Barbara of the but and ben holding a picnic box

THE BUT & BEN

Situated on the West Highland Way, close to Drymen, Balmaha and Loch Lomond, The But & Ben is a family run licensed café in the heart of Croftamie. It's an ideal stop for those walking, cycling or simply enjoying a visit to Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park.

BACK TO LIFE

The But & Ben is located in the building many will remember as the former Wayfarers restaurant.

Having been closed for some time, the Cunningham family acquired the property and took on the task of lovingly renovating it with the dream of creating a family friendly café, takeaway and bistro for the local community and beyond.

Finally opening in 2020, after a series of Covid related setbacks, the business has grown from strength to strength and has become a go-to spot to enjoy a coffee, home baking or a freshly cooked meal.

The café is also fully licenced, available for private hire parties and events and holds monthly bistro and themed nights including: Pizza & Prosecco, Pub Grub, Steak night & Burns night.

picnic box by river. Girl in background on a horse

FAMILY RUN

The Cunningham family spotted a gap in the market locally for fresh, homemade food and good coffee.

Owner Barbara had always had a dream of owning her own coffee shop.

She said: “Our family are local to the area, so we knew Croftamie and the Wayfarers well. When it closed, we were sad to see the building lie empty as it felt like such a great spot for an eatery to serve the local community.

“Our business background is in concrete, construction and house building therefore it was a total change of direction for us, but we took on the challenge!”

Barbara added: “We are passionate about our local community and being a home away from home for people. We also focus on serving high quality, fresh, local produce and home baking to our customers.

“As a family-run business, family is at the core of everything we do and we aim to ensure that we are welcoming and have something for all members of the family. Four legged friends included!”

ALL WEATHER

The family have also invested in the outside area, as Barbara explained: “Our outdoor seating area with gazebo and heater is perfect for enjoying the outdoors all year round and in our unpredictable Scottish weather.

“Inside, our lovely cafe has a cosy, relaxed feel to it to make our customers feel at home. Our friendly team are on hand to serve our delicious homemade cakes, lunches, brunches, afternoon teas and more.”

Coffee cup and a sign saying "today's good mood is sponsored by coffee"

KEEPING IT LOCAL

Barbara said: “It’s fantastic that people are supporting local businesses now more than ever. It is so important as when you support small, you also support the local community, which is one of our key values.

“Community is at the heart of what we do. We listen to our customers and let them guide us on what we offer (e.g. our bistro nights and our menu) and we often host community and council meetings and enjoy having the local Scottish Women’s Institute meetings every month.”

She added: “We have a fantastic team of wonderful waiting staff, baristas and talented chefs. Our team are amazing, great fun and love serving our customers. We couldn’t do what we do without them!”

The But and Ben also enjoy collaborating with other local businesses.

Barbara said: “We have run pizza nights with Base Pizzas which have been a great success.”