Funky Booze 2026  is back at the iconic Assembly Roxy  in Edinburgh, bringing bold flavours, Italian flair, and Scottish spirit to warm up the winter. Following its vibrant 2024 debut, this immersive drinks festival offers an unforgettable blend of premium whisky , craft beer , artisan Italian food , and live music  — all under one roof. Saturday 31 January with two sessions: 1-4pm - afternoon & 5-8pm - early evening 🎟️ Bite Offer We’re offering 10 exclusive tickets per sess

2025 If your palate’s been sleeping on Australian wine, 2026 is your wake-up call. On Saturday 21 March, The Edinburgh Academy’s Main Hall  transforms into a tasting fairground for the 100 Best Australian Wines Festival , curated by none other than Matthew Jukes —the UK’s most trusted Aussie wine whisperer in collaboration with Wine Events Scotland 🍷 Corks will pop at Aussie Wine Fair This isn’t your average swirl-and-sip. Jukes has spent over two decades spotlighting the b

Edinburgh’s only independent Spring Wine Festival returns to the Assembly Rooms in 2026 with a fresh line‑up of global flavours, engaging workshops, and a very special guest. Edinburgh Uncorked, hosted by Wine Events Scotland’s Diana Thompson , is a celebration of discovery—bringing together hundreds of wines from across the world, including exciting bottles from lesser‑known regions. Special Guest This year, Diana is joined by Joe Wadsack, one of the UK’s most charismatic w

John Fairgrieve - all photography by Scott Barron Mandorle is Italian for almonds. It’s also the ingredient that inspired John Fairgrieve to start baking Italian cakes in his Scottish kitchen. Almonds are virtually synonymous with Sicily—naturally perfumed, sweet, and a staple in ' pasticceria' . In the UK, we’ve come a long way from pastel sugared almonds tucked into wedding favours. Today’s market craves sophistication, and John Fairgrieve's pasticceria -style treats deli

Kevin Rivers (left) and Carlos Miranda met while queuing at Lannan Bakery A lot can happen while you're queuing for cardamom buns at Lannan . In that eternity, one can make a friend and decide to launch an Edinburgh food podcast.   That’s exactly how Kevin Rivers and I met. Due to a shared love of food, and a slew of other common circumstances, chief among them our ‘Americans living in Edinburgh’ status, we quickly became a two man supper club. After that fateful morning at L

Singaporean supper After the fun of summer, it’s quite understandable to feel the September blues. People slip back into routine, counting down the days to the winter holidays. The trick is to find things to look forward to, keeping spirits high. And if you’re a foodie like me, those “things” almost always involve food or drink. With that in mind, I turned to Cyrenians to see what delicious events they had lined up. If you’re not familiar with the organisation, Cyrenians is

The annual competition has put the tiny village of Carrbridge on the map The tiny Highland village of Carrbridge is home to around 700 people, the oldest stone bridge in the Highlands, and the quest for the Golden Spurtle. That last might sound like the title of a blockbuster movie featuring wizards, big name actors, and Hollywood magic. But in Carrbridge, the magic is in the oats, water and salt. Yes, we’re talking about porridge and the annual Golden Spurtle competition. Si

The Police Box is just past Croall Place on Leith Walk, halfway down. It's a good news story for a local Edinburgh business ,   Leith Walk Police Box ,   which is celebrating ten years of pop-ups this year.  The box launched in 2015 to provide affordable, temporary space for businesses and start-ups.  Over the last decade, the box has helped several well-known Edinburgh businesses, organisations and charities to establish themselves, including Tipico Sicilian Confectionery, B