Persevering

Foodie Juliet welcomes Leith revival

MY FAMILY ARE an entrepreneurial bunch and I’ve been self employed for so long I subsequently find myself unemployable. Times of hardship are also periods of opportunity. I’m certainly not saying the pandemic hasn’t been terrible for the hospitality sector but it has been heartening to see businesses adapt and new ideas coming to the fore over the past year. In my neck of the woods it appears there will soon be four new establishments taking on empty premises, three of which had been vacated before Covid struck...

• The old Sofi’s bar on Henderson Street will become the Three Marys cocktail bar run by Dale McPhee and Malt and Hops and Old

Chain Pier owner Calum Mackay.

• There’s the former Pizza Express on The Shore, set to welcome a Victor Hugo Delicatessen

• The miserable unit that was Kcal Kitchen, where nobody has managed to make a success of in decades, is to be opened as a fine dining restaurant run by the two chefs behind the popular at-home dining pop up Bad Seeds. Tomás Gormley and Sam Yorke have an impressive combined experience in some of Edinburgh’s most revered restaurants.

• For city centre fab food, Pizza Geeks are collaborating with Cask Smugglers cocktail and whisky bar for a new rooftop Waverley Centre experience. Lets hope for a good summer.

• Last but by no means least, The Pond is having a revival yet again. I’m not sure what the new name will be, but let’s hope they retain some of the Leith “characters” the bar was well known for. Ah yes, the drinks were cheap and the entertainment free...

In Wilson Manor, no fry up’s complete without a lovely succulent slice of black pudding, so I was delighted to try some from Mathiesons of Ratcliffe Terrace in the southside of Edinburgh, which has been serving locally sourced meat since 1880, making it the oldest butchery in the city. Their black pudding is made in-house every week to a secret recipe. I can honestly say it’s the best I’ve tasted. Mathiesons pride themselves on history, skill and a passion for the trade. It certainly shows.