As we fully support Tryanuary, we thought we'd pull together a list of our favourite independent food shops in Edinburgh for you to check out.
Obviously the capital has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to places to buy the best food and drink but we think our choices cover a wide range of needs and offer that little bit of magic, quality and service that you'd expect from the very best independent stores.
37 Broughton St & 8 Brougham St | 0131 557 1911, 0131 228 1201| @realfoods_uk
I'm sure by now you'll have heard all the buzzwords: locally- sourced, organic, free-from, Fairtrade, vegetarian and vegan, well Real Foods were selling these products before it was cool.
Scotland's largest retailer of Organic, Fairtrade and Special Diet foods, Real Foods has been something of a point of pride in Edinburgh for nearly 30 years. The best place to go for all sorts of amazing food and foodstuffs, ranging from baking and cooking goods and fruit and veg; right through to superfoods and supplements, we promise you'll find what you are looking for.
Best of all, their experienced staff are always on hand in both of their stores to give out advice to those looking for information on from starting a new diet to becoming a vegan.
24 Leven St | 0131 228 6241 |
Imagine if you crossed Aladdin's Cave with a Cinco de Mayo street party, then you might be approaching just how cool Lupe Pintos really is. Purveyors of Mexican sauces, American candy, Spanish wines and Indian spices, LP's is more than just a shop, it's a linchpin of Edinburgh's foodie community.
Running tasting nights, chili competitions, cooking demos and cook off's, LP even has several cook books on offer and are due to release another one - the delightfully named 'Mexican wrestler's cook book' - in June this year.
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19 Elm Row | 0131 556 6066 | @ValvonaCrolla
Legendary Scottish-Italian deli Valvona & Crolla on Elm Row has been around forever and rightly so, as few other shops do what they do half as well.
Filled to the seam with endless edible gift options – think a sizeable chunk of 26 month-aged artisan Parmesan or an olive oil that comes in a painted ceramic jug; a straight-from-the-hive whole honeycomb; a mountainous pile of mortadella or prosciutto cotto and Sicilian capers preserved in salt to augment your meal; dark chocolates flavoured with Balsamic vinegar; a handmade fruit cake laced with single malt whisky for one, packaged in a silver tin and perfect for enjoying alone.
Cranachan & Crowdie
263 Canongate | 0131 556 7194 | @CranachanCrowd
Head to Cranachan & Crowdie on the Royal Mile and make up your own hamper from their selection of 100 per cent Scottish, locally produced goodies – including smoked Hebridean sea salt chocolate, Rock Rose gin, venison salami, Isle of Mull cheddar, Champagne and strawberry jam, smoked almonds, chutney and shortbread.
Best of all, should you be lucky enough to have a furry friend to take along then you can treat them to C & C's gourmet dog treats.
174 Bruntsfield Place & 71 Broughton Street | 0131 228 4526 & 0131 558 2777 | @CocoChocolateUK
Coco Chocolatier is an artisan Scottish chocolatier, founded in 2004 and based in Edinburgh, concocting cocoa creations in flavours such as hazelnut and Isle of Skye sea salt; rose and black pepper; artisan roast espresso, and gin and tonic, plus seasonal specials Christmas spice; cranberry, cinnamon and nutmeg – even gold, frankincense and myrrh.
The packaging – all geometric designs and Hokusai-esque waves – is a gift in itself, perfect for the aesthete and the epicure alike.
Keep an eye out for their third (and newest) shop which is opening in Stockbridge.
