Member of the Month – The Highland Weigh

It’s a soggy December afternoon and I’m meeting with the founder of the recently opened Highland Weigh. As I enter, I’m greeted with the lovely warmth from the wood burner and the smell of fresh coffee, making the drizzly outside vanish behind me.

The Highland Weigh opened its doors just over a month ago on the 19^th of November but its inception as a zero-waste store and coffee shop began in January 2022. A desire to reduce plastic use, inspired by a bamboo toothbrush, and providing a community space, were the inspiration for the business idea. It is a social enterprise, run by a board of directors and currently has a team of 7 staff. Amanda Macarthur is the founding director of the business and it’s her vision that has taken the shop from idea to reality. The concepts of a dry store and coffee shop complement each other, with the dry ingredients from the zero-waste store being used in the wonderful bowls made in the coffee shop.

“All good things come in bowls” is a direct quote from Amanda herself and it’s the basis for the coffee shop menu. There are bowls of cereal in the morning – and the café opens at 8am – meaning school kids (or adults) can grab a quick breakfast in the cosy surroundings before getting on with their day. Then there are bowls of Soups, Dhal, and porridge, all made freshly with their own dry store ingredients. It gives customers an idea of the uses they can have for the dry store ingredients and encourages people to experiment with their cooking at home. There are loose teas and lovely sweet treats available, and the store has mix-your-own milkshakes as well as a peanut butter machine on offer.

The cosy and comfortable feel is created by the wood burner which keeps the shop warm. A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into transforming the former Burnett and Forbes building, but the facelift has been very successful, with the clean simple lines and beautiful bones of the shop now shining through. It always seems busy when you walk past. For a small fee, you can sit and work there for the day – with free wifi and hot drinks on offer.

The full concept behind the business is also to offer a community space, with the racking on castors to allow it to move to provide more space if needed. There are plans for events throughout the year, which will be dictated by the community. The table layout offers lots of space allowing for accessibility even when the shop is busy, and the big table offers a chance to sit and chat with friends old and new. The Highland Weigh is working with Hey Girls as a pickup point for free sanitary products, which can be obtained from the toilet at the back of the shop. Every aspect of the business has community at its heart and Amanda is keen to engage with other local businesses. The Highland Weigh is hosting the first business breakfast of 2023 on Thursday the 19^th of January at 8am. Details can be found here.