This November, W Hotels Worldwide, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of 31 brands, is set to bring energy and flair to the city’s lively culinary scene with the highly anticipated opening of W Edinburgh. Bookings for the three hero dining outlets are open now HERE for tables from 14th November.

The new hotel will bring a playful twist on Scottish culinary culture with three innovative dining concepts. The top floors and panoramic terraces of the hotel will be home to the country’s first SUSHISAMBA restaurant alongside a buzzing iteration of the W Lounge, and Brazilian-inspired speakeasy cocktail bar named Joao’s Place.

SUSHISAMBA

SUSHISAMBA, born of the energy and spirit of the three distinct cultures of Japan, Brazil and Peru, will be bringing its imaginative cuisine to W Edinburgh. From Japanese tempura and exquisite sushi, to Brazilian churrasco and moqueca, to Peruvian anticuchos and seviches, the culinary creativity is limitless with something for every palate. The ever-evolving menu will feature a selection of SUSHISAMBA signatures among new Edinburgh specialties incorporating the finest local Scottish produce. The open kitchen and fiery robata grill offer brilliantly roasted and flavored meats, vegetables and fish, while SUSHISAMBA’s small plate style of service encourages a “shared” dining experience.

Inspired by Scotland’s bountiful selection of produce, SUSHISAMBA Edinburgh specialties will include robata grilled Highland Wagyu Flat Iron with honey soy, Loch Fyne Oysters Teriyaki, and the Samba Edinburgh Roll location’s namesake specialty roll.

Complementing the menu is the impressive cocktail list, a curated collection of premium sake and a Scottish and Japanese whiskys.

The dynamic interiors will feature a stunning dining room, and an outdoor terrace with sweeping views of Edinburgh’s skyline, private dining room with a bespoke mural by local artist while SUSHISAMBA’s signature orange tree sculpture will take root in the bar and welcome guests as they enter the space, creating a highly discoverable destination for cuisine, music, and design from day to night.

W LOUNGE

The destination W Lounge will serve as the social epicentre of the hotel, reimagining Gaelic cuisine and rewarding guests with the finest unfettered and unrivalled 360-degree views of Edinburgh. Transcending day to night, the sharing concept menu and cocktails will focus on using the best produce from Scotland, Ireland & Wales. On the open-air rooftop W Deck, custom igloos will allow guests to enjoy the breath-taking views of the city no matter the weather. Moving inside, the all-day dining venue offers comfortable lounge decor coupled with a convivial atmosphere.

Dishes to be served in the new sleek club-style dining space have many nods to the city’s famous flavours and produce and include; Grilled West Coast Razor Clams with Seaweed & Citrus Butter, Perthshire Venison Loin with Celeriac, Scottish Girolle, Brambles and Whisky Jus and XL Scottish Rarebit. Entries on the Sweets menu include a delightful signature: Baked Ben Nevis.

W Lounge will also offer an inventive cocktail menu that leans into the myths and creatures of the Gaelic nations, which is also reflected in the design of the space. Tipples on offer include Èiridh – The Rising (Plum Teeling Poitin, Pear Eau de Vie, Peychaud Bitters, Lemon & Scottish Honey Cordial) and Ùrachadh – Awakening (Highland Park 12, Treacle Cordial, Coffee, Cream & Flamed Spices).

JOAO’S PLACE

Finally, guests and visitors to W Edinburgh alike will be offered the opportunity to discover Joao’s Place. A secret speakeasy offering incredible Brazilian-inspired cocktails, Joao’s is an intimate apartment-like space inspired by the São Paulo neighbourhood of Liberdade.

A first of its kind, Joao’s Place will act as a new destination for the best in pioneering mixology in Edinburgh, offering an enviable menu of premium spirits and curated closed-loop cocktails. The space itself is inviting, warm and humble, with low lighting and curated lounge music with a Brazilian twist playing from a vinyl selection. Guests are set to enjoy the intimate atmosphere from relaxed couches, tableside, or at the bar, alongside a spacious terrace with outdoor fire features and stunning views of the city.

“We can’t wait to unveil W Edinburgh’s dining concepts and welcome SUSHISAMBA to the city. The acclaimed restaurant will offer our guests and visitors a Japanese, Brazilian, and Peruvian gastronomic experience unlike anything else in Edinburgh, in parallel with our unique 360-panoramic terrace views. Our aim is to celebrate the city’s culture and history – as you’ll see through our W Lounge menu – but also offer brand new horizons for locals and visitors alike” said Ken Millar, General Manager at W Edinburgh.

