Tag: food and drink

St James Quarter introduces stellar Christmas line-up

As 2021 comes to an end, St James Quarter shows no signs of slowing down with seven new retailers opening their doors in time for Christmas.

Throughout the month of December, St James Quarter announces a number of openings including Thai Express Kitchen, German Doner Kebab, Wingstop, Reiss, Bubbleology, Moriconi and Sunnamusk, just in time for the busy festive season.

Catering to everyone, the new line-up offers everything from clothing and accessories to food and drink, providing a luxurious escape featuring new trends and tastes from around the world.

Much to foodies’ delight, Wingstop and Thai Express Kitchen are now open and are tingling tastebuds with the American and Canadian brands both beginning their first venture in Scotland, bringing flavours and recipes from across the globe.

German Doner Kebab also opened its doors to its third restaurant in Edinburgh late last week and has launched its limited-edition ultimate winter warmer to celebrate. The all-new Chilli Heatwave Krunch Burger is set to get pulses racing and has arrived just in time for the Christmas holidays.

For those looking for the perfect Christmas party outfit, they can shop ‘til they drop in the brand-new Reiss store which opened today. Taking The Quarter’s fashion offering to a whole new level, the iconic brand will offer fashionista’s high-quality pieces suitable for all ages.

And it doesn’t stop there, St James Quarter has welcomed new name Moriconi, an Italian jeweller featuring handmade pieces from Tuscany using both traditional and modern processing techniques to the main galleria floor.

Joining them later this month will be Bubbleology, a leading Bubble Tea brand, crafting made to order tea-based beverages and Sunnamusk, a specialist fragrance house based in the UK. Working with a team of highly skilled perfumers, Sunnamusk produces an exclusive range of pure fine oils, Eau de Parfum and home fragrances.

Getting into the Christmas spirit, St James Quarter is also running a 12 days of Christmas giveaway offering car park users the chance to receive an exciting free parking prize for use in January. Guests using the car park will be surprised at random between the 12th to 24th December.

Additionally, shoppers can make the most of parking at The Quarter with a fixed rate of £5 from 5.30pm onwards available during the festive period.

Nick Peel, Managing Director for St James Quarter, commented: “As we approach Christmas, there couldn’t be a better time to welcome new and exciting brands to St James Quarter. As the place to shop in Scotland’s capital, we’re proud to welcome a number of Scottish firsts as well as brands already popular with visitors to the city.

“From luxury fashion to exotic tastes, there’s something for everyone at The Quarter and our retailers will be sure to make Christmas shopping an enjoyable experience for all.

“We look forward to welcoming guests over the Christmas period and will be excited to share our latest developments in the new year.”

Food Banks in Scotland struggle to keep up with rising demand as donations fall

Food banks in Scotland are preparing for their most challenging Christmas yet as they struggle with rising demand and dwindling public donations, new research shows. 

According to a survey by community giving platform Neighbourly – which Aldi partners with to distribute surplus food from its stores – 68% of food banks, charities and community causes in Scotland are worried about having enough food to support people this Christmas. 

Neighbourly polled more than 600 food banks and community causes nationwide and found that 89% in Scotland expect this Christmas to be their busiest yet, with more people than ever needing their support. 

However, the survey also revealed that 71% of food banks in the region have witnessed a drop in donations in recent months – with the fallout of the pandemic and rising cost of living continuing to impact contributions. 

On average, food banks in Scotland expect to see a 36% increase in demand over the next three months, with organisations in the area currently supporting an average of 203 people a week. More than 67% say they’ve already experienced an increase in demand since the summer. 

From tinned foods to festive treats and toiletries, the research also revealed a list of the items that are most needed by food banks over the festive period to help guide supporters. Shoppers can donate food to local charities, food banks and community groups via the community donation points in Aldi stores nationwide. 

Mary Dunn, Managing Director of Corporate Responsibility at Aldi UK, said: “Christmas can be a particularly busy time for the local charities and organisations we support, but this year is set to be more challenging than ever.  

