The finished cafe!

So, on Saturday morning the new and improved Gorgie City Farm Cafe opened its doors with a whole new look. So much effort went into every aspect of the renovation, even down to the little details, and this really adds to the crafty, homemade image the cafe now has. From the handwritten blackboard, to the paintings done by the farm's volunteers, to the menus made from old record sleeves and the custom made cake stands, the finished product really demonstrates how much passion and enthusiasm has gone into the renovation.

The new brighter colour scheme makes the cafe feel ten times bigger and so much more light and airy. There's still more to do, but it's a huge improvement, and we hope to have created a fun, relaxing and interesting environment which will be a must-do for all visitors to the farm.

A week of hard graft...

The cafe renovations took place this week and we'd just like to say a big thank you to all the volunteers who gave their time and energy in what was a week of extremely hard work. As you can see, it was all hands on deck to strip, paint and decorate the cafe when some enthusiastic Volunteers from Dunedin Canmore kindly donned their overalls and picked up their paintbrushes. It was a busy but productive day when around 20 Dunedin employees visited the farm and helped with everything from rigging up a new IT system to making curtains to shovelling manure!

It was all hands on deck amongst the farm staff too, and everyone put in the hours to make sure the cafe was ready by Saturday. Friday night saw the farm's general manager making a late night dash to the shops to get Pizza and Beer in a bid to keep the troops happy! Without everyone's sheer dedication to the task at hand there's no way the cafe would have been completed on time. It was a tough week, but we're thrilled with the results and would again like to extend our thanks to everyone involved.

Watch This Space!

Today was our last day of trading before we close for refurbishment. The café will be closed until Friday 28^th October, when we’ll be giving people a sneak preview before our grand opening on Saturday 29^th.

All that remains is a week of very hard work – we’re lucky we’ve got lots of enthusiastic volunteers coming on Wednesday to help out, so hopefully the café will see a dramatic transformation! All the café team are really excited to see how all of our ideas for the new décor turn out – fingers crossed our interior design skills are up to scratch!

Halloween at Gorgie Farm!

It was a true sign that Halloween is almost here when a cheeky looking pumpkin appeared in the courtyard at Gorgie farm. He’s looking a bit lonely at the moment but he’ll no doubt soon be joined by several other pumpkin friends as the Halloween festivities get underway. The café is also getting on board, with plans to serve up pumpkin soup, spiderweb cupcakes and witch’s hat biscuits. The café team have been busy brainstorming to come up with lots of other spooky treats so make sure you pay a visit to their grand opening at the weekend to see what they’ve created!

What's new at Gorgie Farm Cafe?

Our grand opening day was announced to be Saturday 29^th October, with a sneak preview on Friday 28^th during our ‘soft opening’. With new tables and chairs being delivered the excitement surrounding the refurbishment is building, and everyone is ready to get their hands dirty next week when the café will be closed from Monday 24^th so the big make over can begin!

One thing that certainly won’t be changing too much is our abundant selection of home-made cakes, pastries and biscuits. As you can see from the picture there’s always lots on offer to tempt a sweet tooth. Particular favourites this week are the blueberry and lemon cake with cream cheese frosting, and the jelly bean cupcakes, which have been a hit with the many children enjoying a visit to the farm during their half term holidays. Ben, who works at the pet lodge, has developed an addiction to our indulgent chocolate and walnut brownies; maybe they should come with a warning attached!

A Lovely Spread!

This afternoon was Gorgie Farm's AGM, and we were delighted to host this in the cafe. Of course, it was also a chance for us to show off some of our home-baked treats, and as the picture demonstrates we put on quite a spread! The attendees were treated to a selection of pastries and quiches, a 'Ploughman's Platter' with homemade chutney, a lovely farmhouse orange sponge cake, lemon cupcakes and our bestseller, indulgent chocolate brownies - which didn't last very long! Luckily the food went down a treat with everyone and we're now all really looking forward to next week's refurbishment, after which the cafe's decor will hopefully be at as high a standard as the food on offer.

Things are starting to come together now, with chairs and tables being delivered, paint colours chosen and curtains measured. It's safe to say we're all very excited to see the cafe brought up to date, and the staff are particularly chuffed to be getting a dishwasher installed!

Watch this space for more updates and pics...

Essential Info

Have you always wanted to visit an amazing inner city farm with lots to see and do, and a lovely cafe stocked full of tasty treats? Here's all the info you need to come and find Gorgie Farm and discover all the interesting things to see and do here.

Where are we?

Here's a map of where we are! There's parking at the farm...

View Larger Map

If you're getting the bus....

Numbers 33, 25, 3 and 1 go from Edinburgh centre and stop right outside the farm.

When can I come?

We're open every day from 9.30am - 4pm.

What's on offer?

The farm itself has a vegetable patch, herb garden, a tractor, sheep, pigs, cows, goats, ducks, turkeys, tortoises, rabbits, a snake, a horse, an owl, Jess the Sprat Cat and of course the cafe! The farm is free and a great day out for people of all ages. It's a working farm, too, so you might spot one of our fantastic volunteers or even a farmer!

And what about the cafe?

Phew! If you're tired from all the fun of the farm, you can come and relax in Gorgie's cafe. We serve a wide selection of home made produce, whether you're after a light snack, a coffee, a sweet treat or a hearty lunch.

Welcome!

Gorgie City Farm in Edinburgh is a unique inner city farm. It’s open all year round, entry is free and it’s located right in the heart of the city, meaning there’s no excuse not to come and wander round the vegetable patches, meet the cute animals nestling in the Pet Lodge, say hi to the horse and salute a sheep! And no trip to the farm is complete without a stop off at the café, which is open daily from 9.30am – 4pm and serves all manner of tasty treats, from home-made cakes, to scrummy sandwiches, to hearty soups made from scratch using the vegetables and herbs grown right here on the farm. Everything we serve is made on-site, meaning the menu is really varied depending on what seasonal produce is available – and what mood the cook is in that day!

So, there’s some delicious food on offer, but unfortunately many years of muddy wellies tramping through the café means it’s looking a little bit worse for wear and is in desperate need of a facelift! Luckily, this October the café will undergo a dramatic transformation, and this blog will be there to document it all. We’ve got loads of enthusiastic volunteers - who we’ve been told are handy with a paintbrush - coming to lend a hand, and all the Gorgie team will be helping out too.

Logon to the blog page for updates of the refurb as well as news on what will be on offer in the café, special events and farm-related fun! Gorgie Farm does so much good for the community through its involvement with volunteer and education projects which reach a really diverse range of people. We hope that the café will continue to be a fun, lively and welcoming place where all of the fantastic people who visit Gorgie every day can meet for a cuppa! Watch this space!