W Edinburgh invites guests to embark on a culinary adventure to honour the city and discover it anew, where they can enjoy the unexpected and make meaningful gastronomic memories that will last a lifetime. It is located in the heart of city’s newest neighbourhood, St James Quarter, a stylish lifestyle district where guests can benefit from world-class retail on their doorstep and immerse themselves in the best that Edinburgh has to offer in all aspects of their visit.

Book now HERE for tables from 14th November, or follow on Instagram or Facebook for further pre-opening updates.

  • Programme brings together Edinburgh’s outstanding academic talent and event industry professionals to form a network of ambassadors championing the city as a world renowned destination for academia and events
  • Since the 1990s, over 1000 events have been attracted to the city, generating in excess of £900 million for the local economy
  • It is estimated that over 70 per cent of international association conferences are secured by ambassadorial activity
  • Launch event takes place at National Museum of Scotland on Wednesday 11th October 
  • Guests including the Deputy Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Professor Rowan Parks, Professor of Surgical Sciences at the University of Edinburgh and President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Professor Lis Neubeck, Professor of Cardiovascular Health in the School of Health and Social Care at Edinburgh Napier University, and the EICC’s CEO Marshall Dallas

Convention Edinburgh, Edinburgh’s convention bureau, is launching a new Ambassador Programme for Edinburgh this week, a programme bringing together Edinburgh’s academic talent and event industry professionals to form a network of ambassadors championing the city as a world renowned destination for academia and events.

A similar ambassador programme was previously launched in the 1990s, and is being revised by Convention Edinburgh, which itself was relaunched last June under the guardianship of the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC).  Since that period, over 1000 events have been attracted to the city, generating in excess of £900 million for the local economy.   It is estimated that over 70 per cent of international association conferences are secured by ambassadorial activity.

The launch event takes place at the National Museum of Scotland on Wednesday 11th October, with guests including the Deputy Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Professor Rowan Parks, Professor of Surgical Sciences at the University of Edinburgh and President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Professor Lis Neubeck, Professor of Cardiovascular Health in the School of Health and Social Care at Edinburgh Napier University, and the EICC’s CEO Marshall Dallas.

Marshall Dallas, CEO of the EICC, said: “Conferences generate significant economic impact for Scotland, and serve to raise the international profile of the capital’s many centres of excellence – including its universities, royal colleges, financial institutions, and research centres.  Collectively, they spotlight Scotland’s capital as a modern, dynamic city that’s continuing to extend its centres of excellence into new fields of expertise and ground-breaking research.  We also recognise the power of ambassadorial activity, and are excited to launch the new programme this week.”

Earlier this year, Convention Edinburgh launched an Advisory Group comprising Sue Stuart (Surgeons Quarter), Amanda Ferguson (University of Edinburgh Hospitality & Events Collection ), Shona Clelland (Cultural Venues, City of Edinburgh Council), Elaine Elder (National Museums of Scotland Enterprises), Neil Ellis (Edinburgh Hotels Association), Rob Lang (Edinburgh Airport), Colin Horsburgh (En Pointe Solutions), and Stuart Evans (Fusion Meetings and Events).

Led by the EICC’s Sales & Marketing Director Amanda Wrathall, Convention Edinburgh’s remit includes attracting conferences and events to Edinburgh by supporting venues across the city with their bids, and assisting event bookers during the destination and venue selection process for their conferences.

Reacting to the latest Office for National Statistics data on Trade, William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the BCC, said:   

“August was not a good month for UK goods exports. There were falls in both EU and rest of the world trade – where after removing the effects of inflation, volumes fell by 7.2% month on month.  

 

“The export gains of July went into reverse during August, which brings the UK more into line with the global trade picture for June-July this year.   

  

“On the services front, it was another broadly flat month for UK exports – suggesting that the growth in overseas demand for services from last year is not being sustained. This may be a function of weaker than expected global economic conditions, especially in consumer spending.   

  

“The overall picture on UK goods exports volumes to the EU has been flat over the last 18 months, when you remove the effects of inflation. The BCC has recommended several areas where this could be addressed, including a veterinary deal, youth mobility schemes, and improved conditions for firms on VAT compliance and fiscal representatives.”   

