Local Heroes: The Woodhouse, Kippen
In an idyllic countryside setting on the outskirts of Kippen, just 10 miles from Stirling city centre, is a beautiful, independent Coffee Shop and Farm Shop offering homemade food, delicious cakes, local produce and a warm welcome.
Lunchtime is always buzzing at The Woodhouse
Peanut butter brownie anyone?
It’s the creation of the Lamb family – Fiona, Richard, and daughter Catriona. Their Facebook page states ‘there is no love sincerer than the love of food’, and after looking at their menu, we’re inclined to agree. We spoke to Catriona, to find out more about The Woodhouse, our Local Hero for this month.
The Lambs are a self-professed family of foodies who just over three years ago, spotted an opportunity in the Kippen area. ‘As a family we have always been surrounded by mum’s home cooking and have always loved good coffee, so we thought the area needed a coffee shop/farm shop.’ The rest, as they say, is history.
Since its opening, the Woodhouse has earned an impressive reputation for its homemade cakes and varied menu, and boasts great reviews on Trip Advisor for delicious food and customer service. The people aspect is one that the family find particularly rewarding: ‘We have a good, solid loyal customer base and always look forward to seeing them return. We have a great team of staff, so the regulars come back for the friendly service and consistently good food and coffee. But it’s also exciting not knowing where the business will go: it’s such a lovely space for events and such, so there are lots of opportunities.’
Catriona is proud of how far they have come in such a short time. ‘There is a lot of strength in a family business; we always work well together.’ And they have the footfall to show for it, with ‘lunchtime always buzzing’. But the family are also proud of some fresh ideas that make their offering that little bit special: ‘We have a lovely menu, which our chef Laurie has worked hard on, always creating new and exciting plates of food. We’ve also worked hard to make the Woodhouse as eco-friendly as we can, with solar panels and a biomass boiler, as well as food waste that feeds our chickens, and used coffee grounds that compost the plants.’
How would Catriona describe what’s on offer to someone who’s never sampled the menu? ‘It’s fresh, tasty, colourful, seasonal, home-cooked food. Laurie is always inventing vibrant, seasonal salads and creating delicious sandwiches. I am also a huge fan of the chef Yotam Ottelenghi. We love all of his flavours and colourful dishes, so I guess he is a big inspiration.’
And if you have room for dessert, all the fabulous cakes are made at the Woodhouse, and displayed, with just that tiny touch of (intentional) rustic messiness, as to render them utterly irresistible. Goodness, but this family can bake. On that point, Catriona is very clear on her inspirations: ‘Mary Berry is my god!’
Roasted fig and goat’s curd salad with toasted pistachios, pomegranate and orange – yum!
Just some of the delicious treats on offer at The Woodhouse
For more information on The Woodhouse Kippen: follow them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheWoodhouseKippen/
Photo credits: All photos by kind permission of The Woodhouse, Kippen
