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Looks like the café at Glentress is closed for ‘essential maintenance’ for weeks on end, with no signs of anything happening. There was some redecoration and deep cleaning in March when it looks like the last operator (Peebles Hydro) vacated, but bugger all has happened since. I was disappointed (but not surprised) that it was still shut over the Easter weekend. Does anyone know what is happening with the place?
Yeah The Hydro walked. They are doing work* before the put kt out to tender. There is a slight issue with the cabins not having put the access gate in thats supposed to keep non residential cars from heading up tonthe upper cafe.
I do wonder if they are trying to get rid of that headache first.
*Including external stuff. The cafe might be finished.
Can highly recommend Murray's Glentress Hotel/Riders Retreat at the bottom of the road as a much much better alternative.
Since the Peel has been built, I've never been and thought "this is great", more the usual "why isn't this queue getting any smaller" and "why did this sh*tty pannini cost so much". As above, Riders Retreat at the entrance to Glentress is decent if you have to eat whilst riding in/around the forest.
So theres going to be a new cafe where Buzzards Nest is/was too?
So there's going to be a new cafe where Buzzards Nest is/was too?
there already is. Its called Forest Retreat and it is part of the Forest Holidays complex
The Peel cafe is apparently going to be run by FLS - was there 2-3 weeks back and it was opening "imminently" (according to Alpine Bikes staff).
But yeah, Rider's Retreat is decent.
The Peel cafe is apparently going to be run by FLS - was there 2-3 weeks back and it was opening "imminently" (according to Alpine Bikes staff).
But yeah, Rider's Retreat is decent.
Interesting that wasn't the impression i got from my professional contact.
I've heard elsewhere that a new operator has been chosen but not started yet. The National XC race in a couple of weeks need their permission to bring external catering on site, but haven't had a response.
Not surprised at the Hydro walking away, I bet their contract had some kind of break clause to do with competition on site.
As noted above, the cafe/hotel at the entrance is far better than the Glentress cafe ever was, cheaper too, with a wider choice of food. Also, you can park there for free if you eat there, you just need to nip in on arrival to tell them you’ll be back later, so thats a £6 car parking saving, which will nearly buy you a quality toasted sandwich on return.
Yes, I’d heard through the grapevine that FLS have or are putting it out to tender….and that a big national co is interested. My guess is that the Hydro have got to restore the building to the same as it was in when they moved in. I wonder if the Hydro are arguing the toss about rectifying issues caused by lack of maintenance(?). The men’s toilets were looking very tired and IMO, needed a complete strip out and refit.
Riders Retreat is good, but not open all week ATM. It’s a shame whoever’s going to take it on is going to miss out on the bank holidays and weekend traffic - unless FLS can get their act together. Even if they could get some pop up catering in - like the big black food truck that’s parked up (but closed) in Innerleithen.
so thats a £6 car parking saving, which will nearly buy you a quality toasted sandwich on return.
alternatively you could pay FLS so you have something to visit in the future...
No sign of a tender document over at https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk
Ah, no sign of a tender document. That’s interesting, but maybe not entirely surprising. FWIW, my OH is expecting it to be shut over the summer, ready for it to reopen for the quietest time of year!
alternatively you could pay FLS so you have something to visit in the future..
Ditto again. Trails don't build themselves.
FLS have or are putting it out to tender….and that a big national co is interested.
They use Cobbs up at Glenmore, which is a decent enough cafe. Albeit, the more I think about it, the more a memory of disappointment creeps in.
As noted above, the cafe/hotel at the entrance is far better than the Glentress cafe ever was, cheaper too
Having never been in the cafe, but had the experience of the riders retreat place last week, buying 2 beers & a packet of crisps at £17.90, the Glentress Cafe must have been spectacularly expensive 😆
It also came with free side of attitude.
Holy S***, I hope the beer was good!As noted above, the cafe/hotel at the entrance is far better than the Glentress cafe ever was, cheaper too
Having never been in the cafe, but had the experience of the riders retreat place last week, buying 2 beers & a packet of crisps at £17.90, the Glentress Cafe must have been spectacularly expensive 😆
It also came with free side of attitude.
There is a slight issue with the cabins not having put the access gate in thats supposed to keep non residential cars from heading up tonthe upper cafe.
I do wonder if they are trying to get rid of that headache first.
The cabins have put in a planning amendment to try to drop that condition, which would be a huge red flag for me if I was considering taking on the Peel. I'm not surprised the Hydro have left.
You don't need an extra gate to stop people from going up to the buzzards nest cafe. Just do decent food and serve it in a reasonable timescale. I've been to the new cafe twice and it's handy for a coffee and a quick snack mid ride but both times the service has been average at best. Something that could also have been said for the Peel cafes over the years. It's my understanding from my professional contact that the cafe will be run by a firm that already operates at other Forestry sites, at least that's what I thought I heard, other trail fairies might be along to correct me. I would happily support any business that gave the trail fairies free or cheap bacon rolls and tea/coffee on a dig day, wink wink, nudge nudge.