 

In Depth Analysis 

There was a 4.6% fall in UK goods export chained volumes (the measure which removes the effects of inflation) on the previous month, and a 1.1% decline in goods imported. The trade deficit increased slightly by £0.3bn to £12.7bn in the three months to the end of August.  

  

Goods export volumes to the EU declined by 1.8% month on month, and to the rest of the world by 7.2% month on month. Goods imports volumes from the EU fell by 3.2% from July but import volumes from the rest of the world rose by 1.7%.  

   

Estimated UK services export performance remained flat for a further month – on both the chained volumes and current value measures.   

 

Imports 

The fall in goods imports from the EU was driven by reduced chemical, machinery, transport equipment and manufactured goods imports. Fuel imports rose slightly compared with July 2023. A rise in non-EU goods imports was down to increased gas imports from Norway, and higher levels of manufactured goods from China.  

  

Exports 

Exports of drink, tobacco and other manufactured goods fell slightly to the EU during August 2023. Exports to the rest of the world experienced downward pressures in August in the chemicals, machinery, cars (to US and China) and fuels sectors. 

 

More detail on the ONS data can be found here. 

World’s largest arts festival brings in record month for business

EDINBURGH based event and hospitality venue is thriving as it records its most successful business period to date after hitting record numbers during the Edinburgh International Fringe Festival.

Surgeons Quarter (SQ), one of Edinburgh’s largest Fringe performing spaces, boasted a record 250,000 visitors to the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh’s (RCSEd) campus and increased occupancy to an impressive 99.5% at its on-site, Ten Hill Place Hotel across the month of August.

As the commercial arm of RCSEd, SQ worked closely with renowned festival producers theSpaceUK to host 248 productions across its 11 on site Fringe venues.

Scott Mitchell, Managing Director of SQ said: “The buzz in Edinburgh during the Fringe this year was incredible. To see our venues, and Edinburgh, transform into a hive of creativity and culture was very special.

“Each year we continue to grow and we’re incredibly proud of what we have achieved this year with record numbers coming in.

“Working with such a talented organisation such as theSpaceUK again this year has been extremely rewarding and we’re delighted with how well received each show was at this year’s Fringe.

“This year we have been able to host nearly 250 shows, with 120,000 audience members, which is just incredible. While the numbers are astounding, it is only testament to the quality of entertainment and service of those who performed and worked with us this year.”

Celebrating its 14th year as one of the largest Fringe venues, SQ operated five festival bars, and transformed its Courtyard Bar and Hill Square Gardens into a fiesta of flavour with Mexican street food created by SQ’s Executive Chef Dominik Kawalec.

This year’s line-up included shows from across the globe with musical performances, operas, drama and theatre shows as well as comedy and spoken word.

Scott continued: “None of this would have been possible without our fantastic, dedicated team, who worked incredibly hard to deliver top service across our venues throughout such a busy period.
“Whilst delighted with our increased footfall a key point of action for next year is to find a solution to either the increased recycling or use of re-usable products in an outdoor environment to adhere to our licencing conditions and sustainability agenda.

“I’d like to extend my thanks to not only those who worked with us, but to those who visited our venues and helped create a truly unique atmosphere in a Fringe that will live long in the memory.”

The 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe welcomed worldwide audiences, selling nearly 2.5 million tickets across 288 venues.

SQ will now turn its focus to the upcoming festive season, hosting 80s themed party nights throughout December offering a three-course meal, festive cocktail and wine for £60pp, and private parties from £65pp.

Surgeons Quarter promotes, sells and manages all commercial activities held within the RCSEd campus. It includes facilities for conferences, meetings, private events, parties, weddings and its own four-star hotel Ten Hill Place as well as Café 1505 and SQ Travel.

Profits from the Surgeons Quarter portfolio go towards the advancement of surgery and the improvement of patient outcomes worldwide.

More information about Surgeons Quarter can be found here.

Reacting to the latest Office for National Statistics data on GDP, David Bharier, Head of Research at the BCC, said:  

  

“With GDP growing by 0.3% in the three months to August, and by 0.2% on a monthly basis, the UK economy is holding up but remains in a precarious state. The production sector in particular has seen worrying data revisions showing stark monthly falls in growth. 

 

“Our research is clear about the issues UK firms are facing – three years of economic shocks, high inflation and interest rates, skills shortages, and trade barriers with the European Union. Consequently, most SMEs report no increase in their investment plans. 

 

“Businesses need to see a strategic vision for the long-term framework for investment in the UK. Recent policy announcements around projects, such as HS2, will have generated more uncertainty for businesses searching for stability.” 

