Customers of Dobbies Garden Centres in the Lothians can now shop in store for the finest quality and award-winning products by ‘farm to fork’ company Puddledub.
The Fife-based producer already has a presence in Dobbies’ Dunfermline store not far from its family farm near the village of Auchtertool. Based on the success of the butcher at this store, the family business is now extending its presence to Dobbies in Edinburgh and Livingston, offering pork, beef, lamb, poultry and deli items, produced from its own livestock and sourced from other local suppliers.
Top products include dry cured bacon, delicious hams, luxury pork sausages and home-made steak pies.
The Mitchell family behind Puddledub have been at Clentrie Farm since 1905. The farm is focused on high welfare, sustainable pork production and caring for the environment.
Peter Mitchell, Director at Puddledub, said: “Just like Dobbies, we’re passionate about offering our customers the very best products and have a highly skilled team.
“That’s why we work with trusted partners that share our ethos, commitment to value and high-quality standards. The butchers in Dobbies’ Dunfermline store has proven to be a great success and we’re sure it will be the same in Edinburgh and Livingston.”
David Gibson, Regional Manager at Dobbies Garden Centres, said: “Puddledub is one of Scotland’s finest farms and meat producers, so we’re really pleased to welcome them to another two stores.
“The company has a thriving in-store and online retail presence already, proving how popular its products are. They’ll be an excellent addition to our foodhall in both Edinburgh and Livingston, offering great value products for our customers.”
Puddledub joins Dobbies’ diverse range of existing foodhall partnerships with brands including Waitrose, Hotel Chocolat, Whittards and Cook.
Both Dobbies and Puddledub are focused on reducing their impact on the environment. Puddledub is committed to sustainable farming and providing high-quality local produce to their customers. Each step from the breeding of their home-grown pigs, to the preparation of their products is thoughtfully done.
Dobbies is also actively working with suppliers to reduce single-use plastics and packaging, while offering a range of in-store recycling opportunities and reducing food waste in partnership with Too Good to Go.
– Customers can get up to 50% off toys in selected stores –
– Saving as much as £50 on some of this year’s must-have brands –
– Toy sale available while stocks last –
Morrisons has launched a mega toy sale, to help customers get their hands on much-wanted gifts for kids and spread the cost this Christmas.
Customers can bag themselves up to 50% off must-have toys this year, including L.O.L Dolls, Peppa Pig, Super Mario Kart and Hotwheels. The toy sale is available now in 423 stores while stocks last.
Morrisons is offering Peppa Pig’s Wooden Playhouse for £52.50, 50% off the RRP, which is bound to be the perfect gift for her fans. The wooden house comes with Peppa and George wooden figures and each room is kitted out with fun features, furniture and accessories for kids to enjoy a special treat this Christmas.
For little beauty fanatics and young fashionistas, customers can get Shimmer ‘n Sparkle InstaGlam On The Glo Makeup Trolley for just £47.50 down from £95.00 RRP or Rainbow High Fashion Studio for 50% off at £30.00.
Customers can also bag a bargain on what experts predict to be the top selling brands this year including a Barbie Pet Supply Store or Radio Control Car (both £26.50, saving over a third) or Play-Doh Colourful Cafe Playset (£33, also saving over a third).
With only three months to go until the big day, Morrisons hopes this huge sale will help customers spread the cost of purchasing Christmas gifts this year.
David Catton, Toys Buyer at Morrisons, said: “We know that customers are under real financial pressure at the moment and want to help them when it comes to their Christmas shopping.
“We’re reducing the price of our toys now to help customers spread the cost of the festive season and tick off some important jobs.”
Morrisons toy deals are available in selected Morrisons stores now while stocks last.
Highlight deals in Morrisons Toy Sale:
Product Description
Normal Retail
Promo Retail
Saving
Offer
Peppa Pigs’s Wooden Playhouse
£105.00
£52.50
£52.00
50%
Shimmer ‘n Sparkle InstaGlam on the Glo Makeup Trolley
Inflation-busting move will support customers in the run-up to Christmas
Price lock underlines Tesco’s unwavering commitment to great value for its customers
Colleagues set to benefit too, with significant boost to hourly pay rates across UK stores
Tesco is today announcing a vast new price-lock commitment, freezing the prices of more than a thousand everyday products until 2023, and giving shoppers more ways to spend less and enjoy the festive season.
