01/12/2025 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Simon Howie’s Chocolate Haggis to make a return for Hogmanay

Three of Scotland’s best loved brands collaborate on the new recipe of the relaunched pudding

*Pictured from left to right: Lauren Paterson, Mrs Tilly’s; Simon Howie; Richard Walker, Walker’s Shortbread*

Unveiled on St Andrew’s Day and back by customer demand, Simon Howie’s famous chocolate haggis is making its return in time for two of Scotland’s biggest celebrations, Hogmanay and Burns Night.

This time around, Simon Howie has collaborated with two of Scotland’s best loved brands, Walker’s Shortbread and Mrs Tilly’s, on a new and improved recipe featuring delicious chunks of all-butter shortbread and fudge, creating an indulgent and unique dessert that’s sold as a haggis!

Simon Howie’s Chocolate Haggis was originally launched in 2024 as a limited-edition pudding for Burns Night. While the brand was keen to bring it back for January 2025, legal dispute with Cadbury’s over the products previous purple packaging made this impossible.

Simon Howie said: “For our wee limited edition Chocolate Haggis to worry the biggest players in chocolate, shows the success of the 2023 launch.

“While we were disappointed not to be able to bring it back straight away, we used the time we needed to change the packaging to also improve the recipe by adding in chunks of shortbread and fudge from our friends at Walker’s and Mrs Tilly’s.

“The Scottish food and drink community is known for its collaboration, and this is a perfect example of three like-minded family-owned manufacturers teaming up to create a unique and innovative product.

“We’re grateful to Walker’s and Mrs Tilly’s for their support and look forward to hearing the reaction from our customers.”

Richard Walker of Walker’s Shortbread said: “Chocolate Haggis is such a unique and fun celebration of Scotland and we’re delighted to be part of the new recipe development.

WWe are sure it will be enjoyed by many as the perfect pudding for Burns Night.”

Lauren Paterson of Mrs Tilly’s said: “We’re excited to have our Scottish fudge added to Simon Howie’s Chocolate Haggis dessert and that people across Scotland will be able to enjoy this sweet treat with their friends and families for Hogmanay and all the way through to Burns Night.”

Chocolate Haggis is an indulgent chocolate brownie dessert sold in the shape of a haggis. Simon Howie recommends removing all the packaging and microwaving the pudding for about 3 mins before serving with ice cream or cream. The pudding can also be cooked as a regular haggis would, and the casing cut open to serve.

Simon Howie is the UK’s number one haggis brand and sells more than 1.3m haggis during January in the run up to Burns Night.

The brand’s previous work on Chocolate Haggis recently won Campiagn of the Year at the 2025 Scotland Food and Drink Awards.

Chocolate Haggis will be available in Tesco from the 26^th December and from Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Scotmid from 1st January.

The product is limited edition until Burns Night so will be unavailable after the 26 January. RRP £5.00. You can find more information on Chocolate Haggis here.

Dunfermline children learn lifesaving skills at Amazon

The children of Amazon employees in Dunfermline are one step closer to becoming lifesavers after taking part in a special first aid and CPR training session at the Amazon fulfilment centre in Dunfermline.

The mini medics course welcomed 23 Amazon employees and their children for a fun and interactive session that introduced them to essential first aid skills, learning how to check for danger and practising CPR techniques.

Mini Medics is a basic first aid course designed for children between the ages of seven and 16. The course introduces children to health knowledge, lifesaving skills and administering first aid.

Jamie Strain, General Manager at the Amazon fulfilment centre in Dunfermline, said: “First aid and CPR are important skills for young people to have and I’m pleased that our mini medics course has been so popular with our employees and their families.

“I’d like to say a big thank you to our colleague, Anna, for facilitating the training for our team.”

Anna Soltysiak, an associate at Amazon in Dunfermline who led the training, added: “The children who attended our mini medics events were enthusiastic and keen learners. I had a great time teaching them about first aid.

“It’s important for young people to have basic medical skills, as it may one day help save a life.”

Community donations and employee volunteering are just two of the ways Amazon supports the communities where it operates. Amazon co-founded The Big House Multibank in Fife with former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown to support families in need.

The Multibank network has now donated more than 12 million surplus goods to over 800,000 families across Scotland, Wales, Greater Manchester, London, Tees Valley and Birmingham. This year, the Multibank will send 1 million orders to families across the UK.

Amazon has supported more than one million students across the UK with free STEM education programmes through Amazon Future Engineer and helps community organisations transport meals and other essentials to families in need through its pro bono logistics programme, Amazon Local Good.

Amazon partners with Comic Relief and is the official home of the charity’s iconic Red Nose. Together with its employees, customers, and partners, Amazon has raised over £4.8 million to fund projects that support people across the UK, and around the world.

