Since opening the doors to our Grain Store Restaurant in November, we have been absolutely blown away by the wonderful response. Your glowing reviews of the food, the service, and the atmosphere have meant the world to our entire team. .
It has been a joy to welcome so many of you to our beautifully restored mill which is now the home of Stannergill Whisky.
An unexpected twist
As we have settled into the space, an oversight in the design plans has been discovered. An airflow issue has created a cooler, draftier environment than we would like for your comfort. We are committed to creating the perfect ambiance to match our food and service, so we knew we had to address this right away. We had already planned a brief closure in January for some finishing touches, and we worked closely with the fantastic team at Norbloc Construction to schedule this important fix to take place during that time.
However, as can sometimes happen with ambitious projects in buildings, delays have meant the work could not begin as planned, requiring us to extend the restaurant’s temporary closure. We were determined to turn this challenge into a unique opportunity and we are delighted to announce two new, temporary experiences for you to enjoy!
Two Exciting Opportunities
Introducing Our ‘While We Wait’ Pop-Up Café!
We couldn’t wait to welcome you back! So, we’ve created a cozy and charming pop-up café in a part of the mill you haven’t seen yet – the future bar space. The fab team at Norbloc Construction have been instrumental, helping us rapidly transform the room and complete the downstairs kitchen to create a warm and inviting haven. We are also incredibly grateful to Claire’s dad, Mac, who is always ready and willing to help. Mac and his expertise have once again come to our aid, helping us to realise our ideas! And after a successful sign-off from Environmental Health, we are delighted to open our ‘While We Wait’ café!
Here, you can indulge in an extended range of delicious cakes, scones, and tasty savoury treats. We’ve also put together an exciting drinks menu, featuring unique teas from the Bird & Blend range like the decadent Chocolate Digestive and the whimsical Enchanted Narnia. For a refreshing twist, try our brand new Matcha Iced Tea selection, or warm up with a coffee featuring our very own Stannergill Roast by Ovenbird Coffees.
The ‘While We Wait’ café, along with our distillery shop, will be opening soon. Our proposed times are Thurs – Sun, from 10am to 4pm.
Our online booking system is not available for the cafe.
A Unique Dining Experience: Castletown Mill to Stannergill Distillery
We are also incredibly excited to present a rare and intimate dining event: A Journey Through Time Tasting Dinner. For a limited time, we have transformed our Tasting Room at the Dunnet Bay Distillery into an exclusive setting for an unforgettable five-course meal.
This is a truly unique opportunity to experience the culinary artistry of our Head Chef, Callum, and our wonderful Restaurant Manager, Bruce, in a completely new environment. The menu, “A Journey Through Time,” tells the story of the mill’s transformation through a series of exquisite dishes, from “The Foundation” of a rich leek velouté to the “Sweet Legacy” of a delicate Tonka Bean Pannacotta.
We are offering “A Journey Through Time” on Saturdays 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th February. Please contact Bruce for further information or to book. Booking this special event is essential.
These opportunities were born from a desire to keep our brilliant team engaged and to continue offering our wonderful customers new and enjoyable experiences, even in the face of a challenge. We have embraced this moment to create something different, something memorable. We can’t wait to share it with you and look forward to welcoming you to our ‘While We Wait’ café or our special tasting dinner soon!
Shopping at Stannergill
While you’re visiting the While We Wait café, be sure to pop into our Stannergill Distillery shop, which will be open during the same hours. It’s the perfect place to find a special gift or a treat for yourself. The shop is stocked with a fabulous range of locally sourced and beautifully crafted items, including:
•Handmade soaps from Beeseep Organics
•Candles by Caithness Candle Company
•Stylish beanies, caps, and t-shirts embroidered by HWW Ltd
•Handcrafted bottle openers and keyrings by Calum Macleod
•Gorgeous scarves from Blushful Earth Handmade
•Delicious Dunnet honey and other delicious foods
•Our very own Castletown Mill: A History Through Whisky series of blended 10-year-old whiskies, with each bottle telling a saga from the mill’s rich history.
Sponsor a Roof Tile
There are still tiles which could have your name on them! If you would like to be a lasting part of this buildings history then please consider sponsoring a roof tile. When the distillery is open to the public you will be able to come along to identify your tile, as we will provide you with it’s positioning on the roof.