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Suppliers. Without exception, every restaurant featured on Eating and Waiting to Eat to date has talked about the quality of and their commitment to local Scottish suppliers. So much so, that Kevin and Carlos decided to invite one of Scotland’s (and the UK’s) most celebrated suppliers - the renowned cheesemongers, Mellis Cheese - to the show; Mellis is rightly credited with helping to both create and popularize the British artisanal and farmhouse cheese market. Flying the flag, is Rory Mellis, son of legendary cheesemonger and the entrepreneur behind Mellis Cheese, Iain Mellis. Rory tells the fascinating history of the 30+ year old family business and talks about the philosophy that underpins everything they do. He also entertains with stories of his cheese centered upbringing and details his current role in the business. Whether you know what animal rennet is or not, this is an essential episode of the show.  Follow Eating and Waiting to Eat on Instagram here.  Download the First Table app, our sponsors for Season 2, here and use the code ‘ podcast ‘ for even more savings. Connect with this episode’s guest(s): Mellis Cheese’s Website  Mellis Cheese on Instagram  Rory Mellis on Instagram

Is it a coffee shop? Is it a flower shop? Yes, yes and so much more. Situated at the top of Broughton Street, Stor Coffee and Aspen Florals occupy one beautiful venue - a multi-purpose space that feels like a tranquil oasis in the midst of Central Edinburgh. This is a very special episode as Kevin and Carlos welcome artists and entrepreneurs Nathalie Holbrook and Jacek Hubner to the podcast. Their chat focuses on Nathalie and Jacek's fascinating journey to opening and running Stor and Aspen; a story that manages to be both truly unique to them and yet universal for anyone working, or interested, in hospitality. Stor Coffee is a regular haunt of the show's and a place that both Kevin and Carlos love to introduce folks to. The espresso and chocolate ganache cookies at Stor are an Edinburgh must have!      Follow Eating and Waiting to Eat on Instagram here.  Download the First Table app, our sponsors for Season 2, here and use the code ‘ podcast ‘ for even more savings. Connect with this episode’s guest(s): Stor Lifestyle's WebsiteStor Coffee on Instagram Aspen Florals on Instagram Restaurant(s) recommended by this episode’s guest(s): Dishoom Spry Little Capo The Chippy by Spencer

Crew, this is the show’s most epic Side Quest yet! Coming to you live from the 2026 Edinburgh International Book Festival, Carlos and Kevin speak to chef, social media influencer, and cook book author, Ben Lippett. Inside the Book Festival’s famous spiegeltent, Ben talks about his upbringing, his international cooking career, his humble online beginnings, and the experience of writing his first cook book - he also gives everyone permission to fail at home cooking! According to Carlos, Ben also picks the correct Rice, Bread, Pasta answer. So put on your Britney mics and relive the very first episode of Eating and Waiting to Eat recorded live in front of a studio audience. Follow Eating and Waiting to Eat on Instagram here.  Connect with this episode’s guest(s): Ben Lippett on Instagram Ben Lippett’s Website Ben Lippett on YouTube “How I Cook” by Ben Lippett How I Cook Substack Restaurant(s) recommended by this episode’s guest(s): The Palmerston Ardfern Dogstar Nishiki

Halfway through Season 2 of the show and things just keep cooking! This latest episode tells the story of one of the brightest gems in the Edinburgh food scene, the family-run Michelin starred, Timberyard (along with its two sister restaurants: Montrose and Haze). Carlos and Kevin welcome Jo Radford - of the Radford family - and Bart Stratfold, the group's Executive Chef, to the studio. The conversation ranges from sustainability in the food industry, the evolution of the restaurant scene in Scotland over the years, Timberyard’s unique legacy, to who prefers listening to Sepultura over history podcasts. It’s also worth nothing - spoiler alert - that for once, Kev is really in the minority during Rice/Bread/Pasta. Enjoy.         Join Kevin and Carlos for a LIVE recording of Eating and Waiting to Eat on August 16th, 2026 at the Edinburgh International Book Festival - they’ll be interviewing chef and author Ben Lippett (tickets here).  Follow Eating and Waiting to Eat on Instagram here.  Download the First Table app, our sponsors for Season 2, here and use the code ‘ podcast ‘ for even more savings. Connect with this episode’s guest(s): Timberyard Montrose Timberyard on Instagram Montrose on Instagram Haze on Instagram Bart Stratford on Instagram Restaurant(s) recommended by this episode’s guest(s): Noodles Home The Way Taste Tanjore

