Olympic medallist Callum Skinner brings velodrome coffee bar to pop up store with Scottish startup Meander Apparel

Scottish athlete Callum Skinner has teamed up with a Scottish startup to help move the local retailer in beside some high street giants.

Former British track cyclist Callum Skinner has brought Five Rings first coffee bar made out of the former Meadowbank Velodrome track to Meander.

Meander Apparel opened up their George Street pop up store in the Capital over the weekend with an in store coffee station run by Five Rings Coffee - the sustainable coffee startup launched by Olympic gold-medallists Callum Skinner, Owain Doull and Philip Hindes.

Callum said: “We started Five Rings in the midst of the first national lockdown, it was a bit of a risk but there was a demand from people wanting to make amazing coffee at home. Cycling and coffee really go together as a brand so when the opportunity came up to partner with Meander we were quietly confident that the restrictions wouldn’t be the make or break.

“For me personally it’s fantastic just to come back to Edinburgh for a while. It’s something Phil, Owain and I are all passionate about, but we formed Five Rings because pre-Olympic Games, we can’t really go to the pub at the moment so a cafe became the meeting place for people. Each of the coffees have unique names and stories so we can share some of the Olympic buzz with customers.”

Jill and Steve opened Meander's first pop up over the weekend

Meander Apparel was created by husband and wife team Jill and Steve Henry following a charity cycle from London to Paris in which they struggled to find a jacket which was waterproof, breathable, suitable and comfortable, and launched their first jacket in 2018. Their brand has since gained a following amongst outdoor enthusiasts in Scotland and further afield.

The George Street pop up is Meander’s first physical concept store, which has products from other independent local retailers, and of course the Five Rings coffee bar which has a nod to the Capital as their equipment is set upon a bar made from Meadowbank’s velodrome.

Callum added: “I’ve always been a passionate campaigner of the velodrome, Meadowbank was an amazing venue but it was underloved and it was sad to see the most important Olympic sporting venue that Scotland has shut down. I was hoping to get a bit of it for sentimental value and when I passed it and saw half of it was taken I got in - negotiated with the security guard there to take a piece for myself - and took as much as I could carry and it is illustrative to bring it back to Edinburgh to a new home.”

Jill said: We completely appreciate that some people may think that expanding our online business onto the high street in the midst of a global pandemic is completely mad, but the opportunity to showcase our brand and occupy one of the most sought after retail spaces in the city centre in the run up to Christmas was too big to miss.

“We wanted to create a concept store to showcase Meander alongside some of the best Scottish design-led brands and to give consumers the opportunity to shop locally.”

The Meander Apparel Pop Up Store with Five Rings Coffee bar is open from until January 2021 at 33 George Street.

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