Zest Café

I’m currently on placement at Zest Café, a business that aims to provide employment opportunities to people with barriers to employment. It was whilst I was on my placement that I was told about the Department of Work and Pensions Disability Confident Scheme. What is this Scheme? Well according to the website, the scheme aims to remove barriers to disabled people and ensure that disabled people can fulfill their potential in employment.
As a young wheelchair user who is curr...ently looking for employment, this sounded right up my street and I was excited to see what it was all about. The Disability Employment Scheme has 3 levels which need to be achieved however it is only the last 2 levels that require any written down, concrete proof. Having investigated the levels in further detail, I don’t understand what the point of Level 1 is. Basically, to achieve Level 1, all you have do is fill in a form, and that’s it, you win a digital badge to put on your website, a certificate of your achievement, and gain the title Disability Confident Committed. Ordering something on eBay takes more effort than that!
Level 2 is about self-assessment and coming up with a plan of action to improve the business, which seemed great when I first read it however, the website states that businesses don’t need to send the self-assessment to anyone to achieve Disability Confident Employer status, win another digital badge and another certificate. Now I may be wrong here, but I feel like someone should be checking on what the business plans to do to improve their business and if it is actually implemented before they achieve accreditation? It isn’t until the last level, Disability Confident Leader, that the self-assessment must be independently validated to ensure they are compliant, shouldn’t that be done at all levels?
I was initially feeling positive about the scheme however having read into it more, I just feel a bit disappointed. In my opinion businesses don’t have to do much to achieve level 1 and there seems to be a huge lack evidence needed to achieve the scheme. For a business like Zest that is already very disability aware, what would we gain from completing the levels in this scheme?
The businesses who have completed different levels are listed on the website to make it easier for disabled people to find disability confident employers. The list is extremely overwhelming to look at, it could really do with a few subsections or at the very least a search function. It should also be shown in different formats to make more accessible to visually impaired people. Come on DWP, it’s a great idea but it needs a few major tweaks!
I am going to research this further and I will be back next week with Part 2! Erin
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We are brining you Fortitude! They are a small coffee bar based in Edinburgh which specialises in seasonal, lightly roasted coffee that has delicate and complex flavours in every cup.
Come along and taste some great, ethically sourced coffee and learn about the coffee that is available at Fortitude.

We will be closing as usual during the Lammas Market next Monday & Tuesday for team training and a cleaning party! Sorry for any inconvenience. Back open Wednesday at 8am as normal...see everyone then.
https://www.fifedirect.org.uk/whatson/ind ex.cfm…

Yes! We are sad to see our Lynsey leaving us again, but the animal kingdom is calling and she will be training Guide Dogs for the Blind. So we have a vacancy for 30-36hrs, and permanent up for grabs. Our ideal candidate will have an interest in Specialty Coffee, learning, helping people with additional support needs and be willing to learn how to teach/coach on the job. We have a great team of people who all work hard, and are fun to work with. If you think you would be a good fit with us and our Ethos please send me your CV to lisa@wearezest.co.uk

Our coffee sales for Retail bags of Coffee to take home have just been growing and growing over the last few months. So much so that we have had to invest in a beast of a grinder to keep up! We can now grind your coffee fresh for whatever method you like to use at home from Cafetiere to Cezce/Ibrik...just grab a bag and let us know what you would like your coffee ground for...easy!
We only sell beans from trusted roasters. People we know that care about provenance, sustainab...ility and have strong ethics. All of our coffees are Specialty Grade (80+), the farmers are paid the Fairtrade social premium plus an extra 10-25% for growing a specialty grade product. All of our retail coffee is in season beans, freshly roasted and packaged for maximum freshness. We can confidently say that we have THE best quality, most fresh and most ethical coffee in town...with a great selection every week on rotation. Pop grab a bag, take it home and enjoy!!
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Everyone loves our scones...but they just got better! We now have clotted cream to go with them to make them even more delicious. This weekend we are going to town and will be making our usual Cheese, fruit, plain and cherry....but we will also be making our Apple & Cinnamon AND treacle scones. Yummy!

