Café owners Stephen Smith and Alex Clark have known each other for over 20 years.
Stephen said: “We met when we were just starting out in catering, washing pots.
“So I guess you could say that it’s a partnership that’s been two decades in the making.
“When I first took over the café in 2016, Alex was one of my very first customers. He’d been visiting the café on holiday for years and it wasn’t long before I convinced him to join me in the kitchen.
“We now have a talented team of eight and every member of staff is integral to success of the café.”
Stephen and Alex are passionate about ethics and caring for the environment, carefully selecting all their ingredients and sourcing local products and materials wherever possible – a tree felled in the garden has been made into new shelves for the café.
The pair also share a passion for unusual flavours.
Alex said: “We both love using lesser-known ingredients, so you’ll find homemade kimchi on our menu alongside family favourites such as macaroni cheese.
“All our dishes, from our delicious home baking to our warming soups, are made fresh on site.”
Supporting the local community is also important to the Soup Dragon team.
Every week Alex supports the Balfron Lunch Club by volunteering and cooking for them.
There are also plans afoot for a series of outdoor community events from BBQs to art trails.
Soup Dragon Cafe
Tir na Nog
Balfunning
G63 0NF
01360 440756
10.00am – 5pm
Wednesday to Monday
(Closed Tuesdays)
www.facebook.com/soupdragoncafe
