Clarinda moved to Craigie Farm with her husband John in 1973 and has helped run the farm since. She can be found making the delicious jam and marmalade you can buy in the Rhynd Café, as well as doing all the many tasks that need completed on a daily basis. She is the proud owner of two (not very well behaved!) Norfolk terriers called Porridge and Toast.
Ed started helping on the farm in 2012, and has helped launch the Rhynd Café, Event Space, and Rhynd Fitness. He’s a life-long motorsport fan, just like his father, and is the reason for the motorsport theme in the Café, having worked for Motor Sport magazine and Goodwood. He likes driving around in a 1961, 6.7-litre Chevrolet Impala, although the cost of fuel means he keeps the trips short...
Lisa joined the team in 2018 and has done an amazing job bringing the Café and Event Space to the next level. Always smiling, she’s a qualified paddle board instructor and her heart lies by the sea. She has a keen eye for detail, and she is a self-confessed “hippie with a degree that can be found sliding around on the waves somewhere in Scotland”. When not at her desk, she can be found behind the counter at the Café.
Rosalind has been at Craigie since 1995 and in that time she has helped organise the Ecurie Ecosse car tours, run the Scottish Clay Shooting Centre and endlessly troubleshoot the extraordinary number of problems that crop up on a daily basis. She currently helps look after the farm, and is one of the most important people in the business as she makes sure everyone is paid on time!
Stuart’s first farming work was at Craigie in 2006 when he was given all the good jobs: cleaning the grain drier, sweeping the sheds and roguing the biggest fields! He worked for Allan Myles for 10 years before starting at Craigie full-time in March, 2021. He enjoys the challenge, especially with so many changes in the farming industry at the moment. In his spare time, he can be found on the golf course, or trying to get his dog Archie out of a ditch somewhere.
Charlie has been farming since 1986 and the majority of those have been spent working for Allan Myles at Claremont, Craigie and other farms across Fife. There isn’t much of the Kingdom that he hasn’t seen from the tractor (office) window. While he has struggled to find time for hobbies, he does like going abroad, when he’s not stopping the family dog Bruno from digging up the garden.
Fergus joined the Craigie team in January, 2022. Having spent 10 years working in rural estate management as a chartered surveyor, he chose a full-time role in agriculture; a self-confessed 'gamekeeper turned poacher!' When not at Craigie, he can be found looking after his herd of farmed red deer or walking his spaniel.
Andrew worked for over 17 years as a gun maker and is most well known for making the famous Dickson Round Action. He enjoys creating bespoke items and can probably fix just about anything. If he can find the time, when not working or renovating/building his house and garden, he enjoys mountain biking, hill walking, archery and making fun things for his two cats.
David has worked in the building trade for over 30 years. He took over his family's construction business in 2000, and ran it until 2018. He was an army reservist for 29 years and he's also a keen amateur wood turner and dog trainer of his two labradors (spot Darcy in the photo!). We are yet to find something David can't turn his hand to!
Scotson joined the team in May, 2021. With over 10 years vegetable-growing experience, he hopes to produce a wide selection of vegetables for the Café. When not filling in holes, he can sometimes be found cutting hedges, strimming and grass cutting. Currently in protracted negotiations with Frank, Porridge, Toast and Crumpet over what land will be available for vegetable growing. When not gardening Scotson enjoys walking, travel, chess and sport.
Dana joined the café team in the summer of 2022 and brings a wealth of experience in the hospitality sector. Always smiling and hard at work, Dana is a keen swimmer and loves taking her dog for a walk on the beach. She's also partial to a bit of karaoke so listen out in the café if the right tune comes on...!
Kenny joined the Rhynd Café in spring 2018 and, come rain or shine, he is at the Rhynd, working away in the kitchen, producing his now-famous flaky sausage rolls and cakes, as well as everything else you see come out of the kitchen door. Much like the Fosters, he’s keen on using as many local ingredients as possible. Unlike the Fosters, he harbours a secret love of pies!
Matthew joined us the day the Café opened in June 2017. Back then we had half the number of tables, a quarter of the organisation and none of the experience we have now! He’s been instrumental in making sure the customers at the Café always have a great experience when they come in for tea, coffee or food, and is now an expert at setting fires in wood-burning stoves.
A true Scot, Mia confesses that if you’re not from around here you’ll struggle to understand her! She likes spending time with friends, her two cats and her dog, and is looking forward to visiting the Maldives one day.
Hugh is a former Royal Marine with 36 years of service and over three decades of shooting experience. As a CPSA Level 3 Senior coach, tutor and assessor, he has been involved in developing both shooters and instructors for over 15 years. Hugh has reached the pinnacle of the CPSA Tutor Pathway and is part of a small group of highly qualified tutors developing the future instructors and coaches across the UK.
Jim spent much of his life as a painter and decorator, venturing as far as Holland in the early 1970s (yes, he still speaks Dutch!). He’s a fully trained clay instructor and has spent decades enjoying the countryside. However, don’t let his friendly smile fool you – he was part of the Scottish karate team and was the Scottish ‘Shotokan’ Champion!
Charlie learnt to shoot and handle dogs at an early age in the north Cumbrian fells and went on to study in Switzerland and London. As far back as 1980 he taught various subjects in preparatory and secondary schools, including archery, air rifle shooting, fly fishing and photography. More recently he's completed an archery coaching course and become an APSI qualified shooting instructor.
Michelle joined the SCSC in 2019 and has been greeting customers with her welcoming smile ever since. She is a great animal lover and looks after two pugs, a chug (a cross between a chihuahua and a pug!), and a cat. Michelle is multi-talented having qualified and worked as a nurse, as well as undertaking various other roles.
While Frank may be very beautiful, his lack of computing power does tend to let him down on occasion. He's been given the role of guard dog as, while he wags his tail whilst barking, it's a job he feels comfortable in. He sometimes takes it so seriously, he can't be stopped, which irritates his owner Ed. He is great friends with Porridge, Toast and Crumpet, and likes to refer to them as his "ma layyyydies".
Porridge loves food. Despite rigorous training, she’s not that fussed about all the Café food being locally sourced and made on site. In fact, what she’d really love is to be lowered into the food bin and left to her own devices for several hours. She’s a keen mouse hunter, and loves to chase pigeons, although she does feel that their gift of flight is particularly unfair. Still, it won’t stop her trying.
Swim, swim, run, chase a ball, carry a stick, carry a ball, pace, pace, pace, chase a ball, look at you desperately wanting you to throw the ball, chase ball, swim, swim, run away from Frank, dig in the water, chase a ball, pace around the room with ball in mouth, swim, run, carry a stick, carry a children's toy, swim, chase a ball and sleep. Welcome to Finn's world.
Toast joined the team in 2020 and has been making a nuisance of herself ever since: digging holes, chasing pigeons and licking everyone she meets. She gets very excited when she comes to the Café as there are just so many people to say hello to. She is great friends with Crumpet and they like to spend their days playing, eating, sleeping, playing, playing some more and then, just when you thought they were too tired to carry on, playing again.
Crumpet is the latest of the Norfolk terriers to arrive at Craigie and loves to play. Especially with the other dogs when they are trying to sleep, launching herself on their snoring noses. She spends much of her time in the garden, digging and playing with Toast. However, she does like it when the postman arrives as she gets lots of attention and, if she smiles sweetly and wags her little tail, a biscuit. It's the dream.