Going to the theatre could boost city’s local economy by up to £295,000 PER SHOW this winter

From pantomimes and touring productions to West End favourites, theatre remains one of Britain’s most cherished cultural experiences, and plays a vital role in local economies.

According to the Society of London Theatre, for every £1 spent on a theatre ticket, an extra £1.40 is generated for the surrounding community through dining, transport and accommodation spending, with new analysis from Twickets showing just how much could be pumped back into local economies through the support of local theatre shows.

VENUE	TOP SHOW via Twickets	VENUE CAPACITY	MIN TICKET PRICE	MAX TICKET PRICE	MIN SOLD OUT SHOW	LOCAL ECONOMY BOOST PER SHOW	MAX SOLD OUT SHOW	LOCAL ECONOMY BOOST PER SHOW
Edinburgh Playhouse	Fawlty Towers – The Play	3059	£36	£69	£108,595	£152,032	£211,071	£295,499
MK Theatre	Miss Saigon	1400	£65	£75	£91,000	£127,400	£105,000	£147,000
Bristol Hippodrome	Mamma Mia!	1951	£35	£80	£68,285	£95,599	£156,080	£218,512
Swansea Building Society Arena	Mamma Mia!	3500	£20	£25	£68,250	£95,550	£85,750	£120,050
The Alexandra	Miss Saigon	1347	£50	£74	£67,350	£94,290	£99,678	£139,549
Empire Theatre	Miss Saigon	2348	£20	£40	£46,960	£65,744	£93,920	£131,488
Donald Gordon Theatre	Miss Saigon	1897	£22	£95	£41,734	£58,428	£180,215	£252,301
Palace Theatre	Mamma Mia!	1998	£20	£70	£38,961	£54,545	£138,861	£194,405
Grand Theatre	The Book Of Mormon	1550	£25	£91	£38,750	£54,250	£141,050	£197,470
Sunderland Empire	Fawlty Towers – The Play	1860	£20	£20	£37,200	£52,080	£37,200	£52,080
New Theatre	Miss Saigon	1785	£20	£62	£35,700	£49,980	£110,670	£154,938
King’s Theatre	Miss Saigon	1785	£20	£40	£35,700	£49,980	£71,400	£99,960

Based on the minimum ticket prices and the maximum capacity of some of the UK’s favourite local theatre venues, research shows that between £50,000 and £295,500 could be generated for surrounding businesses per show.

With many venues facing tighter budgets and rising production costs, it’s never been more important for audiences to show their support. A third of UK theatres are expected to report a financial deficit this year, according to The Stage (2025), as they continue to recover from pandemic-related challenges and inflationary pressures.

Richard Davies, founder of the fan-to-fan ticket resale platform Twickets, said: “Theatre is one of Britain’s greatest creative strengths, it inspires communities, supports jobs, and brings people together.

“Every ticket sold helps sustain local venues and the creative talent behind them. This winter is a brilliant time to rediscover live theatre, and there are still plenty of affordable ways to do it.”

Twickets, which partners officially with a growing number of theatres and touring productions, allows fans to buy and sell genuine tickets at face value, ensuring that seats don’t go to waste and that more people can enjoy live performances at fair prices.

Davies added: “Because plans change, tickets come back on sale all the time. Through Twickets, fans can find verified, face-value seats, sometimes just hours before curtain up, without worrying about scams or inflated resale prices.

“Whether it’s a midweek matinee in Manchester or a last-minute night at a West End show, there are brilliant options available for every budget.”

How to make theatre affordable this winter

Set up alerts: Create a free Twickets account and follow favourite shows to get instant email notifications when tickets appear.
Check 24–72 hours before: Many listings appear last-minute when sellers realise they can’t attend.
Be flexible: Matinees, weekday performances and regional theatres often offer the best-value seats.
Combine discounts: Look out for local access schemes and key-worker discounts.
Make an offer: Lots of listings on Twickets accept offers, allowing you to secure tickets at less than face-value.
Use verified platforms: Always use trusted resale sites like Twickets that cap prices at face value and verify every ticket.

Ten of the most in-demand theatre shows on Twickets this Winter:

Founded in 2011, Twickets has grown into one of the UK’s most trusted fan-to-fan resale platforms, partnering officially with artists, promoters and venues across music, comedy and theatre.

Every ticket sold through Twickets is verified, and transactions are protected, ensuring buyers get real tickets, not inflated prices or scams.

Edinburgh’s Retail Crime Task Force gets to work

The Edinburgh Retail Crime Task Force launched its first day of action last week in the North East of the city, focusing on Leith Walk and Fort Kinnaird.

This initiative, funded by the Scottish Government and supported by Crimestoppers Scotland , aims to tackle shoplifting and violence against retail workers.

