The Botanist is giving away over 1500 Christmas cocktails this week

Here’s how to get one!

Award-winning bar & restaurant, The Botanist, is giving everyone the chance to snap up a Christmas gift on the house this week, in the form of a festive tipple from its brand-new Christmas specials menu … but they’ll have to be quick! 

Holding a city-wide race to find the boozy prizes, The Botanist’s elves will hide 10 tinsel-filled Christmas baubles in secret locations near the venue in every town and city it has a site on Friday 22nd November.  

Eagle-eyed customers should head to their local Botanist’s Facebook page from 12 o’clock for hints on when and where the prizes can be found. 

The lucky winners will find a gift tag attached to the bauble to be exchanged at a Botanist venue for the bar’s showstopping new sharing drink – a Christmas tree holding six Blooming Bauble cocktails for groups of friends to get merry over. 

A seasonal fruity cocktail of Beefeater pink gin, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, cranberry juice and lemon with cranberries and rosemary, served in a Christmas bauble, it’s perfect for party season.

Other festive drinks on the new menu include the S’mores Old Fashioned with Maker’s Mark bourbon, orange curaçao, cold brew coffee, orange bitters, and creamy foam over ice with a chocolate & Biscoff rim, topped with toasted marshmallows, and the Festive Sparkler of prosecco with seasonal spices. 

Encouraging everyone to share the joy with loved ones this season, The Botanist’s highly Instagrammable Christmas, launching on 20th November includes turkey burgers topped with pigs in blankets, chocolate orange mince pie cookie dough for two and festive cocktail specials.

And that’s not all, the halls are being decked with beautiful decorations and The Botanist’s house bands are ready to let the good times roll until the early hours too, playing live every Friday and Saturday night as guests drinks and dine throughout the festive season. 

Head to your local Botanist’s Facebook page for more information on the Bauble Hunt. 

To book a table at The Botanist, visit: https://thebotanist.uk.com/  

The Botanist Unveils Summer Menu

Packed with Sharing Plates and Mega Upgrade to Fan-Favourite Dish

Award-winning bar & restaurant, The Botanist, has announced its offering for the summer season with brand-new food and cocktail menus launching on Tuesday 21st May. Guests can expect fresh seasonal flavours, sharing plates, lighter and brighter dishes and super-fresh botanical cocktails as they tuck in around the table with friends. 

Encouraging everyone to share the joy with loved ones this season, a new selection of small plates has been added to the menu, giving an instant al fresco summer dining feel. Diners can choose from eleven different dishes highlighting seasonal ingredients including roasted harissa cauliflower with houmous, pomegranate molasses, pickled red onion, crispy shallots and mint, Korean fried chicken with sriracha mayo and red chilli and patatas bravas made with baby hassleback potatoes on a bravas sauce with garlic aioli. 

Alongside the small plates are three sharing boards. Choose from baked camembert, the mezze platter or crispy aromatic duck served with pancakes, cucumber, spring onion and hoi sin sauce. 

Diners can also enjoy lighter seasonal salads including Asian noodle salad, with yakisoba noodles in a sweet chilli and sesame dressing with mangetout, coriander, mint and kimchi slaw topped with a choice of Korean chicken or plant-based schnitzel and goat’s cheese salad with melted goat’s cheese and red onion marmalade on a sourdough crouton with courgette ribbons and beetroot, chicory and rocket. 

The botany-inspired venue has become somewhat famous for its head-turning hanging kebabs, reporting that it sells three quarters of a million (780,000) per year with three kebabs being served to diners every minute. Fans of the iconic dish can get excited about the new giant piri-piri chicken kebab, which comes served with additional coleslaw and warm pitta bread, alongside seasoned fries or coconut rice. 

The Botanist grill is now also serving up bavette and sirloin steaks, along with house burgers including the new ‘Dirty Chicken Burger’, with crispy fried chicken, mac and cheese fritter, bacon, melted cheese, baby gem, pickles, garlic mayo and hot honey BBQ sauce.  

Expertly crafted by in-house chefs and created lovingly from scratch, this is feel-good food designed to celebrate the season of sunshine and good times. There is also now a dedicated vegan and gluten-free menu available. 

