping by The Real Food Café, make sure to check out our Taste of Scotland menu and tell us what you think! The Real Food Café is kicking off 2019 with a brand new uniform and menu design. Our colourful new orange menus and staff polo shirts will brighten up even the gloomiest January day while our stag aprons give a nod to the incredible Scottish wildlife on our doorstep. We are also delighted to feature our craft Scottish beer supplier Innis & Gunn on the new uniforms, alongside National Federation of Fish Friers, Marine Stewardship Council, Coeliac UK, and VisitScotland Taste Our Best.
  The results are in and Real Food Café has been voted one of the best cafés in Britain for walkers in The Great Outdoors Awards 2018! We are over the moon to be acknowledged in this prestigious list with a Silver award in the Café or Restaurant category. A huge thank you to readers of The Great Outdoors magazine and the public who voted for us.
The awards recognise the people, places and organisations that help walkers get the most out of their time in the hills, and this year they garnered nearly 10,000 votes across 20 categories. Comments on Real Food Cafe included: “Fabulous selection of fresh produce catering for all dietary needs. Staff very attentive. An oasis for the Highland traveller.” We are delighted to have been recognised for our menu that caters to a variety of dietary requirements and for the hard work of our team, who continue to deliver the outstanding customer service that sets Real Food Café apart from the competition. We look forward to welcoming even more walkers and outdoors enthusiasts in 2019! The Great Outdoors magazine is available in WHSmith stores or you can order a copy here: https://shop.kelsey.co.uk/issue/list/publication/TGO  We’re really pleased to have received not one, but two Gold awards at the FreeFrom Eating Out Awards which celebrate excellence in the free-from food service industry. We were named Gold winners in FreeFrom Fish and Chip Shops and the Crème de la Crème categories. Here’s what the judges had to say:
“There is a huge gluten free sign outside which can be seen from the road which shows the emphasis put on GF here. The staff seem very knowledgeable about what is and isn't gluten free and have cards on each table which explain how the kitchen is set up - which fryers are used for what – and to let customers know that the kitchen is not suitable for nut allergy sufferers. When we got our food they brought out the gluten free dishes, clearly marked with stickers and flags and the non-GF dishes were brought out separately afterwards. “Their champion GF dish is their fish and chips and I can see why! One of the best fish and chips I've had and better than the non-GF fish and chips! Plus they serve homemade, gluten free tartare sauce and mushy peas with it – so good! I had a "kids" portion so I could try a bit of homemade cake and I'm so glad I did! I went for GF Victoria sponge and it was so light, fluffy and delicious! “Definitely good value for money for the quality - you could tell the fish and chips were really fresh and it was obvious that this cafe know what they are doing when it comes to gluten free food!” We’ve been serving gluten-free fish and chips since we opened in 2005, well before it became a mainstream trend. We’re really invested in training staff around the importance of offering gluten-free options to our diners and ensuring that we cater for a wide range of dietary requirements. It’s absolutely fantastic to be recognised by the FreeFrom Eating Out Awards for our continued efforts to delight our customers with outstanding service and quality dishes that exceed their expectations. We look forward to another successful year in 2019. |