The operation combined two key approaches – Prevent and Pursue:

Plain-clothes officers targeted hotspot areas to identify and apprehend offenders.

High-visibility patrols visited retailers to offer reassurance, crime prevention advice, and act as a visible deterrent.

Retailers have welcomed this proactive approach and the ongoing partnership to address prolific shoplifters.

PC Sarah Brotherston, who led the operation, said: “Shoplifting is not a victimless crime. We know the harm it causes to retailers and staff, and we’re committed to reducing theft and bringing offenders to justice.

“This day of action is just one piece of work that the Edinburgh Retail Crime Task Force are involved in. Further days of action and targeting of those who are repeatedly involved in shoplifting will be taking place in the run up to Christmas”

If you have information about shoplifting or stolen property, report it anonymously at https://orlo.uk/3Fp70 or call 0800 555 111.

#NotaVictimlessCrime

#RetailCrimeTaskForce

Multrees Walk reveals Longchamp is coming to Edinburgh

Luxury shopping destination shines this festive period

Multrees Walk ends 2025 on a high with the announcement that iconic French fashion house Longchamp will open a new boutique early next year.

This will be the first Longchamp boutique in Scotland and the first outside of London. This addition forms part of several exciting new announcements and developments due to be revealed in the New Year for Multrees Walk.

This news comes shortly after the shopping destination recently welcomed the opening of the luxury watchmaker OMEGA – its first standalone boutique – bringing the brand’s world-renowned craftsmanship and prestige to Edinburgh’s luxury shopping street.

Leigh Aitchison, Multrees Walk Centre Manager, said: “2025 has been a great year for Multrees Walk, with the new OMEGA boutique opening and now the upcoming arrival of Longchamp.

“We’re proud to see Multrees Walk continue to thrive as Scotland’s home of luxury retail and attract an increasingly growing range of brands and customers.

“The festive season is always a highlight of the year for Multrees Walk, with our stylish Christmas decorations and our brands’ beautifully curated window displays, creating a magical atmosphere for shoppers.

“As 2025 draws to a close, we’re looking forward to the year ahead, with more exciting announcements to come in 2026.”

Edinburgh Community Food Christmas Market

THURSDAY 11th DECEMBER from 9am – 2pm

EDINBURGH COMMUNITY FOOD CHRISTMAS MARKET

Join us on 11th December from 9am – 2pm at OperationStrawberry for a festive day filled with Christmas hampers, warm mulled apple juice, unique gifts, tombola, and more!

22 Tennant Street, EH6 5ND

Free tea, coffee & hot chocolate for all visitors

Cash or card accepted

Come celebrate the season, support a social enterprise, and find something special for everyone on your list!

Finding new owners for empty homes

Scheme launched to help return more empty homes to active use

A new online portal has been launched to bring empty homeowners together with prospective buyers or developers with the aim of facilitating more properties to be used as homes again.

Covering the whole of Scotland, this builds on the success of local pilots, referred to as “matchmaker schemes”, which allow owners of empty homes to upload details of their properties to a website through which anyone, such as first time buyers, families, developers or local authorities, can make purchasing enquiries.

The portal is hosted by the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership and has been developed as part of a £2 million investment this year to recruit additional empty homes officers and fund initiatives that will accelerate the pace and numbers of empty homes that are brought back into use.

Housing Secretary Màiri McAllan said: “If you have an empty home to sell, this new portal is for you.

“Making best use of existing housing stock is central to tackling the housing emergency. Bringing owners and buyers together is a great way of adding to the overall housing supply, be that for affordable housing or use on the private market and it complements our ambitious house building programme.

“We are already making progress in turning around empty properties. Over the past 15 years we have helped return almost 13,000 privately owned homes to use and last year we saw 2,066 homes brought back in a single year, the highest in a year to date.

“I would encourage anyone who has a home lying empty to use this new scheme and seek advice from the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership and their local council to bring their home back into use.”

Tahmina Nizam, Scottish Empty Homes Partnership National Manager, said: “Every home matters in our collective fight against the housing emergency, so we’re delighted to launch this brand-new matchmaker scheme.

“We know selling an empty home can be a daunting task; the matchmaker scheme is designed to make that process easier and to help get more homes back into productive use.

“We want anyone who owns an empty home to know that support is available, either from the network of dedicated local empty homes officers working in local authorities across the country or directly from the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership.

“No home was built to sit empty and it’s vital that we make the best possible use of the assets we already have. Every individual empty property could provide a safe and secure place for someone to call home, but collectively Scotland’s empty homes can make a huge contribution to ending the housing emergency.”