From left: Phil French, Channel Account Director, Expo.e and Graeme Gordon, CEO, IFB Ltd.

Connectivity, cyber security and IT Service provider IFB, has recently been awarded a 300k contract to deliver and support a full fibre network and high-capacity hardware to nearly 50 key Aberdeen City Council (ACC) education locations.

The agreement – in partnership with leading Cloud, IT, and network services provider EXPO.e – means ACC now have access to multi-gigabit speeds between key locations allowing them to future proof the delivery of critical services across schools and educational resources across the city.

IFB CEO Graeme Gordon said – “We are delighted to have been selected by EXPO.e to design, deliver and support them with this key upgrade for Aberdeen City Council. This will mean faster, more reliable, and more secure connections across many locations and schools which increasingly rely on digital connectivity everyday as part of core teaching and education.”

Graeme continued – “IFB’s selection for this project demonstrates that collaboration between the public sector, enterprise scale organisations like EXPO.e, and indigenous SME’s like IFB not only delivers creative solutions to problems, but innovations in how these can be procured and delivered, maximising the resulting economic benefit to a city or region.”

IFB and EXPO.e’s solution effectively delivers almost limitless bandwidth between key locations by providing new dedicated fibre connections. The design connects the education sites back to two key council data centres, providing a highly resilient network. IFB and EXPO.e are responsible for the new fibre delivery and support, along with the supply, configuration and support of the hardware and devices required across all locations, including the data centres themselves.

EXPO.e Head of Channel (Liam Montague) said – “Working in partnership with IFB on the ACC project has been fantastic. There is huge potential in this region for both IFB and EXPO.e, which is exemplified by this key win. Collaborative engagement throughout the whole process has provided us with a strong foundation to build on in the years ahead, having established a strong working relationship between all parties involved – EXPO.e, IFB, and ACC. We anticipate the success of this partnership will provide the model for future projects of a similar nature across the region, helping further optimise the delivery of critical services for citizens.”

ACC’s Steve Robertson commented – “Delivering and supporting the best digital educational resources and capabilities across Aberdeen City for our schools is a key part of our hybrid learning strategy for the Council. This means schools, teachers and pupils will be able to use the internet without the risk of interruptions, even if multiple classes are using it at the same time. Teaching won’t be hindered by limited connectivity resulting in devices not connecting to the internet, videos buffering or by the lack of access to online resources.

“Pupils will benefit from being able to securely connect with others anywhere. Locally and globally, in to learn from one another, with access to an ever-growing library of online tools designed to make lessons more fun and engaging.

“We are delighted to have worked with the team at EXPO.e on this important project and also as part of this been supported by a local Service Provider, IFB, showing a real engagement between the Council and business to help with digital transformation and adoption across the city.”

IFB are an Aberdeen Head Quartered IT Services provider with over 28 years experience in delivering in demand business IT services across Energy, Public, Business Services and the Third Sector. IFB specialises in designing and delivering connectivity and networks solutions along with cyber security services.

SSE today unveils a £15m support fund targeted at businesses struggling with their energy bills.

SSE, which sold its GB household energy business to OVO Energy in 2020, is making the fund available to a range of business customers supplied by its non-domestic energy provider, SSE Energy Solutions.

Customers on longer-term fixed contracts that signed up between 1 August and 31 December 2022 will be eligible for the support, reflecting the fact that wholesale energy prices hit record highs during the second half of 2022.

While some businesses continue to receive government bill support through the Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS), the level of support that most businesses receive this winter will likely be lower than last winter.

This fund is a continuation of the support SSE Energy Solutions has provided to customers throughout the pandemic and the energy price crisis. This support has included the extension of payment term options for struggling customers and shielding some customers from more than £10m of non-commodity industry charges.

Nikki Flanders, Managing Director of SSE’s customer businesses (GB&IRL), said: “With government energy support winding down, we believe this is the right time to step up our customer support by providing a dedicated fund.

“Despite the fact that wholesale energy prices have fallen considerably from last year’s highs, they still remain double the historic norm, which we understand is challenging for many businesses.

