Glentress cafe up for lease

https://www.facebook.com/ForestryCommissionScotland

Is it that time already?

Jeeeesus I’m not sure there are enough hobnobs in the local Tesco for this one. 😯

I was thinking Mule bars and bacon rolls geoff

Let’s get this shit started already……

The Hub was sssoooooooo much betterer

The Hub was a smelly, damp shit-hole.

* leaves to simmer for a few pages *

Yeah, this one

Edit: quick work mods!

The Hub was sssoooooooo much betterer

+1

BOOM!

Saw the funniest thing in my life ever in there (the hub). We’re in an orderly que waiting to purchase some mediocre sludge when Bloke walks in, goes to retrieve bottle of pop from fridge and smashes self in square in the face with the edge of the fridge door. EVERYONE in the queue winces and goes Ooooh under their breath/snorts their beverage/convection meanwhile guy just turns and goes to pay for drink without batting an eyelid. doesnt acknowledge it one iota. (doesn’t sound funny written down but believe me we were crying to the point of asphyxiation.)

I noticed the peel had stopped selling beers. I guessed they had lost the licence but probably just not bothered renewing it. Ignoring the “the hub was better” debate, some easy things that would improve it

Better opening hours – earlier opening at weekends for breakfast and how about some late opening in summer for evening rides etc

Events tied into to mountain biking. For example when a DH WC round is on why not show it and have a bit of a party atmosphere. If there’s a race on then maybe some tie in with that – discounts for racers etc

BBQs in summer. Freshens up the menu and relieves queues in the main bit.

More efficient queue management. If it’s 20 deep and not moving I just head into Peebles for a post ride coffee.

The current approach just feels a bit flat. Would love to give it a go myself but I reckon the financials would make absolutely no sense

The current approach just feels a bit flat. Would love to give it a go myself but I reckon the financials would make absolutely no sense

Was in just before the enduro in August and that was it, just flat. Food was OK normal stuff really. Think I heard a microwave ping when I ordered scrambled eggs so serious points off for that.

Like anything that big unless it’s full the atmosphere will need work, if it’s full it doesn’t look like it could cope. Catch 22 really

Flat… exactly. The hub wasn’t perfect, but there was at least an atmosphere.

Aye there was. Like a big smelly cloud.

Fact is, they had a blank canvas with the new cafe and they did not do a very good job of it. Queues too long and no atmosphere, poorly sited and given the hub was in a temporary cabin, the fact that people can even compare the two says a lot about how much the Peel falls short.

The FC ballsed up the development in such a way that makes it difficult for any operator to be significantly better than the current set up. Although making cakes as good as the hubs rather than the bought in stuff they have at the moment would help a lot.

Do we know whether or not the current operators are entering the bidding process for the new lease? Seems like a ten year lease might encourage someone to make a bit more of an investment in time money and effort.

imnotverygood – Member

the fact that people can even compare the two says a lot about how much the Peel falls short.

I compare them in ways like:
“Hey, I’m not going to leave the cafe dirtier than I came in”
“The atmosphere might be bland but at least nobody’s actively trying to make me feel unwelcome after a morning spent trailbuilding”
“It’s not completely full”

Maybe I’m biased because of being a relative noob, and having never seen the Hub when it was good. But by the end it was rubbish, and an absolute masterclass in trading off goodwill and past glories. I was really surprised they even went for the new contract tbh, they didn’t act like they were planning to.

Still, no denying the new place is often badly run, has no atmosphere, and is in the bottom of a hole. Why the FC thought that was a good idea… But I’d take it over the hub any day. Most times when there’s a long queue, it’s because there’s more people in the cafe than the Hub could cope with after all. You’d have to be brave to buy into a long contract without some assurances on development, too.

There’s long queues in the peel and there were long queues in the hub because the serving counter in both is/was too small for the number of customers. It’s pretty much the same size in the peel as it was in the hub.

“Hey, I’m not going to leave the cafe dirtier than I came in”

I always felt a bit off going into the Peel covered in mud. It just seemed too nice and clean. The new centre at Kirroughtree is also new but I never felt quite as (unnecessarily) guilty about it.