“As part of our Christmas campaign with Kevin the Carrot and Marcus Radishford, we have committed to donate 1.8 million meals to good causes in the lead-up to Christmas – and we know that our customers in Scotland want to help too.

“If you feel you are in a position to help, your donation could make all the difference to food banks this Christmas.” 

Steve Butterworth, CEO of Neighbourly, added: “The findings of our latest survey highlight that the continued impact of the pandemic, combined with increased inflation, is being very much felt by communities up and down the country, with charities and local causes feeling the effects too.

“We’d encourage anyone who is able to give back in the coming weeks to do so.” 

Aldi works with Neighbourly to donate surplus food from stores throughout the year. 

Top 15 most in-demand items this Christmas 

  1. Tinned food 
  2. Festive treats 
  3. Toiletries 
  4. Tea/coffee 
  5. Biscuits and snacks 
  6. Breakfast cereals 
  7. Juices and soft drinks 
  8. UHT milk  
  9. Laundry and cleaning products 
  10. Dry packaged food 
  11. Rice and pasta 
  12. Gift items 
  13. Cooking sauces 
  14. Children’s toys, crafts and games 
  15. Sanitary items 

Healthy Heart Tip: Mulled Wine & Cider – Counting the units

Studies have shown 61% of the UK’s population over-indulge in alcohol over the festive season, more than they usually do.

Drinking too much alcohol can increase your risk of heart disease. How much is too much? How do you know how many units of alcohol you are consuming?

We’re providing some guidance on understanding alcohol units and keeping track of how much you are drinking this Christmas. 

What are alcohol units and ABV?

Alcohol units represent the quantity of pure alcohol contained within an alcoholic drink (1 unit is 10ml of pure alcohol). The number of units of alcohol in your drink depends on the size and the strength of your drink. ABV means ‘alcohol by volume’ and this is a measure of the amount of alcohol as a percentage of the total volume of a drink.

Calculating your units

You can find the ABV on the labels of cans and bottles. To calculate the number of units in a drink, multiply the ABV by the volume (in ml) and divide by 1000.

    • ABV x volume (ml) ÷ 1000 = units
 1 BOTTLE OF WINE1 PINT BEER / LAGER / CIDER1 SINGLE SPIRIT

 750ml (ABV 13.5%) =

10 units
1 pint (568ml) (ABV 5.2%) =

3 units
25ml (ABV 40%) =

1 unit
 

The drinks you pour at home may be larger than the amount measured out in pubs. You could try using a measuring cup when pouring drinks at home so you can keep track of what you are drinking.

How much is too much?

For men and women, the maximum recommended alcohol units each week is 14, spread over 3 or more days. If you are pregnant, it is recommended that you do not drink alcohol at all.

Try recording how much you are drinking over a week using a diary or alcohol tracker.

Drinkaware provide assessment tools that you can use to track the amount you are drinking: https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/tools

Support for your drinking

If you are worried about how much you, or someone you know, are drinking you can get support by visiting: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-support/

To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/

Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers:

https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-cookbook/

Wingstop announce first Scottish opening in St James Quarter

Wingstop, the award-winning concept with more than 1,600 locations worldwide, has announced that it will open a new restaurant in Edinburgh tomorrow (Thursday 16 December).

The new outlet will be Wingstop’s 14th UK location and their first physical restaurant opening in Scotland.

The restaurant will be located on St James Quarter’s lower ground in Leith Street Eats. The store is set to open to the public on December 16th 2021, and will be open between 11am – 10pm seven days a week. Delivery and Click and Collect will be available soon through Deliveroo.

Tom Grogan, Director of Lemon Pepper Holdings (Wingstop UK) said: “We have taken our time to look for the perfect location for our first Wingstop location in Scotland and we are delighted with the site we have chosen in St James Quarter.

“We look forward to introducing our Flavours and Wings to the guests of this iconic development.”

Nick Peel, Managing Director at St James Quarter, said: “We are beyond excited to be welcoming Wingstop to the St James Quarter family. We know from the success of our food and beverage brands just how much customers love culinary experiences, so we can’t wait to see their incredible menu come to life.

