Long-established Cairngorm Coffee Roasters has opened a new venue in the heart of Bruntsfield as a complementary outlet to its busy Melville Street café.
Owner Robi Lambie has announced the opening of a corner shop unit at 49 Barclay Place, which he has kitted out with a personal collection of art and other objects.
The opening follows on from Cairngorm taking over management of Ralia Café, a family business based in the actual Cairngorms, belonging to Robi’s father.
The new café will serve pastries and bread from Company Bakery in Musselburgh, use Mossgiel Milk from the dairy farm of the same name in Kilmarnock and soft serve ice cream from Nowita in Glasgow.
Speaking today, Robi said: “I’ve lived in this part of town for the past ten years, and as my kids have started primary school here, you really connect with the community and realise how much a part of a city can mean to you.
“It’s always been part of our plan to have multiple sites, but when we closed our first store on Frederick Street, we were cautious not to open elsewhere for the sake of opening. We’ve been patient in Edinburgh, waiting for spots that feel right.
“I’ve always been a fan of hospitality spots that reflect the owner because to me it’s what gives a shop personality. Every site we’ve opened carries personal touches of mine, and I think that gives a place a heartbeat.
“At Bruntsfield, there’s an original tour poster for a show I once promoted, one of my skateboards, a statement art piece by Phil Taylor of the band Paws and vintage golf clubs made in Edinburgh in the early 1900s as a nod to the Bruntsfield Links we look out on.”
Robi is candid that the opening is not without risk, with Cairngorm once operating three sites across Edinburgh, before that number fell to one over the last couple of years. Its Melville Street location has been operating since 2016 and remains as busy as ever.
“I’m very aware that one busy café doesn’t mean the next one will flourish,” he said. “But I feel at home in this part of town, and that’s what makes this one feel right.
“It’s a café I used to come to during COVID and beyond. We want to carry on the life the previous owners gave it, especially for the regulars who I’m sure are missing their local spot.”
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