Martin Miller’s Gin: World Bee Week

This May, Martin Miller’s Gin, the world’s most awarded gin brand, proudly partners with leading UK-wide venues and local beekeepers, in a week-long national celebration supporting the  UN’s World Bee Day 2022.  

Martin Miller’s Gin is partnering with Bermondsey Street Bees, Manchester & District Beekeeper’s  Association (MDBKA) and Edinburgh Honey Co. with the mission to raise awareness across the country  of the importance of bee pollinators, particularly in the urban environment.

Key venues including Duchess  of Dalston, Callooh Callay Chelsea and Gold in London, Atlas Bar, Pen & Pencil in Manchester and Pear  Tree, The Raging Bull and OohMami, Edinburgh will partake in this extended initiative – World Bee Week,  16-23 May 2022.  

The week-long celebration by Martin Miller’s Gin will see each partner venue list the Bee’s Knees Cocktail,  made with Martin Miller’s SUMMERFUL Gin. Every serve will be accompanied with an information leaflet  and complimentary thyme seeds for customers to plant at home and encourage their own thriving bee  community. Known to attract all variety of bees, the thyme seeds also provide a much-needed reminder  of the importance of planting, and the role that this plays in allowing bees to thrive within an urban  environment. 

The Bee’s Knees  

The Bee’s Knees is a classic, refreshing summer cocktail, composed of gin, honey and lemon. A gin cocktail  with a twist, the Bee’s Knees is made with Martin Miller’s SUMMERFUL Gin – a fresh variant from the  brand which includes notes of rosemary and thyme, perfectly paired with artisanal raw honey from  Bermondsey Street Bees. The result is a crisp, complex serve offering a herbaceous and citrus finish,  underpinned with cherry-forward notes further heightened by the honey. 

Florencia Orlando, Brand Manager, Martin Miller’s Gin comments: “We had an incredible response to this campaign last year and we’re thrilled to be taking this initiative around the country, for longer!

“The humble  botanical – thyme – is the magic ingredient for both our SUMMERFUL gin and in the mission to save our  bees. We’re delighted reignite our partnership with Bermondsey Street Bees who front the campaign  from London.

“They could not be more aligned with Martin Miller’s Gin in both its quest for high quality  and perfection but also their sustainability values. Incorporating Bermondsey Street Bees honey within our  SUMMERFUL cocktail is a harmonious match and we are looking forward to everyone sampling the serve  this May.” 

Sarah Wyndham-Lewis, Co-Founder, Bermondsey Street Bees comments: “It has never been more  important to support the urban honeybees and their wild bee cousins, and we are delighted to be  partnering with Martin Millers’ Gin and their “World Bee Week” offering to do so.

“We hope through this  partnership Londoners will learn more about these pollinators and indeed will be encouraged to plant  bee friendly seeds. Simply to survive, a single honeybee hive requires around 50kg of pollen and 250 kg  of nectar every year, and this is prior to any surplus honey becoming available for humans to harvest.

They  also need to share this City’s forage resources with the bumblebees, the solitary bee species and other  vital pollinators, so the more green-fingered Londoners, the better!” 

World Bee Day  

This year, The United Nations has selected 20 May 2022 as World Bee Day. Created to draw attention  to the importance of pollinators and sustainable means to support their development, while combatting  the threats the face, World Bee Day aims to educate the public on the importance of bees and the key  role pollinators play in both food supply and biodiversity.  

World Bee Week  

The extended week-long celebration by Martin Miller’s Gin spotlights the importance bees play within our  everyday lives, and how vital it is to take action to protecting this species.

Of the 25,000 species of bees on Earth, only seven are honeybee species, which are the most efficient and successful pollinators, key to  the subsistence of the planet’s ecosystems.

In addition to receiving a packet of thyme seeds with each  Bee’s Knees serve, guests will also be provided with information on key bee conservation charities to  donate to, including British Beekeepers Society and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.  