“Our goal is to provide visitors with an enjoyable and memorable experience with something new to see, do, and experience every time they come back to The Quarter – from the casual diner to the serial foodie, there is something here for everyone.”

Wingstop recently opened its 16th store in Manchester Piccadilly, following on from openings in Birmingham, Bristol and Reading.

Wingstop prides itself on its quality product and bold flavour variety. Guests can choose from a selection 10 bold flavours: Lemon Pepper, Atomic, Mango Habanero, Hawaiian, Louisiana Rub, Original Hot, Spicy Korean Q, Hickory Smoked BBQ, Brazilian Citrus Pepper and Garlic Parmesan.

Classic wings, boneless wings, tenders are all available hand-sauced-and-tossed with fans’ choice of bold flavours. Wingstop has recently introduced a Big Flavour Burger available in any of the ten flavours served in a buttery brioche bun, coleslaw, ranch, and pickles.

Sweet potato fries or regular fries are also available and can be customised with Lemon Pepper seasoning, Cajun or Wingstop style, or fans can go all out and order loaded fries topped off with either Buffalo Ranch or cheese.

Wingstop’s dip selection includes ranch, blue cheese and honey mustard. To top it off, sweet and crunchy churros are available for dessert with a choice of Oreo or Biscoff crumble and a choice of sweet milk or caramel dip.

Since launching in 2018, Wingstop has a growing portfolio of restaurants in England and now Scotland. The aim is to continue expansion with more restaurants due to open across the UK.

Thai Express Kitchen opens in St James Quarter

A GLOBAL brand known for its fresh take on traditional Thai food has officially opened the doors of its first ever Scottish venue in Edinburgh’s St James Quarter.

Thai Express Kitchen offers Edinburgh foodies casual dining and a licensed bar, centred around an open-plan kitchen, with expert wok chefs cooking to order and using fresh and seasonal produce.

The Edinburgh restaurant features Scotland’s very first example of double decker restaurant seating – inspired by a setup popular across Southeast Asia.

Also offering food on the go, it serves a selection of traditional Thai and custom dishes, including pad Thai, papaya salad and its popular Thairatcha wings – with customers able to customise dishes to their preferred spice level.

The launch is an exciting moment for Uzma and Sachin Pattani, who brought the 300-outlet “Thai Express” brand to the UK in 2012.

As the first Thai Express “Kitchen”, Edinburgh will be the eighth and largest setting, with the dining in element a much bigger focus. The St James Quarter restaurant joins similar buzzy locations including Croydon, Wembley and Birmingham.

The opening marks the moment Sachin, 42, who has overseen the £500,000 transformation of the site, hands over operations to his 35-strong team who will oversee the day to day running of the venue.

Thai Express Kitchen, St James Quarter, Edinburgh

He said: “Our launch events could not have been more successful and we are delighted to have started serving up our world-famous Thai food to the Edinburgh public.

“As our first ever ‘Kitchen’ – a lot of care and hard work has gone in behind the scenes to make this our most creative and extensive venue so far.

“We’re fiercely proud of the business we have built in the UK so far and are looking forward to offering our Scottish customers delicious Thai flavours in a special setting that we hope will get people talking.”

The eatery, within the £1billion St James Quarter’s Leith Street Eats area, will feature 100 covers.

Originally from Canada, Thai Express is the global leading brand for fast casual Thai Dining – and it attracts a wide audience, from families to students to office workers, with a combination of fresh food at a reasonable price.

For more information about Thai Express Kitchen at St James Quarter, visit: https://thaiexpress.co.uk/ or follow us on Facebook and Instagram

Aldi to stock Scotland’s most sustainable beef this Christmas

This Christmas, Aldi Scotland will be stocking what is described by farmers as ‘the meat you can feel good about’, as its range of Galloway joints hits shelves.  

The supermarket is enhancing its Christmas range with Scotch Galloway Beef Sirloin Joint (£17.99/kg), Scotch Galloway Beef Rump Joint (£9.99/kg) and the award-winning* Scotch Galloway Beef Joint wrapped in Ayrshire Streaky Bacon (£11.99, 950g), which will be available across all 102 Scottish stores from 19th December. 