And those with a sweet tooth haven’t been forgotten. The restaurant’s signature cookie dough can now be topped with a choice of crunchie pieces and crushed honeycomb or S’mores toasted marshmallows, chocolate brownie chunks and a biscuit crumb. 

The Botanist’s talented bar team have also been busy, launching a completely new cocktail menu served up in stylish glassware.

Showstopping photo-worthy serves include the Disco Fizz, with prosecco, lychee liqueur, Fever-Tree raspberry and orange blossom soda served with a raspberry ‘fizz bomb’, the Lilypad Martini, with Portobello Road Bergamot Citrus Vodka, peach liqueur, peach puree, apple and lemon juice, and the eponymous ‘The Botanist’ served in a botany boiling flask.

Long-time fans of the brand can try the freshly updated signature plant pot cocktail, a complex blend of Maker’s Mark bourbon, Lazzaroni Amaretto, kiwi puree, lemon juice and honey. 

Development Chef at The Botanist, Guy Greaves said: As a chef, it’s amazing to work with the vibrant ingredients that spring provides, and we’ve really brought those lighter, brighter elements through on this new menu to celebrate the season of socialising with friends, whilst working hard to make our classic signature dishes even more impressive. 

Dishes start from £6.75 for small plates, £14.50 for mains and £5.95 for desserts.

To find your nearest venue and book your table visit https://thebotanist.uk.com/

The Botanist launches Live Music Event every Friday & Saturday

After a cold, grey winter, the sun is finally making an appearance, nights are getting lighter and there’s blossom on the trees; the season of days with friends turning into nights dancing until the small hours is here, and The Botanist is helping everyone celebrate summer with free live music every weekend at The Botanist LIVE. 

Supplying the soundtrack to your weekend every Friday and Saturday night, The Botanist’s talented artists are set to play live from 8pm until late. Guests can expect a vibrant party atmosphere and sounds of rock, pop, soul, R&B, funk, disco and blues.

 The events are not ticketed and are free to attend, so all you need to do is turn up at the bar, order one of The Botanist’s refreshing botanical cocktails and wait for its house band get the party started. 

Out for the night? Showcasing what it does best, the Botanist team will be serving up signature feel-good food and shaking cocktails as usual throughout the evening, for those looking to book a table in the restaurant before letting the good times roll until the early hours. 

To find your nearest The Botanist and book your spot, visit:

https://thebotanist.uk.com/book-online 

The Botanist set to host Mother’s Day celebrations with Sunday Roast, Live Music and Gifts for Mum

As we move into spring, it’s time to celebrate mums, grandmas and motherly figures for all they do year-round, as the annual celebration of Mother’s Day falls on Sunday 10th March. Offering the perfect opportunity to get the family together, The Botanist is hosting all-day-long celebrations to take care of mum. 

The botany-inspired bar & restaurant’s Sunday roast is perfect for catching up and spending quality time together. Choose between Roast Sirloin of Beef, Pot Roast Lamb Shoulder, Slow Roast Honey Glazed Pork Belly, Roast Chicken or vegan Celeriac, Mushroom and Pearl Barley Wellington, each served with a fluffy Yorkshire pudding and accompanying sauce. The dishes come with maple glazed carrots, roast potatoes, greens and gravy, for the whole table to dig in to.  

Extra sides can also be added to the family feast, including cranberry glazed pigs in blankets, cauliflower cheese with parmesan crumb and creamed cabbage with smoked bacon. 

Showing her just how special she is, every mum dining at The Botanist will receive a complimentary Poppy and Beefeater Pink Gin Punch, as well as a bespoke box of wildflower seeds to plant at home – a gift that keeps on giving. 

Throughout the day, the bar will be offering bottomless drinks for an additional £25 with any main course, so Mum can truly let her hair down. Choose between Bloody Mary, Aperol Spritz, Prosecco or The Botanist Lager and enjoy unlimited drinks for 90 minutes whilst dining. 

As always, The Botanist’s house bands will be providing the soundtrack to the weekend, with live music throughout the afternoon on Mother’s Day. 

Can’t be there in person? Show Mum the love by sending her a gift voucher, bottle of prosecco or bottle of champagne available to purchase online and sent directly to her inbox to be redeemed at The Botanist.  

