Courie Courie Bakery — Restaurant in Scotland

What a gem of a place! I rode here with my horses and they couldn’t have been more accommodating. (There are fantastic off road routes all around. You can either approach via the Deeside way or over the old Drovers road from Culbean. I came via the Burn O Vat) I had delicious leek & potato soup and gluten-free bread was readily available and wonderfully light. The toasted seeds which accompanied my lunch were a very nice touch. They also provide vegan food. What I am particularly impressed with is their thought into their carbon footprint. This extends to sourcing 95% of their produce locally. Sugar was a sticking point apparently but they do have bees just up the hill! The garden is delightful - even in November! With plans to plant it up more extensively next year I hear. The current owners only took over this spring. What a year to launch. Judging by the smiles on the customers and the glowing praise of their produce they certainly deserve to endure despite this pandemic. You can tell from the length of this review that they were very friendly and helpful. (Even standing with my horses for me while I nipped In to use their facilities.). Oh and the GF lemon muffin was HEAVENLY. Just what was needed to sustain for the 2hr home journey :). I just wish I could have used their take away service. Needless to say, I...

What a delightful place, with great coffee!

I came for lunch and for their baked goods (which are both excellent), but their coffee took me completely by surprise: their flat white had such an amazing fruitiness to it, I went back inside to buy a bag of the beans they were using.

I went back on another day to have a straight espresso, to really see how good they are, and while it might not have been the best I've ever had, let's be honest, I regularly go out of my way to try out specialty cafés and I'm being nitpicky, because they're on the level of some really fantastic cafés I've been to in London, Edinburgh, and Glasgow!

I'd bet there's no better coffee shop to be found within 30 miles, easily, and I've tried!

Also, their garden is such a pleasant place to sit in for a bit, and make sure to get the optional side salad if you have toasties (made with cheese from right across the road, I believe?), it's...

This is a lovely little cafe that opened just before the first lockdown - about a year ago. Douglas and his team have handled the challenges of operating in very difficult circumstances - their selection of drinks, bread and cakes are really exceptional. The cafe is an ideal base for a walk along the Deeside Way to Ballater or to the Victorian suspension bridge at Cambus O'May and Douglas will make sure there's a wide selection of cakes, sandwiches etc when you return. Excellent little cafe with very welcoming staff - you won't be...