They use Cobbs up at Glenmore, which is a decent enough cafe. Albeit, the more I think about it, the more a memory of disappointment creeps in.
The former Cobbs at Glenmore is now a community owned cafe and visitor centre. There will be a promo video available "real soon now" with a certain STWer packrafting on Loch Morlich.
You don't need an extra gate to stop people from going up to the buzzards nest cafe. Just do decent food and serve it in a reasonable timescale. I've been to the new cafe twice and it's handy for a coffee and a quick snack mid ride but both times the service has been average at best. Something that could also have been said for the Peel cafes over the years. It's my understanding from my professional contact that the cafe will be run by a firm that already operates at other Forestry sites, at least that's what I thought I heard, other trail fairies might be along to correct me. I would happily support any business that gave the trail fairies free or cheap bacon rolls and tea/coffee on a dig day, wink wink, nudge nudge.
I don't entirely disagree with you but i think the grievance would be its a bit more of a destination than a school canteen surrounded by mountainbikers. With a massive playpark and some nice walking routes. I think you are being quite generous with the top cafe though. Its weird up there. Its got the vibe of nothing being cooked on site unless it fits in a Panini press. Kinda the Ralia.
And being better only works until something changes up there to make it more appealing. A pit barbeque kitchen for example.
Maybe I wasn't very clear, I was trying to say the bottom cafe should make themselves good enough that people don't want to drive past. There should be enough customers for two cafes. People won't drive past the bottom one if offers a better selection and better service
I've heard from a few people that the Peel building just isn't very functional as a cafe behind the scenes, the kitchen's not really up to the numbers so no matter what you try and do out front it's always a struggle. That said none of the various versions has really seemed to do very well out front either, it's always pretty funny having 2 people provide a coffee and a premade cake and a third ring up the till with a queue out the door. But yep, equally I always come away from Rider's Retreat poorer than I planned. Haven't stopped up the hill yet
(in fairness, the sheer surge traffic at that location must also be really difficult, it can be dead one minute and overrun the next, Rider's Retreat wouldn't handle it any better I think. But I don't think I've ever seen them really manage quick turnaround options, and I should be a quick turnaround person most of the time)
Peel cafe it could have been more, I rarely stopped.
Buzzards cafe. First time I stopped it was carnage, half empty and all the staff doing all the tasks all at the same time and failing miserably to achieve much. Second time was better. Currently the park is the draw for the boys and the encouragement they need to pedal up.
Never been in riders retreat.
Just spoke to a manager at the Hydro, he seemed to think a local couple had taken it on.
(Was showing him the latest collapse of the old Hydro Stables)
Unofficially the Hydro walked away from their lease last month.
As an interim measure FLS have asked a commercial operator who operate other FLS sites to takeover until a full tender process can be done. It was hoped the cafe would be back open for Easter, but apparently there's been delays getting equipment in.
As a local I would also say that eating at the Riders Retreat comes with a big bill and a poor attitude. For me the only plus that RR has is it's outdoor seating for sunny days. I would rather spend my money in Peebles or Inners than the RR.
The Peel cafe has always under performed since Day 1 and the various ownerships it has progressed through down the years. As an average punter there is nothing to entice me into the cafe post ride.
However I have no insights to how the cafe could be improved. It seems to me the expectations from the various owners is that bikers, walker & visitors would accept substandard food and service as the cafe was the inly option available onsite.
Its a shite building for a cafe. Its loud and clattery. And despite being huge has loads of wasted space.
Its a shite building for a cafe. Its loud and clattery. And despite being huge has loads of wasted space.
it also has the issue that, despite being in a scenic area, it’s massive windows all stare at grassy banking
Its a shite building for a cafe. Its loud and clattery. And despite being huge has loads of wasted space.
it also has the issue that, despite being in a scenic area, it’s massive windows all stare at grassy banking
100% this. I find it weird, there could be some lovely views if the orientation / exact location on site had been different.
Agree it’s rubbish. Crap food, crap layout, and unfortunately my son likes it, although a recent visit to the hotel at the bottom has corrected him.
All that money spent on a forestry office with decent views for staff (unsure how many are there on a day-to-day basis...and all that money (still being spent) on trying to make a successful cafe that was built looking at a mud pile that is now grassing over...
It does feel like a café designed by someone who had never been to a café before.
At this point could they consider just turning it into a big bike shop / eeb hire place instead? Milk the punters staying in the glorified static caravans up the hill?
The decision to close what was the main carpark for all but disabled parking seemed to me like a huge mistake and must affect café users. I get that it was on the small side but it would service the mid week riders and the early weekend users quite adequately, its then just a stop off on the way back to the car for a bite to eat.
