St James Quarter: Two more names announced for food hall

The highly anticipated Bonnie & Wild Food Hall which is set to open in Edinburgh’s St James Quarter development is welcoming two well-known food and drink wholesalers to launch their first retail ventures as part of their plans.

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Renowned meat wholesaler MacDuff 1890 and leading independent drink distributor Inverarity Morton have both confirmed they are taking on two of the speciality retail spaces within Bonnie & Wild’s Scottish Marketplace, due to open on June 24 in the first phase of the St James Quarter opening.

Both businesses have said it was Bonnie & Wild’s commitment to sustainability, local sourcing, quality and customer engagement that attracted them into the new food hall.

Both wholesalers will enter the retail market for the first time at the ambitious Bonnie & Wild food hall

MacDuff 1890, which traces its origins back to the year 1890, supplies premium quality beef, lamb and pork to butchers, chefs and caterers across the UK and overseas.

The Wishaw-based business sources from a small network of quality assured family-run farms, and counts some of Scotland’s best-known chefs and restaurants among its customers, including chefs Scott Smith at Fhior, Roberta Hall at The Little Chartroom, Fred Berkmiller at L'escargot Bleu, Stuart Ralston at Noto and Aizle, and Neil Forbes at Cafe St Honore.

Andrew Duff, managing director of MacDuff 1890, said: “The farms we source from are among the finest in the country. The knowledge of animal welfare and rearing is best-in-class, meaning these animals have the best quality of life possible, while providing produce of the highest quality and complete traceability from farm to plate.

MacDuff 1890 - Andrew Duff with father Rory

“Bonnie & Wild and MacDuff 1890 share similar commitments to quality, sustainability and provenance, and it’s these shared values that have encouraged MacDuff 1890 to make the leap into launching its first retail venture, something we have been considering due to demand from Edinburgh residents and restaurants. To go in alongside our close friend and customer Peter McKenna at The Gannet is very fitting. I’m excited that MacDuff 1890 will be a key element of this ambitious food hall.”

Inverarity Morton, which today began advertising for a manager for its new retail concept, is Scotland’s leading independent wines and spirits merchant and is renowned for supplying the on-trade across the country.

The Bonnie & Wild bottleshop will be Inverarity Morton’s first foray into retail in the Capital.

Sales director, Steve Annand said: “We all know how difficult the past 15 months have been for the hospitality sector but it’s uplifting to see renewed confidence now emanating, albeit cautiously, from colleagues in the trade.

Steve Annand of Inverarity Morton

"Bonnie & Wild’s exciting Scottish food hall in the heart of Edinburgh has definitely got people talking about getting back out to licensed premises to meet friends and family and enjoy the best food, drink and hospitality Scotland has to offer.

“We desperately wanted Inverarity Morton to be a key part of Bonnie & Wild since the idea was first mooted, both as a supplier and as a concessionaire partner by way of the Inverarity Morton bottle shop.

"Like Bonnie & Wild, and indeed every business taking a space in the venue, we are committed to sourcing from producers who are passionate about the quality of their product, whether it’s a craft spirit producer, a family owned vineyard or a well established distillery.”

MacDuff 1890 and Inverarity Morton join an exciting line-up of food businesses that includes well known names such as BBC Masterchef-winner Gary Maclean, acclaimed Glasgow institution The Gannet, and vegan restaurant group Erpingham House.

James Withers, Scotland food and drink chief executive, said: “There is a lot of excitement about the Bonnie & Wild Food Hall. As Scotland’s hospitality and retail sector recovers from the pandemic, this will be a fantastic, new opportunity to showcase Scotland’s food and drink industry right in the heart of the Capital.

"It is great to see another two businesses becoming partners, and it will be producers and suppliers who are passionate about what they do that will bring such character and quality to the food hall.

“After a tough year, this is yet another sign that Scotland’s food, drink and hospitality sector has reasons to be very hopeful and excited for what lies ahead.”

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