Barry is the Scottish word for ‘good,’ and it couldn’t be more apt for this episode. Barry Bryson, the chef and restauranteur behind the beloved Leith based Barry Fish, is a good guy, who gives one hell of a good interview! Carlos, Kevin, and Barry have a delightful and wide ranging chat. They cover everything from Barry’s private cheffing days, having his fish mongers on WhatsApp, the ups and downs of the restaurant industry, to even his favorite Madonna tracks (spoiler alert: for many, many years Madonna’s “Hung Up” continuously made Carlos’ top ten most played songs). Lock in - you’re in for a delicious ride!    Join Kevin and Carlos for a LIVE recording of Eating and Waiting to Eat on August 16th, 2026 at the Edinburgh International Book Festival - they’ll be interviewing chef and author Ben Lippett (tickets here).  Follow Eating and Waiting to Eat on Instagram here.  Download the First Table app, our sponsors for Season 2, here and use the code ‘ podcast ‘ for even more savings. Connect with this episode’s guest(s): Barry Bryson on Instagram Barry Fish Website Barry Fish on Instagram Restaurant(s) recommended by this episode’s guest(s): Mirin L’Escargot Blue Fin & Grape The Fishmarket Newhaven

Writer, cook, mum, traveler, entrepreneur, and just all around wonderful human, Jess Elliott Dennison joins Kevin and Carlos for a special episode of Eating and Waiting to Eat. Jess takes us an engaging and entertaining tour through her many food-related eras. From working for Jamie Oliver, to running a cafe, to running a cafe during COVID, to her beautiful cook books, the establishment of her food studio, and her partnership with the Edinburgh International Book Festival, there are few things Jess has not done in and for the Edinburgh food scene. She plays a unique and important role in the city’s (and Scotland’s) hospitality tapestry. Speaking of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, make sure you check out one of the many cooking workshops being hosted at Jess’ studio, Elliott’s, AND that you join Kevin and Carlos for a LIVE recording of Eating and Waiting to Eat on 16/8/26 - they’ll be interviewing chef and author Ben Lippett (tickets here).  Follow Eating and Waiting to Eat on Instagram here.  Download the First Table app, our sponsors for Season 2, here and use the code ‘ podcast ‘ for even more savings. Connect with this episode’s guest(s): Jess Elliott Dennison on Instagram Elliott's Restaurant(s) recommended by this episode’s guest(s): Noodles and Dumplings General links from this episode:  Have Lunch with Jess Elliott Dennison at the Edinburgh International Book Festival

The youngest guest that Carlos and Kevin have welcomed to the show needs little to no introduction. Jun Au is the patron and head chef behind Pomelo, a stunning modern Chinese restaurant that uses the finest of Scottish ingredients. Pomelo is located in the neighborhood of Marchmont and is a favourite of many in town who seek out both the familiar and the unique; Pomelo’s hand-ripped noodles are among the most delicious dishes one can eat in all of Edinburgh (straight up, Kevin never misses an opportunity to rave about them). Come for Jun’s fascinating personal journey (including how he got on Great British Menu), stay for the in-depth noodle geekery.  Follow Eating and Waiting to Eat on Instagram here.  Download the First Table app, our sponsors for Season 2, here and use the code ‘ podcast ‘ for even more savings. Connect with this episode’s guest(s) on Instagram: Pomelo Jun Au General links from this episode: Jun Au - Great British Menu, Series 21  Jess Elliott Dennison VAT’s the Problem  Stuart Ralston Aizle Hospitality Group Roberta Hall Restaurants and bars mentioned in this episode: Felice e Testaccio Jia Jia Tang Bao Canopy Vern’s Mosque Kitchen The Palmserton The China Bowl

