Local Food and Drink Pairings

As a small, independent distillery, we know just how important it is to shout about brilliant local producers – especially when there’s so much choice out there. That’s why we love teaming up with some of Edinburgh’s finest food and drink folk to create perfectly paired experiences that celebrate the best our city has to offer.

We’ve cooked up two deliciously different tasting experiences, featuring top-notch pairings with our pals at East Coast Cured (charcuterie champions), I.J. Mellis (Scottish cheese royalty), Barney’s Beer (our craft beer neighbours), and Belhaven Smokehouse (smoked salmon heroes of the East Coast)

Our Pairings

Scottish Explorer
Cheese and Cocktails
Scottish Explorer Experience

The Scottish Explorer

Savour the best of Scotland’s larder in the heart of Edinburgh, from rich, locally smoked salmon and hand-crafted cured meats to traditional farmhouse cheeses. Each bite is perfectly paired with drams of Scotch whisky, locally brewed beers, and small-batch gins made within the historic building of Summerhall in Edinburgh.

Included:

  • A platter of Scottish cured meats, smoked fish & cheese (will vary with the seasons)
  • A selection of locally produced gin, whisky, and beers

Availability: Friday and Saturday

Price: £50

Duration: 90 minutes

Cheese & Cocktail Pairing

Cheese & Cocktail Pairing Masterclass

Guided by our expert mixologist and cheese enthusiast, you’ll embark on a journey full of flavours that excite the senses and immerse you in the rich local heritage of Edinburgh's Food Scene with both locally crafted spirits and cheese by Mellis Cheesemonger.

Included:

  • 3 x full-strength gin cocktails
  • A platter with six different types of Scottish cheeses accompanied by crackers

Availability: Saturday and Sunday

Price: £50

Duration: 2 hours

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Meet the Makers

East Coast Cured

East Coast Cured was launched in 2017 by husband and wife, Steven & Susie. A combined love of food & travel gave Susie & Steven a taste for real artisan-cured meats.

They combine the best locally reared, high-welfare meats with ingredients carefully sourced and selected for outstanding character and quality. They cut, mix, stuff, ferment, smoke, cure, and slow-mature all their products by hand, in their kitchen and curing rooms.

Belhaven Smokehouse

Belhaven Smokehouse was a family business for over 46 years, until 2021, when the family entrusted it to new owners after their retirement.

Their cold-smoked salmon and trout are dry cured for 24-48 hours using a varying mix of salt, sugar, spices and botanicals, which infuses incredible flavours.

During hot smoking, the fish is cooked as it's smoked. The art of hot smoking is to perfectly cook the fish to ensure it remains succulent and full of rich smoky flavour.

I.J. Mellis

Before opening his first shop, partner and founder Iain Mellis had worked in the British cheese industry for almost 15 years. He wanted a traditional, old-fashioned sense of service and style whilst using modern technology to maintain and enhance the unique characteristics of artisan cheese.

Today, Mellis Cheese continues the same mission that it started with. To provide a quality product and premium service. Trading for over 30 years, they provide some of the highest quality cheese on the market.  

Barney's Beer

We're excited to bring on board our neighbours at Summerhall Distillery - Barney's Beer! Using only the best ingredients and traditional techniques and processes, Barney’s Beer has been supplying Edinburgh’s bars, restaurants and bottle shops for over a decade.

Taking inspiration from the creativity of the city and picking up where the original Summerhall Brewey est. 1700s left off, Barney's Beer simply aim to make beers they are proud to share. 

Summerhall Distillery

So, this is a bit of a shameless plug, but we are proud to showcase our spirits in our food and drinks pairings.

Summerhall Distillery is home to Pickering's Gin and The Broody Hen Scotch Whisky. Established in 2014, we pride ourselves on creating hand-crafted gin and whisky within our hand-built distillery in the heart of Edinburgh.