Michele Civiera, Ewen Hutchison, Joseph Radford and Gunnar Groves-Raines
A former engineering yard will become a new hospitality and arts space, writes JULENA DRUMI
Leith’s reputation as a hospitality hub will get a further boost this month when four food and drink businesses start trading in a former engineering yard on The Shore. Brown’s of Leith will open within the historic George Brown & Sons Engineering Works after the company vacated the building last year.
The first phase of the project will introduce Haze, from the makers of Timberyard and Montrose, an all-day venue designed “to blur the lines between morning coffee and evening wine”. Haze promises a carefully curated menu of small plates, inspired by some of Europe’s best wine bars.
Shuck Bar is a seafood bar celebrating the best of Scottish produce, created by the celebrated Portobello seafood shack, ShrimpWreck. NYC-style pizza brand Civerino’s and Woven – a blending studio that sources single malt and grain whiskies from across the world – complete the first four businesses. A new bakery and workshop are also being developed.
There are plans for Brown’s of Leith to also become home to a community of artists and architects. A programme of events, exhibitions and artists’ residencies will be announced after the launch.
Overlooking The Water of Leith, the building was home for 130 years to George Brown & Sons, engineers and metal workers. The family business relocated to East Lothian last year. The existing space retains period industrial architecture across three floors.
Management of the building was taken on by the design hub Custom Lane, a project created by the architecture and design studio GRAS. This was under the creative direction of Gunnar Groves-Raines, who said: “Breathing new life into this building is a truly exciting opportunity to build upon our vision, celebrate our Leith home, and develop a productive and energising space both for visitors and the makers based there.
As an extension to the wider Custom Lane ecosystem, Brown’s of Leith is designed to act as a catalyst for creativity and will include a system of shared knowledge and mentorship for less-established designers, makers and creative professionals.
“The space will evolve but by launching with these four outstanding businesses, we’re putting the emphasis on conversation and collaboration – food and drink is the perfect way to bring people together,” said Groves-Raines.
“As a former engineering works, the building has been home to over a century of making, from boats to bicycles, and we are proud to continue that tradition.”
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