How to make a Bee’s Knees  

Ingredients  

• 50ml Martin Miller’s SUMMERFUL Gin  

• 25ml fresh lemon juice  

• 20ml Bermondsey Street Bees Exmoor Honey  

Method  

• Add the gin, lemon juice and honey to a shaker with some ice (if you don’t have a shaker, a jam  (or honey!) jar will do) 

• Shake until chilled  

• Strain into a cocktail glass  

For further information, please visit www.martinmillersgin.com 

Hidden Door Festival: 4 weeks to go!

We can’t believe that in just FOUR WEEKS we will be welcoming you to Hidden Door 2022!

For our team of volunteers, the festival build begins in the next few days so stay tuned for some exclusive behind-the-scenes previews.

For now, let’s take a closer look at our first Friday night … a night of wild pop and songs for the soul; late night electro in the Basement; ghostly dancers in the debating chamber; powerful theatre and beautiful spoken words echoing down the corridors; eclectic art around every corner; hot street food and sunny terrace bars with stunning city centre views …

See the full 12-hour Friday programme and book ticket

Lettuce Celebrate! Great value, healthy lunch options to feed the whole family

Aldi Scotland’s experts have curated a selection of recipes to feed the family on a budget

Leading value supermarket, Aldi Scotland, has revealed a selection of healthy and budget-friendly lunch options all ranging between £4 and £8.

Whether you’re working from home, in the office, or packing up lunchboxes to go, Aldi Scotland’s three delicious low-cost lunch options are the perfect mid-day meal, and are all made using the finest, locally sourced ingredients.

With Aldi’s generous portion sizes, each meal can feed up to a family of four, with options to stretch the ingredients across recipes to make the most of what is in the fridge and reduce food waste.

Mediterranean style salad with sweet potato and chicken – £4.41

With one sweet potato containing 400% of your daily required Vitamin A, low in calories and fat, while also being high in fibre, this superfood offers a nutritional yet comforting mid-week meal that is budget-friendly at only 99p per bag at Aldi Scotland.

Chop the sweet potatoes into chunks and cook in the oven alongside tomatoes, onions, and diced Scottish Chicken Breast Fillets (£1.85) for a Mediterranean style lunch packed full of goodness. Toss in some iceberg lettuce and season with salt and pepper to ignite the flavours.

  • Nature’s Pick Sweet Potatoes – 1kg – 99p
  • Nature’s Glen Scottish Chicken Breast Fillets – 300g – £1.85
  • Nature’s Pick Iceberg Lettuce – 46p
  • Everyday Essentials Cherry Tomatoes – 250g – 48p 
  • Everyday Essentials Red Onions – 1kg – 63p

Baked potato with ham and veg medley, plus a fruity dessert – £7.65

Pick up a four pack of Nature’s Pick Medium Baking Potatoes for only 42p for the perfect base, which will complement a variety of delicious and interchangeable toppings. For this recipe, Aldi Scotland suggests creating a medley of Nature’s Glen Ayrshire Cured Cooked Ham (£1.69), cherry tomatoes (48p) and red onions (63p). Top with a sprinkling of Glen Lochy Scottish Mature Cheddar (£1.89) this will become a firm family favourite for only £5.11.

Looking to bulk it out for hungry mouths? Add a dollop of Rowan Glen’s Greek Style Natural Yoghurt (55p) to your topping mixture and use the left-over yoghurt for an after-lunch snack piled with Aldi Scotland’s Nature’s Pick Fresh Scottish Strawberries for only £1.99 taking your final total for lunch and dessert to just £7.65.

  • Nature’s Pick Medium Baking Potatoes – 4 pack – 42p
  • Nature’s Glen Ayrshire Cured Cooked Ham – 125g – £1.69
  • Everyday Essentials Cherry Tomatoes – 250g – 48p 
  • Everyday Essentials Red Onions – 1kg – 63p
  • Glen Lochy Scottish Mature Cheddar – 400g – £1.89
  • Rowan Glen’s Greek Style Natural Yoghurt – 150g – 55p
  • Nature’s Pick Fresh Scottish Strawberries – 400g – £1.99

Chicken BLT – £5.92

Even the healthiest eaters need some carbs now and again – so why not treat your family, and your wallet, to a classic fan favourite – a chicken BLT sandwich for only £5.92 with enough ingredients to feed six people. 