Galloway cattle are renowned for the benefits they have for farmers, local communities, and the biodiversity of the natural environment. That’s in addition to being recognised by top chefs across the world for their exquisite taste and outstanding quality. 

The cattle are ‘conservation grazers’ meaning they thrive on agricultural land that face natural challenges, such as exposed high hills. As one of Scotland’s oldest native breeds, the Galloway’s knack for digesting rough grass and foraging on Scottish hillsides have set them apart for their ability to reinvigorate the landscape, creating valuable habitat that allows rich biodiversity to flourish. 

Scott McKinnon from Galloway Cattle Society said: “Scottish farmers are sitting up and taking notice of the fantastic benefits Galloway cattle can have, not only for their buying partners like Aldi who are looking for unmatched quality from their suppliers, but also the benefit these cattle have on the landscape and the wider environment.

“It’s important we all work together to make farming as sustainable as possible and explore opportunities for the agricultural sector to continue to grow and diversify as the world moves to a more circular economy model.

“It’s great to see a leading supermarket like Aldi supporting Scottish farmers and recognising the cattle for their sustainable benefits.” 

Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director, Aldi Scotland said: “Our relationships with our talented, local suppliers gives us a real insight into the sector and allows us to explore options which not only meet our high-standard in quality but that have benefits which exceed essential food production.

“Galloway beef is renowned across the world for its superb taste, and it has been amazing to discover what makes them so uniquely special.

“At Aldi Scotland we only stock products that we are proud of, and we look forward to offering our shoppers a meat they can feel especially good about this Christmas.” 

Scotbeef’s Scotch Galloway Beef Sirloin Joint (£17.99/kg), Scotch Galloway Beef Rump Joint (£9.99/kg) and the award-winning* Scotch Galloway Beef Joint wrapped in Ayrshire Streaky Bacon (£11.99, 950g), will all be available, while stocks last, across all Aldi Scotland’s 102 stores from 19th December 2021. 

* The Scotch Galloway Joint with Ayrshire Bacon has won Grocer own Label Award Bronze in 2021 and a Quality Food Awards Commended award in 2020. 

Edinburgh-based Wemyss Malts release rare single cask whiskies

Wemyss Malts are launching six new extremely rare single cask whiskies. The six expressions from the Wemyss Malt whisky range are boldly named using the aromas and tastes of the whiskies to uniquely identify each bottling.

This wave of releases will be in a brand-new design, with each label colour coded to match the flavour category it falls under: Sweet, Spicy, Smoky, Rich, Light and Oily.

The team at Wemyss Malts believes that much of the malt whisky terminology can be difficult to decipher, even for a knowledgeable consumer.  The expressions from the Wemyss Malt whisky range are boldly named using the aromas and tastes of the whiskies to uniquely identify each bottling. The six new single casks follow this naming convention and have intriguing descriptive names to entice whisky drinkers.

In addition to their flavour led names each label is colour coded to match the flavour category it falls under: Sweet, Spicy, Smoky, Rich, Light and Oily.

This wave of releases will be in a new design, the updated packaging includes a bespoke decanter bottle, ornately illustrated labels and gift box.

Each cask has yielded only a few hundred bottles and the resulting unique whiskies are extremely rare.

Prices noted are approximate suggested retail per 750ml:

• Bananas and Cream: This light single cask is a grain whisky from Strathclyde distillery.  Distilled in 2005 and bottled in 2021. Priced at £88. Key tasting note: Sweet banana ice cream, meringue, lemon balm and iced buns.

• Clove Studded Oranges: From Speyside, Glenrothes distillery.  Distilled in 1996 and bottled in 2021, with only 187 bottles. Available only through www.wemyssmalts.com (£200). Key tasting note: Rich, deep orange flavours laced with intense cloves, dried fruits and muscovado sugar.

