It’s Friday afternoon and Duncan and Lizzie Smith are both busy. There’s a special Steak Night in the Stronsay Hotel this evening, and while late February may be one of the quieter periods in the hospitality trade, there’s a busy evening of bookings ahead. A reputation for good food spreads quickly in a small community.
The couple took over the running of the five-bedroom hotel late last year, after the island’s Development Trust, which owns and recently renovated the building, put the business out to lease. They bring with them decades of experience within hospitality – Lizzie within the hotel and bar trade, while Duncan has worked in some of London’s finest hotels, cooked for royalty in Sardinia, and more recently been employed as head chef on cross-Channel ferries.
“We’d been to Stronsay a few times in the past,” says Duncan. “We got a good feel for the island and we just thought that we could do something with this place. As a business it has so much potential.”
Duncan’s father moved to Stronsay a number of years ago, and it was travelling up to support him during a bout of poor health that introduced the couple and their young daughter to island life.
“It’s a great community here,” explains Lizzie. “Our daughter has fitted in really easily at the school, and part of what attracted us to the idea of running this business is the fact that it’s such a hub for the community.
“We have all sorts of events going on here throughout the week,” she says. “There’s the Stronsay Companions and the craft and exercise events. We did a pilot of meals-on-wheels for older folk in the island and it was really popular. We had a quiz night last Friday and you couldn’t move in here, it was full to the rafters. People really do appreciate this place, and the community has just been fabulous.”
At five o’clock the first of the evening’s diners arrive. Duncan is busy in the hotel kitchen, and meanwhile neighbour Viv bustles in with a tray of eggs from just up the road – fresh as you can get.
“We’re really keen to source as much local produce as possible,” says Duncan. “We’re even growing some of our own ingredients at the community allotment, including garlic, rosemary, raspberries, and tomatoes. I’m hoping we can do more of that.”
The hotel kitchen itself is well-equipped and immaculate. The whole building was given a major refurbishment after being purchased by the Stronsay Development Trust in 2022 with assistance from The Scottish Land Fund.
“It was so important for us to see the future of the hotel secured,” says Jim Seaton, a director of the Trust. “It’s always been such a hub for the community here. But the previous owners were getting towards the end of their time with the place and had been keen to sell for a while. After Covid lockdowns it really wasn’t open that much and there was just this fear that we would be left with no hotel at all.
“It was a major undertaking getting the place redone. We were lucky to have an island-based contractor that was willing to do the work, and he made a fantastic job.”
By six o’clock a number of the tables are full, while a huddle of locals around the bar catch-up on recent goings-on, with no shortage of good-natured banter.
“It’s so important for the community to have a place like this to come together,” says Jim. “But it’s also a vital component in terms of what the community can offer visitors, and it complements other businesses, like the Fish Mart Café and Hostel just across the road. When you combine that with the landscape, history, and heritage, the island has a lot to offer.
“We’re just delighted with the job that Duncan and Lizzie are doing here. When we first reopened the hotel, we were very reliant on a team of volunteers and it was difficult. I’m not sure we quite appreciated what we were taking on! We had quite a bit of interest in the lease when we decided to go down that route, but the experience that the two of them had was really what swung it for them. They’re proving to be a real asset, both for the business but also for the wider community.”
“It’s one step at a time for us,” says Duncan. “It’s just about seeing what works, what doesn’t, trying out different menus and different flavours, and we’re just introducing our summer menu too.”
“We’ve not really promoted what we’re doing too much,” adds Lizzie. “We’ve relied on word-of-mouth and that’s allowed us to find our feet. The Trust have been brilliant and so supportive. Hopefully we can repay that in what we do for the island. We’re very much planning to be here for the long-haul.”
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