Finely slice Aldi Scotland’s Scottish Chicken Breast Fillets (£1.85) and Specially Selected Scottish Bacon (£1.99,240g), mix in a splash of mayonnaise (59p), before loading up Authentic Scottish Bakeries Wholemeal Rolls (55p) with a layer of iceberg lettuce (46p) and some cherry tomatoes (48p).

At Aldi Scotland salads can be as cheap and delicious as they are good for you, so make sure to use your leftovers wisely – chop up your remaining iceberg lettuce and throw on what’s left of the bacon, chicken and tomatoes for a quick and easy salad, offering another meal for four at no additional cost. Top tip: cut the remaining rolls into squares, drizzle with oil and salt and bake for home-made salad crouton for some extra crunch.

  • Nature’s Glen Scottish Chicken Breast Fillets – 300g – £1.85
  • Specially Selected Scottish Bacon – £1.99 – 240g
  • Nature’s Pick Iceberg Lettuce – 46p
  • Everyday Essentials Cherry Tomatoes – 250g – 48p 
  • Authentic Scottish Bakeries Wholemeal Rolls – 6 pack – 55p
  • Bramwell’s Mayonnaise – 500ml – 59p

Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director, Aldi Scotland, said: “With the cost of a weekly shop more important that ever, we are delighted to work with local producers to offer such a wide range of healthy weekly meal solutions that all the family can enjoy.  Our customers don’t have to compromise quality for value when they chose to shop with us.” 

You can find your nearest Aldi store here.

Aldi currently works with over 90 Scottish suppliers, stocking 450 Scottish products and are constantly looking to bring more of what Scotland’s vibrant food and drink industry has to offer to their customers. 

Fridays launches bottoms up brunch

Fridays, part of newly listed Hostmore plc, has introduced Bottoms Up Brunch seven days a week which is available to book now via its website!

A go to for social gatherings between groups of friends and loved ones, Bottoms Up Brunch at Fridays can be enjoyed for just £29.95 per person. Guests can enjoy their choice of either 4 glasses of Prosecco, 4 pints Fridays American Pilsner, 4 glasses of Clean G&T (less than 0.5% ABV), 4 glasses of orange juice or 4 cocktails per person alongside a signature sharing platter for two.

It wouldn’t be Fridays® Bottoms Up Brunch without our iconic cocktails handcrafted by our expert bartenders. Sip sip hooray! Guests who opt for cocktails can choose from a selection of Fridays finest including the Pornstar Martini, Purple Rain, Long Island Iced Tea and Aperol Spritz.

The new sharing platters are named after New York Boroughs and include the Queens Sharer, an amazing platter with Salmon Tacos, Mac & Cheese bites and a sharing portion of Boneless Hot Wings tossed in Franks® RedHot sauce; and the Manhattan Sharer with everyone’s favourite Fridays® Sesame Chicken Strips, classic Mozzarella Dippers and the Fridays® Corndog.

Fridays’ Bottoms Up Brunch slots will last for 90 minutes and are available all-day Monday to Thursday, and 11:30am-3:30pm Friday to Sunday. T&Cs apply*.

Robert B. Cook, Fridays CEO, commented: “We are thrilled to bring Bottoms Up Brunch to our guests in Scotland, adding another contemporary aspect to our lively restaurants.

“Bottomless Up brunches epitomise that Fridays Feeling. Add in our iconic cocktails with unbelievable New York inspired sharers and Fridays’ generosity of spirit and the result is the best Bottoms Up Brunch experience in town!”

To keep up to date with our latest offerings this summer and full details of our new Bottoms Up Brunch visit Bottomless Brunch | Fridays UK (tgifridays.co.uk) plus follow us at @TGIFridaysUK on social media to get that Fridays Feeling all day, every day!

Community Festival is ‘huge success’

The North Edinburgh community came out in force yesterday to enjoy the North Edinburgh Community Festival at West Pilton Park.