• Jam on Toast: This spicy single cask is from the Highland distillery of Blair Athol. Distilled in 1991 and bottled in 2021, this single malt is a majestic 30 years old.  226 bottles. This bottling is a Cask Club members’ exclusive (£300). Key tasting note: Sweet rich fruit flavours with a slight savoury edge evokes an array of rich fruits; plum and orange jam with sultanas. Complex wood spices give a peppery and spicy depth.

• Kiwi and Chilli: From Speyside, Glenrothes Distillery. Distilled in 1996, with 282 bottles (£225). Key tasting notes: Kiwi fruits with a spicy Jalapeños kick. Sweet, glazed doughnuts, shortcake and provides a cereal rich depth. Honey rich sweetness balances the zesty exotic fruit and chilli spice.

• Sweet Disposition: From Speyside, Glen Keith Distillery. Distilled in 1996 with 492 bottles (£200). Tasting notes: Light and enticingly sweet with eucalyptus honey, pear drops Moffat toffee, lime cordial and strawberry laces. Glazed doughnuts, shortcake and provides a cereal rich depth.

• Ultimate Apple Pie: This sweet single cask is from Speyside, Glen Moray distillery. Distilled in 1996 and bottled in 2021. Priced at £150. Tasting notes: Rich and stewed apple pie with allspice and sweetened short crust pastry. Zesty green grapes, candy chews and white icing. The sweetness shifts to a drier note with an effervescent, fizzy mouthfeel.

William Wemyss, Founder and Managing Director at Wemyss Malts, commented: “Winter is all about treasuring time with loved ones over the festive period, with this in mind our latest selection of single casks convey an assortment of fortifying and warming flavours.

“With this assortment of single casks from the spritely and sweet ‘Ultimate Apple Pie’ to the incredibly decadent Glenrothes aptly named “Clove Studded Oranges” and the show stopping 30 year old Blair Athol named “Jam on Toast” we truly have something to please all whisky fans.”

Four of the six bottlings will be available in selected retailers in the UK, EU and key Asian markets.

Kirsty Mackinnon, Brand Manager, Wemyss Malts, commented: “We have selected one very special bottling; a 30 year old Blair Athol named “Jam on Toast” to be an exclusive release to our Wemyss Malts Cask Club members.

“Anyone interested may join the Cask Club free via our website. Whether you are a newcomer to whisky or an experienced imbiber the Wemyss Malts Cask Club also aims to delight and enlighten with regular features and competitions.”

“Jam on Toast” joins 6 new single cask bottlings that have been released online and to selected retailers in the UK, EU and Asian markets. Four Speyside single malts, one Highland single malt, one lowland single malts and one single grain whisky make up the new release. Each cask has been selected by Isabella Wemyss, Director of Production, each bottling has a descriptive name illustrating the whisky’s character and have been bottled non-chill-filtered and in their naturally colour.

They are limited to only a few hundred bottles with suggested retail prices ranging from £88 to £300.

Full detail of these single casks can be found of the Wemyss Malts website.

Morrisons brings back the 15-piece Ultimate Breakfast

– The Ultimate Breakfast is back on the menu after feedback from customers –

– It has bacon, sausages, fried egg, mushrooms, tomato, black pudding, hash browns, beans and fried bread –

– Other customer favourites coming back include the Prawn Mayo Sandwich and Mini Fish & Chips –

A selection of customer favourites are making a return to the Morrisons Café menu this week, including The Ultimate Breakfast. 

The 15-piece fry up is available all day and includes three large sausages, two bacon rashers, a fried egg, two flat mushrooms, a griddled tomato half as well as two black pudding slices, two hash browns, Heinz beans and a slice of fried bread cut in half.  What’s more, it costs just £6.95.

Other winter warmers making a comeback include our Mini Fish & Chips, Bangers & Mash and Sausage, Egg, Chips & Heinz beans.  The smaller café classics all cost £4.50 and are available all day. 

Our Prawn Mayonnaise Sandwich is also back by popular demand.  For an additional £1.00, customers can now add a portion of chips to their sandwich orders as well as to other main meals such as salads, pies or pizzas.

