The Port Beach House
Cafe and Restaurant
Hamish makes his dream come true
The Port Beach House Cafe and Restaurant is a marriage between fine dining and laid-back good times; which, admits chef Hamish Robb, seems to be just what people in Lewis are looking for.
“Since we opened, it’s been fantastic,” added Hamish. “We’ve had great local support. Opening in November, in the middle of winter, is not always a good idea! But Ness is a very supportive community.”
Hamish has worked in restaurants and cafes all his life, most of them in his native Australia. Originally from Wagga Wagga in New South Wales, Hamish spent some time working his way up the restaurant food chain in Sydney and Brisbane; until he moved to Scotland, though, he’d been staying out of the kitchen.
“I’ve been a barista, a waiter, a pizza chef, right up to manager, but it had always been front of house,” he explained. All that changed, however, when he was presented with the opportunity to learn the art of creating fine cuisine at Sulair Restaurant.
Hamish worked as a sous-chef at Sulair in Ness under classically trained chef Murdo Alec Macritchie for two years; and when Sulair moved to Stornoway, Hamish seemed to be the perfect person to take on the premises and do with them what he would. Murdo Alec convinced Hamish that it would be a good idea; and with that endorsement, Hamish and his wife Norma decided to go for it. Thus were the beginnings of the Port Beach House Cafe and Restaurant.
“When the traineeship came up with Murdo Alec, I leapt at it,” said Hamish. “I’ve always had the dream in mind of one day having my own restaurant, and I really wanted to do something with rustic, affordable cooking.
“I think Australia, like Scotland, has got a really good variety of produce. What we’ve got on our doorstep here is amazing – I feel blessed to live in a part of the world that’s got the kind of produce that we have got.
“I spent some time in Australia working in a couple of places that were very much fine dining, and just a bit too pretentious. I really didn’t want to have anything to do with that here. I always thought, if I ever have my own restaurant, I want it to be a place that’s fun.
“We try and create as relaxed an environment as possible. You can come in and have a boutique cheeseboard and a glass of wine in the middle of the afternoon if you want to, but we also want you to be able to bring your kids in and enjoy yourselves before you go bowling at Sporsnis.”
On the food side of things, though, Hamish is keen to keep the quality as high as possible.
The all-day menu includes simple yet classy dishes like risotto and mussels, a variety of toasted ciabattas, and favourites like bangers and mash and fish and chips. Starters will set you back around £5, and mains run from £8 to £11 – excepting the sirloin steak, which is available for £16.50 during the day and £17 later on.
In the evening, the dining becomes a bit finer: the likes of fresh fish, venison, and duck are on offer as main courses, running from £12 to £17.50; and with an extensive wine list thrown in, there seems to be little one can fault on the menu. If the feedback so far is anything to go by, customers have been mostly thrilled; in fact, the Trip Advisor website has the Port Beach House ranked as one of the best restaurants on the Isle of Lewis, second only to Stornoway’s Digby Chick.
“It’s food I really like to cook and eat myself,” explained Hamish. “With my limited experience, I’m not getting too fiddly with things. I’ve always found the KISS (Keep it Simple, Stupid) philosophy to be the best way to go, so that’s how I’m running the kitchen.
“I have to pinch myself every day I come into work! This has been a long-held dream of mine and Norma’s. It’s given me the opportunity to experiment, to work with different foods – I’m at the beginning of that journey.”
Hamish and Norma have plans to devise a slightly more affordable evening menu for the winter months, which will surely be music to the ears of local diners; and as well as that, they’re not above doing a take-away service. Fish and chips are currently available, and the take-away menu will be expanding over the next few months.
Not that the winter months are without their challenges – namely, preparing for Christmas.
“For can take groups as large as 30, at a squeeze! And we’re taking bookings for Christmas now.”
Hamish is currently working on a Christmas menu, which he admits is a daunting prospect when Christmas, for him, means salad.
“Our Christmas food in Australia is always really light, lots of salads and cold meats – so I’m not used to a traditional Scottish Christmas menu! But I think I may be able to create something interesting, something with the warmth and comfort of winter food, but something that’s still a bit different.”
All in all, though, Hamish admits that it’s exactly that kind of challenge that keeps life at the Port Beach House so interesting. “It’s been a fantastic summer, and I’d really like to thank all of the staff who have worked so hard throughout the season. They’ve been awesome.”
The Port Beach House is open Tuesday through Saturday from 12 noon until late.
For more information please don’t hesitate to call Hamish, Norma or any of their staff at the restaurant on 01851810000 during their opening hours.
Contact
Port Beach House, Port of Ness, Isle of Lewis HS2 0XA
Email: hamesrobb@hotmail.com
