Hey! Nashy & Abs here 👋
Welcome to your weekly Thriving Newsletter!
Summer has arrived in Edinburgh and the energy in the city right now is something else. The temperatures are soaring, the events are kicking off and there has never been a better time to get out and explore everything Edinburgh and the Lothians have to offer. 🌈
This week's newsletter includes:
🔥 New business shout-out: Half-Cut Coffee
💳 A taste of what's on the Thriving Card this week
🏪 Local business highlights
📣 Worth shouting about & 📅 Dates for your diary
Let's get into it! 👇
A taste of what's on the Thriving Card this week:
The Thriving Card is out there in the wild and people are already using it across the city and the Lothians. Annual memberships are leading the way and the community is building beautifully. We are just getting started. 🩷
Here's a taste of what's waiting for you this week:
🍪 Chulo's Stuffed Cookies - Edinburgh's stuffed cookie bakery at 22 Raeburn Place, Stockbridge is worth a visit. Huge, indulgent and stuffed to the brim.
Thriving Card offer: 10% off any purchase in the Stockbridge store only.
🌿 Hanover Health Foods - Edinburgh's brilliant independent health food store stocking hundreds of the best natural, organic and specialist brands. The kind of shop that knows its stuff inside out.
Thriving Card offer: 10% off purchases over £40.
🪓 Wild Cairns - Assault courses, axe throwing, airsoft, Mini Highland Games and so much more. Perfect for families, groups, corporate events and anyone who wants to do something genuinely brilliant outdoors in East Lothian.
Thriving Card offer: 10% off all activities (excludes Mini Highland Games and party packages).
🎨 Girls Craft Club - A brilliant creative community connecting women through craft workshops and social events across Edinburgh. Macramé, wreath-making, botanical printing and more. Join the club, make new friends and make something beautiful.
Thriving Card offer: 10% off your first event.
🩷 Loads more offers across food, drink, professional services, health, wellness, shopping, experiences, outdoor activities and so much more. A wee something for everyone!
If you haven't grabbed your Thriving Card yet the founding member price is still available for newsletter subscribers only.
🔥 NEW BUSINESS SHOUT OUT
☕ Half-Cut Coffee - Opening Monday 1st June!
Something new is brewing on Candlemaker Row. Half-Cut Coffee opens its doors this Monday 1st June right in the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town.
Built around premium coffee, calm moments and a genuinely welcoming space. Quality beans, thoughtful preparation and a vibe that makes you want to stay a while.
Get yourself down to Candlemaker Row on Monday and be one of the first through the door. Go and support a new Edinburgh independent from day one.
🏪 LOCAL BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS
🦋 Madame Butterfly - North Berwick, High Street
A brilliant independent boutique in the heart of North Berwick selling new and vintage clothing, jewellery, accessories and beautiful soft furnishings, including cushions, quilts and throws.
The kind of shop you can lose an hour in and leave with something you genuinely love. If you're heading down the East Lothian coast this weekend, pop in and say hello. 🩷
🎵 The Sound Bath Studio - Prestonpans, East Lothian
Meet Paul Lawrence Speers. One of the most talented and genuine wellbeing practitioners in East Lothian and a recent award winner too. Paul runs immersive sound bath sessions and holistic wellness experiences across his indoor and outdoor studios. His sessions are described as being calming, restorative and genuinely special. 🩷
Sadly, Meta randomly shut down Paul's Instagram page, meaning he lost his 5k+ followers recently, which is a devastating blow for any small independent business.
Please click the button below and give it a follow. It takes 10 seconds and makes a real difference to a local East Lothian independent.
📣 WORTH SHOUTING ABOUT & 📅 DATES FOR YOUR DIARY!
Stride Out are marking World Running Day on Wednesday 3rd June with a special 5K taster run around Edinburgh, 7:30am start. A brilliant way to see the city on foot and learn something new. This tour is led by the lovely Jayne. Whether you're a visitor or a local who has never done a running tour this is the perfect introduction. 🩷
The run finishes at local favourite Fox & Co for coffee and Nashy will be there to run and support.
Tuesday 3rd June. 7:30am. 🎟️ Book ahead.
Tribe Porty are throwing open their doors for their Summer Party 2026 and it's going to be a brilliant day. They're teaming up with Porty-based mural artist KMG to celebrate the launch of GrassRoots, a brand-new community festival bringing together hands-on creative workshops and opportunities for artists to showcase and sell their work across Portobello.
At Tribe Porty you'll find:
🎨 Artist-led workshops 10am to 9pm
🎵 Live music all day, including Fun Fiddle 12pm to 1pm and live karaoke with Peat 1pm to 4pm
🍕 Pizza from Glencallum Bay Pizza 12pm to 3:30pm
👨👩👧👦 Free activities for kids and drop-in creative workshops 10am to 4pm
🛍️ Pop-up market at Traade featuring all the GrassRoots artists
Everyone is welcome! Come for a workshop or simply turn up for pizza, drinks and a good social hangout.
Saturday 13th June. 10am - 9pm. Most events free to attend. Book workshops in advance 🩷
One of Edinburgh's most loved community festivals is back. Music, food, activities and entertainment across a full weekend on The Meadows. Run entirely by volunteers since 1974 and still one of the best free weekends in the city.
10am to 6pm both days. Free entry. Get it in your diary. 🩷
Longniddry’s brilliant community gala is back this June with a packed week of family-friendly events across the village, including a Picnic in the Park, teen movie night, a Super Sunday Sports Day, a family pizza and quiz night, a treasure hunt, dog show, afternoon tea, a golf tournament and Gala Day itself on Saturday 6th June. Check their Facebook page for the full programme.
The Gala After Party takes place on Saturday 6th June at the Gala Marquee in Longniddry Park from 8pm to 11:45pm. Hot Dub Time Machine vibes hosted by Marty from Boogie in the Morning. Wall to wall anthems, guilty pleasures and dancefloor classics all night. 🩷
🎟️ £15 - includes a welcome drink. BYOB food and drink.
That's your Thriving Thursday! ☀️🌈
If you haven't grabbed your Thriving Card yet the founding member price is still available for newsletter subscribers only.
£45 instead of £59. Forever.
We genuinely love putting this together for you every week. The fact that you read it, share it and support it means the world to both of us.
Our Newsletter is a place to shine a spotlight on the many brilliant local businesses on our doorstep and to keep you in the loop on local events and what’s happening in and around Edinburgh.
We really want to hear about new independent businesses that are opening in Edinburgh and the Lothians! Know a business deserving a shout-out? Reply to this email and tell us their story.
Are you a local business owner? Would you like to join our Thriving Card? It’s FREE and takes only 2 minutes to register.
Let's Keep Edinburgh Thriving. 🚀
BIG love,
Nashy & Abs