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Having tried several options for chocolate truffles to include in the WheelPowered hamper, I approached Nadia of Thinking Chocolate. I explained I was more concerned with the texture of the truffle than its aesthetics and recalled truffles sold in one of London's best loved coffee houses on the edge of Borough Market. Her response was music to my ears: "Yep, I know exactly what you are talking about. That's not a problem. I have ones similar to that or I can custom- make them for you if you like." Nadia's time is split between running chocolate-making classes on evenings and weekends and in her kitchen making chocolates for commission and for sale. Her chocolates are sold in Art & Vintage, 3 Lyne Street as well as at the Edinburgh Food & Flea Market. 

The Thinking Chocolate workshops and chocolate-beer pairing events are a hit with couples and hen parties, resulting in some very positive reviews online. For more information on her classes and workshops, visit the Thinking Chocolate Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/ThinkingChocolate/

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An old-school pub just off Leith Walk. Friendly staff put on a mix of hip-hop, 70s music and forgotten toe-tappers for a mildly appreciative mix of beer drinkers. This unusual pub has a similarly unorthodox food policy: bring your own and they provide the cutlery. There are no cocktails served here, instead they rely on good old-fashioned beer to draw people in. Their selection of German bottled lagers, Weisse-beer and dunkels are from breweries across the country, some of which you will recognise and countless others you probably won’t.

Named after one of the most famous climbs in the Tour de France, the Tourmalet merits recommendation for their food policy alone. Much like The Sicilian Pastry Shop, there is little chance an Edinburgh newbie would stumble upon it. More than one fridge is filled with German beer all year round, with no rhyme or reason as to why certain breweries are stocked other than that they make good beer. The only staple I have noticed is Schneider Weisse and they often have more than one variety from this brewer. If you have an appreciation of beer and unusual bars, The Tourmalet should be your port of call. If you want to try out some of Leith’s burgeoning list of worldly takeaways over a beer and a game of backgammon or two, the staff are happy to provide clean cutlery and crockery. Handy if you’ve just popped into The Sicilian Pastry Shop, or you enjoy Mexican food but their beer doesn’t agree with you (Los Cardos), pizza from Oregano or authentic Thai food from near neighbour Baan Thai. As the picture suggests, The Tourmalet is also a dog-friendly watering hole. A possible downside are their opening hours, which seem to be unique, so visit in the late afternoon or evening.

25 Buchanan Street, Edinburgh EH6 8SQ

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Wheelpowered

About

The Hamper The hamper has been compiled in mind for someone visiting the city. Upon arriving at their temporary abode and opening the hamper guests will be presented with regional flora, Scottish botanical soap, naturally caffeine-free herbal tea, fair trade single origin coffee ground for cafetières and chunky Italian olives.

An accompanying map and guide are included. It contains information on the products inside the hamper.

What Wheelpowered is focused on providing some of the best goods in Edinburgh and Scotland that can be appreciated at home. A great way to get the best out of a holiday is often to ask a local for recommendations, where to drink coffee, where to eat, what to do if the weather isn't so great. For this reason, Wheelpowered champions its suppliers actively encouraging guests of our city to visit their stores, in person or online. Some of our suppliers are included under place of interest in our map. This is of benefit to both vendors and visitors, it helps guests make the most of their time in Edinburgh and it helps drive local businesses by directing new customers their way. These new customers may well visit these businesses a couple of times during their stay, post photos online and recommend friends and family to visit these businesses should they find themselves in Edinburgh.

When The idea was conceived in August 2017. With the help of a web developer, the website was designed in autumn. The website has been designed to be user-friendly and informative, taking minutes to select a delivery day, place an order and complete payment transaction.

Why Upon returning to Edinburgh having worked in sales and business development in London I was frustrated by the lack of opportunity to work in a job that allows me to build on these skills. I decided the best way forward would be to create my own role in my own company. Having spent most of my life in Edinburgh and longer than I would have imagined working in hospitality I believe I am well positioned to steer visitors towards the Edinburgh's many charms. Creating hampers is a way to showcase these businesses.

Who My primary focus local independent and artisan boutiques. The end user of the hampers in most cases will be a guest to the city (that's not to say it wouldn't be appreciated by a resident in need cheering up or gifted as a reward or treat!). Independent businesses tend to focus on a smaller product range, placing greater emphasis on quality and customer experience than their multi-chain competitors. The Wheelpowered vision is to champion these like-minded businesses and help them reach this unique market of visitors to the city who are eager to check out its charms.

How I thought carefully about how I could build on my own knowledge, interests, and experience to create a scalable business. As I love cycling a service that could be delivered by bike was the first step.  Edinburgh also has a thriving tourism industry so that was the obvious choice for allocating a market to work within. From my time spent in hospitality, I was aware that city-guests often inquire about places to eat, drink or spaces that are good for meeting with people.