No the current lease holders aren’t pursuing a renewal and the FC are to blame. The terms of the lease have made it impossible for the current business to remain viable.
What most visitors don’t realise is that the lease hold s have no say in vital criteria to run the business.. Opening hours are governed by the FC and are deeply unrealistic, for example the Hub was only open on weekends and maybe Wednesday’s (if I remember rightly) during the winter when the traffic was very low. The Peel is required to be open all week from 10-6, just imagine the overhead involved there in terms of staff, power and produce when you only get a half dozen punters through the door..??
Promised development of trails and facilities has not happened, in fact nothing has happened in the forest since the massive overspend of the Peel centre sucked all the funds out of development budget.
The lease holders get no dispensation to work events in the forest, they’d have to make and pay for arrangements with the event organiser (usually not the FC), and due to the location of the Peel most events don’t want to start there is its right at the bottom of a big hill.
All the way down to stupid little things like the lack of move,net on the part of the FC with regards to parking charges that killed a lot of what little midweek trade there was when all the dog walkers and old biddies out for a stroll got stung for several quid parking just cause they wanted to stop by for a cup of tea and a scone. Attempts were made to allow the Peel to validate parking for customers but the FC wouldn’t move so the place is like a ghost town during the week and the staff are getting paid to twiddle their thumbs and watch produce expire.
As for the menu.? To say it’s not up to scratch is an understatement and it pains the lease holder to lower his standards as much as he has just to be able to serve hot food at all… Kitchen is less than half the size they were told it would be when lease was signed, there is no larder or refrigeration available in the kitchen… The microwave you hear is them reheating food that had to be prepared offsite as the kitchen wouldn’t look out of place in a studio flat.!!!

Sorry about the ranty nature of the post but I’ve spent hours talking with the lease holders about the problems they’ve had which have taken a massive toll on them personally and professionally, they can’t get out of the lease quick enough and I don’t blame them one bit. Whoever takes the place on next next better go in with eyes wide open or they will end up the same way…

H1ghland3r – Member

in fact nothing has happened in the forest since the massive overspend of the Peel centre sucked all the funds out of development budget.

Categorically untrue, this.

Ok, possibly overstated the situation there.. Having said that how much of what has been done was funded by the FC rather than done specifically for events of by volunteers.?
The original tender stated that several £100,000 had been earmarked for further development in the forest, both cycling related and for other activities… I have trouble seeing it.. There is barely enough maintenance going on to keep the red and blue routes consistently open and viable.

I find it very reassuring that this was the onLy point in my extensive post that you felt worthy of comment.. 🙄

Points above are why I’ll never pay for parking at GT.

If I recall,from a post on here a while ago, a FOC request to the Forecstry Commission revealed the parking fee covered the administration of the parking fee and penalty notices and contributed very little is anything.

The FC may have got an income from Parking Eye os a similar outfit taking it on, but it produces very little revenue otherwise.

The hub wasn’t great, but wasn’t 7 quid for a panini either.

As I recall the Hub kitchen wasn’t that big either ?

I gave up with the new café when I asked for a tuna and tomato toastie – and they said they couldn’t manage a variation, as the toasties are pre-made and frozen. Yum yum yum….

(careful there monkeyfudger – you are talking about local people’s teenage kids, many of whom post on here)

The new one is rubbish. I want to sit in the sun with a view rather than facing a hillside. Strangely for that reason alone I have never been back

Its a cafe at a very popular trail centre, that attracts thousands of people, yet
The food is bad, expensive and the service is slow (kitchen too small, counter too small)

Despite being in a beautiful Valley it was built in a hole?

Whoever was in charge of building it should be held accountable.

Yeah the hub was a temporary structure but, the food was great, it was obviously run and staffed by mtbers, was great to see the Tracy/emma leading classes of wee kids in the freeride area

Nostalgia time…..Just after it opened we visited from the flat lands of Cambridge, Emma shuttled us up at the airport to the hotel bybthe hub (run by a crazy old guy claimed to be an ex Iraqi navy sub captain!?!)and t & m were really keen to get our impression of the trails and spread the word down south….

