From this weekend the owner of a 1966 Routemaster will offer passengers afternoon tea or a gourmet burger tour when they step aboard.
Alison Simpson wants to capitalise on the Scottish reputation for quality food and drink. She says that £1 in every £5 spent by tourists is spent on food and drink during their visit. She now aims to capture the domestic and overseas markets with a tour of the city in twelve different languages and the very best of Scottish produce on the way.
The Red Bus Bistro will be fully staffed by a friendly smartly dressed crew who will wear Blackwatch tartan uniforms, and all equipped with local insights into the city’s many attractions.
There will be Free Wifi on board so that guests can download the Red Bus Bistro Tour App for the one or two hour tours.
The Afternoon Tea Tours and Gourmet Burger Tours depart at 12pm, 3pm and 5.30pm with the first tour consisting of a selection of freshly made sandwiches presented on beautifully decorated three-tiered, slate platters. Homemade pastries, award winning cupcakes and warm, home baked scones with traditional preserves and clotted cream bring a whole new meaning to ‘meals on wheels’. Diners can choose hot drinks from an array of specially selected breakfast and herbal teas and freshly brewed barista coffees prepared by Alison in a modified kitchen situated on the bottom deck. Afternoon Tea Tour is £34.50 per person.
An Evening Gourmet Burger Tour offers a unique, night time experience for passengers to witness the wonderful illuminated landmarks of Scotland’s capital. Diners can book their menu choice online ahead of the tour, selecting either a 7oz Angus Burger, Cajun Chicken Burger, Slow Roasted Pulled Pork Burger or Mushroom Blue Cheese Burger, all served on warm brioches and accompanied by seasoned fries and onion rings. Gourmet Burger Tour £39.50 per person.
The Red Bus Bistro Tours depart from Bay 16 at Edinburgh Bus Station and covers some of the most popular landmarks including attractions such as; Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyrood House, Charlotte Square, South Lothian Road, Castle Terrace, Spittal Street, Lady Lawson Street, Forrest Road, Candlemaker Row, Grassmarket, Lawnmarket, George IV Bridge, Chambers Street, South Bridge, Royal Mile, Canongate, Horse Wynd, Abbeyhill, Waterloo Place, Princes Street.
Alison Simpson, Owner of Red Bus Bistro, said; “During my days off from work on the airlines I fell in love with a restaurant on the Cayman Islands which was in fact a double decker bus offering excellent food! Quality food and drink is becoming more and more important to people as we all become more concerned with eating fresh, local produce and this is an important part of the visitor experience for particularly our international visitors.
“As a Scot who is passionate about my country the double decker bus idea inspired me to offer a combination of excellent, fresh food with a tour of Edinburgh’s top sights in a Routemaster Bus which is already turning heads and very much stands out from the crowd!”
For more information on the Red Bus Bistro visit www.redbusbistro.co.uk or telephone 01355 229 448 or 07484 073 355 and on social channels; Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Photography from: Colin Hattersley Photography – colinhattersley@btinternet.com – www.colinhattersley.com – 07974 957 388
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