This week also sees our takeaway Afternoon Tea reduced from £12.00 to £10.00, including the festive option.  It includes a selection of sandwiches, cakes and mince pies that are served with British clotted cream – all served with proper Yorkshire Tea.

If it’s just a hot drink you’re after, then you can now order a coffee and cake for £3.00 or simply add a muffin to your drinks order for just £1.00.

In addition, kids can also eat free all day everyday when an adult meal over £4.50 is purchased.

Our Christmas menu is currently available with a wide range of breakfast and lunch options including our Christmas Turkey Lunch with all the trimmings for just £5. Succulent hand carved Morrisons Deli turkey is served with roast potatoes, creamy mash, carrots, brussel sprouts, stuffing, yorkshire pudding, pigs in blankets, cranberry sauce and gravy.

Ali Lyons, Morrisons Head of Café, said: “This week we’re bringing back by popular demand some of the items from our menu that customers have told us they are missing, particularly our 15 piece Ultimate Breakfast as well as a selection of smaller dishes. 

“We’re also making it easy to add some extras to your orders such as a portion of chips to a main meal or a cake or muffin to a hot drink.”

To help customers in the run up to Christmas, we’re also offering £5 main meals on a selected number of delicious Morrisons café dishes.

Customer favourites include our Best Beef Burger which is stacked in our The Best Brioche Bun with cheese, salad and burger or a Crispy Chicken Burger using Market Street succulent chicken.

For pie lovers there’s our Market Street Chunky Steak Pie which is served with creamy mash, mushy peas and piping hot gravy. Our Full Breakfast is also available in this offer too.

For more information on our cafés, please visit: 

https://my.morrisons.com/blog/food/new-cafe-menu/

Morrisons launches sustainable household range ‘eco’ with prices starting from just £1

  • Morrisons eco range includes cleaning products, fabric conditioner and laundry liquid
  • All products are 100% recyclable
  • Made using plant-based and biodegradable materials, with no harsh chemicals
  • Prices start at just £1.00, a fraction of the cost of similar household brands
A picture containing bottle, indoor, beverage Description automatically generated

Morrisons has launched a new cleaning range – Morrisons eco – to provide customers with more environmentally friendly alternatives to many staple household products. 

The range includes anti-bacterial spray, floor cleaner, toilet cleaner, laundry liquid, fabric conditioner, washing up liquid, toilet paper, kitchen roll, sponges and cloths – all the products are made from plant-based and vegan ingredients.

The packaging is fully-recyclable and can be recycled by customers at home, the products are also part of Morrisons first Leaping Bunny Cruelty Free certified range. 

Morrisons has launched the range in response to feedback from customers that they want to purchase cleaning products that would help them protect the environment but need them to be at a more affordable price point.

Research by Morrisons revealed that four out of five of its customers (81 per cent) said they care about the environment, and just under half (45 per cent) of customers said they have purchased an eco-friendly household product in the last six months, as shopping trends continue to shift. 

Unlike ordinary cleaning products that can be harmful to the environment, Morrisons eco range has been created with sustainability and the protection of the planet in mind, and without any compromise on performance.

When independently tested against comparable products from leading household brands, Morrisons eco range performed as well as products costing three times as much. Customers can pick up the Morrisons eco range in store from just £1.00, a saving compared to similar eco-ranges available. 

James Crabtree, Senior Household Buying Manager at Morrisons, says: “We believe that powerful cleaning doesn’t have to cost the earth – and we mean that both figuratively and literally.

“We’ve seen a boom in the popularity of more environmentally friendly products and we know our customers want to shop more sustainably. We’re excited to be able to provide them with an even bigger variety of cleaning products – that look and smell great – to pick up as part of their weekly shop, without breaking the bank.”