We introduced the Wee Stoater Saturday afternoon and by Sunday only had one retail bag left! Yes we love it... and after selling quite a few kilos of it to our customers taking it home at the weekend..so do our customers! For those of you who have wanted retail bags to take home, and we had run out....don't worry we will be stocked up again Wednesday afternoon. We also listened to those of you who wanted more than the 250g bag size and will be stocking 500g bags from this week as well.

We are still looking for a new Sunday morning person! The shift is 7am - 1pm, more hours (up to 16hrs) are available but any candidate must be able to do Sunday morning. The role will include setting up the shop for opening, making scones, food prep and barista skills.
The first question i always ask in an interview is "what do you know about us?"....please send in your CV to lisa@wearezest.co.uk, if you are invited to interview please ensure that you at least spend 5 mins on Google. Anyone who does not bother to do this will be automatically excluded. Ideally we would love someone who is passionate about Specialty Coffee but this is not required..we can work on that lol!
This is not a summer position, it is permanent, making it unsuitable for applicants who are leaving in a couple of months. We look forward to hearing from you!

It's here...Wee Stoater is now on Espresso! Yes we are sad to say goodbye to the Burundi Kibenga (you were delicious, thankyou Thomsons Coffee)...but our new rotation on Espresso is here from Unorthodox Roasters in Kinross..the brilliant Wee Stoater!!
Now...this is the one we've been telling you all about all week...the most Chocolatey bean we've tasted in a long time, and totaly nuts. For our super geeky regulars...this is amazing as a flat white, to get the best from this bean in a milk drink we recommend a cooler temp of milk...then you get the Nutella experience. Yummy!! The Zesty team are going to have to try hard not to drink it all, and leave some for the customers....

Over the past year we have been working hard to reduce our carbon footprint, go greener and help the environment as well as people!! We care a lot about sourcing ethical & sustainable products...just look at our coffee which is always 15-25% above Fair Trade standards and the top 5% grade in the world! So here is what we have done to go further:
- Paper Straws that are Compostable - Vegware Baguette bags, take away cups & lids. - Vegware compostable takeaway salad boxes.... - Refillable & recyclable glass bottles for sauce replacing unrecyclable plastic sachets.
We are still sourcing our sub roll bags, which are recyclable but do not go as far as compostable so they are on the table for upgrading! We will also be retailing reuseable coffee cups soon (but we need to save as we have to buy quite a lot of them upfront...and we are not a big chain with lots of money lol!), and looking at changing our jam pots from plastic to ceramic. More ideas are always welcome, so if you have more....come and speak to us!!
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The new Euans Guide for Fife is now out!! This brilliant guide is like TripAdvisor specifically for people with disabilities so that they can better plan days out, restaurant visits etc... and know exactly what to expect....and we are in it!! Our full access statement for the cafe can be found at
https://www.fifetourismpartnership.org/‚Ä ¶/access_statement_f‚Ķ

We are HIRING! We need help on Sundays 7am-2pm. A lot of our team struggle to get into town on Sundays with reduced buses...so if you have a car/live in town and are looking for a few extra hours a week drop us a message or email lisa at lisa@wearezest.co.uk with a CV.

Excited to be hosting the 2nd workshop by Nicki Bradwell. There are only a few places left, so get in touch if you would like to grab a spot!

We will be closing at 5pm this evening for the Disability Awareness workshop! Sorry for any inconvenience.

Only 3 days to go until our FREE Disability Awareness Workshop for employers/managers/supervisors. We only have 3 places left for this, 1st come 1st serve for people who want to grab the opportunity! 6-9pm in Zest Cafe Monday. Support your team better, save money for your business or improve your cv/management knowledge.

So excited to have been part of this project! Some amazing ladies featured, doing fantastic work...love our Specialty Coffee community.

Hahaha...but of course...none of our team would EVER do this!

What an amazing idea!! Well done the Hamish Foundation for pioneering this for our town. Hopefully our Disability Awareness training on the 14th May for St Andrews employers will further improve things in the town....now if only we could get some more lowered pavement curb points! We only have 3 spots left on the training, so email lisa@wearezest.co.uk to reserve a place! Monday 14th may 6-9pm.