Matchmaker Scheme for Empty Homes in Scotland – Scotland Empty Homes Partnership

Whitbread gets the go ahead for Edinburgh’s Capital House hotel

Former office on Festival Square will be converted into 195-bedroom Premier Inn

Whitbread PLC, the owner of the Premier Inn hotel chain, has received confirmation from The City of Edinburgh Council that it has granted planning permission for the conversion of Capital House in the centre of Edinburgh into a 195-bedroom Premier Inn.

Whitbread will invest £21 million in the conversion and rear extension of the 65,350 sq ft vacant office building into a latest format Premier Inn hotel with a ground floor restaurant and bar.

The new Premier Inn is anticipated to generate an additional £8.1 million per year in visitor expenditure through the external spending of more than 56,000 business and leisure guests which are predicted to stay at the hotel every year once it reaches maturity.

Whitbread believes half of this external year-round expenditure is anticipated to be spent supporting city centre businesses based on a comprehensive nationwide study of its customers in 2023.

Jill Anderson, Acquisitions Manager for Scotland at Whitbread, said: “We are fortunate to have an established network of 14 trading Premier Inn hotels in Edinburgh which welcome a million visitors a year and drive £32 million in annual external spending in the city.

“The strong year-round demand we are continuing to experience for our rooms in the city is driving the expansion of Premier Inn across Edinburgh, including at Capital House in the heart of the city centre.

“It is a sensational location for a budget hotel given its proximity to iconic tourist destinations like Edinburgh Castle, a host of theatres and concert venues, the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) and the Exchange District.

“Getting the green light to convert the 1980’s office into a latest format Premier Inn is a huge achievement for the team and we will waste no time in breathing fresh life into the empty building and adding another high-quality location for our customers in Scotland.”

Whitbread acquired Edinburgh Capital House freehold in late 2024 and submitted a planning application to change the use of the 1980s office block to a hotel in May 2025.

In addition to its investment in Capital House, Whitbread is working to expand the presence of Premier Inn at Edinburgh Airport and add a fourth hub by Premier Inn hotel in the city to the east of the city centre.

Premier Inn is the UK’s largest hotel chain with a network of 85,500 hotel bedrooms across the UK & Ireland trading from more than 840 hotel locations. Across both countries, the company believes in the long-term potential for 125,000 Premier Inn bedrooms.

Craigmount High School projects promote healthy lifestyle choices

Craigmount High School S2 pupils displayed great initiative in creating promotional materials encouraging young people to make positive lifestyle choices which were showcased during their recent ‘Live It!’ healthy living fair.

Several pupils chose to research the topic of e-cigarettes and addiction as part of their project work and created a campaign presenting information about the risks to health caused nicotine dependency.

The project work by students Owen Adams, Murray Bruce, Max Green and Olly Hay which also provided tips suggesting how young people could take steps to quit vaping, is being commended by health charity, ASH Scotland.

The pupils used the charity’s website to find details about the importance of tackling youth vaping, which is a major public health concern as e-cigarettes contain high levels of addictive nicotine as well as toxic chemicals.

Murray Bruce said: “Vaping isn’t only bad for your lungs. I’m concerned about young people getting addicted. I’ve found out it’ young people that are targeted with the bright colours and different flavours.

“I’d like to see more ‘fake customers’ going into shops to try to buy vapes from the shops that sell them to underage people and catch them. More people need to be caught so that they stop selling them.”

Project Learning Lead at Craigmount High School, Laura Thompson, who led the project said: “I’m pleased to see a number of our S2 pupils chose to focus on the issue of youth vaping, as it is a real concern to society.

“Banning smoking from public places seemed like such a game changer when that was brought in. Over 20 years on and we’ve just created a new problem. We don’t yet know the full extent of the issue, as long-term impacts of vaping are not yet known.

“I do worry about the health implications moving forwards. It’s important for young people to take the lead in finding out more and looking at what can be done to raise awareness of this problem.”

Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive of ASH Scotland, said: “We congratulate all the S2 students at Craigmount High School for their dedicated work to raise awareness about the issues of addiction among young people and the challenges to health presented by tobacco and recreational nicotine products such as vapes.

“The information campaign developed by Owen, Murray, Max and Olly raised much-needed awareness about the damage that tobacco and e-cigarettes can cause young people in their excellent project work promoting healthy living.”

For information about young people and vaping, visit:

www.ashscotland.org.uk/young-people-vaping.

Last chance to sign up for Keep Scotland Beautiful seminar

CLIMATE AND NATURE-FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES NETWORK

TODAY is your last opportunity to register for our annual Climate and Nature Friendly Communities Network seminar.

It’s a wonderful opportunity to find out about the amazing work of groups across Scotland. You may even want to join …

Find the full agenda here: https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/…/climate-and…

And register for free by emailing beautifulscotland@keepscotlandbeautiful.org before noon TODAY – Monday 1 December!