Amy Caviston Talks to Lucinda
Monday 04 January 2010
In Greystones a young woman has been making waves in recent times with her superb fish shop, deli and café, simply called “A. Caviston” on Church Road, which will be two years old next month. 27 year old Amy Caviston’s grandfather, John Caviston, founded the well known Caviston’s Fish shop, deli, and restaurant in Glasthule, so you can take it Amy knew her pollock from her pike by the time she was five year’s old. Dad, Stephen Caviston, believed she should learn the business from an early age and Amy says “I was working washing pots in the kitchen during holidays from twelve years old”.
When Amy met her future husband, accountant Shane Willis, a native of Greystones, they decided to open their own fish shop in Greystones. They looked for about two years for a suitable spot and eventually their present location right in the heart of Greystones came up. The premises was bigger than they initially wanted but they decided to go the full hog with fish counter, deli and a really smart café dining area.
Amy, who has the friendliest welcoming personality, told me her mornings start at 4 a.m. when she gets up and heads for the Fish Market, which is now in the Millenium Business Park in Finglas. She loves the market, saying they are all so nice and such great fun. “They really mind me and load up the van for me”. She then heads back to Greystones and Shane unloads it. Shane’s brother, Ronan, has also joined the business and takes care of the “office end of things” leaving Amy and Shane free to concentrate “on the floor”.
The café does lovely homemade desserts including a flour free orange cake. You can have all sorts of light bites from their deli and fish counters as well as open sandwiches of Annagassan Crab, Boston Shrimp, fish pie, lobster in season, Cajun salmon burgers, lamb casserole, Toulouse sausage and chickpea stew et al. Amy has a great range of artisan products including Kelly’s Organic yoghurts from Moonshine Dairy Farm in Co. Westmeath, Wicklow Farmhouse buttermilk and cheddar cheese, Terry Butterly’s Coastguard Seafood’s smoked salmon and crabmeat from Annagassan, Co. Louth. She is also doing pizza bases from the Artisan Pizza company which come in packs of three and which she says are fantastic. Also proving very popular are a new range of lollipops and fudge under the label of Pandora Bell from Limerick. Amy tells me also that the “hot” fish off the slabs these days is Gurnard – “with which you can do so much – great for goujons, fish pies or anything.” Oh, by the way, look out for the 5 litre cans of excellent Extra Virgin Spanish Olive Oil for €30 – you can get them in Caviston’s in Glasthule also.
Amy and Shane now have 10 month old Freddie who “has been to the fish market three times already”. As I was leaving on a cold cold day on which they were closed for business this week, a very old man tentatively approached the door, smiling and welcoming Amy greeted him by name saying “is it a cup of tea you want – come in, come in, I’ll get you some ”. Amy Caviston has set up a whole new Caviston generational theme in Greystones.
THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT ON 3RD JANUARY 2010.