A Scots island cafe and business owner has shared her surprise and delight after a Hollywood megastar stopped in for a coffee and a peek around.
American actor Chris Pine paid a visit to Scottish jewellery company Bonnie Bling’s gift shop and speciality coffee bar in Rothesay while on holiday with friends on the Isle of Bute earlier this week.
Pine is best known for his roles as James T. Kirk in the Star Trek reboot film series and for his appearance in DC Extended Universe films Wonder Woman and Wonder Woman 1984.
The 42-year-old is no stranger to Scotland, having also starred as Robert The Bruce in 2018 Netflix movie Outlaw King, which saw filming in Glasgow, Stirling, Linlithgow and the Highlands.
Bute native Mhairi Mackenzie, owner at Bonnie Bling, said Pine’s visit was “very exciting” for the business, located on Rothesay’s Castle Street.
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She told The Herald: “It was my head barista Amanda who was in when he came in. She is actually from L.A. like Chris Pine. They knew the same areas. She was chatting to him about L.A. and the places that they knew, which was quite nice.
“Then she said something like, ‘Oh what brings you here?’, and he said he and his friends were in Scotland for a holiday for a few days. He then asked Amanda what brought her to Bute from Los Angeles. That was quite funny to find each other in a coffee shop in Rothesay.
“They hung out in the shop for quite a while having their coffees and just chatting about the island and about the weather and about Scotland. It was lovely. The fact that Chris and his friends then hung around and had a chat. They obviously felt very comfortable.
"And it was nice that Amanda had the L.A. connection and they were able to exchange conversation about that. They all just had a really nice time. Some of his friends came back in the next day for some more coffees.”
Sadly, she wasn’t there to meet the film star, with Pine’s visit taking place when she was in the much less glamorous surroundings of a Greenock cash and carry stocking up for the cafe.
Mrs Mackenzie, who opened the specialist coffee bar in 2021, revealed that she wasn’t the only one in Rothesay who missed out on Pine’s visit to the gift shop and coffee bar.
She said: “There was no-one else in at the time. Everybody missed it! Now everybody is coming in now to see if he is here and find out how he was.
“He was very charming, they were all very polite. They all said they really enjoyed the coffee so that was the best compliment we could hope for.
“He was also out at Mount Stuart House for a tour I believe and Bute Fabrics having a look around there. And his friends were in the local deli that has just opened called Gather. They were about a few places which was nice. They obviously felt quite relaxed and comfortable here.”
A coffee cup signed by the Hollywood actor now sits proudly on display in Bonnie Bling to mark his visit, joining the cups signed by other celebrities who have also stopped in while on Bute.
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Mrs Mackenzie said the gift ship and coffee bar is now “getting quite a collection of celebrity coffee cups”.
She said: “It was a very welcome addition. A couple of weeks ago we had Rick Stein in as well and then we also had the Hairy Bikes in this past month as well. We just ask them to sign a cup for us and they are on display in the shop”.
And the Bonnie Bling owner said Pine’s visit is a “continuation” of the celebrity engagement she has had with the award-winning range of acrylic jewellery and fashion accessories since starting the business back in 2010.
She added: “It’s nice to do something a bit different over here in Bute. Bonnie Bling, the jewellery business, I’ve always had a lot of celebrity engagement with the business so I think its really nice to have continued that and to still be able to do that now that we’ve opened our little coffee shop in Rothesay.
“It’s both the businesses, Bonnie Bling is the main shop that sells the Bonnie Bling Scottish jewellery and I make that in the workshop to the rear and then we partnered with Dear Green in Glasgow who supported us in Bute’s first speciality coffee company - and that is the brew bar that is in the shop.
"When everyone comes to Bute they are always asking where the best coffee is so I guess someone must have pointed Chris and his friends in our direction.
“It’s all part of the one thing. People can come in and have locally-made cakes and treats and have a great cup of speciality coffee while they look at the Bonnie Bling jewellery and we also have workshops so people can come and learn how it’s made.
"It’s a continuation of what I done in Glasgow previously before I moved back to the island.”
And Mrs Mackenzie finished: “Beam me up to Bute!”
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