St Andrew's Erskine Dunfermline

Well I've not exactly visited this church cafe. Mrs Gerbil was attending the Dunfermline Presbytery meeting, and while our car is getting fixed, we're using the bike for transport. I got chatting with the Minister's husband, and he told me that they have a cafe on Thursdays and Fridays from 11am until 2pm. I saw the menu (and also his dinner!) and I have to say it looked good, and very reasonably priced. A real review, where I turn up and eat something will follow as soon as possible.

St Andrews Erskine Church is the new kirk on the road behind the Queen Margaret Hospital. It's a nice, bright building with plenty of parking on site.

St Andrew's Erskine Church,
Robertson Road,
Dunfermline. KY12 0BF
Tel 01383 841660

Gillespie Centre, Biggar

The Gillespie Centre in Biggar is probably the cafe that got me thinking about this blog in the first place. I discovered this cafe about two years ago when heading south to Englandshire. This weekend I was out for a hurl on the bike when I felt the sudden need for cake, and I was pleased to find that they are open on Saturdays through the summer.

The menu consists of (amongst other things) soups, baked spuds and paninis along with teas, coffees and cakes.

I got chatting with one of the ladies who told me that the centre is a busy place with loads going on in the various rooms throughout the building. It is run as a partnership with Biggar kirk, with many volunteers helping out. Despite it being a very nice day, the place wasn't too busy when we visited, and there were plenty of tables free. If you are in Biggar, please give them a visit.

Get a seat in the conservatory and you can watch the world go by!

Opening Hours - Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm (and also Saturdays in the summer.)
Located at 74 High Street, Biggar

http://www.gillespiecentrebiggar.com/

Updates

More cafes will follow shortly. There's a few near me that I'd like to visit before I list them here, and I'd really like to get opening times from them before I list them here. Also I'd like some assistance from anyone that has a cafe near them so I can publicise it here. Also, some organisations shut down over the summer, so I'm planning on getting this running properly late July/early August.

Watch this space.

St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh

This is a cafe that I keep forgetting about when I'm in Edinburgh, althought I tend to avoid the Royal Mile. Situated in the basement of St Giles' Cathedral is a very nice cafe. I visited last week when the weather was at its warmest, and it was really nice to enter the cooler air inside. The entrance to the cafe is in the southeastmost corner, beside The Thistle Chapel.

I was served a generous bowl of soup and a cup of tea which hit the spot. Looking around, the sandwiches prepared for other people looked good as well. The service was quick and the staff were friendly.

Location - St Giles' Cathedral, Royal Mile, Edinburgh

Hours - Monday to Saturday - 9.30 am to 5 pm
Sunday - 11 am to 5 pm

Telephone Number: 0131 225 5147

Website

First post

This blog exists to list the churches that have regular cafes and lunch clubs which are open to members of the public. Christian coffee shops will also get a mention.

I like cake. Some of the best cake nearby is sold through a couple of church cafes, so I thought I'd share this information with the rest of the world. As I travel around I'll be listing the church cafes and Christian coffee shops that I visit. There's a great cafe on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh that isn't full of tourists, and there's a small cafe in Perth that does an outstanding pot of soup. I'm not going to keep this information to myself any longer. Watch this space...

This is my blog so any decision about what is or isn't included is entirely up to me. I'll make up the rules as we go, but the more important ones are below...

1. Your cafe needn't be in a church building, but you must have a Christian connection, whatever the denomination.

2. If I visit your cafe I expect to see fair trade tea or coffee. If you are raising funds for your church by ripping off poor coffee growers then you are missing the point.

3. Your cafe should be a regular afair, if not daily, then at least weekly.

4. You should welcome members of public, although if you wish to restrict it to certain age groups, ie pensioners, teenagers etc then that's fair enough.

5. A reasonable selection of home baking would be nice!

If you know of a cafe that I should list here, please post a comment with as much information as possible.