Free gifts are available whilst stocks last. To find your nearest restaurant and book your table visit https://thebotanist.uk.com.  

The Botanist Hosts Festive Workshops Throughout November and December

The festive season is just around the corner, which means it’s officially time to get excited for Christmas!

To help create lasting memories throughout the season, award-winning bar & restaurant The Botanist is hosting a series of creative workshops and competitive events throughout November and December. 

From wreath-making and bauble-painting to Christmas quizzes and a festive twist on its signature musical Botanist Bingo, the botany-inspired venue has created cosy events perfect for catching up with friends or winding-down with colleagues after a busy year, all whilst enjoying the Botanist’s feel-good food and expertly crafted drinks.  

Wreath Making 

What better way to cosy up and get into the festive spirit than by crafting your own botanical Christmas wreath with natural seasonal foliage? 

In partnership with a local Florist, guests will get everything they need to create a perfect handmade decoration, ready to hang in the home throughout the festive season. Alongside the workshop, the ticket includes a selection of bar nibbles and either a glass of wine or a bottle of Peroni Red. 

For available dates and times and to book your spot, visit: The Botanist Wreath Making 

Baubles and Brunch 

Want to give your Christmas decorations a personal touch this year? Book a table with friends for The Botanist’s Baubles and Brunch and enjoy a choice of brunch dish whilst you get creative painting your own festive design on a Christmas bauble, ready to hang on your tree throughout the festive season or gift to a friend.  

Tickets are priced at £20 per person and include a dish from The Botanist’s brunch menu, a bauble and painting equipment. For available dates and times and to book your spot, visit: The Botanist Baubles & Brunch  

Christmas Quiz 

‘Tis the season for getting together with loved ones for festive cheer (and friendly competition!) 

Enjoy an evening of seasonal trivia at The Botanist’s Christmas quiz nights throughout the season. Entry is FREE and the bar & restaurant’s host will be giving away tasty prizes, so this is not one to miss.  

For event dates and to book, visit: The Botanist Christmas Quiz 

Christmas Botanist Bingo 

On Wednesday 6th December, The Botanist’s monthly musical Botanist Bingo has a festive takeover. Know your Wham from your Mariah? Be quick with your bingo dabber as the bar’s resident musicians belt out Christmas classics live, corresponding to the artists on the card in front of you.  

Entry is FREE and there are prizes to be won for the first to get one line, two lines or a full house. Visit https://thebotanist.uk.com/botanist-bingo to secure your spot.  

The bar & restaurant is also set to launch a limited-edition cocktail menu for Christmas with details of the seasonal drinks coming soon. 

The Botanist launches Festive Dining Menu for an Alternative Christmas Meal

Botany-inspired bar & restaurant The Botanist has announced its Christmas menus and entertainment, including a 2 & 3 course dining menu and ‘festive twists’ on its signature dishes, all to be enjoyed alongside live music.  

Want to save your traditionally served Christmas dinner for December 25th? After becoming famous for its head-turning hanging kebabs, selling over half a million (650,000) per year and three every minute, The Botanist has created the Turkey Kebab, and it’s the perfect alternative festive meal. 

Fans of the iconic dish can enjoy orange and cranberry glazed turkey, ham, stuffing balls and pigs-in-blankets on a skewer, with traditional trimmings of roast potatoes, parsnips, sprouts and glazed carrots, complete with a rich gravy to pour over. 

Those looking for classic plates can enjoy starters such as chicken liver & brandy pate with spiced red onion marmalade or butternut squash soup with crispy sage and saffron aioli, both served with toasted sourdough. Main courses include grilled seabass on a romesco sauce with roasted new potatoes, tomatoes and chicory leaves and ribeye steak with wild mushroom stroganoff sauce, watercress and chunky chips. 

The Botanist’s signature cookie dough has also had a makeover for Christmas. Those with a sweet tooth can indulge in the mouth-watering ‘cookie dough pie’, which comes drizzled with Biscoff sauce and served with vanilla ice-cream. Other desserts on the menu are sticky toffee pudding with toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream or lemon meringue mess with whipped cream and lemon curd. 

The Botanist is famed for its live music which continues throughout the festive season to accompany your dining experience. Every table that books for the Christmas menu will also receive treats at the table, including a game to be played with the whole group, designed to encourage great conversation whilst you dine.  