Developments in technology have changed consumer habits and in some cases been revolutionary within our economy Uber and Air Bnb being obvious examples. This is something I'm conscious of, given my anticipation of how the hampers will be used (ready waiting to be opened by their end user) store premises are unnecessary.  Instead, they will be made to order and sold online.

Ultimately I wanted to create something that provided a service, acknowledged the plethora of unique and independent businesses around Edinburgh and a business that can be managed whilst working a full-time job. The business is a product of my own ingenuity and in each case, the suppliers chosen for the hamper are of the highest quality, this makes it easy to be passionate about the product.

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Fortitude,  York Place

One of the best coffee shops in Edinburgh, this contemporary space is frequented by creatives, students and professionals, all of whom share a fondness for Fortitude’s delicious home-baked cakes, soups, sandwiches and of course expertly crafted coffee.

Established in 2014, the key ingredient to Fortitude’s success is providing coffee of an incredibly high standard. The process begins at the Fortitude Firth of Fourth roastery and a visit to 3c York Place is where you can appreciate the finished article: small-batch, lightly roasted, single-origin beans. The beans are roasted to preserve the natural delicate and complex flavours. Coffee flavours are determined by where the coffee plant is grown – its location and the climate. In addition to coffee roasted in-house, Fortitude alternate guest roasters from month to month in keeping with seasonal changes. Staff can helpfully recommend roasted coffee beans to customers based on their tasting preferences and consider how roasted beans will best be appreciated (pour over, better with milk etc).

In addition to hot coffee and food, the shop sells goods to take home. These include excellent single-origin dark chocolate, ground or unground single-origin beans and equipment to enjoy Fortitude Coffee at home. A collection of goods is available for purchase on their website.

http://www.fortitudecoffee.com Fortitude Coffee, 3C York Place

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Castello Coffee Co., Castle St.

Castello Coffee Co. is an independent cafe that buck the trend of neighboring businesses typical of most UK high streets. If you have opted for some retail therapy or a visit to the castle or Princes St, Gardens spectacular street views of Edinburgh Castle can be enjoyed when visiting Castello Coffee co. Their success has been achieved by providing delicious vegetarian (if not vegan) soup, home baking, pastries and great coffee. Its always busy and often the soup is gone by late lunchtime leaving you a choice of hearty sandwiches and snacks. There business model seems a good one, they provide an ample range of food and drink to a superior standard than the local competition. Everything is fresh, the moderate seating area is well designed; comfortable inside and outside tables benefit from the shelter of parasols allowing customers to enjoy castle views as they eat or drink. The narrow shop front is easy to pass without knowing it and there are often market stalls on the pedestrianised street outside. Castello have never spent money on marketing or advertising, and their reputation has grown through word of mouth. Worth a visit if you want a spot of lunch out with the ubiquitous chain store coffee houses or a tasty quick bite with efficient service and change out of a tenner. https://www.facebook.com/CastelloCoffee/

7A Castle St, Edinburgh EH2 3AH

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Grams, Haymarket

Grams, Haymarket  Grams, Edinburgh's first naked cafe has quietly positioned itself as the best loved healthy fast food establishment in town. The owner has a unique understanding of the contemporary demand for food to be healthy and delicious whilst sympathetic to dietary requirements, and the menu reflects this.  Grams champion using ingredients in their most natural state, opting for whole ingredients such as nuts, nut milks and creams, raw cocao powder and fruit. Their website states they do not use agave, wheat or soy products but sweeten low fructose cakes with brown rice syrup and 100% pure maple syrup. The result is cakes that are definitely worth the calories. Grams have also taken the time to calculate the calories consumed in a typical serving of all dishes and cakes which is helpful if you are keeping an eye on your caloric intake. Whilst Grams has evolved from a love of wholesome cakes their menu also has a thoughtful collection of hot and cold dishes that are popular with local office workers, commuters and gym-goers alike. Grams is open mon-sat 8am-4pm (10am sat) and they also offer the option of enjoying meals at home with their meal prep service. Everything is fairly priced, fresh and natural. The meal prep service is a particularly good way to enjoy grams for anybody who wants to eat well but is burdened by time constraints or isn’t great in the kitchen. Grams have a particularly strong social media presence, which is no surprise given the careful attention paid to the presentation of their colourful cakes and dishes. As well as showcasing their delights there is plenty of information on new products and menu additions on their website. http://www.gramsedinburgh.com 16 Clifton Terrace, Edinburgh EH12 5JZ

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Eteaket, City Centre

Eteaket is a leaf tea specialist and, as a brand, they are synonymous with quality tea, globally. Widely regarded as the home of the perfect cuppa, they stock an impressive collection of teas from the world over. As their pun-intended name suggests, the business proudly follow ethical principles of trade. Locals yet to pass through their shop doors will no doubt be familiar with some of their teas, which feature on menus of high-end cafes and bars throughout Edinburgh.

