Golf courses, nature reserves, seal sanctuaries: All of these sights are native to Newburgh in Ellon.
But if you want to catch the best glimpse of these local beauty spots, you need to visit the village’s new local restaurant.
The View at Newburgh is run by Chrissy and Mark Graham.
Originally from Newcastle, the Geordie pair have lived in Newburgh for nine years and have built a reputation in the area for being successful restaurateurs.
They took the reins of The Barn coffee shop and restaurant in nearby Foveran in 2018 to great success and their latest project has followed suit.
Family, food and far-reaching views are staples at The View at Newburgh, which is turning heads for all of the right reasons.
“Mark and I met through working in the motor trade and recruitment industry,” says Chrissy, “so we’ve worked through the corporate world before.
“But everything that we’ve done in the past with regard to sales and marketing has all led us to be the business owners that we are today.”
Recalling her childhood in Newcastle, Chrissy explains how hospitality has always been one of her main interests.
“I was actually part of an events catering team when I was 14,” she says.
“We would head out to big banqueting events and we used to silver service – it was a great learning curve.
“It opened my eyes to the catering and hospitality industry from a young age.”
After going on to work in various part-time hospitality roles throughout her career, Chrissy and Mark relocated to the north-east in 2012 through Mark’s work in the oil and gas industry.
6 years later, they capitalised on the opportunity to put their full-time experiences in marketing and advertising into their vested interests in hospitality by opening The Barn.
“We took it on, rebranded it and saw quick success,” says Chrissy.
“It was late 2019 when Ythan golf club approached us both.
“Their chef was resigning and they wanted to completely step things up with the club.
“They’d seen the success we’d had with The Barn and asked if we’d be interested in doing something similar there.”
With the golf club previously operating on a member only basis, its customer count usually peaked at 20 to 25 regulars.
However, with views of the golf course and Forvie Nature reserve laid out from the premises’ panoramic windows, making the most of the space by opening its doors to the public became a top priority.
“We were due to open on April 1 with a new public licence which was so exciting,” says Chrissy.
“But obviously the week before, we went into the first lockdown.
“It was devastating at the time, but we used it to our advantage.
“We redecorated and tried to brighten it up from an older golf club into a more welcoming space.
“It allowed us to create more of an identity and that’s when the name, The View, was first thought about.”
Lockdown’s blessing in disguise finally came to fruition in July later that year when The View at Newburgh welcomed its first customers.
The eat out to help out scheme put the restaurant’s team through its paces as they served more than 200 guests every day.
But Chrissy admits that Ythan golf club’s transformation to The View at Newburgh was not free of its challenges.
“It’s taken a little bit of adaptation,” says Chrissy.
“I think the members of the golf club are now realising that change is good.
“The club is thriving on the business we’re bringing in and the new members that they’re then picking up.
“It’s taken a bit of getting used to, but we’ve got a lot of great members of the club who support us fully.”
Since its blistering start last year, Chrissy says the restaurant has gone from “strength to strength.”
It’s introduced popular afternoon teas and is also set to welcome live music to its family friendly settings.
“We’re a family business,” Chrissy says.
“Me and my husband are both Geordies, our 18-year-old daughter is often here as well.
“We’ve got regulars who come two or three times a week and they’re getting to know us as a family, which is what I think makes it special.”
The View’s family fuelled ethos translates into its homely, comforting food.
Old favourites like fish and chips are prepared fresh every day by The View’s 15 strong kitchen team.
Its ingredients are sourced locally, which is something that Chrissy and Mark pride their restaurant business upon.
But its offerings which come with a “sexy twist” have proved to be the restaurant’s most popular hits so far.
“Our hanging kebabs are going down a storm,” says Chrissy.
“We do chicken breast which hangs on our skewers, then you pour sauce on top which drizzles down into all of the meat.
“They’re really popular and also something different for the area.”
They may have hanging kebabs, but evidently Chrissy and Mark haven’t been hanging around in making a success of their newest venture.
The View at Newburgh has garnered a buzz around the local area, backed up by many positive online reviews.
“The reviews really make me proud of the team that we’re building here,” says Chrissy, whose passion for hospitality and good service has stemmed through into her staff.
“We train so closely with all of our team members to tailor to a five-star service mindset and we make sure that every table leaves delighted.
“The team really feels like part of the family.”
With the world opening up, new opportunities for The View so too open up.
Chrissy is determined to make the restaurant a popular hub for food, entertainment and spectacular views in the north-east.
“The View from the restaurant is spectacular – it is what it says on the tin!” Chrissy laughs.
“But I feel that’s also backed up by our great food and service.
I just love seeing happy customers who keep coming back.
“There are not too many places in the area where you can go and enjoy a meal and have some great live music as well, you’d usually need to go into the bigger cities to find that.
“We have the Motown Brothers, who got through to the final on The Voice, playing in a couple of weeks which we’re really excited about.
“We want The View to feel like a destination place to go to.”
A round of questions with Chrissy Graham of The View at Newburgh…
Best food and drink pairing?
Our steak hanging kebabs with some of the red wines we have here. There’s a variety of them and the chianti is a popular wine with that dish.
Most underrated drink?
BrewDog Lost Lager. We have that on pump but I don’t think it seems to be as well-known as all the rest. It’s a great pint.
If you were stuck on a desert island, what three drinks would be there with you?
An espresso martini, passionfruit martini and sauvignon blanc.
You have to serve your favourite superhero or celebrity a drink. Who is it and what do you serve them?
Prince and I’d serve him a Purple Rain cocktail.
If you were a drink, what would you be and why?
I think I’d be a prosecco because I’m fizzy and full of fun.
Any secret tips of the trade?
Don’t take negative reviews to heart. Always take the time to read your five-star reviews too.
This article originally appeared on the Evening Express website. For more information, read about our new combined website.