You need mo soup

 Movember is coming to its end and razor blade manufacturers are waiting eagerly. As our bit to help out we're providing soups for Mogasm at The Wee Red Bar on Friday November 25th 7pm onward. As well as donating all the takings we're also providing a Soupon for two (the winner and their mo).

We'll be providing two soups, one of which has been created specially for the event: Mogasmic bacon pump. If you want to know what's in it, you'll have to come and try it for yourself.

There's a good line up. Amy'll be swapping her soupmongering gear for drumming duties in The Alibis. Colin Mcleod - as seen on ITV's Penn and Teller will be there. There's a good strong local music line up and plenty of prizes from other Edinburgh businesses too. So come along and show off your mo in all its glory before the shearing season starts.

And if you don't have a mo, come anyway.

That was the week, that was

Well, we had planned to blog a bit more than we have but to say the least, this week has been busier than we expected.

I did get a chance to snap a quick video of us from one evening though to give you a sense of what a soup monger gets up to after a long day's toil in the soup mines.

A bag (with a bag)

This was taken at the end of the first day of Union's trading. It's the contents of the recycling bin we've provided for our customers to return our used takeaway packaging in - from day one, it's worked. I'm so incredibly happy with this. Things got better as the week went on, too - by Wednesday, we had to replace the binbag, and each day since then, I've been stuffing two binbags into our compost collection bin outside.

We're getting our food waste uplifted and composted by the Cyrenians. They'll collect twice per week, and they've made it really easy for us to do. Which is great, as it looks as if this is something which will run and run. And so it should. If a tiny start-up cafe can offer this service, so can anyone.

That's a gauntlet, Starbucks, Costa, Nero and the rest of you. A huge great clanging gauntlet.

Our first regular genius

Our first recycler

Really pleased to say that even on our first day that people were bringing their packaging back so we can recycle it. One marvellous person even brought her own Keep Cup in for us to fill with soup.

If you go to Forrest Road, you will dine (on soup)

Our first press coverage. Never before have so many of us huddled over one copy of the Edinburgh Evening News.

Special thanks to Lucy at Vegware for promoting us so tirelessly and to David at the paper for being interested in an Edinburgh business working with other Edinburgh businesses.

For those wanting to see behind the scenes, check out the album for the press shoot.

Signs and Portents

Today the window graphics and the sign were completed. Suddenly it feels like a cafe. Now when people walk past, they look in to see what's going on. We've even had people walk in to tell us how much they're looking forwards to coming in next week. The photo below was taken by Amy. I love the reflection of the classic old town skyline in it.

The long, dark lunch time of the soul

This is what it feels like to be Scotland's first soupmonger at 3am in the morning when your cafe's due to open in 5 days.