Zest 2 go is the best lunch option in St. Andrews by far. The salad boxes are incredible, with a huge range of ingredients available every day, and the student survival pack (with a regular salad, bottle of water, piece of fruit and nut bar, all for £5.95) is my go to study lunch. There is a great range of smoothies and juices, with a cheeky student offer (free upgrade from regular to large). Remember to bring cash, as they don't take card, but if you forget, there's a cashpoint just round the corner. Thanks guys, keep doing what you're doing!

Very accommodating staff who allowed us to sit inside as we had our dog with us and my wife didn't want to sit outside as it was cold. Tea, coffee and bacon rolls hit the mark. Will be back

The best coffee in the town and so friendly too xx

Stumbled across this place today,had delicious soup which hit the spot on a chilly day,food was grand,staff helpful and friendly, recommended

Phenomenal cafe in the heart of St. Andrews. Run by Lisa and her dynamite team of baristas you are guaranteed great coffee. Cheers

Only just discovered this lovely cafe lately but got to say think I could become a regular. Their coffee is amazing and definitely beats Costa or Starbucks hands down. The cafe nice and clean and the service has been excellent the couple of times I have visited. Cannot fault the place at all. Looking forward to another visit

Lovely roasted turnip and rosemary soup, sandwich and hot drink itison deal lunch today. Fresh and tasty - very helpful and friendly staff x

I am a photographer and as the light was great that day we decided to change plans and simply head off to St Andrews. We found Zest through Itison and bought and printed the voucher before we left home not really knowing what to expect. It was simply brilliant. Great work ethos about the place but more importantly great and interesting fresh food.

Great coffee shop and staff, great to see an independent coffee shop doing so well ÔøΩ

Friendly , helpful staff, lovely food and our dog looked after with a bowl of water, will definitely return :-)

A gem of a place in South Street. (Think we saw a smaller one in Market Street too?). Food, service and value for money all get a five star rating. Gorgeous alfresco dining. Don't pass this cafe by.

The staff were very friendly and the food was lovely ÔøΩ

Lovely wee place to stop of for a snack. Food was tasty and service was good. We love to people watch on a nice day.

I popped in here yesterday while walking the streets of St Andrews and although very busy managed to find a table.

A bright vibrant very busy place with happy smiling staff who knew the soups in fact knew all four of them. It never ceases to surprise me in many places with one soup of the day most staff never know what it is but here they knew all of them.

Wearing a business suit one can sometimes be prone to a little dribble that ends up down the tie or shirt so I was overjoyed to see their soup is served Ina large cappuccino cup and an ample portion which was absolutely delicious and great consistency.

To drink I chose the Strawberry sensation smoothie which was cold and delicious and a million miles away from the usual ghastly every day soda full of chemicals in the land of diet whatever.

Great coffees sailed past me and a selection of herbal teas.

My roast beef sandwich with Asian slaw arrived on a bagel with salad garnish and my favourite Siracha sauce.

There is a great breakfast menu on offer and the bagels are a big part of it alongside salads and home baked goods that looked great.

Very good quick efficient service with a beaming smile which makes all the difference making you want to return. A smile is so worth the effort .

Zest is very reasonably priced and their attention to fulfilling your choice makes it very worthwhile to visit.

They need to sort their lighting in the ladies as it's enough to bring on an epileptic fit but it's a great place to eat

I dropped by today to buy a couple of coffees to take down the beach.

I was quite disappointed, I realised just as I arrived at the beach that my cup was leaking, the coffee was seeping through the cup.

I've always been so impressed with the service and quality at zest, hence my return(even if it was just for coffee).

Maybe the cups provided aren't that great and need looking into.



Nice coffee though and will come back despite this.

I called in at Christmas with my daughter and grandaughter.I had the most delicious Sweet potato and Mango soup. Iwant to make it for myself and have the ingrediants but not how to prepare it.A very nice lady said she would help me with that.

Lovely staff and cosy atmosphere but the food was sub-par. We ordered a chorizo and cream cheese bagel which wasn't really what it led on to be. 3 measly slices of chorizo and half a tub of cream cheese. Not worth the money at all.

Very over priced and poor service.

Lunch did not come with the sides it should have - when this was pointed out to staff they were dismissive and did nothing to rectify this. Tea and Coffee came quite some time after the food.

Overall very poor and unsatisfactory.

