Thriving Thursday

Hey! Nashy & Abs here 👋

Welcome to your weekly Thriving Newsletter!

Thirteen new businesses on the Thriving Card this week and we will start rolling out more content to build the card soon. 🩷

Right now we want to speak directly to Edinburgh locals. The card is for you. Not just tourists. Not just visitors. You!

£45 for the whole year, only if you are a Newsletter Subscriber.

Here's how fast it pays for itself. Take your family to Down the Hatch for dinner - 20% off your food bill for up to 8 people. One family meal and you have made a dent in that £45 for the card.

Then every coffee at a Thriving cafe, every visit to a Thriving business, every purchase at a Thriving Card shop after that is saving you money while keeping Edinburgh's brilliant independents thriving.

And when the big moments come, like buying or selling your home. Simpson & Marwick will knock £150 off your conveyancing fee in a single transaction.

The maths is simple. The city is brilliant. The savings are great. Get your card.

Let's get into it! 👇

This week's newsletter includes:

🔥 New business shout-out - Bedrock Coffee
🏪 Local business highlights
📣 Worth shouting about & 📅 Festival Suggestions
💳 A taste of what's on the Thriving Card this week!

If you haven't grabbed your Thriving Card yet, the founding-member price is still available to newsletter subscribers only.

£45 instead of £59. Forever.

Let's get into it! 👇

A brilliant independent coffee shop just a stone's throw from the Grassmarket. Bedrock Coffee on West Port is the kind of neighbourhood cafe that becomes a local favourite very quickly!

Great coffee, a warm welcome and a space that makes you want to stay a while. 🩷

Mon to Fri 8am to 5pm. Sat to Sun 9am to 5pm.

📍 13 West Port, Edinburgh, EH1 2JA

I popped in this week to meet Lucy and I am so glad I did. Weigh To Go is one of those independent businesses that makes you wonder why every high street doesn't have one. 🩷

Plastic-free groceries, household refills, loose foods, fresh coffee, kombucha, pickles and ferments, milk and dairy, all sold by weight so you only buy what you need. Plus the biggest selection of hot sauces in Scotland and a brilliant range of authentic Mexican groceries that you genuinely cannot find anywhere else in Edinburgh.

Bring your own containers or grab one in store. Simple, sustainable and run by someone who clearly loves what she does. The kind of independent that makes this city better. Go and see Lucy and pick something up this week. 🩷

Mon to Fri 10am to 7pm / Saturday 10am to 6pm / Sunday 12pm to 6pm

📍 27 Crighton Place, Edinburgh, EH7 4NY

What show or which performer are you most looking forward to seeing this year?

Let us know and Nashy will try and get them on our socials! He loves a challenge!

A brilliant creative community connecting women across Edinburgh through craft workshops and social events. Whether you're a complete beginner or a seasoned maker, Girls Craft Club has something for you. 🩷

Macramé, wreath making, botanical printing, candle making and so much more; all in a warm, welcoming and genuinely fun environment. The kind of independent community that makes you leave feeling inspired, creative and like you've made new friends in the process.

Perfect for a solo adventure, a night out with friends or a unique and memorable gift for someone special. Gift vouchers available too.

Thriving Card offer: 10% off your first event with GCC.
📍 Edinburgh

If your Pinterest mood board came to life this would be it. Niche Studio are hosting a gorgeous morning of bouquet making, ceremonial matcha and new connections on Saturday 26th July. Create your own bouquet, sip matcha, meet new people and grab one of their new Niche totes. Come solo or bring your bestie. 🩷

Saturday 26th July. 10am. Message Niche Studio to secure your space.

📍 Niche Studio, 89 Giles Street, Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 6BZ

Two hidden closes. One unforgettable morning. Start underground at The Lost Close with expert storytelling and a freshly brewed coffee from Edinburgh roaster Common Coffee. Then continue into The Real Mary King's Close; winner of TripAdvisor's UK's Best Visitor Attraction 2024. Only 12 places per session. Running daily. Book well ahead. 🩷

Every day. Starting at 8:15am, 9:15am or 10:15am. £40 per person.

📍 1A Parliament Square, Edinburgh, EH1 1RF

A thousand-mile tandem bike ride from Land's End to John O'Groats, stopping only in British pubs along the way. The Thinking Drinkers are back at the Fringe with a brand new show and it sounds absolutely brilliant. Funny, fascinating and featuring five free drinks for every audience member. Described as the pioneers of alcohol-based comedy and awarded five stars by The Times. If you're heading to the Fringe this August this is one for the list. 🩷

60 minutes. Age 18+. £14.50 to £17. 15th to 30th August. 2:45pm daily.

📍 Gilded Balloon at the National Museum of Scotland, Lothian Street, Edinburgh,
EH1 1HB

The ultimate Fringe party is back and it has sold out every single year since 2012. Eight intimate shows only. 100% bangers from 1970 to 2026. Huge happy crowds all over the world agree, this is the Best. Party. Ever!! If you are going to one late-night Fringe show this August make it this one. 🩷

11pm - 1am. 20th - 23rd & 27th - 30th August, 🎟️ Book now!

📍 Assembly Hall, Mound Place, Edinburgh, EH1 2LX

The Thriving Card is doing exactly what it was built to do. Locals are saving money, tourists are finding the real Edinburgh and brilliant independents are getting the support they deserve. Here's a taste of what's on the card this week:

☕ John's Coffee House - Parliament Square - Located on Parliament Square just off the Royal Mile and proudly named after the original historic John's Coffee House lost in the Great Fire of 1824. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner with a selection of local and Scottish favourites. The perfect spot during the Fringe.
Thriving Card offer: 10% off at John's Coffee House.

👁️ Fetch Eyewear - Dalry Road - Independent eyewear store where all glasses are £95 with same-day service. Made up in as quick as 20 minutes. Brilliant value, brilliant service and a proper independent alternative to the big chains.
Thriving Card offer: 15% off all glasses.

🏸 Budminton Edinburgh - Sportcial club helping Edinburgh make friends and keep active through badminton since 2022. Fun, inclusive and a brilliant way to meet new people in the city. Perfect for anyone new to Edinburgh during the Fringe.
Thriving Card offer: First session for a fiver! Must book online.

🍜 Nami - Edinburgh - One of Edinburgh's most exciting independent restaurants. A Pan-Asian restaurant on Leith’s Shore blending East Asian dishes with creative fusion and bold flavours. Small plates made with real care and brilliant creativity. The kind of dining experience that has people coming back again and again.
Thriving Card offer: 10% off food 12-6pm

📍 Nami, Edinburgh

🩷 Loads more offers across food, drink, health, wellness, shopping, experiences and outdoor activities. A wee something for everyone.

That's your Thriving Thursday! 🩷

If you haven't grabbed your Thriving Card yet, the founding member price is still available at £45 through the link below:

BECOME A FOUNDING MEMBER - £45

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.

Let's Keep Edinburgh Thriving. 🚀

BIG love,

Nashy & Abs

Keep Edinburgh Thriving 🩷