The products are all included within our mammoth Low Everyday Prices campaign, which covers a wide range of products and brands bought week-in, week-out – from cupboard staples and teatime favourites, to household and health & beauty products.
To help customers make their money go further during the festive season, we’re locking the price of more than a thousand of these products into the new year.
So whether it’s McCain Home Chips for those midweek dinners or a winter pick-me-up with Nescafe Original 3-in-1, our customers can count on Tesco’s price to stay the same until 2023 – helping them spend less on their shopping and more on friends and family this Christmas.
Low Everyday Prices is a key part of Tesco’s commitment to giving customers great value on their shopping – going hand-in-hand with our Aldi Price Match, great value own-brand staples with our Exclusively at Tesco brands and exclusive deals through Clubcard Prices, which together cover more than 8,000 products.
And it’s just one of the ways we’re helping customers make their money go further this Christmas. Our Clubcard Christmas Savers Scheme offers customers a bonus voucher of up to £12 when they save their Clubcard Vouchers towards their big Christmas shop. While our Toy Sale, launched this week, offers savings of up to 50% on kids favourites like Lego and Stickle Bricks, so that families can spread the cost of Christmas.
Tesco UK Chief Executive, Jason Tarry, said: “We know times are tough for many customers right now, particularly as we head into the winter months. We hope this extended price-lock commitment gives our customers the certainty of knowing that over a thousand household favourites will stay at the same great price for months to come – helping them budget when they need it most.”
As well as helping customers, we’re today also announcing another major investment in our store colleagues – with the second hourly-pay increase this year, and a doubling of our colleague discount to support them this Christmas.
From 13 November 2022, the basic hourly rate of pay in our stores will increase by a further 20p to £10.30 (or £10.98 in London). This means hourly rates at Tesco will have increased nearly 8% this year – building on what was already a record single-year investment in store pay.
And on top of that, we’ll also be doubling our Colleague Clubcard discount to 20% during the key Christmas shopping period from 13-19 December.
This is just one part of our comprehensive package of benefits for Tesco colleagues, which also includes a recently enhanced selection of free food and hygiene products in the Colleague Rooms of our stores, so that colleagues can access a wider range of breakfast, lunch and snack items at no cost.
Notes to editors:
Examples of products covered by our price-lock commitment include:
Product
Current price – locked until 2023
TILDA PURE STEAMED BASMATI RICE, 250G
£0.95
SKI STRAWBERRY MOUSSE, 4X60G
£1.10
MCCAIN HOME CHIPS, 2.25KG
£4.30
ORAL-B PRO-EXPERT PROFESSIONAL PROTECTION TOOTHPASTE, 75ML
£1.99
HEINZ BAKED BEANS SNAP POTS, 4 X200G
£2.49
NESCAFE ORIGINAL 3-IN-1, 6 SACHETS 102G
£0.99
JOHNSON’S BABY COTTON BUDS, 200 PIECES
£0.95
ROBINSONS ORANGE SQUASH, 1L
£1.75
Low Everyday Prices includes over 1,000 products across larger Tesco stores. Excludes Express. Prices locked until 03/01/2023. Look out for the Low Everyday Prices roundel in-store and online.
A Clubcard is required to redeem Clubcard Prices offers included in Tesco’s toy sale.
The winner of Aldi’s Supermarket Sweep in Whitburn has raised a record-breaking £1519.28 for a local foodbank, while picking up £759.64 in Aldi favourites for himself.
Aldi’s popular Supermarket Sweep recently arrived in Whitburn and lucky shopper Scott Gibson, who was chosen as the winner of a competition after entering at Aldi’s tent at the 200th Royal Highland Show in June, took part in the five-minute trolley dash for charity on 4th of September.
As well as taking home a trolley full of goodies, Scott successfully found the hidden inflatable in store, meaning Aldi Scotland doubled the total value of his haul and donated the lump sum to his nominated charity, West Lothian Foodbank.
Aldi Supermarket Sweep winner, Scott Gibson, said:“I want to say thanks to Aldi for such a fun evening. When I entered the supermarket sweep competition at the Royal Highland Show, I didn’t expect such a challenge!
