Greetings all! I hope you’re well and this finds you ready for some August festival fun here in Edinburgh. For us natives, it’s been a rather dreich summer thus far, and so I’m optimistic this month will be a little more ‘outdoorsy’ and we can enjoy the city’s top parks for picnics, a show here and late nights with friends there.
I recently visited the newly opened ‘Cranachan & Crowdie’ on The Royal Mile (just down from the Jeffrey Street/St. Mary Street junction) and had a lovely chat with co-owner Beth Edberg. The ethos of the beautifully decorated shop is simple; to stock the best Scottish eatables they can find. To reiterate the point, the pledge is that every single item on the shelves comes from a Scottish company, most of whom are small and independently owned.
So what flavours do C&C have in store for us? A stand of fresh loaves from the Manna House bakery is the first thing you’ll see when you head in; talk about promising! The fridge is filled with savouries like Uig Lodge smoked salmon, MacSween haggis, Stornoway Black pudding, Findlater’s pâtés, Glen Game smoked meats. Cheeses come from the venerable I.J. Mellis , including of course the soft Crowdie cream cheese, perfect with any one of the variety of small-batch hand-made oatcakes available.
For the sweet of tooth (my hand just shot up!) there’s a glorious selection of treats from the institution that is Tunnock’s, along with shortbreads, cakes, myriad types and flavours of shortbread including a bespoke one shaped like a thistle. Fruit jams, heather honeys and artisan chocolate always make a lovely gift. And just try to resist the bain of Scottish dentistry – tablet!
Situated right in the heart of the old town, Cranachan & Crowdie provides something better than the usual ‘jumbo’ box of shortbread for tourists to take home. For locals, there’s plenty of great products on the shelves to tempt you for return visits,including whiskies and craft beers and there are plans for sampling sessions with suppliers and producers. And s,hould the sun care to make a guest appearance, you can buy a little picnic kit along with a crusty loaf and smoked meats, and head up to Arthur’s Seat for a view of that gorgeous Edinburgh skyline.
Cranachan & Crowdie
263 Canongate
Edinburgh
EH8 8BQ
www.cranachanandcrowdie.com.
Open daily 11am to 6pm
What a lovely shop in Edinburgh. I recognised some of the Scottish manufacturers and they are all quality products. I will definitely have to pop in the next time I am up that way. 🙂