Welcome to Season 2 of Eating and Waiting to Eat. This new set of ten episodes, which continue to take listeners on a behind-the-scenes journey of Edinburgh’s food scene, is bigger, badder and starts off with a real bang! Carlos and Kevin welcome the one and only Stuart Ralston to the studio. Stuart is the chef, restauranteur, and entrepreneur behind the Aizle Hospitality Group which consists of the restaurants: Noto, Tipo (a personal favorite of both Carlos and Kevin’s), Vinette, Vivien, and the Michelin starred showstopper, Lyla. The conversation is epic in scope. Stuart’s story, learnings, and insights is wide ranging, fascinating, and always entertaining. So much so, that it’s the longest episode of Eating and Waiting to Eat yet! So pour yourself a tall glass of wine (or a quad espresso) and enjoy the Season 2 premiere.   Follow Eating and Waiting to Eat on Instagram here.  Download the First Table app, our sponsors for Season 2, here and use the code ‘ podcast ‘ for even more savings. Connect with this episode’s guest(s) on Instagram: Stuart Ralston Aizle Hospitality Group Noto Tipo Lyla Vinette Vivien General links from this episode: Gordon Ramsay Angela Harnett Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand  Tom Kitchin Martin Wishart Restaurants and bars mentioned in this episode: Jean-Georges Sandy Lane Eorna Blue Hill Farm Zabar’s Gray’s Papaya Yamato Mirin Hey Palu Ardfern L’Escargot Blue

And the questing continues! This time around, the amazing Jenny Niven, Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival - among the world’s oldest and most prestigious literary festivals - joins Carlos and Kevin’s fellowship. Jenny talks about the Festival’s breadth and scope, its unique space in Edinburgh’s cultural scene, its role in championing food and cooking related literature (and experiences), as well as - given that she lived in China for years - the Capital’s very best Chinese restaurants. Enjoy this second, and epic, Side Quests.   Follow Eating and Waiting to Eat on Instagram here. Connect with this Side Quest's guest(s) on Instagram:Edinburgh International Book Festival General links from this Side Quest: Edinburgh International Book Festival Edinburgh International Book Festival Podcast on Spotify Life in a Scotch Sitting Room, Vol. 0 Hamish Hawk on Spotify Ivor Cutler on Wikipedia Hamish Hawk on his Ivor Cutler tribute Underbelly Jess Elliott Dennison Elliott’s  David Chang Restaurants and bars mentioned in this Side Quest: Valvona & Crolla Noodles and Dumplings Dumplings of China

Gather your fellowship - ideally folks who share your love for breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner, and supper - and get ready to embark on the very first Eating and Waiting to Eat Side Quest! Side Quests are episodes that break from our show's usual format. They are designed to air in between seasons of the show, to be shorter in length (just like a Hobbit), and to focus on conversations with individuals doing amazing things in and around (or in support of) Scottish food and drink. Our first guest is none other than Adele Conn. Adele is "a wanderlust food lover, a wine enthusiast and a gin guru." She is also the force behind the award-winning blog TartanSpoon, which features reviews, recipes, and curated guides to Scotland’s culinary scene. Sit back and enjoy this first Eating and Waiting to Side Quest (and remember, always get the pie). Follow Eating and Waiting to Eat on Instagram here. Connect with Adele, this Side Quest's guest, on Instagram: TartanSpoon  General links from this Side Quest: TartanSpoon Blog Colin Hinds Restaurants and bars mentioned in this Side Quest: The Tipsy Midgie Copper Blossom  Lyla Shakedown Burgers  Cafe Pomelo Nadair Cardinal The Gilded Saloon Condita Bacaro Blonde Sabzi Mirin Fingal Ardfern Civerinos

And just like that, season 1 of Eating and Waiting to Eat comes to an end! And what an episode to close out on: Matt Carroll, Co-Founder and Co-Owner of Fortitude Coffee Roasters, joins Carlos and Kevin in the studio. Fortitude holds a special place for Carlos and Kevin. Not only is Fortitude among the first places that they (independently) became regulars at but it was the fact that they kept seeing each other at Fortitude that cemented the friendship; one could say that Eating and Waiting to Eat exists because of Fortitude! Matt tells his origin story, his learning curve as both coffee shop owner and coffee roaster, and the realities of sustaining and growing a coffee business. Sit back, make yourself a double (quad?) espresso, and enjoy the season 1 finale!  Follow Eating and Waiting to Eat on Instagram here. Connect with this episode’s guest(s) on Instagram: Fortitude Coffee Roasters General links from this episode: Fortitude Coffee Roasters  Best Coffee App  Led Zeppelin Spotify Page Golden Hare Books Stand Comedy Club National Galleries Scotland: Portrait   Coffee Seasonality  Studio Arhoj  Lost Shore Surf Resort Becca Marriner  Restaurants and bars mentioned in this episode: Short Long Black Coffee  Patricia’s x SLB La Cabra Artisan Roast  Origin  Cairngorm Coffee Roasters Cult Coffee Roasters Razzo Pizza Civerinos   Prolog Coffee