Their success may best be illustrated by the fact they have been recognised by the Hankyu department store in Japan as the best place in Scotland to go for afternoon tea (“The Big Interview”, The Herald 27/3/14). Their teas are also the subject of interest of consumers in the US, Russia and across Europe. So great is their range of tea, an in-store or online visit is a must for anyone wondering how this business has achieved worldwide acclaim.

Popular conventional favourites include Blooming Marvellous and Royal Earl Grey. Blooming Marvellous is a floral, fruity, flavoursome green tea that puts a spring in your step without the jittery effects of coffee. Their blue flower Royal Earl Grey offers a citrusy punch of bergamot, making it a fine accompaniment to lunch or an afternoon tea. On top of their many varieties of loose leaf teas, Eteaket sell hot chocolate, chocolate tea and whisky tea – a collaboration with Tomatin Distillery – and have even ventured into the craft beer market with local brewery Barney's Beer. Our favourite naturally low in caffeine tea is their Isle of Harris Gin tea, which features in our hampers.

Their Frederick Street store is where to go to enjoy their world-famous afternoon tea or a quick bite to eat. Their concept store on Rose Street stocks everything you could wish for in order to enjoy their tea at home.

www.eteaket.co.uk

41 Frederick Street, Edinburgh EH2 1EP and 111 Rose Street, Edinburgh EH2 3DT.

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Narcissus Flowers, Broughton St.

Established in 1997, the Narcissus New Town shop contributes to the vibrance of Broughton Street with its unusual plants and colourful flowers. Inside, the air is filled with the aroma of the blooming fauna arranged in the centre of the store. Narcissus specialise in the creative design of flower arrangement for weddings and special events. This, coupled with their enthusiasm for wildly different flowers and plants, is evident in their bouquets, making it worth your while to pop in for a look if you are in the city centre.

Bouquets and weddings aside, Narcissus also sell interesting vases and offer the chance to learn the craft at their flower school. Classes and workshops are suitable for beginners up to professional florists.

If you are looking to treat someone, whatever the occasion Narcissus will have the perfect solution.

For more information take a look at their website and social media accounts. http://www.narcissusflowers.co.uk 87 Broughton Street, EH1 3RJ

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The Sicilian Pastry Shop, Leith

Was this once Edinburgh’s tastiest and best-kept secret? Maybe, however, the cat was surely let out of the bag when they picked up Bakery of the Year (regional and Scotland) at the Scottish Independent Retail Awards. This near-30-year-old local institution is tucked away on Albert Street, halfway down Leith Walk. The fact that street-food and macarons are on trend with foodies is of little significance to The Sicilian Pastry Shop – this family-run business has been baking traditional Sicilian food long before food festivals were popular. From early morning the team can be found in store baking Sicilian delights for their customers, for other Edinburgh eateries and for special occasions and events. Leith has long had a strong Italian connection and to those yearning for authentic minestrone, arancinis, cannelloni and calzone, this shop is a delight. These Sicilian staples are  complemented by an awesome selection of Italian biscuits, cakes, pastries and macarons. Rightly acknowledged as one of Scotlands best independent businesses, The Sicilian Pastry Store is brilliant for lunch on the go or for treats to be savoured with friends. And the prices make a visit easy on the pockets if not the hips. Best visited before the lunchtime rush when shelves are still full. 14-16 Albert St, Edinburgh EH7 5LG

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Embo Deli, Leith

Embo Deli The owner of Embo is extremely enthusiastic about his food and suppliers. I once overheard him explain the merits of his special coleslaw to a sceptical employee who had suggested coleslaw was a bit old hat. “Not this coleslaw,” he began, before proudly listing ingredients that included celeriac, apple and red cabbage. This independent establishment is 15 years old and boasts both a cosy indoor and south-facing outdoor seating area from which patrons can look along Leith Walk.

Daily specials, breakfast rolls and salad boxes are made fresh to order and can be accompanied by great cakes, a range of teas as well as coffee. Locals and staff are friendly and there are daily newspapers to pore over while your order is prepared. Fairly priced and accommodating for those with dietary requirements. Great for breakfast and lunch – check opening times before you visit.

http://www.embo-deli.com/

29 Haddington Place, Edinburgh EH7 4AG

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About

Wheelpowered is Edinburgh's new champion of local artisan and independent boutiques and specialist businesses. We offer a selection of chosen goods in a sample hamper. The hamper is ideal for short term lets, small hotels, B&Bs or Air B&B hosts for their guests. As well as including tea, locally roasted and ground coffee, chocolate truffles, local flowers, and hand soap our welcome hampers have a map and guide to help visitors of the city enjoy its best offerings and avoid tartan tat tourist traps.