“The staff were so friendly, and I am delighted to have raised such a great amount for the local foodbank.”
Kathleen Neilly, West Lothian Foodbank manager, said:“I would like to say thank you to Aldi Scotland for providing us with support during these hard times all of this donation will be used to buy food to help our local people that’s in a crisis.”
Richard Holloway, Regional Managing Director for Scotland, said:“We are proud that the Aldi Supermarket Sweep is a firm favourite across the country, and we are so pleased to have brought it back this year.
“Congratulations to Scott who managed to raise an incredible £1519.28 for West Lothian Foodbank and snap up a whole load of Aldi treats for himself.”
Luxury restaurant chain Haute Dolci will be opening its doors to diners in Edinburgh on the 8th of October, creating 30 local jobs and introducing its famous dessert and brunch menu to its first-ever Scottish store.
The flagship store is located in the vibrant St James Quarter and will form part of the cosmopolitan landscape of the city, offering shoppers a chance to enjoy the best in decadent sweet treats and mouth-watering savoury dishes.
The grand opening will start at 10am and will include a variety of entertainment throughout the day, so diners are urged to get there early to make the most of a DJ and magician.
Daniel Gillett, the restaurant manager for Haute Dolci in Edinburgh, said: “We’re delighted to be able to open our first ever Scottish store, bringing Haute Dolci’s stylish and friendly atmosphere to the people of Edinburgh.
“The team has worked incredibly hard to ensure we’re ready to welcome guests to the grand opening and we are so excited to see lots of faces over the course of the day!”
The grand opening follows the famous key hunt, which offers lucky dessert-lovers access to loyalty club benefits and discounts. Clues are still being shared via the restaurant chain’s social media channels — Facebook and Instagram in the run-up to the opening.
For more information on the Haute Dolci brand or to make a reservation at the new Edinburgh restaurant, please visit hautedolci.co.uk.
Haute Dolci franchise opportunities are available across the UK; please contact Franchise@hauteworld.co.uk for more information.
Virgin Hotels Edinburgh will open its latest concept Eve on 7th October
Virgin Hotels Edinburgh, the luxury lifestyle hotel brand by Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson, announces its latest concept, Eve – an all-day dining space that will provide an array of food, beverages and entertainment.
The vibrant social space will officially open to the public on 7th October and is set to perfectly complement Edinburgh’s enviable food and drink scene from morning lattes to lights out. For those eager to get ahead of the crowd, reservations can now be made directly on the hotel’s website at www.virginhotels.com/edinburgh/dine-and-drink/eve/.
To celebrate the launch, Eve will be offering all guests 50% off food for every reservation made from 7th-29th October and will be putting on a variety of live entertainment seven days a week throughout the month.
Situated at ground floor level, with an entrance from Cowgate, Eve will hold up to 160 guests and is designed to be a playful environment to eat, drink and socialise in the heart of Edinburgh. With performance being at the core of the history of the Virgin brand, Eve will put on a diverse range of events showcasing the best of both Scottish and international culture.
From exclusive one-off activations that will firmly put Eve on the map to weekly intimate events including ‘Musical Mondays’, ‘On Demand’ and ‘Live & Unsigned’, there will be something for everyone to enjoy.
Alongside the lively entertainment, guests can order up a storm with a menu perfect for sharing with friends and family on any occasion whether it’s breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner.
The menu caters to all tastes with everything from small plates – including beef brisket croquettes and Scottish salmon crudo – to large plates offering flat iron steak and charcuterie boards as well as a selection of juicy burgers, hearty sandwiches and refreshing salad bowls.
The interiors of Eve are like no other. The walls are adorned with floor-to-ceiling unique murals specifically curated by award winning Dutch graffiti artists, Studio Giftig, for the venue. Incorporating themes of space exploration, Scottish history, and Virgin legacy, these distinctive artworks create an immersive space that both celebrates and transcends the area’s rich history.
Opened until late, guests are encouraged to enjoy a post dinner cocktail from a range of bespoke creations all with locality in mind, helping to bring a sense of Scotland into each of the flavours.
From Park Bench Aperitivos such as Strong-Beau, a nod to the nation’s favourite fruity cider, to twists on classic cocktails such as the ‘Pin-Up’, a reimagining of the Pornstar Martini and East 8 Holdup, the cocktail menu brings some nostalgic flavours firmly into the 21st Century.
