"When the familiar faces come through the door it's an absolute joy". Chefs and food people tell us about the customers they've missed over lockdown.

However, some were happy to tell us about the much loved diners that they’re looking forward to welcoming back, hopefully on April 26.

Rob Latimer, co-owner of Inver Restaurant & Rooms, Cairndow

“There’s a super sweet couple who come once a month. They really appreciate what we do and he often brings us a bottle of wine. In return, he has a very fussy cat, so we save him the trim from our whole halibut.

I also had a customer who came a couple of Christmases ago. I wear white Nike trainers and it was the end of the year so they were pretty worn in. He lives in Holland and works for Nike, and couldn’t stand looking at my trainers because of the state they were in. I had to contact him a week or two afterwards and I told him my shoe size. They arrived quickly. I refer to it as my Nike sponsorship”.

Pam Brunton, co-owner and head chef of Inver

When the familiar faces come through the door it’s an absolute joy.

One customer must be in her 90s and lives locally. She’s been coming three or four times a year since we opened, with grandkids or godchildren. She had a cocktail named after her at one point. It was called Plums Forsyth, because on her first visit, she went up to the bar and said hello and asked us to forgive her plummy accent.

There’s a family that comes in and orders five plates of the cheese puffs - a potato dauphine. That can clear out the stocks and instigate a panic.

There’s also a couple that were our earliest supporters. One of them died at the start of last year, then she was on her own to deal with difficult grieving. She came back last year and it was emotional, as she described Inver as being one of their happy places.

There was also a chap who came every Sunday for years, to get a coffee and scone. He brought his own records to play on the record player.