The bar & restaurant is also set to launch a limited-edition cocktail menu for Christmas with details f the seasonal drinks coming soon. 

The Botanist’s festive dining experience costs £27.95 for two courses or £34.95 for three, inclusive of a glass of prosecco and is available to book now for 20th November to 24th December for groups of any size. During peak dates (7th-10th and 14th-24th December, bookings are subject to a £5 per person surcharge). 

To view the full menu and book your spot, visit:

https://thebotanist.uk.com/christmas  

The Botanist: Opening date announced

MORE THAN FIFTY JOBS CREATED

The countdown is on for acclaimed bar-and-restaurant The Botanist to open its doors at St. James Quarter in Edinburgh.

Cocktail lovers will be able to get their hands on the venue’s famous innovative drinks from Monday 7th August, when the venue is set to welcome in guests for the first time. 

The brand is looking for a full team to run operations at its new venue, with 50-60 roles available including both front and back of house staff, from Chefs to Servers to Bartenders, and encourages creativity, individuality and personal flair from its employees. Roles are also advertised for a Duty Manager and Sous Chef to join the growing team.   

Edinburgh’s winers and diners can look forward to The Botanist’s fresh seasonal flavours, reviving botany-inspired cocktails and signature hanging kebabs that they’ll want to keep going back for. 

Live music is another key ingredient in helping to create a relaxed and atmospheric experience-led social space, ideal for family meals, after-work drinks, sophisticated evenings with friends and celebrating special occasions.  

The interior fit-out of the space is currently underway and the brand is renowned for its grand botanical-inspired interiors.  

Guests can expect to enjoy beautiful installations of greenery and exposed brick walls adorned with impressive hand painted artwork whilst they drink and dine. The bar will also feature a dedicated outdoor seating terrace.   

Rachel Guy, Operations Manager at New World Trading Company said, “Our stunning new flagship venue brings the opportunity for exceptional individuals join us. Joining the business at the start of our journey means you’ll be bringing our unique brand to life in Edinburgh with the help of award-winning training.    

“Our in-house Management Academy & Future Managers programme offers transparent career pathways and the chance to progress across our nationwide brand family.”  

To find out more about the opportunities available and apply, visit https://thebotanist.uk.com/edinburgh-roles.   

To stay up to date with The Botanist Edinburgh’s opening and be the first to know about, sign up to its newsletter to be the first to know about exclusive invites and offers for the opening week.  

Getting into the Spirit: St James Quarter to introduce The Botanist

St James Quarter can reveal the award-winning brand The Botanist is set to open its doors later this year as it ventures into Scotland for the very first time.

Renowned for lavish botanical themed interiors, world-famous quirky cocktails and signature hanging kebabs, The Botanist will bring an immersive new experience to Edinburgh in the spectacular St Andrew’s Hall overlooking Leith Walk.

The Botanist will add to a formidable foodie offering that already includes Bonnie & Wild Scottish Marketplace, alongside pitstop dining brands such as Wingstop and Bross Bagels.

Nick Peek, Managing Director at St James Quarter, commented: “Spring has officially sprung here at St James Quarter as we welcome The Botanist to the family. With botanical themed interiors and refreshing cocktails, our customers are going to feel like they have been transported to an idyllic holiday destination.

“At St James Quarter, we pride ourselves on providing world-class facilities that will continuously offer unique and new experiences for our customers and The Botanist is set to do just that.”

Natasha Waterfield, Chief Operating Officer at New World Trading Company said: “Bringing our unique concept to Scotland for the first time is a hugely exciting moment for the business.

“Finding the right space in any location is paramount and St James Quarter is an innovative development that aligns with our brand and proposition. We can’t wait for the residents of Edinburgh, as well as the many tourists that visit the area, to experience our one-of-a-kind offer at The Botanist.”

St James Quarter has gone from strength to strength since opening in June 2021, and offers an impressive and growing list of names at the retail led destination, which includes & Other Stories, Mango, Zara, REISS, Bershka, Pull & Bear, Stradivarius, Miele, Next, H&M, JD Sports, John Lewis and many more.

New roles available at the venue will be listed at https://nwtc.uk.com/careers.