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Brew Lab
◷ Old Town (South College Street), Edinburgh
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Scotland · independent first
Independent coffee & cake in Edinburgh
Edinburgh has built one of the strongest independent coffee scenes in the UK, and a lot of it is roasted within the city or just outside it. Williams & Johnson roast on a Probat in full view of the cafe at Custom Lane in Leith, Cairngorm and Fortitude run their own roasteries, and Mr Eion has been roasting in Stockbridge on a Diedrich since 2013. Other places lean on those same local roasters, so you often find Edinburgh beans poured a short walk from where they were roasted.
The cake and bakery side is just as serious. Twelve Triangles runs a slow-fermentation sourdough bakery in Leith, Lovecrumbs near the Grassmarket changes its layer cakes daily, and Söderberg has kept its Swedish cardamom buns going across the city since 2007. Between the New Town basements, the Stockbridge roasteries, the Leith shore and the Old Town wynds, you can cover specialty coffee and proper home baking without ever stepping into a chain.
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Coffee & cake in Edinburgh, answered
Which Edinburgh cafes roast their own coffee?
Cairngorm Coffee, Fortitude, Williams & Johnson and Mr Eion all roast their own beans. Williams & Johnson roast on a 12kg Probat at their Custom Lane cafe in Leith, Mr Eion roasts on a Diedrich linked to the Stockbridge shop, and Cairngorm and Fortitude roast at sites just outside the centre.
Where should I go for cake rather than just coffee?
Lovecrumbs on West Port is built around daily-changing layer cakes, Twelve Triangles in Leith is a scratch sourdough and pastry bakery, and Söderberg in Stockbridge is the place for Swedish cardamom and cinnamon buns. Most of the roaster-led cafes also keep a small cake and pastry selection.
Are these places actually independent?
Yes. This list is independents only, including small local mini-groups like Söderberg, The Milkman and Twelve Triangles. We have left out the high-street chains. Brew Lab is marked at medium confidence because it is now owned by London roaster Union Hand-Roasted, though it still trades as an independent specialty cafe.
Which areas have the best concentration of specialty coffee?
The New Town around George Street, Broughton Street and York Place has Lowdown, Artisan Roast, Cairngorm and Fortitude. Stockbridge has Mr Eion and Söderberg, Leith has Williams & Johnson and Twelve Triangles, and the Old Town has The Milkman, Lovecrumbs and Brew Lab.
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