Found a pic, couldn’t replicate it now as there be no where to sit outside the peel in the sun as its in a man made depression

At times the Peel had odd trading views. I was out on a road ride one Sunday morning with some mates. Stopped at the Peel for breakfast to find it locked, but guys wandering round inside chatting. I tapped the window and asked if we could come in ‘Sorry mate, we don’t open for another 5 minutes’ It was chucking it down and we were freezing, I asked ‘can’t we just come in and wait til you’re open?’. Reply ‘Nope, if we do that there will be loads of people wanting in’

We headed off to Innerleithen after that.

I think it can be easy to blame FCS – who have some form for bullying small organisations – but the café folk surely read the contract terms before they made their business plan and pitched for the tender ? If they didn’t then they only have themselves to blame, and if FCS have broken the terms re size of kitchen etc then that is for the lawyers to sort out, Shirley.

If the terms are really that anti-competitive then what happens if nobody bids ? Botulism Burgers like in the car park at Innerleithen ?

If you don’t like the café head to Peebles town centre – parking free apart from Saturdays when it’s 50p or something token. Spend the money in the local community. Or Costa.

Can’t say I’m surprised or even sorry this has happened. A completely soulless place.
I have some sympathy with the current leaseholders if as said above they are governed by FC conditions.

I suspect these conditions will have to change or it could be empty for some time?

As for parking charges!!! Scrap these and maybe the café could become more viable.

It’s fair to say that the majority of complaints centre around failings by the FC rather than the folk that run the cafe (though I find the frozen toastie thing hard to believe!)

I always felt the FC were to blame. When Tracy and Emma didn’t get the lease I suspected the FC tender laid out a list of completely unrealistic expectations and they quite rightly said, no that’ll never work, here’s our more realistic proposal and the FC just disqualified them instantly.

I definitely think the increased parking charges and the private parking mob have negatively impacted visitor numbers. The Buzzard’s nest used to be rammed with cars all day every day at weekends. Now you could turn up at any time and get a space. People are either not coming back at all, or they’re parking elsewhere. That has the potential to hit sales in the cafe, shop etc.

The FC are incredibly short sighted. I know the original 7 Stanes project was a response to the F&M outbreak but do they still have a remit or legal obligation to provide leisure services and facilities?

Re the frozen toastie – that is what the woman behind the counter said to me – I didn’t inspect the premises myself so maybe she couldn’t be bothered making a new toastie ? Neither premise reflects well…

Having worked at the Hub the reason they didn’t get the lease was due to one of the owners annoying the FC so much and that they failed to submit in their tender what was asked for. I think it is fair to say it did get a bit personal.

Parking charges are a pain everywhere
Privately run llandegla charges £4-50 to park!!! Tho the food at the café is absolutely outstanding; freshly made, big portions, good service even when busy and its delicous!

The real scandal here is tomato in a toastie. Just wrong. Bloody foreigners coming over here with your weird culinary requests.

It’s the classic FC self destructive cycle.

Location is a success, FC seek to capitalise on this to benefit public purse (nothing wrong with that)

£X million investment, of which 80% goes on the buildings (an iconic & bold statement using the best of natural and contemporary materials by an up and coming architect), 15% on resurfacing the car parks, and 5% on improving the trails – in order to get back the investment they charge exorbitant rent on the lease (so the price of the food goes up) and increase parking fees.

Location no longer a success, public purse loses millions.

I’ve had a really good think about what would be the most thankless, soul destroying task in the world.

After discounting fluffer at a busy LA porn studio, Boris Johnson’s hairdresser, Donald Trumps PA, and Tony Blairs accountant, I’ve come to the conclusion that it would be establishing a trail centre cafe, serving food and coffee deemed to be of an acceptable standard, in an atmosphere generally regarded as conducive enough for the average whiney middle class cockbag STWer to think it was good enough to park their Audi outside (without paying for parking, naturally)

I’ve heard that this bread isn’t even baked on the premises, and this salt isn’t organic……

😆