Zest 2 go is the best lunch option in St. Andrews by far. The salad boxes are incredible, with a huge range of ingredients available every day, and the student survival pack (with a regular salad, bottle of water, piece of fruit and nut bar, all for £5.95) is my go to study lunch. There is a great range of smoothies and juices, with a cheeky student offer (free upgrade from regular to large). Remember to bring cash, as they don't take card, but if you forget, there's a cashpoint just round the corner. Thanks guys, keep doing what you're doing!

Very accommodating staff who allowed us to sit inside as we had our dog with us and my wife didn't want to sit outside as it was cold. Tea, coffee and bacon rolls hit the mark. Will be back

The best coffee in the town and so friendly too xx

Stumbled across this place today,had delicious soup which hit the spot on a chilly day,food was grand,staff helpful and friendly, recommended

Phenomenal cafe in the heart of St. Andrews. Run by Lisa and her dynamite team of baristas you are guaranteed great coffee. Cheers

Only just discovered this lovely cafe lately but got to say think I could become a regular. Their coffee is amazing and definitely beats Costa or Starbucks hands down. The cafe nice and clean and the service has been excellent the couple of times I have visited. Cannot fault the place at all. Looking forward to another visit

Lovely roasted turnip and rosemary soup, sandwich and hot drink itison deal lunch today. Fresh and tasty - very helpful and friendly staff x

I am a photographer and as the light was great that day we decided to change plans and simply head off to St Andrews. We found Zest through Itison and bought and printed the voucher before we left home not really knowing what to expect. It was simply brilliant. Great work ethos about the place but more importantly great and interesting fresh food.

Great coffee shop and staff, great to see an independent coffee shop doing so well ÔøΩ

Friendly , helpful staff, lovely food and our dog looked after with a bowl of water, will definitely return :-)

A gem of a place in South Street. (Think we saw a smaller one in Market Street too?). Food, service and value for money all get a five star rating. Gorgeous alfresco dining. Don't pass this cafe by.

The staff were very friendly and the food was lovely ÔøΩ

Lovely wee place to stop of for a snack. Food was tasty and service was good. We love to people watch on a nice day.

I popped in here yesterday while walking the streets of St Andrews and although very busy managed to find a table.

A bright vibrant very busy place with happy smiling staff who knew the soups in fact knew all four of them. It never ceases to surprise me in many places with one soup of the day most staff never know what it is but here they knew all of them.

Wearing a business suit one can sometimes be prone to a little dribble that ends up down the tie or shirt so I was overjoyed to see their soup is served Ina large cappuccino cup and an ample portion which was absolutely delicious and great consistency.

To drink I chose the Strawberry sensation smoothie which was cold and delicious and a million miles away from the usual ghastly every day soda full of chemicals in the land of diet whatever.

Great coffees sailed past me and a selection of herbal teas.

My roast beef sandwich with Asian slaw arrived on a bagel with salad garnish and my favourite Siracha sauce.

There is a great breakfast menu on offer and the bagels are a big part of it alongside salads and home baked goods that looked great.

Very good quick efficient service with a beaming smile which makes all the difference making you want to return. A smile is so worth the effort .

Zest is very reasonably priced and their attention to fulfilling your choice makes it very worthwhile to visit.

They need to sort their lighting in the ladies as it's enough to bring on an epileptic fit but it's a great place to eat

I dropped by today to buy a couple of coffees to take down the beach.

I was quite disappointed, I realised just as I arrived at the beach that my cup was leaking, the coffee was seeping through the cup.

I've always been so impressed with the service and quality at zest, hence my return(even if it was just for coffee).

Maybe the cups provided aren't that great and need looking into.



Nice coffee though and will come back despite this.

I called in at Christmas with my daughter and grandaughter.I had the most delicious Sweet potato and Mango soup. Iwant to make it for myself and have the ingrediants but not how to prepare it.A very nice lady said she would help me with that.

Lovely staff and cosy atmosphere but the food was sub-par. We ordered a chorizo and cream cheese bagel which wasn't really what it led on to be. 3 measly slices of chorizo and half a tub of cream cheese. Not worth the money at all.

Very over priced and poor service.

Lunch did not come with the sides it should have - when this was pointed out to staff they were dismissive and did nothing to rectify this. Tea and Coffee came quite some time after the food.

Overall very poor and unsatisfactory.