“Combined with the existing support for our customers, this represents the most comprehensive package of financial assistance to help businesses with their energy bills anywhere in the GB non-domestic market.”*

Details of the scheme

Direct recipients of money from the fund will include:

  • Around 20,000 customers on fixed-term energy contracts agreed between 1 August and 31 December 2022. These customers will be credited with £500 to their account or 25% of their estimated annual bill, whichever is lower.
  • Around 8,000 businesses with registered charitable status will receive a £500 credit to their account.
  • Domestic-like premises on non-domestic contracts or businesses in buildings with a shared residential purpose, such as a pub with a flat above, that are in debt. These customers will be credited with £500 to their account or 25% of their estimated annual bill, whichever is lower.

SSE will automatically apply support to the bills of eligible customers from 1 October 2023 and 31 March 2024 and write to them directly.

In an effort to encourage businesses to take simple steps to help improve their energy efficiency and lower their costs, SSE is also asking its customers that do not have smart meters to book an installation.

Smart meters are an important part of a business’ toolkit in monitoring, managing and ultimately reducing or shifting energy consumption to reduce costs and emissions.

*Based on the £15m fund and shielding some customers from £10m of non-commodity costs

About SSE Energy Solutions

SSE Energy Solutions is a non-domestic energy supplier, which provides gas and electricity to businesses of all sizes across Great Britain, supplying around 420,000 separate metering points. The business also provides distributed energy infrastructure such as private networks, behind-the-meter generation, heat networks and EV charging, and related digital services needed to help businesses and public sector customers transition to a low-carbon future.

The business is part of SSE plc, the FTSE-30 company headquartered in Perth, Scotland and with interests across the UK and Ireland, Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. We are a leading generator of renewable electricity and one of the largest electricity network companies in the UK. We develop, own and operate low carbon infrastructure to support the low-carbon transition. This includes onshore and offshore wind, hydro power, electricity transmission and distribution grids, and efficient gas-fired generation, where we are at the leading edge of decarbonisation with developments in carbon capture and storage and hydrogen. We also provide energy products and services for businesses.

In November 2021, SSE announced a fully funded, £12.5bn Net Zero Acceleration Programme, which will see us expand on our ambition to be the UK’s clean energy champion, In May 2023 this plan was updated with a fully funded £18bn five-year investment plan to 2027. Our investment could total up to £40bn across the decade to 2031/32.

Thousands of Edinburgh homes and businesses can upgrade to new network

Eight Lothian locations dominate a list of the 20 places with the best ultrafast broadband coverage in Scotland, unveiled by Openreach today.

Across Edinburgh and the Lothians, 268,000 homes and businesses are among one million that can now access ultrafast broadband on Openreach’s Scottish network.

Tranent in East Lothian has the second highest coverage in the whole of Scotland, with more than nine out of 10 properties able to upgrade to ultrafast broadband.

The West Lothian village of Fauldhouse is third, with Whitburn, Corstorphine and South Queensferry close behind. Penicuik, Broxburn and West Calder all make the top 20.

Openreach has invested more than £80 million1 in the new Lothian network so far, and is also working with the Scottish and UK Governments, through the Reaching 100% (R100) programme and voucher schemes, to upgrade some of its hardest-to-reach places.

People can visit openreach.co.uk/ultrafastfullfibre to register for updates and check their postcode to see if and when services are available from their chosen provider.

Robert Thorburn, Openreach Partnership Director for Scotland, said: “Our engineers and build partners have done an amazing job helping us bring the new full fibre network to one million homes and businesses across Scotland.

“Bringing fibre broadband to places like Kirkliston, Leith and  Livingston allows local people to enjoy all the benefits of ultrafast speeds now – and will meet their data demands decades into the future.

“The historic, internationally renowned city of Edinburgh wasn’t designed with fibre in mind, so we’ve had to be inventive and innovative in our approach.

“Around half the properties we’ve upgraded so far are tenements and flats, including social housing which supports some of the city’s most vulnerable residents.”

He added: “We’ve more to do, and we’re working closely with all the Lothians local authorities to overcome challenges and reach as many homes and businesses as possible.”

The Scottish Government’s Innovation Minister Richard Lochhead said: “This is an important milestone in the drive to ensure more homes and businesses across Scotland benefit from full fibre broadband, improving vital connectivity.

“We are working with Openreach to roll-out future-proofed digital infrastructure to our rural towns and villages and this Reaching 100% build, alongside Openreach’s commercial network, will underpin economic growth and enhance communities across Scotland for decades to come.”

UK Government Minister for Data and Digital Infrastructure Sir John Whittingdale said: “Thanks to UK government investment, thousands of rural homes, businesses and public buildings across Scotland now have access to first class broadband fit for the future.