More than fifty local organisations contributed to a memorable day of music, food, arts and crafts, entertainment and information.

Local activist Willie Black, who chairs the Festival organising committee, said the hard work involved in staging the event had proved worthwhile.

“Covid has meant that it’s been a long time since our community has been able to have a party so it was great to see local folk coming out in huge numbers to enjoy themselves.

“Today has been a celebration of everything that makes North Edinburgh special and I’d like to thank each and very individual and organisation who contributed so much to making the festival such a huge success.”

More pictures to follow

Virgin Hotels Edinburgh announces Executive Chef for Commons Club

Virgin Hotels Edinburgh has announced the appointment of Steven Wilson as the new Executive Chef for its upcoming restaurant and social space, Commons Club, as it gears up to open on 1st June 2022.

Originally from Edinburgh, Steven has almost 30-years’ experience in the hospitality industry with previous roles at a number of notable five-star hotels and award-winning restaurants. Steven will use his renowned talent and international influences to showcase contemporary Scottish seasonal cuisine using the freshest produce straight from Scotland’s local larder for diners at Commons Club.

Notorious for delivering memorable and delicious dishes, Steven’s career has taken him across the globe – from helping to open the multi- award-winning Lowry Hotel in Manchester to the iconic Soneva Fushi in the Maldives.

He also has extensive experience working in the Middle East and South East Asia with the renowned Six Senses Resorts and Spas. Steven is set to combine his international experience and Scottish heritage to create a new standard of Scottish dining at Commons Club.

Nestled across two floors, Commons Club is designed to be a playful yet sophisticated environment for guests to eat, drink and vibe in the heart of Edinburgh.

Catering to all tastes, guests can enjoy an array of stunning starters, carefully curated by Steven and his expert team, including Ceviche with line-caught & cured wild seabass, shaved fennel, dill, nashi pear & green olive puree; Wagyu Tataki with Scottish wagyu beef “Tataki style”, fried garlic, ponzu green onion puree & parsnip crisp and Risotto with Scottish farm spelt & barley risotto, baby morels, lightly-roasted almonds & shaved fresh summer truffle. 

Mains include Halibut with pan-seared Gigha halibut, confit aromatic farm seasonal vegetables in a light saffron & Shetland blue mussels velouté; slow roast Perthshire chicken “dinner” with fondant potato, baby leek, morel mushrooms & fresh peas, crispy chicken & pata negra croquet, bread sauce, roast chicken jus & chive oil and Isle of Mull seaweed tortellini pasta filled with wild herb ricotta, clay oven-roasted artichoke, pea & feve etuvee,vegetarian parmesan air.

Steven Wilson, Executive Chef at Commons Club, said: “After years of travelling the world and working in some unforgettable restaurants and hotels, I’m so excited to be back in my hometown and to be part of this iconic opening in Edinburgh.

“We really do have access to the highest quality local produce right on our doorstep in Scotland and that’s something the menu at Commons Club celebrates. Guests can enjoy our timeless menu that will continue to evolve with the seasons, keeping them coming back time and time again.”

Commons Club will be the flagship restaurant in the soon-to-open Virgin Hotels Edinburgh. Situated in the landmark India Buildings of Edinburgh’s Old Town – a stone’s throw from Edinburgh Castle.

The hotel will feature Grand Chamber Suites, 222 Chamber Suites, multiple dining and drinking outlets including Commons Club and Eve: a vibrant all-day dining space offering a progressive approach to late night entertainment in Edinburgh.

The hotel site is also home to a 19th century church, now known as Greyfriars Hall, that has been beautifully restored and repurposed as a special event venue. In addition, the hotel will offer guests a rooftop sanctuary with unobstructed Edinburgh Castle views.

The Bar at Commons Club is open Monday to Sunday – 12noon to 1am. The Kitchen at Commons Club is open Monday to Sunday – 12noon to 3pm, 5pm to 10pm. For reservations, please visit https://virginhotels.com/edinburgh/dine-and-drink/the-commons-club/.