Eve is situated within the newly opened Virgin Hotels Edinburgh located in the landmark India Buildings in Edinburgh’s Old Town, a stone’s throw from Edinburgh Castle.
The hotel features 222 Chambers and Grand Chamber Suites and multiple dining and drinking outlets including Eve and Commons Club, all with their own unique space and distinct design.
The hotel site is home to a 19th century church, known as Greyfriars Hall, that is being beautifully restored and repurposed as a special event venue. In addition, the hotel will offer a rooftop sanctuary with unobstructed Edinburgh Castle views.
Scott McArdle, General Manager of Virgin Hotels Edinburgh, commented: “We have already started to see Virgin Hotels Edinburgh come to life over the last few months and Eve is going to add even more flavour to what we already offer.
“This vibrant and lively space will be at the heart of the city’s entertainment with fantastic food, unique cocktails and an array of performances – there really is something for everyone to enjoy.”
All guests can sign up for the brand-wide guest preferences and loyalty program ‘The Know’, which grants a personalised hotel experience that allows for access to room upgrades, member rates, special events and a complimentary cocktail hour in Commons Club – all when booking directly with Virgin Hotels.
All Chambers and Suites have integrated tech capabilities, which can control lighting, thermostats, TVs, and order room service directly via the mobile app, Lucy which is exclusively available to Know members.
Lucy also gives guests the ability to check in prior to arrival and can be used as an access key to their Chambers. Chambers are also pet friendly, with complimentary ‘pet-menities’ available, including dog beds and food and water dishes.
The hotel has been developed and is owned by Flemyn and managed by Virgin Hotels.
Reservations for the hotel are also open and can be made directly on the hotel’s websitewww.virginhotels.com/edinburgh.
Follow along on social media: Instagram @Eveedinburgh, Facebook @Evevhedinburgh
Gleneagles Townhouse, the hotel and all-day restaurant in Edinburgh, has launched the latest in its series of unique cultural exhibitions.
Edinburgh-born artist and director David Eustace, in collaboration with The Fine Art Society and Gleneagles Townhouse, presents ‘Memento Mori’ – an exhibition of new work inspired by the perception and inevitability of death – is available to view until 9th October.
Open to members, hotel residents and visitors to The Spence, the venue’s all-day dining restaurant, Eustace’s exhibition follows the success of Gleneagles Townhouse’s first ever photography exhibition in partnership with Soo Burnell, which took place throughout August.
The inspiration for ‘Memento Mori’ dates to 2018, on a visit to Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris with Eustace’s friend and fellow artist, Douglas Gordon. While sitting next to Gertrude Stein’s grave, Eustace collected some leaves in a box which went forgotten until lockdown two years ago.
He began studying decaying plants and flowers and took pictures which then developed into a series. Eustace’s arresting and humbling documentation of decaying flowers serves as a reminder of human’s own immediacy and fragility.
With a diverse background, Eustace began his career serving in the Royal Navy and worked as a Prison Officer at HMP Barlinnie in Glasgow. Returning to education he graduated in 1991 and became a masthead contributor to Conde Nast Publications (GQ, Vogue and Tatler).
He has travelled extensively through-out his career and for 15 years was primarily based in NYC. In 2015 Eustace accepted the responsibility of Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University, a post he held for six years.
His work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally and is included in both private and public collections. Eustace was the first photographic artist to have an exhibition in The Scottish Gallery’s 173-history.
His commercial and personal work often go hand in hand, highlighted by Panasonic when Eustace was approached to star in their global Lumix campaign based around his work and commentary.
He has created campaigns for global clients including Paramount Pictures, Sony, Anthropologie. He also serves as a creative consultant for several companies including recently writing and directing the ‘Precious Time’ campaign for Balblair whisky.
Gleneagles Townhouse said: “David’s work is much admired all around the world, so it is a privilege for us to be showcasing his latest exhibition from our new Edinburgh Townhouse.
“From our early discussions around Townhouse, we knew we wanted to create a series of ongoing events which would showcase the diverse talent on our doorstep to our visitors – whether they were local or from further afield – and we’re thrilled David has joined us on the journey.”