“Over three quarters of premises across the UK can now access these faster speeds and with more collaboration with network builders like Openreach at a local and national level, we will see even more rural towns and villages staking their claim to this next-generation connectivity.”

The Openreach network offers the widest choice of providers, such as BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Vodafone and Zen, which means people have lots of choice and can shop for the best deals.

You can find out more about the benefits of an upgrade to Full Fibre broadband on the Openreach website.

 

 

Edinburgh accountancy firm Scholes Chartered Accountants received some welcome recognition at the recent Accounting Excellence Awards in London, winning the ‘Mid-tier Firm of the Year’ award.

Ivan Houston, Director commented “We’re all really pleased for Scholes CA to be recognised in this way, in a very competitive category. The whole team works really hard to support our clients and this independent acknowledgement of everybody’s efforts is very welcome and much appreciated”

Ivan’s colleague Karen Scholes added “It’s great to see how all the finalists really demonstrated such innovation and dynamism. 2023 is a great time to work in a profession, which is undergoing so much transformation right now. We congratulate all the other finalists on their accomplishments.”

Edinburgh based leading sustainable clothing brand, Unfolded, is hosting the first ever Unfolded and Friends pop up event at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh on Sunday 15th October. The free event is open to all and runs from 11am-4pm at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh’s Greyfriars Hall (entrance from The Royal Mile via Cowgatehead). Alongside Unfolded will be other fantastic sustainable Scottish brands including Seilich Botanicals, Voxblock, Natural Sparkle and Scents of the Wild.

In the past 18 months Unfolded has grown to a community of over 100k+ women across the UK, turned down three Dragons on Dragons Den and attracted wide acclaim for their affordable approach to sustainable fashion from media such as This Morning, Lorraine and Glamour magazine.

The event gives shoppers the chance to preview, try and buy the brand new Unfolded collection, shop the brands first ever discounted sample sale, enjoy a free drink, meet the founders and discover a range of other fabulous Scottish sustainable focused brands.

Hosted within Virgin Hotels Edinburgh’s beautifully restored Greyfriars Hall, a Gothic church with vaulted ceilings, it’s the perfect spot to experience a piece of classic Edinburgh while perusing the very best sustainable products Scotland has to offer.

Unfolded is a local business well on its way to achieving a big mission – to change the way people shop and make the fashion industry more sustainable.

Did you know that 30% of new clothes made this year will never be sold – that’s estimated to be a staggering 26 billion items of new clothing that is destined to go straight to landfill?

Unfolded is challenging the industry by creating clothes without the waste and using the savings to create positive impact in the world. They do this by:

  • Designing clothes in collaboration with Unfolded shoppers to ensure the only clothes created are ones that people actually want to buy
  • Production doesn’t start till orders start being placed, allowing us to match supply and demand
  • Clothes are delivered direct from our factories to our customers within 4-6 weeks – removing logistics wastage

Making clothes in this way actually delivers cost savings and these are used to:

  • Offer sustainable yet affordable clothes
  • Pay garment workers better wages
  • Create long term change by funding children in India to learn to read and write (our clothes are manufactured in India).

Since launch eighteen months ago, Unfolded has already supported over 5,000 children in education.

Cally Russell, co-founder of Unfolded explains more, “Unfolded is all about community and creating positive change by working together. This is why we decided to host Unfolded and Friends and can’t wait to meet people in person at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh on Sunday. Over the past 18 months our collaborative approach to sustainable fashion has started to change this industry and we look forward to more Edinburgh locals discovering there is another way to shop this weekend”.

Mafalda Albuquerque, General Manager, Virgin Hotels Edinburgh said: “Virgin Hotels Edinburgh is a strong supporter of small, Scottish businesses. Our very own Curiosity Shop, delivered in partnership with Virgin Startup, features local sustainable brands and is extremely popular with our guests and so we know there will be huge excitement for the Unfolded and Friends market.

“We look forward to welcoming Unfolded into Greyfriars Hall to give guests and locals the chance to browse its incredible collection of sustainable products. In keeping with chic Virgin style, the pieces aren’t just fabulous but good for the planet too.”

After Edinburgh, the popup market tour will be heading to Oxford Street in London and then Manchester before the end of the year.

Find out more about the Unfolded and Friends Pop Up Event here https://thisisunfolded.com/blogs/unfold/unfolded-friends-event-edinburgh