For travellers on the scenic A82 and West Highland Way, The Real Food Cafe needs little introduction. The roadside diner, chippy and cafe has built a multi-award-winning reputation for serving high-quality food for more than 20 years.
And its approach to sustainability provides plenty of food for thought for other businesses too.
Located in Tyndrum, The Real Food Cafe was established in 2005 when Sarah Heward took ownership of a derelict Little Chef restaurant. Since then, it has been transformed into a popular stopping point for people exploring the Scottish Highlands, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.
From its initial refurbishment to today’s bustling business, Sarah has always sought to build a responsible and sustainable operation. Whether it’s sourcing local produce, providing customers with EV charging facilities, running community engagement activities, reducing waste and conserving water, or cutting energy use, the business has a clear commitment to sustainability.
Working with the team at Business Energy Scotland, and with financial support from the Scottish Government’s SME Loan Scheme, Sarah and her team have implemented a range of energy and cost-saving improvements.
“The support we have had has been fantastic and I’ve already been recommending Business Energy Scotland to other businesses in our local community.”
These include installing better insulation and upgrading windows and doors to double glazing, helping reduce heat loss and cut heating costs. At the same time, refrigeration equipment, including fridges and freezers, has been upgraded to modern, energy-efficient models, further reducing the cafe’s energy demand.
One recent project that stands out is a new heat recovery system.
The cafe’s fryers operate throughout the day, seven days a week, all year round, generating a significant amount of heat that would otherwise be lost through the extraction system. Recovering and reusing this heat was identified as a significant energy-saving opportunity for the business.
The newly installed heat recovery system captures heat generated by the fryers and uses it to pre-heat fresh incoming air before it is circulated throughout customer areas. Instead of being lost through extraction, that heat is now put back to work, helping reduce the need for additional heating.
Designed to recover between 50 and 70 per cent of heat that would otherwise be wasted, the system is expected to save more than 29,000 kWh of energy each year, reduce annual energy costs by around £11,000 and cut carbon emissions by 6.7 tonnes.
As well as reducing wasted energy and heating costs, the project supports The Real Food Cafe’s long-term commitment to running a more efficient and sustainable business.
Sarah Heward, founder and director of The Real Food Cafe, said: “Our fryers generate a huge amount of heat, so it made sense to find a way of putting that energy back to work rather than letting it go to waste. We’ve already implemented several recommendations from Business Energy Scotland, and the heat recovery system is another positive change for the business.
“The support we have had has been fantastic and I’ve already been recommending Business Energy Scotland to other businesses in our local community.”
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