The Edinburgh Reporter August 2024

9

Royal High hits the right note

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

PLANNING PERMISSION has been
granted toThe Royal High School
Preservation Trust (RHSPT) for the
multi-million-pound redevelopment
of the former Royal High School on
Regent Road.
RHSPT, responsible for conserving
and protecting the Thomas Hamilton
building, was granted planning
permission to redevelop the landmark
building into a new cultural
destination and create a vital resource
for music-making in Scotland. Other
options of a luxury hotel and a music
school have been discounted in recent
years.
The new national music centre will
include three intimate performance
spaces, rehearsal rooms and a
recording studio providing a centre for
Scotland’s diverse music sector to
collaborate and build on the rich
Scottish tradition of music and
performance. New gardens and
outdoor areas, a café, conference and
business facilities and a vaulted bar
will open up the place for everyone

• not just music lovers to enjoy from
  the unique vistas and soak up the

sense of history and importance of the

Thomas Hamilton Building.

Grant MacKenzie, Executive Director,

RHSPT, said: “Receiving planning

permission to begin making our vision

for the building a reality is a milestone

moment in our project’s journey. The

Royal High School is both

architecturally and culturally

significant for Edinburgh, and we’re

grateful to Edinburgh City Council for

allowing us to bring it back into public

use as an exciting indoor and outdoor

cultural destination.”

Funding for the redevelopment is

led by a small consortium of

philanthropic contributors, believed to

be the Dunard Fund and Carol Grigor

who are also involved in the new

Dunard Centre behind the Royal Bank

building in St Andrew Square.

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THE TWO BIG O’S

Portobello no more

Celebrity

chums Gemma

Collins and

Peter Andre

Lament from Larah

By STEPHEN RAFFERTY

BAGEL BOSS LARAH BROSS has closed her
Hot Mama Bagels shop in Portobello and
admitted customers who stumped up £150,
in a crowdfunding appeal for her previous Bross
Bagels business are unlikely to be repaid.
Ms Bross, who has been appearing at Foodies
Festivals throughout the UK over the last two
months, claimed events had taken a toll on her
mental health and she was “stepping back from
operations”. 
While she shared cocktails at the food festivals
at Chelmsford with minor celebrities including
Gemma Collins, and took selfies with TV star
Peter Andre at Tunbridge Wells, the Portobello
High Street shop had remained closed since the
end of June.
The Edinburgh Reporter revealed how in
August 2023 Bross Bagels Ltd was placed into
liquidation with debts of up to £1 million. Small
suppliers and unsecured creditors were left in
the lurch to the tune of around £280,000 while
HM Revenue & Customs were due an estimated
£635,000 in unpaid taxes, national insurance and
VAT. Student Loan repayments which had been
collected from the salaries of staff who had
student loans was also due to Inland Revenue.
So called “Shareholers”- loyal customers who
donated £1,000 each over two rounds of
crowdfunding to help grow Bross Bagels - have
now lost all hope of their money being returned.
Our investigation revealed how the day before
an official liquidator was appointed, Ms Bross
acquired the assets of her failed business for just
£18,000 and then continued trading in the same

premises under a new company Hot Mama

Bagels Ltd.

In a message to Shareholers, she said: “It is

with a heavy heart that I write to inform you

about the cessation of trading at our Portobello

location. This decision has not come lightly and

is the result of financial and operational

difficulties that have proven insurmountable

over the past year.

“I have been navigating through

substantial personal guarantees and debts

stemming from our recent restructuring.

The financial strain, coupled with the

immense stress of trying to steer the

company through these turbulent times,

has taken a significant toll on both my

mental health and that of my family.

“Prioritising my well-being and that of

my loved ones has become imperative, and

as difficult as it is, I believe stepping back

from operations is the best course of action.

“I want to assure you that the Bross

brand will live on. While I cannot promise

a return on your investment with Bross

Bagels at this moment, I remain committed

to finding a way to make it up to you in the

f u t u r e .”

One disappointed crowdfunder said:

“She has led us up the garden path with flimsy

promises that she would make good the debt

and repay our faith.

“While her core business in Portobello has

been shut for weeks she has been poncing about

at these FoodiesFestivals doing bagel demos,

making her stupid Instagram videos, and taking

selfies with so-called celebs.”

Larah Bross

Former school has been

empty for 50+ years

Future vision