16 FOOD AND DRINK
IT'S A MEASURE OF how quickly
the co ee scene in Edinburgh has
evolved that Mr Eion Co ee Roaster,
set up in 2013, is now considered an
established veteran.
It's not however a business which
has stood still, but is constantly
seeking ways to evolve and adapt to
an increasingly competitive market.
This dynamic environment includes
the costs involved in producing high
quality co ee, plus the arrival of
high calibre new cafés and roasters,
such as Obadiah, in the city.EVOLUTION AND ADAPTATION
Mr Eion has steadily evolved and
grown as a business. Initially
focusing solely on the roasting and
selling of beans from their
Stockbridge base, they now have
three locations. The need for the
new roastery is a question of scale.
Their Stockbridge base was no
longer capable of producing the
quantities they needed. At their
roastery they produce their wide
range of beans, including popular
blends such as Moustache Twirler.
In time, Mr Eion might emulate
roasters such as Santu (on Union
Street) who have opened up their
large roastery, with (limited) space
for sit-in customers. At the moment
that is just an idea rather than a
concrete plan. But it's evidence that
Mr Eion is aware of the need to
constantly adapt and evolve.ENTICING AROMAS
On selected Saturdays during the
summer, they did re up the old
roaster - at Dean Park Street - for old
times' sake. When I visited it it was a
breezy Saturday. This meant that the
enticing roasting aromas could bedetected well along Raeburn Place.
These dominated my nostrils as I
made my way in to chat to Fabrizio
(Senior Roaster) and the eponymous
Eion Henderson (“Head Honcho”) at
one of their 'Meet the Roasters'
sessions. They gave a avour of how
the business is doing as well as
plans for the future.
An aspect of the evolution of Mr
Eion is that they are now o ering
takeaway co ee at the Stockbridge
store. Previously, their focus at Dean
Park Street was selling beans - and
brewing equipment. As Fabrizio put
it, 'we keep adapting', changing the
focus and layout of the store. The
takeaway element has started pretty
well with a steady number of
regulars. They admit that being
‘slightly tucked away’ on a side
street does limit things, especially
with so many cafes in and around
Stockbridge to compete with. These
include the highly rated Artisan
Roast, just a few metres away.THE FOUR QUID FLAT WHITE
They feel that evolution is critical in
maintaining a healthy business in a
"di cult climate". They relate that
"the past couple years have really
highlighted the challenges
independent businesses face".
One thing that has really a ected
Mr Eion and the wider specialty
co ee scene is the increased prices
they have to pay for raw beans. The
reasons for this are multifarious. As
they put, "the co ee industry has
been extremely volatile. Green bean
costs have reached all-time highs
due to climate change, tari s,
transport challenges, and market
predictions". All these are pushing
up the prices of raw specialty beansto about ve dollars a pound. This is
being re ected in the increased
prices people are being charged for
co ee. As Fabrizio admitted, "the
four quid at white is coming...
whether we like it or not". With such
prices, customers are going to be
increasingly choosy about where
they go for their co ee. So,
competing for quality with the
leading places in the city is vital for
the likes of Mr Eion, if they wish to,
at least, maintain market share.
Mr Eion also needs to be alert to
changing demand among their
wholesale customers, which include
the likes of Grow Urban and the
excellent neighbourhood café and
bistro in Trinity, La Cîme Deli. La
Cîme is a place where they make
very good use of Mr Eion’s beans,
brewing with real care and
attention.
Some of their other wholesale
customers are looking for more
“accessible blends” at a lower price
point. This is evidence of divergence
in co ee, between accessible and
premium co ee. It re ects the
obvious truth that not all customers
are looking for the same thing.
Many specialty places are o ering
select co ees that "challenge your
palate" for the real co ee geeks - for
which they're prepared to pay a
premium.A SENSE OF COMMUNITY
Fabrizio emphasises the importance
of the customer experience. He feels
that in some places this is not as it
should be, with customers
sometimes feeling like something of
an imposition on the sta . Again,
given the competitive market, this is
not the way to create customerMr. EION By Charlie Ellis
7 Across is in EdinburghMr. Eion’s evolution
CROSSWORD By Aldhelm
SOLUTION7 Murray eld, 9 Parasite, 10 Africa, 11 Recur, 12 Competent, 14 Overall, 16 ACROSS:Reserve, 18 Apple tree, 20 Oasis, 21 Import, 22 Assemble, 24 Assumed name.1 Eraser, 2 Particular, 3 O , 4 Sel ess, 5 Admire, 6 Impersonation, 7 Miracle, 8 DOWN:Heartlessness, 13 Merseyside, 15 Aneurysm, 17 Risible, 19 Poplar, 20 Operas, 23 Imp.loyalty. You need to be producing
consistently good co ee and a high
quality customer experience.
This is something I’ve enjoyed at
their Trinity branch. Mr Eion are
delighted that they have managed
to cultivate a real “sense of
community” at the Trinity branch,
with a lot of regular customers.
At Stockbridge, I also felt very
much welcomed, with Fabrizio and
the other sta members very keen
to chat to customers. For Fabrizio,
good interactions between sta and
customers is vitally important.
Customers who are "very interested
in co ee", should be able to expect
baristas to engage with them about
the ner points of what they are
serving.
At the same time, those who
simply want a nice co ee and cakein a nice environment should also
get good friendly service. Good
cafes should be able to adapt to
di erent types of customers.
As part of the evolution of the
business, they have been serving
some specials, including Café
Bombon (a sweet co ee drink made
by layering espresso with
condensed milk) and Greek-style
Freddo Espresso.
This was introduced by their
Cypriot barista Maria - and got the
seal of approval from my Greek
partner. These e orts to evolve
suggests that Mr Eion will remain a
xture in Edinburgh’s ever-
expanding co ee scene.
Stockbridge Shop: 9 Dean Park
Street, EH4 3NG
Trinity Cafe: 44-44a East Trinity
Road, EH5 3DJACROSS
7 LEMUR FRIDAY
(anagram) (11)
9 Creature living o
another (8)
10 Senegal's continent (6)
11 Happen again (5)
12 Skilled (9)
14 Taken as a whole (7)
16 Book (a table) (7)
18 Orchard plant (5, 4)
20 Desert watering hole (5)
21 Bring goods in (6)
22 Gather together (8)
24 Alias (7, 4)DOWN1 Pencil rubber (6)
2 Speci c (10)
3 Rancid (3)
4 Altruistic (8)
5 Look up to (6)
6 Pretence of being
someone else (13)
7 Amazing event (7)
8 Cruelty (13)
13 Liverpool's area (10)
15 Arterial swelling (8)
17 Laughable, ridiculous (7)
19 Tall tree (6)
20 Musical dramas (6)
23 Demon (3)Image by Matt Ward of Aye Spy Media (ayespymedia.com)Image: Fabrizio Scalet, Instagram: @skensi https://www.instagram.com/
Image: Fabrizio Scalet, Instagram: @_skensi_