When The Ditsy Teacup in Elgin was listed for sale Laura Scott was living in the sun-kissed island of Gran Canaria.
Despite the hot temperatures, Laura and husband Leigh were desperate to return home to Scotland.
The cafe was listed in 2018 and was seen as the “perfect excuse” to return to Elgin.
Laura said the decision to return home has since changed her life.
The Ditsy Teacup dream for Laura
Laura is sure she made the right decision to come home when she took charge five years ago.
She said: “I moved away from Elgin and stayed in Australia before my husband then got a job which was in and out of Gran Canaria.
“We were living there and not particularly enjoying it when I saw the Ditsy came up for sale.
“I had always wanted my own wee cafe. I knew the previous owner so we had a chat and she said ‘it’s yours if you want it’.”
When Laura became the cafe’s third owner, there were a few things which she had planned to change.
She said: “First of all I wanted to expand the menu. People come here for breakfast, lunch or even just a cake and coffee.
“We’ve grown the team to help with that so now two people do baking instead of one.
“When we bought the business we bought the building as well so during the first lockdown we renovated the upstairs and it gave us more room for customers.”
The cafe has since returned to its original one floor format due to combating rising costs.
Customers and staff are like family says owner
Laura knows how much it means to have a regular customer base for the business and has been overwhelmed by support over the years.
She said: “We have some of the most supportive customers out there. Without them, there wouldn’t be The Ditsy Teacup.
“Some days when you’re feeling a bit worse-for-wear a conversation with a customer turns it around straight away.
“The customers are like close friends, I’d trust some of them with my family.”
Laura is grateful for how much her staff put into their work as she looks ahead to future business opportunities.
She said: “I’m massively proud of how far we’ve come. My husband does our accounts and often says how much we’ve grown the business.
“I’ve been extremely lucky with past and present staff who have helped us get to where we are today. My team is my extended family.
“We’re still dealing with the cost-of-living crisis but have a couple of future plans including afternoon tea and expanding our catering offerings for events.”
Conversation