Restaurant quality dining, street food, cocktails and craft ale come to new community hub in Morningside

Eating and drinking out in Edinburgh has become a distant memory since lockdown was enforced two months ago.

But a group of businesses are determined to make sure residents can enjoy quality food, craft ale and cocktails in the comforts of their own home.

Morningside’s ‘McLarens on the Corner’ has been transformed into a community hub for Edinburgh foodies to relive some of that eating out experience, but in a safe way.

The new setup brings together a collection of pop-up Edinburgh restaurants and bars in one location for foodies to order from including classic Neapolitan Pizza, Cold Town Beer from Cold Town House in the Grassmarket, street food from The Huxley on Rutland Street and cocktails from Copper Blossom in George Street.

Foodies wanting something a little more greasy can also order from the Scranavan food truck at the hub which serves a tasty selection of street food options including burgers, hot dogs, mac ‘n’ cheese and classic loaded fries.

Different menu options are available including the McLarens Meal Club three-course set menus which will change each weekend. Orders must be placed from these menus on Wednesdays before 3pm and they offer everything from antipasti platters to local roe venison and pancetta bolognese and Rolo brownie with salted caramel from £20 per person.

The ‘Do It Yourself’ menu includes pizza dough kits serving two to four people which will be sent to customers with a set of instructions on how to roll the dough, add toppings and cook to perfection at home.

Online cooking tips for making pizzas at home from Cold Town House can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ2oz3EUW7c&feature=youtu.be

Takeaway draught Cold Town Beer and cocktails created by mixologists at Copper Blossom are also up for grabs, including special summer frosés and Porn Star Martinis. People can order and pay for a selection of cocktails and beer on the day between 12pm and 8pm while collecting their food and take it home with them to enjoy.

Owner of Signature Group, Nic Wood, said: “We’re really excited be bringing our innovative new home dining concept to the Morningside community and to foodies across the capital.

“We’ve had to get creative and adapt to the new social distancing rules. We think McLarens Market Corner offers people a fun way to pick up a range of fine dining menus, street food, cocktails and craft ale all in one handy location. We’ve worked hard to take what we think is some of Signature Group’s best food and drink and bring it into the homes of our customers.

“We cannot thank the local community enough for their support and enthusiasm that has allowed us to begin finding our new normal. McLarens has been a hub for the local Morningside community since we opened in March and we look forward to continuing that role going forward.”

Public health, safety and social distancing measures continue to be in place at McLarens Market Corner, including a one-way system for queues and hand sanitiser stations. Staff will also be wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).

McLarens on the Corner celebrates the work of former Edinburgh Lord Provost, Duncan McLaren, who served from 1833 to 1881. Described as the ‘rescuer of the city’, McLaren was responsible for restoring Edinburgh’s finances after it ran into bankruptcy. As well as his financial expertise, in 1835 he pioneered free education for all classes, opened the Meadows to the public and established the Industrial Museum, now the National Museum of Scotland.

You can find McLarens Market Corner at 8 Morningside Road, Edinburgh, EH10 4DD.