Previously I'd use the shower facilities throughout the winter (regular visitor) and occasionally wander down for a coffee and cake but don't bother using either now.
all but disabled parking
Don't start me on the number of people completely ignoring the signs!
It is totally excessive though
Does seem to smack of government decision making. The carpark has one row of disabled parking which is rarely used and an expensive looking shower block going unused where you previously had to queue for a shower at the weekend.
Common sense would be to reduce the disabled parking to 5-6 of the most suitable positions and open up the rest for general parking.
I'd guess that the entire Peel car park was redesignated to disabled only to improve the on-site traffic flow at weekends. You'd get a lot of people going up to that car park, crawling around it looking for a space that was probably not there (including having to reverse out of some bits because there aren't ways to loop out of them) then go back down the access road to park in one of the larger car parks that are slightly further from the café. Probably better for safety and everyone's blood pressure for them just to be routed to the larger car parks in the first place.
If only there was an absolutely enormous, pan flat, gravelled/shaled, rectangular area right at the bottom of the trails, that would be ideal!?
(My first visit to GT in decades was for a race last August, imagine my confusion when I returned in October to find that, actually, wasnt a car park. The whole setup seems incredibly bizarre. Never mind sending traffic to holiday homes up the fire roads?!?)
@snotrag Forestry didnt own that part of the hill when the existing buildings were built.
That big flat area was required for the world champs, and is destined to become the new skills area.
Yeah the changes on the ground ha sort of outrun the buildings etc, but fair enough, they had to build with the reality at the time not the changes that <might> come later. It's easy to forget that the "new" buildings plans are pretty old now. People talk about a lack of vision but that's hindsight being 20/20 IMO.
(that said, the cafe location seemed pretty bloody odd even with the old layout, and even the second they posted the plans it was absolutely obvious that the parking was inadequate. like, at a glance you could tell it was smaller than what already existed. Half the logic seemed to be "we are moving over <here> and nobody will be parking in the old place over <there> except for events and overflow, so this is where the buildings must be", but the new parking was always, always full. And now it's gone back and all the parking is back over <there> where there's no buildings and the obvious place for a brilliant big cafe and shop is, well, pretty much where the old one was)
I'm sure planning plays a part too, the location of the cafe and shop is low and concealed and doesn't intrude or interfere with sightliens and I think that was pretty prickly at the time with some hostile local owners. Though obviously the FC office borg cube is the utter opposite.
We should have a STW meet-up at Glentress. Not too ride bikes but just to critique the food options.
Its a shite building for a cafe. Its loud and clattery. And despite being huge has loads of wasted space.
it also has the issue that, despite being in a scenic area, it’s massive windows all stare at grassy banking
It's not a grassy banking!
It's wild flora and fauna, as per the planning permission, unless you're talking about the wigwam side, which has to be maintained grass as per their planning restrictions 🙄
I was hoping that the new revamp at Glentress would convert the current cafe to another use and a cafe built near to the new skills area and kids area (pump track?) so mum and dad could have a coffee with the kids within sight and also like wise for events like GT7.
We used to pop into the old Hub Cafe even when not biking, just because of good value quick not too fancy food that fills you up aka beans on toast and proper sized portions of solid heavy flapjack.
Food for hungry people! served quickly and you knew when it opened and closed like clockwork.
It was open for long hours from what i remember.
Basic simple yet tasty food done well.
I can still remember and can picture that flapjack shelf with good choices and some were still warm from being freshly baked.
When the Glentress Masterplan was first consulted about not long after FCS bought the land between the visitor centre and Horsburgh/Cardrona , there was a proposal for a new building around the upper car park, along with a pump track.
However feedback was that creating new retail space at Glentress was just FCS trying to suck up all the trade and would be detrimental to local businesses so the new building proposal got dropped, and as Cardrona Pump Track had just received money for a revamp, again building another at Glentress would be seen in a similar way, so got dropped.
The cafe should never have been down in a hole though. It should have at least been where the Orientation building (aka toilet block/Osprey watch) is, as I can understand the justification for having the office block the most out of the way from visitors.
If you want answers as to why the buildings ended up like they did, you could always pop along to the Cube 2 above Cardrona, and ask the architect yourself (that's assuming he's still alive and staying there!)
It seems quite ironic that the new Lodges are trying to apply for a drinks license (failed on 1st attempt) and their cafe is a taking away business from the established business's which I sure was not mentioned in the Masterplan , but I do think the Lodges will bring footfall into the area generally as people visit the area , explore and return and stay in better value options in the area on a return visit. I am not sure what the future for the Peel Cafe is though. Hopefully will be run by a local and engages with the local community etc, but with paid parking now its is doomed to fail. I can see the new Lodges taking it over and using it as a base building?