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New Managers of the Dean Park Tearoom
When Campbell Chace bought the old
Post Office on Stewarton’s High Street
in 2004, the owners Mandy and Euan
Campbell, had exciting plans about what
it would be, but they could never have
imagined where it would take them over
the next ten years!
The shop started off as an old-fashioned sweet
shop with over 150 types of confectionery,
luxury chocolates, ice-cream and gifts; the
original Candy Chace. (Regular customers
will know that the strange spelling of Chace is
because it is made up of the first and middle
names of Mandy and Euan’s two daughters.)
Within a couple of years the shop had extended
its range to include Italian ice-cream and
freshly ground coffee and it soon became
clear that the next obvious step was to install
tables and chairs. Local, hand-made furniture
suppliers, Bespoke Furniture, helped to create
the first café-style layout, still using the original
old Post Office accommodation. This was in
2007 and proved to be a huge success. Almost
immediately after the refurbishment, Mandy
and Euan started planning a major extension to
the property and the business.
Following a lengthy planning application in
which began in early 2008 the café re-opened
with more than double its original capacity in
January 2009. Once more the skills of Claire
and Jim from Bespoke Furniture were called
upon and they helped to design the café in a
very constricted space. The handmade counter,
doors and tables have only improved with age
as have the real wood floors. The Campbells
worked closely with the Planning Department
to meet current requirements while maintaining
some of the original features of the Post Office.
The pole in the middle of the floor at the front
of the café is the original load bearing support
and there’s an identical one right in the middle
of the kitchen! The doors to the back of the
café are also the original front doors of the Post
Office. In 2012 Candy Chace started stocking
handbags and jewellery which have proved
very popular with customers as well as the
staff. It would be true to say the old Post Office
building is now once again selling a wide range
of items, just not stamps!
Since the extension was opened, Mandy and
her staff have worked hard to provide good
quality food with a personal service alongside
the original old-fashioned sweets, chocolates
and gifts – a winning combination that seems
to have paid off. At the beginning of this year
Mandy was approached to consider bidding
for the Dean Castle Country Park tearoom
contract, and after completing the tender
process, was awarded the contract in March,
just weeks before the opening of the Tearoom
for the summer season! The first month of
business has been very busy and not without
its challenges, but very successful. Mandy and
her staff are providing the same menu and
personal service as Candy Chace, but in the
beautiful setting of Dean Park. Mandy says,
“We are delighted to have won the Dean Park
contract and have been very encouraged by
our first month. The park has been very busy,
especially during the school holidays and our
new offering is being welcomed by old and new
customers alike. I’ve been particularly touched by
the number of Candy Chace customers who have
come out to Dean Park to support us.”
Dean Park Tearoom is open from 11am until
4.30pm every day from April until October.
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