The 'fun' and jolly Edinburgh deli that's opened in a former bicycle shop
This new shop is a foodie paradise
Is your pantry looking bare and uninspired, with tumbleweed blowing along those dusty shelves?
Then bin the out-of-date spices and get along to Edinburgh’s newest deli, Crunch, which has just opened on Montagu Terrace. The bright pink shelves in this cheery new venue are lined with goodies that will brighten up every cook or gourmand’s kitchen cupboards. We asked the owner to tell us more about the box fresh business.
Who are the people behind Crunch?
Crunch is run by myself, Kirsty Buyers. I left university in the summer of 2019 and walked into my first office graduate job. Then the pandemic in 2020 pushed me into furlough and eventually redundancy. I decided to start my own business off the back of my redundancy, initially just as a hobby/for fun while I was unemployed. What started as doing grazing box deliveries for one day a week turned into two, and then eventually became my full time job.
Tell us about the new shop - where is it and what does it offer?
We are in the Goldenacre/Inverleith area at 26 Montagu Terrace. The shop is an inclusive, fun space for all your coffee needs, pantry essentials, sandwiches, flowers, wine and nibbles. We are starting small with our offering and hope to add much more, but for now, we're just taking baby steps.
Why did you choose to have a bricks and mortar shop rather than simply operating online?
For the past six years we have been exclusively an online business and operating in an industrial unit. This is what I thought I'd want my business and life to be but I found a disconnect when being online and away from customers. I'm a very sociable person and felt quite lonely being online only. I was craving a bit more community. Towards the end of last year I felt really low and wasn't enjoying my work so I knew I had to change something, I just didn't know quite what the change was yet. At the same time, my five year lease came to an end and, when looking to resign, the thought of staying there another five years felt like too much commitment. I spotted the shop and part of me has always wanted to open a retail space, so I went for it.
Will your catering business continue?
Yes. We will still operate our current catering activities below the shop in a newly decked out commercial kitchen. It's almost like the best of both worlds. Upstairs is a bit of a passion project where I have created my dream shop - somewhere I would go to buy nice bits, gifts, pick up a spontaneous bouquet of flowers or to grab a coffee. While downstairs we will cater for our bigger events, weddings, corporate jobs and more.
What were the premises before you moved in, and what have you done to it?
The shop was previously home to Substance Cycles who have now moved a few doors up to a bigger space. The property was in dire need of cheering up; it had holes and nails in the tile walls, paint that needed scraping off, new floors, a lick of paint and some life in it. We have added new herringbone flooring, fresh paint inside and out, bright pink shelving and counter, a whole commercial kitchen downstairs, a walk-in fridge and some other bits and bobs.
Why do you think the area needed something like this? Who are your neighbours?
I think the area needs something fun, playful and inclusive. The street has a vast amount of shops and offices but it seems there's only a few options for food and coffee. We hope to serve a younger demographic and perhaps modernise the street with our bright pink shelving.
What do you think makes a good deli?
I think speciality brands that you can't find widely available, good coffee and knowledge on food and wine. I have been following a lot of the brands we stock and I wouldn't put products on my shelves that I haven't tried or would buy myself. Everything in the deli has been carefully curated based on its quality. Being able to go into a deli and pick up new brands and products you can't find everyday. We do the hard work of sourcing and finding all these exciting and great quality brands for you.
Tell us more about those brands that you stock
I am super excited to stock so many exciting brands but a few of my favourites are: Goat Rodeo Goods, Northern Pasta Co, Golden Bottom Bakery, Chimac, Good Phats and more. Goat Rodeo Goods are a Scottish pickle and spice brand based in Perthshire; they are one of the only companies in the UK that source their cucumbers in Scotland and manage the entire process from start to finish themselves. A lot of cucumbers/pickles are manufactured in India due to the complicated process, but Goat Rodeo Goods does it all themselves. On top of that they have such fun branding with lots of quirky product names that make their products such great gifts or pantry heroes.
Who do you hope will be your average customer?
The bright pink shop is probably going to attract more women but I hope to see a range of people. We want to be welcoming and inclusive to all and a friendly place for anyone.
Follow Crunch on Instagram @crunchplatters or see their website www.crunchplatters.co.uk
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