IT WAS ALL INGEST
Scone Spy enjoys good grub and giggles in Aberdeen.
THE Granite City’s Inversnecky Café is as famous locally for its sandwich board banter as it is for its fry-ups. Hardly a day passes without some piece of wit being posted to pull in passing punters from the pavement to its tables.
“I love summer in Aberdeen, it’s the best day of the year!” the strategically placed board announced on one sunny morning. Earlier in the year, when the weather was unpredictable, it whined: “It’s like winter is really mad and keeps storming out of the room before coming back yelling, ‘And another thing!’” Best of all, we loved: “People who do not use punctuation deserve a long sentence.” The Inversnecky has been a favourite for generations of Aberdonians who gather for breakfasts, lunches or just a wee blether over tea and a cake.
And it’s a magnet for holidaymakers and water sports enthusiasts.
On the day we called we got into conversation with a customer who had been dining out at the Inversnecky for well over 30 years.
She was tucking into an ample portion of scampi and chips and, between mouthfuls, revealed it was a friendly, family-run café. Waxing lyrical about the freshly prepared and cooked to order food, she recommended the all-day breakfast, before chortling:
“And have you checked out the board – not the menu – the board outside?”
And how! It’s clearly an institution.
Packed with families – babies and toddlers in tow – as well as teenagers giggling over ice creams and senior citizens gossiping over soup and a sandwich, this traditional, no-frills café has a real buzz about it. And the welcome, unlike the usual Aberdeen weather, is warm.
There was a bumper selection of sweet bites on offer when we called but only one variety of scone. And it wasn’t made in house. Disappointed, we decided to give it a try anyway and were glad we did.
Bursting with fruit, it was light, crumbly and very tasty, with just the right amount of crunch. And it came with a plentiful supply of butter and jam and a generous mug of hot, strong coffee.
We headed outside for a view of the beach, the sun streaking the sand silver. Positioning ourselves at a table close to the sandwich board to catch the comments of passers-by, we tucked in to our treats and smiled at the many chortles and occasional ‘Tuttuts’ it elicited.
Clearly the Inversnecky delights many and rankles some. Does it buckle under the scrutiny? A bit like the Scone Spy column itself, the answer is, of course not.
After all, this was the café that famously once wrote: “Any married man should forget his mistakes. There is no use in two people remembering the same thing!”