Article Source: Surgeons Quarter
Last Updated: 20 November 2023 12:16
Planting seeds for success with charity partnership
Edinburgh venue becomes next veg bag hub
A POPULAR Edinburgh hospitality and performance venue has paired with a homelessness charity to increase local sustainability, by supporting its organic vegetable bag subscription.
Located in Edinburgh’s Old Town, Café 1505, part of the Surgeons Quarter campus, has become the 10th distribution point for organic fruit and vegetable bags grown at the Cyrenians Farm, based outside the city.
The initiative allows shoppers to customise their bag choosing its delivery frequency, size, and excluded items.
Aimed at reducing food waste and packaging by utilising re-useable bags, subscribers received a selection of fruit and vegetables grown at Cyrenians Farm in Kirknewton.
The Nicolson Street based café joins a chain of other collection points across Edinburgh, Kirknewton, Ratho and Bathgate.
Sophie Bell, Fundraising Manager at Cyrenians said: “We have been working with Surgeons Quarter on a number of initiatives, and we’re continually impressed by their commitment to work with like-minded enterprises.
“Having Café 1505 as a distribution point gives subscribers more locations to collect our delicious produce, giving supporters on the South side of Edinburgh a whole new way to tackle homelessness with us.”
Cyrenians Farm in Kirknewton, West Lothian, is home to a community for young people aged 16-25 years, and the surrounding working farm provides opportunities for residents, volunteers, and visitors to grow vegetables, and develop life skills, while being in a trusting and nurturing community.
Another initiative includes Café 1505’s coffee grinds being used in compost for the Cyrenians Farm creating a circular sustainability scheme.
To mark World Homelessness Day in October, Surgeons Quarter’s flagship hotel – Ten Hill Place – hosted an event with Cyrenians to launch its latest impact report. The report celebrates the role Cyrenians has played over the last year to tackle the causes and consequences of homelessness, supporting over 10,000 people in their time of need through the 60+ services that it runs in Central and South East Scotland.
This charity partnership is the latest in a long line of ethically motivated actions by Surgeons Quarter whose profits go towards the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh’s (RCSEd) objective of improving patient outcomes globally.
Stewart Munro, Operations Manager at Surgeons Quarter stated: “We are always looking for new ways to incorporate sustainable practices across the entire SQ campus.
“That’s why it’s important that we work with incredible charities, like Cyrenians, to foster these initiatives is something we are all very passionate about, and we’re delighted to work with them as a distribution point for their veg bag subscriptions.
“By enjoying coffee at Café 1505, you're contributing to compost at Cyrenians Farm, where the veggies for these bags are grown. It's a wonderful cycle of sustainability!”
As part of Surgeons Quarter’s commitment to ethical practices, Equal Exchange’s ‘Grown by Women’ coffee is served in Café 1505, which supports female farmers in Peru and Mexico.
It has also held a Gold Award in Green Business Tourism since 2009 and prioritise sustainability in the four-star Ten Hill Place Hotel, which they manage and promote along with all other commercial activities held within the RCSEd campus.
More information about Surgeons Quarter can be found at: https://www.surgeonsquarter.com
With toasts to celebrate the new year breaking around the world, the experience is not to be missed!
READ MORE
Staff at Norton Park in Leith, home to more than 20 charities, can now tuck into freshly made pizza with generous discounts, thanks to a local partnership with community-minded business, Pizza Geeks.
READ MORE
Christmas is coming in fast, and hot on its heels is the surreal, off-kilter period between Xmas and NYE... Bongo's Bingo have got just the tonic to help see out the final days of 2025!
READ MORE
From Christmas events to Artist in Residence, discover Virgin Hotels Edinburgh's events taking place in this festive season!
READ MORE
The Scottish Jazz Awards 2025 celebrated the cream of the crop in the jazz scene on Sunday night, honouring outstanding artists and contributors at a memorable ceremony in Glasgow.
READ MORE
Interior designer, BBC Scotland's Home of the Year judge and entrepreneur Anna Campbell-Jones has released her first spirit.
READ MORE
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo has appointed Johna Penman as its Marketing Director, leading the organisation’s Brand, Box Office, Marketing and Communications functions.
READ MORE
Christmas has come early for Scotland’s only five-star luxury floating hotel, Fingal, after retaining two prestigious Rosettes for culinary excellence
READ MORE
The annual British Business Awards will take place on 30th April 2026 and will feature a special guest appearance and conversation with award-winning actor and humanitarian, George Clooney.
READ MORE
The first British astronaut Helen Sharman and wildlife cameraman, presenter and author Hamza Yassin will headline Edinburgh Science Festival 2026 line-up.
READ MORE
Raise a dram to a decade of Deliveroo: Civerinos and Deliveroo launch 10p pizzas to celebrate 10 years of feeding the people of Scotland.
READ MORE
Capital Theatres celebrates the festive season with entertainment for all ages, including enchanting magical family shows, world-class dance and a specially crafted Christmas Care Home Tour.
READ MORE
Lidl has unveiled its first-ever ‘Lidl Wrapped’ - a celebration of some of the nation's favourite buys, brought to life as limited-edition Christmas wrapping paper
READ MORE
Christmas has come early for Scotland's beer fans following the release of a limited-edition craft ale from a leading Edinburgh microbrewery.
READ MORE
Christmas is already in full swing at Fort Kinnaird, and the festivities are set to get even more magical as a line-up of much-loved characters visit the centre for the first time this December.
READ MORE
Copper Blossom on George Street Edinburgh has launched a new festive cocktail in aid of a children’s charity following the theft of its eight-foot Christmas nutcracker statue.
READ MORE
Christmas is a time for giving, and what better opportunity to discover new ways to give back to your community than on Friday 5th December, International Volunteer Day.
READ MORE
Heard the news? OMNi is inviting everyone to get into the festive spirit with an exclusive Christmas Prize Draw.
READ MORE
Dynamic Earth has launched its 2025 Big Give Christmas Challenge campaign to boost STEM access for young people.
READ MORE
If your New Year's resolution is to have more fun, start early at Flight Club!
READ MORE
An Aldi colleague based in Bathgate has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) in recognition of her incredible fundraising efforts, helping to raise almost £50,000 for local charities.
READ MORE
New research has revealed one in two people (56 per cent) living in Edinburgh have experienced feelings of loneliness at Christmas.
READ MORE
There’s plenty for fans of South Asian cinema to enjoy at Vue this December, with a number of titles heading to the big screen.
READ MORE
Santa Paws, in partnership with Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, is calling out for the city’s dogs to take part in an attempt to break the world record for the most dogs in Christmas jumpers.
READ MORE
Britain’s toy shop, The Entertainer, has officially opened a brand-new store at The Gyle Shopping Centre.
READ MORE
Winter Windows are back at Edinburgh’s Christmas! An arts competition for Edinburgh schoolchildren of all ages, it is an annual showcase of their creativity and skills.
READ MORE
Benefact Group’s Movement for Good Awards is giving away £120,000 as part of its annual 12 Days of Giving Christmas campaign and nominations are now open.
READ MORE
The team at Volunteer Centre East Lothian (VCEL) have thrown open their doors after an extensive renovation and are welcoming back local residents, volunteers and community groups.
READ MORE
Pupils at a Midlothian school have given their resounding approval to their newly extended playground, which includes access to green space and trim trail equipment.
READ MORE
Nine-year-old Elodie from Niddrie Mill Primary School has been named the winner of a recent competition launched by Fort Kinnaird to design a label for the honey produced by its resident beehives.
READ MORE