Follow along on social media, Instagram – @virginhotelsediFacebookTwitter and YouTube

Conjuring Wild Spirits: Flavour alchemists release their Wild Botanical Spirit

Buck & Birch launch their second batch of BIRCH

After a successful debut in 2021, flavour innovators, Buck & Birch relaunch the highly anticipated second batch of their inaugural spirit and namesake, BIRCH – a distinctive, pioneering botanical spirit offering a wild alternative to your favourite gin or vodka.

Sourcing ingredients just a stone’s throw from their East Lothian distillery, the alchemists marry pure spirit with raw birch sap and season with wild birch flavours to create a smooth yet complex botanical spirit. Delicate notes of cucumber, rosemary and eucalyptus dance lightly on the palate whilst the sap adds a beautiful softness and mouthfeel to the finish.

Creative Director and co-founder, Tom Chisolm on why this is one for the ages: “10 years in the making, there has always been lively discussion at Buck & Birch about producing a spirit strength drink, but we were never in any rush – finding the right one was the most important thing.

The birch tree has always been integral to our business (it’s even in our name), so we knew we wanted to create something in its honour, and harnessing all its character was key. After the success of the first batch, we know it was truly worth the wait and we are excited to bring the new seasonal batch of BIRCH to our followers and fans’

BIRCH can be chilled in the freezer and served neat, or poured over lots of ice and topped with light tonic or soda, garnished with rosemary or a slice of citrus to accentuate the herbal notes. For cocktail enthusiasts BIRCH is great mixed in a classic martini with vermouth and either a twist of lemon or an olive, depending on belief in tradition.

For wildcrafted alchemy, make it with BIRCH.

BIRCH is anticipated to restock in May 2022

To view the full selection of drinks available for purchase, visit www.buckandbirch.com

Thistly Cross becomes latest Scottish Supplier to arrive on Scotmid shelves

An East Lothian-based cider producer is celebrating after winning a competition to have its Scottish Fruits Cider made available for customers at 179 Scotmid stores across Scotland from Wednesday, 27th April.

Founded in 2008, Thistly Cross is the second of five Scottish businesses to win the Scotmid Scottish Favourites competition. The competition was launched by the convenience retailer to champion local producers and further demonstrates its commitment to Scottish sourcing.

This promotional listing, which will run for three weeks, will help Thistly Cross to extend its reach and brand awareness. The move reflects the retailer’s ongoing ambition to helping small businesses thrive and grow. 

Peter Stuart, Founder of Thistly Cross, said: “The promotional listing with Scotmid means a lot to us and our business. This partnership will open the door to new audiences and provide us with the opportunity to sell our product to customers directly in store.

“Our small and passionate team strive to be at the forefront of the growing craft cider movement and we’re grateful for this platform to shout about the great taste of Scottish craft cider. We value Scotmid’s commitment to supporting independent retailers like us and are proud to be offering our authentic Scottish Fruits Cider to their customers.”

Scotmid and Scotland Food & Drink received more than 50 entries from local businesses, which were each judged by a panel of experts.

Kirsty Carnegy, Head of Local Sourcing at Scotmid, said: “We are always looking for new ways to diversify and grow our Scottish product portfolio and were absolutely thrilled with the high quality of entries that we have received for the Scottish Favourites competition.

“Scotland truly has some of the best food and drink in the world and the calibre of local producers is continuing to grow year on year. Made with hand-picked strawberries, elderflowers and blackcurrants, this cider is Scottish to the core. We can’t wait to hear how much our customers love this delicious, locally produced product – massive congratulations to Thistly Cross!”

Thistly Cross is located on the east coast of Scotland and handcrafts its ciders in small batches using real fruit, slow fermented and long matured.

Aldi’s Supermarket Sweep is coming to Edinburgh

Aldi Scotland’s hugely popular Supermarket Sweep has returned for another year and customers in Edinburgh have the chance to raise as much money as possible for a local foodbank of their choosing.  

Guaranteed to be the most fun anyone can have while doing the weekly shop, Edinburgh residents have the opportunity to pick up their favourite items from Aldi’s store in the Hermiston Gait Retail Park.  

