If you are craving a slice of Parisian heaven, you might not expect to find it on Fort William High Street.
But from March 3, whether you’re after croissants, crêpes, sandwiches, fruit tarts, muffins, or freshly baked bread with a chunk of cheese, Farine has you covered.
The bakery, in the former Rains shop opposite the cinema, will bring a touch of luxury to the West Highland town.
‘We want Farine to become part of the community in Fort William’
The new business will not only serve customers delicious food and drinks – but everything will be made freshly on the premises.
Sourdough bread will made be with organic flour, croissants and cinnamon buns will be proved in the kitchen and there will be tarts, cakes, and eclairs – French-style, of course.
Muffins, smoothies, salads and red velvet tarts will also be on the menu, as well as a warming bowl of soup.
Baker Coalin Finn and his business partner Kristina Paritskaya are bringing with them their experiences of fine dining from across the UK and beyond.
Coalin said: “My background is in pastry and bakery. I trained in Dubai in five-star hotels before moving to London.”
It was in Dubai that he met Kristina, and the two have been on many baking adventures since.
Top names helped shape Coalin and Kristina’s skills
He came to the UK to work for Gordon Ramsay for three years before moving on to other Michelin-starred restaurants.
In 2021, he and Kristina came to Inverlochy Castle in Fort William, where he was head chef for Michel Roux Jr, before heading back to London to work at Claridge’s.
Then, in January 2024, he was drawn back to Fort William, while he and Kristina—who had established café culture for Claridge’s in its renowned ArtSpace Café—hatched a plan for their own place.
Coalin continued: “I want people to think of refined and rustic. I want them to think of Parisian pâtisserie, a bit of luxury and opulence—but in a humble way.”
While Coalin will be baking in the basement of the shop, Kristina will be creating something special in the café.
She said: *”I am going to be making bespoke sandwiches with great ingredients, along with toasties and all the things people love to eat.
“We have excellent local suppliers for many of the things we will be serving, so it is going to be special.
“I will also have a crêpe station, so there will be freshly made crêpes, and the sweet smell will fill the air.”
Kristina added: “We want Farine to become part of the community in Fort William. This is a café for both locals and tourists.
“If the warm welcome we have had so far is anything to go by, then we know that will be the case.
“We want to thank everyone who has wished us well.”*
‘We want Farine to be right’ for Fort William
Coalin and Kristina say there will be 10 seats inside the café, but no waitress service.
The pair want people to sit if they choose, but they also encourage customers to take their food outdoors and enjoy it.
They are already recruiting for a staff member, but both Coalin and Kristina want the focus to be on the quality of their product first.
Coalin said: “We want to make sure the product is right, and we know there will be challenges at the start.
“So we will be taking on staff in due course, but we want them to come into a peaceful environment, not while we are all still learning what works best for Fort William.”*
Farine will be open Tuesday to Saturday from 8am to 4pm.
Have you signed up for our Oban and Hebrides newsletter?
Every week our Oban-based reporter Louise Glen curates the best news in the area.
Sign up here for local news straight to your inbox.
Conversation