Marks and Spencer is to close it’s food store in Ocean Terminal. The store will close before the end of the year, but the company insists ‘the vast majority’ of Leith staff will be offered new jobs other M & S stores.
Scott Munro, M&S’s regional manager for the east of Scotland, said: “Shopping habits are changing and we’re reshaping our store estate across Scotland and the UK to make sure we’re reflecting the needs of our customers.
“As part of this transformation, we have today announced to colleagues our decision to close the M&S Ocean Terminal store at Ocean Terminal later this year.
“Our priority is to support our colleagues through these changes and we are confident of being able to offer new roles to the vast majority of those affected.
“We are committed to Edinburgh and this decision means there are more opportunities to invest in our eight other stores across the city.”
“But their decision does not impact on our plans. Instead, it has allowed us to actively pursue a range of opportunities for partnership with alternative food retailers as part of ongoing plans to reconfigure Ocean Terminal and shape the ongoing transformation of the centre and its important waterfront location.”
Responding to news of the closure of the Marks & Spencer store in Ocean Terminal, Foysol Choudhury MSP said: “I was shocked to find out today that the M&S store in Ocean Terminal is set for closure with the loss of a number of jobs. This could be the death knell for Ocean Terminal.
“Marks & Spencer is one of Ocean Terminal’s remaining flagship outlets for the area.
“With the tram set to arrive before long, I fear that this is a short-term decision that will damage Leith in the long-term.
“I will be writing to Marks & Spencer to seek a meeting to urgently review this decision.”
What are you up to this weekend? Come along to our 17th annual arts and music festival!
Over 75 artists, from a huge variety of disciplines, will throw open doors to their homes & gardens over the weekend – so lots to see and discover … also visit our Campervan Brewery pop up bar, chow down food from @The Safari Lounge & listen to live music at the Hive!
Major supermarkets are scrapping best before dates and encouraging shoppers to use the ‘sniff test’ instead, but what do all of these terms really mean?
Penny pinching pros atNetVoucherCodes.co.uk have shared their advice on what the difference between ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ dates are and the importance of the new sniff test.
With some major supermarkets removing the ‘use by’ labels on bottles of milk, shoppers are being encouraged to use the sniff test rather than chucking away expired food which is still safe to eat.
This is causing concern to those who are not aware of the labelling differences and are worried about consuming expired goods.
The change is being brought in by supermarkets in an attempt to tackle food waste following news of further food price increases for everyday essentials like dairy and vegetables.
When an item passes its best before date, it is not necessarily ‘out of date’ so Brits shouldn’t be too worried about this change.
In fact, this date is just a guideline for quality and freshness. It’s typically added by manufacturers and after this date has passed, the ‘best taste’ has gone.
Mitch Barnes, online consumer expert at NetVoucherCodes.co.uk said: “With the cost-of-living soaring, selected supermarkets are adapting their product labelling by removing the best before label.
“While it can massively help with food wastage problems, it can be quite confusing to suss out when they need to be used by and how people can tell if a food has gone off at home.
“We’re advising people to check the remaining labels and to use the sniff test at home to save the extra pennies on a weekly food shop bill.”
Here are NetVoucherCodes.co.uk’s top tips explaining the importance of different expiry date meanings:
Best before dates
Most labels have the best before dates on the packaging, usually two or three days before the use-by dates – this is usually put on by manufacturers. Once you’ve passed the use-by date, it doesn’t necessarily mean the product is inedible, but it’ll just lack the freshness it once had and it will essentially lose its ‘best taste’.
While they may be lacking in taste and texture, they’re still safe to eat for a limited time and can help to save extra cash during a food shop.
Use by dates
Use by dates are often confused with Best Before dates. The labelled use-by date on a product is a recommended time for how long you should use a product by.
Meat and fish products should not be consumed after the ‘use by’ date as there is a high chance that you’ll get food poisoning if you do. What you can do is freeze the meat before the expiry date for as long as nine months if it’s raw chicken.
Sniff test
This is the system being steadily introduced into supermarkets. If a milk carton was previously labelled as ‘best before 12 Sep 2022’, it’s likely to still have a few days of safe consumption afterwards.
You’ll be able to tell if your milk is off by the foul smell, so make sure to just give it the test instead of spending a fortune buying a fresh carton each time it goes beyond the labelled best before date.