Launched in 2016, Aldi’s Supermarket Sweep gives shoppers the chance to do a five-minute trolley dash and take home all the Aldi favourites they can grab in that time, with Aldi donating the cash value of the trolley to a local foodbank.

The lucky shopper also has a chance to double this cash donation and take home a SpecialBuy item of their choice* if they successfully find a hidden inflatable in-store. 

Edinburgh residents can apply for the Supermarket Sweep from Monday 2nd to Sunday 8th May. 

Richard Holloway, Regional Managing Director for Scotland, said: “The Supermarket Sweep is an event in the Aldi calendar that we all look forward to. We are so pleased to be bringing the initiative back for another year and offer one lucky Edinburgh resident the chance to have a shopping experience like no other.  

“Foodbanks across Scotland have worked tirelessly over the last two years to help those who need their services the most. Last year we donated almost £9,000 to foodbanks through Supermarket Sweep and we want to build on this in 2022. 

“From St Andrews to Inverness and Cumnock to Dundee, our Supermarket Sweeps will be taking place across the country. Not only are they a fun way to raise as much money as we can for local foodbanks, but they also give our loyal customers the opportunity to stock up on their favourite Aldi products.” 

Shoppers will be asked to nominate their chosen foodbank when applying to take part. Entrants must be over 18 years old to take part, and alcohol products are not included in the sweep.  

Entry is free and customers can apply in-store or by emailing:

 supermarketsweep@aldi.co.uk.

Entrants must be available to take part in the sweep after stores close at 10pm on their chosen date.  

Starts today: Aldi Spring Beer Festival

The 26th in-store festival brings together eleven of Scotland’s best breweries 

Aldi has revealed the line-up for its 26th Scottish Beer Festival, which will showcase 25 craft beers from eleven breweries across the country, including several retail exclusives.  

Kicking off in-store today, Thursday 28th April, the festival will take place across all of Aldi’s 101 Scottish stores in a deal worth over £86,000 to the breweries involved, with prices starting at just £1.49.  

Aldi’s Scottish Beer Festival is known for celebrating the vast range of beers, lagers and ales brewed across all corners of Scotland. This spring’s festival will give customers the chance to try everything from tropical pilsners to spicy sour ales and vanilla porters to crisp IPAs. 

As part of the in-store activation, Aldi shoppers will have the chance to try a range of award-winning craft beers from Aberdeen-based Fierce Beer, which was recently crowned Scottish Brewery of the Year at the 2021 Scottish Beer Awards.  

The multi-award-winning brewery took home 11 medals for its unique concoctions and will feature five of its brews in Aldi’s festival line-up. Its gold medal-winning Café Racer Coffee & Vanilla Porter, which is fuelled with locally roasted Sumatran espresso coffee and Madagascan Vanilla, is just one of the brewery’s quirky beers that customers can enjoy at everyday Aldi prices.  

This spring’s line-up will also feature Edinburgh-based Stewart Brewing’s Ka Pai South Pacific Pale Ale. The light-bodied brew, which balances notes of passion fruit, mango, and lychee, will be stocked as an exclusive to Aldi Scotland. The popular beer also took home a gold award at the 2021 Scottish Beer Awards for Best Pale Ale.  

Peterhead-based Brew Toon Beers will also be included in Aldi’s Spring festival. Customers have the chance to try the brewery’s J’Ale Riot Red Ale, which has a strong caramel and biscuit nose with a hoppy full-strength punch, and their Pineapple Pils Tropical Pilsner, a blend of crisp malts combined with fresh pineapples and tropical hops. 

Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director, Aldi Scotland, said: “Our Scottish Beer Festivals always prove popular with our customers.

“The craft beer industry continues to thrive in Scotland, and I am proud that the relationships we have built with local breweries over the years mean our customers can enjoy a variety of unique brews at everyday amazing Aldi prices. There really is something for everyone to enjoy.” 

Celebrating the 10th year of Scottish Beer Festivals, products will be available in store from 28 April. Visit aldi.co.uk/scottishbeerfestival to find out more.

You can find you nearest Aldi here.