Pet project makes most of stunning Atlantic setting
The Chapmans’ beef farm on the Donegal coast had an ideal location for a pet farm and coffee shop
Aisling and Andrew Chapman began to notice more and more tourists stopping to take in the stunning scenery around their beef farm on the Wild Atlantic Way, and it dawned on them that there was a glorious opportunity to diversify.
And now they have a thriving coffee shop and petting area, Salthill Cabin near Mountcharles, overlooking Donegal Bay and the Bluestack Mountains… well, thriving until Covid-19 intervened.
“We had been noticing a lot of different people passing by, admiring the views while taking a stroll around some of the beautiful walkways,” says Aisling.
“It got us thinking and we quickly realised that there was a gap in the market for something like our business.”
The Chapmans didn’t conduct any market research as such before setting up their venture two years ago, but they just knew from the start that it would work.
“Having kids ourselves, we knew that there was nothing similar to Salthill Cabin in our area if we even wanted to have a family day away, in a relaxed setting like this, we had to drive to Letterkenny or Bundoran, which are both 40-50km away,” says Aisling.
The Chapmans decided to dedicate half an acre of their coastal land to their new venture. They started off by buying a large wooden cabin from a local, private seller.
Then they sourced animals for the petting area all from local sellers.
“I have always had a love for animals and instantly knew that I wanted to incorporate different types into the business, I knew they would be a family-friendly addition to the cabin,” says Aisling.
“The first animals we sourced were pygmy goats; we got them at just three months old so they would get accustomed to human contact from an early age. They have an excellent temperament.”
Roamed
“Peacocks were next on the agenda,” says Andrew. “My auntie always kept peacocks when we were young and they happily roamed the shores
it’s like they’re native to the area so we instantly wanted to get some.”
Aisling adds: “We got a few smaller animals then, like rabbits, chickens, ducks, guinea pigs, and then the opportunity came up for us to buy the llamas a local petting zoo was selling them. We had originally planned on getting just one but after doing a bit of research we discovered that they are herd animals and thrive best when they have the company of another llama, so we took two. They were already lead-trained and were used to being handled so they were ideal for us.
“Kunekune pigs were our last purchase; they’re smaller than your average pig and are easily domesticated and trained.”
The couple did much of the development work themselves, and created shelter and feeding areas for the animals.
Then Aisling and Andrew opened to the public, providing homemade refreshments and tea/coffee from the cabin. Andrew, being a qualified and experienced chef, makes most of the food himself. They also sell beef from the farm.
Salthill Cabin, which is dogfriendly, provides a free animal petting service. The lamas can also be taken for a walk by the shore. “The only thing we charge for is the llama walks,” explains Aisling.
Salthill Cabin caters for children’s birthday parties, school trips and group visits. “We do a lot of work with those with special needs,” says Andrew.
During the winter months they open Friday to Sunday, 11am-6pm, and from May onwards Salthill Cabin operates seven days a week. There is a lot of work involved.
“I’m here every day from about 9.30am,” says Aisling.
“I let out the chickens and ducks and feed all the animals. I also handle each animal daily, just to keep them accustomed to human contact and to ensure they stay as tame as they currently are.
“We clean out everything three days a week and every Thursday I go to our local feed merchant.”
All four of the couple’s children play a part.
“Ross, our eldest works in the shop and often looks after the animal petting part of things, Rachel works with us every weekend,
Lewis feeds and cleans the