A CAFÉ and flower stall near Culross Abbey is going from strength to strength after opening earlier this year.
Tealeaf is run by Culross resident Sandra Bannister who started running the pop-up café from her garden earlier this year.
From the old horsebox which has been transformed, Sandra provides homemade cakes and drinks for locals and visitors alike.
She also has plant sales under A New Leaf, where she also creates bouquets and flowers for weddings.
Speaking to the Press on why she decided to set up Tealeaf in her garden, Sandra commented: “I was 60 earlier this year and I wanted a new project.
“We had a horsebox on our farm for lambing and it was too good to not do anything.
"It sat in a friend’s yard for a couple of years, so we spent the early spring refurbishing it.
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“That was my project in the new year to open a little tearoom.”
The café has been set-up in the garden of Sandra’s home, Kirkbrae House, which she moved into a few years ago.
She says that her tearoom appeals more to people who are visiting the town with time to explore, although she does have some repeat customers now.
“The place has just never stopped," Sandra said.
"I am getting such positive feedback. It’s a secret gem, I am getting lots of return visitors.”
She works hard to maintain her garden which is part of Scotland’s Garden Scheme.
As part of the scheme people can come to visit Sandra’s garden on certain days for a fee of £6, with the money supporting three charities: Maggie’s, Perennial, and the Queen's Nursing Institute.
“When you have got something pretty like our garden, why not share it is my philosophy," she commented.
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By being part of the scheme, Sandra gets a lot of garden enthusiasts visiting, as well as photographers and magazine editors.
The garden has a “ginormous range” of plant life, with past owners bringing plants from South Asia and Africa to the garden.
With visitors to Tealeaf and the garden, Sandra is kept busy, and just last week made 240 pieces of cake for the business.
She added: “I am busy, but I won’t have it any other way. My husband is great, he is very supportive.
“I am learning to take some time and sit around and see what we have actually got. It’s stunning.”
Tealeaf is open on a Saturday and Sunday between 11am and 4pm.
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