The following products are available now in Morrisons stores nationwide and online at morrisons.com: 

  • Morrisons eco toilet cleaner spearmint – 750ml – £1
  • Morrisons eco antibacterial multi surface spray rhubarb – 750ml – £1.50
  • Morrisons eco disinfectant spray passion fruit – 750ml – £1.50
  • Morrisons eco floor cleaner orange blossom – 1000ml – £1.50
  • Morrisons eco fabric conditioner tropical – 1L – £2
  • Morrisons eco non bio laundry liquid tropical – 1L – £1
  • Morrisons eco washing up liquid grapefruit – 500ml – £1
  • Morrisons eco toilet paper (9 pack) – £3.50
  • Morrisons eco kitchen roll (2 pack) – £1.50
  • Morrisons eco non scratch sponge (6 pack) – £1.25
  • Morrisons eco compostable all purpose cloths (10 pack) – £1.25
  • Morrisons eco biodegradable multiple use cloths (3 pack) – £1.25

For more information visit www.morrisons.co.uk.  

UK’s Best Burger Comes to Bonnie & Wild in St James Quarter

The award-winning team behind the UK’s best burger have today opened up their first Edinburgh outlet, taking a prime position within the acclaimed Bonnie & Wild food hall in the St James Quarter.

Nick Watkins of Glasgow’s favourite burger restaurant El Perro Negro said they had been looking for the right Edinburgh location for a while, and that the prospect of “joining the Bonnie & Wild family was a brilliant opportunity, and too good to pass up on”.

El Perro Negro has won a string of culinary and business accolades in recent years, including UK’s best burger in 2021 and in 2019. The popular eatery has a restaurant in Glasgow’s Woodlands area.

Now the popular burger restaurant and takeaway has today opened up its first Edinburgh outlet at Bonnie & Wild’s food hall, which hosts a variety of exciting chef-led food businesses including Chef Jimmy Lee’s Salt & Chilli, Gary Maclean’s Creel Caught and The Gannet, which last month won Best Restaurant at the annual SLTN awards.

Fans of El Perro Negro were given a tantalising hint of the new move over the weekend when the burger business published a cryptic post on their social media channels announcing the move to Edinburgh, but keeping quiet on the location.

El Perro Negro’s founder Nick said: “Opening in Edinburgh is a massive milestone for El Perro Negro, and both myself and business partners Peter McKenna and Ivan Stein are delighted to head east and join such a fantastic line-up at Bonnie & Wild.

“The support from customers over the past seven years, since we started out as a small pop-up in Glasgow has been overwhelming and we can’t wait to welcome everyone at our newest location.”

Offering a mouthwatering selection of meaty masterpieces, El Perro Negro will be serving up its spectacular Top Dog burger, twice winner of the National Burger Awards, boasting bone marrow and Roquefort butter, double bacon, caramelised onions and black truffle mayo.

Nick, who recently hosted a cook-off event at Bonnie & Wild in partnership with resident butcher MacDuff 1890, added: “All of El Perro Negro’s beef is sourced from small farms in the UK. Always grass-fed and always dry-aged.”

Bonnie & Wild’s Director of Operations Ryan Barrie said: “I’ve over the moon that Nick and the El Perro Negro team are joining Bonnie & Wild. Nick’s focus on high quality and responsible sourcing really chimes with Bonnie & Wild.

“We’re delighted to be welcoming the El Perro Negro team into our Scottish Marketplace, where they’ll be joining the likes National Chef of Scotland Gary Maclean, The Gannet and Chef Jimmy Lee, as well as local favourites east PIZZAS, CHIX and Joelato. I can’t wait to get my hands on one of their Top Dog burgers!”

Since opening in July, Bonnie & Wild has served more than 150,000 guests and attracted businesses such as Bowmore, Naked Malt, Bruichladdich, Virgin Atlantic and Scotland Food & Drink for product launches and other high-profile events.

As well as El Perro Negro, its food stalls include Creel Caught by Gary Maclean, Chef Jimmy Lee’s Salt & Chilli, Erpingham House, east PIZZAS, Joelato, CHIX, The Gannet East, MacDuff Butcher, Broken Clock Café & Patisserie and the Inverarity Morton boutique bottleshop.

El Perro Negro is open now and customers can visit at Bonnie & Wild, located in St James Centre, Edinburgh 7 days a week. 

To keep up to date with all things Bonnie & Wild and El Perro Negro, follow them on Instagram: @bonnieandwildmarket and @elperronegroedi.