What does it take to open up a restaurant in Edinburgh today? What about opening a new restaurant in a spot that used to belong to a beloved, decades old institution? Well if you’re James Clark, the Edinburgh-native and restauranteur behind the Italian enoteca and trattoria Sotto in Stockbrige, the answer is: an entrepreneurial spirit, grit, respect for a venue’s roots, and a deep love of wine and pasta. James joins Kevin and Carlos on an entrepreneurial-themed episode of Eating and Waiting to Eat. Come for James’ (and Sotto’s) multi-faceted origin story (we think James might have been a spy), stay for the geeking out about wine and pasta. Did we mention we talk about wine and pasta? Follow Eating and Waiting to Eat on Instagram here. Connect with this episode’s guest(s) on Instagram: Sotto James Clarke General links from this episode: Sotto Splintr Ping On’s Kenny Mac lunches in James Clark’s Sotto Vittoria Restaurant Group Lidl Champagne  Trattoria Wikipedia Entry Sotto’s Michelin Guide Entry Erbaluci Wikipedia Entry Restaurants and bars mentioned in this episode: The Palmerston Divino The Kebab Mahal LYLA Cafe Gallo

What’s your favorite cake? Where do you stand on scones: sweet or savoury? Carrot cake, nuts or no nuts? Ashley Harley, Chief Operating Officer of Mimi’s Bakehouse and Nami (and daughter of Mimi herself) stops by the studio to answer these questions for Carlos and Kevin and to tell them the truly epic origin story of the beloved Edinburgh institution: Mimi’s Bakehouse. Ashley also expertly outlines the many challenges currently facing the Edinburgh hospitality industry. She speaks the truth in a way that is informative and hopeful. This episode is a masterclass in the entrepreneurial mindset required to both build a business and to make legendary vanilla on vanilla cupcakes (the best kind of cupcake there is).   Follow Eating and Waiting to Eat on Instagram ⁠here⁠.  Connect with this episode’s guest(s) on Instagram: Mimi’s Bakehouse Mimi’s Gals Nami General links from the episode: Mimi’s Bakehouse Nami Scottish Bakers Association Underbelly Plate Expectations  The Shore Business Collective Royal Yatch Brittania  Restaurants and bars mentioned in the episode:  Machina Coffee  Williams & Johnson Coffee Company Lanaan Twelve Triangles Port of Leith Distillery Three Marys Ocean’s Mist Heron The Kitchin Martin Wishart Roseleaf Malt & Hops Tapa Kvasa Bakery

Amaro, agave, fernet, and shenanigans. Kevin and Carlos welcome Alex Palumbo and Rachel Bailey Palumbo, the dynamic duo behind two of our favorite Edinburgh watering holes - Hey Palu and Chancho - to the show and, as you’ll hear, a great time was had. Alex and Rachel give us a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to open up a bar (during a pandemic no less) and the grit that's required to adapt and to grow a hospitality business against many a headwind. The only way this episode could have been more fun to record would've been to actually been drinking martinis and margaritas while recording it!    Follow Eating and Waiting to Eat on Instagram here.  Connect with this episode’s guest(s) on Instagram: Hey Palu Chancho Next Door by Hey Palu Alex Palumbo Rachel Bailey Palumbo General links from the episode: Hey Palu’s Website Chancho’s Website Next Door by Hey Palu’s Website Friday Finally Newsletter on Substack Hey Palu’s Neo Soul Spotify Playlist  Fernet on Wikipedia Amaro on Wikipedia Agave on Wikipedia Restaurants and bars mentioned in the episode: Razzo Pizza Napoletana Gleneagles Bramble Bar Panda & Sons The Last Word Ardfern  The Palmerston Chorrito Zero Zero Wines Hawksmoor

The vibe - and the food - at Sabzi is undeniable. A truly family run, multi-award winning, North Indian restaurant, Sabzi is among Edinburgh's most memorable, unique, and delicious establishments. Stevie Singh, a member of the Singh family who own and operate Sabzi, drops by the podcast to delight Kevin and Carlos with family stories and mouth watering descriptions of Sabzi's fare. This conversation was pure food-loving joy.  Follow Eating and Waiting to Eat on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/eatingandwaitingtoeat/⁠ General Links⁠:⁠ ⁠https://www.sabzistreetfood.com/⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/sabzi.streetfood/⁠ Restaurants Mentioned in the Episode ⁠https://www.thepalmerstonedinburgh.co.uk/⁠ ⁠https://www.chorritosauce.com/