Summer time and the living is easy, so the song goes. It certainly felt like it at Manna House bakery on Easter Road on Monday afternoon. There was certainly a relaxed atmosphere inside the café despite the frenzied activity of the eager-to-please staff and the background music of jazz added to the ambience of another warm summers day.

Now in its 14th year – and with a second outlet now in South Queensferry – the award-winning craft bakery, patisserie and deli café caters for whatever taste buds its customers have.

With a combination of rustic artisan bakery, sleek patisserie and a French style café serving breakfast, lunch and ‘coffee ‘n’ cake’ the Manna House bakery is a bustling hive of activity. Certainly, the Easter Road outlet was when I visited and with the sun beating down on Leith there is also the opportunity to dine ‘al fresco’.

There is a huge selection of freshly baked breads, bagels and ciabatta; from focaccia to Pain de Champagne, Walnut Sourdough, Cornbread, Mediterranean, Sea Salt & Black Pepper, Rye, Sundried Tomato, and Spelt Honey, to a Charcoal Loaf which has the visual wow factor when served with beetroot and goats cheese. Donker, Harvester and Bloomers are some of the most popular loaf shapes, with many available in rolls too.

If you fancy a spot of soup at lunch you can pore over delights such as Jerusalem Artichoke or Watercress, Potato and Parsley. Toasties and salads are also available for the lunchtime crowd.

There is also a wide variety of cakes, tea and coffee if you fancy some afternoon tea while a range of vegan and gluten free products are also available, including delicious vegan friendly raspberry and chocolate brownies, and banana bread.

Drew Massie who runs the bakery told the Edinburgh Reporter “We’re just a few weeks away from the most hectic part of the summer season. It’s a very exciting time to “bed in” South Queensferry if you like, as we opened last September so this is our first summer trading there.”

“It’s a challenge to have the two locations now,” he added. “I’m used to covering both bakeries now, with the assistance of my amazing team – I have two very efficient day to day managers, Sam and Gavin, who I would not be without, coupled with the rest of my hard-working team.”

“Easter Road is where it all began though and still holds a special place in my heart. We cater for a lot of lunches, people dropping in who live and work nearby. We also see a fair few tourists and have had visitors to the city using us every day of their trip for breakfast which is lovely.”

Manna House Bakery is at 22-24 Easter Road, Edinburgh EH7 5RG, and at 45-46 High Street, South Queensferry, EH30 9HN.

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Author of The Team for Me - 50 Years of Following Hearts. Runs Mind Generating Success, a successful therapy practice in Edinburgh. Contact me if you want rid of any unwanted habits. Twitter @Mike1874