The 'exciting' new couple-owned cookbook shop that's opening in Edinburgh's New Town
This is a new specialist bookshop for the city
We recognise our favourite cookbooks by their gravy-splattered and dog-eared appearance.
The fact that we prefer them tatty proves that they’re a different species to fiction. Now you can add to your collection, with an impending visit to specialist The Cookbook Shop, which will be an exciting addition to Edinburgh’s Haddington Place in the new year. We asked the owners, couple Martyn and Liz Bryson, to tell us more.
Tell us about your backgrounds
We’ve both worked in various publishing and editorial roles for the past decade.
Tell us about the crowdfunding campaign that got you to where you are now
The crowdfunding campaign is ongoing, and it’s instrumental in helping us make our space more comfortable and accessible. With this funding, we can meet our longer-term goals faster - for example, to ensure a smooth walking experience throughout the shop, provide plenty of seating, and build a kids’ play area.
How did you find the premises, and is it perfect for your plans?
We spent about six months searching for the right space, and we’re thrilled to say we’ve found it. It’s actually larger than we expected, with three distinct rooms that are filled with cosy nooks. We could not have asked for a better location, as it’s close enough for the city’s visitors to find us easily, yet still rooted in a neighbourhood with a real sense of community. Our plans include adding shelving throughout (using vintage and second-hand pieces wherever possible), creating a till area inspired by a home kitchen, and installing new lighting. Everything is designed to make the space feel as warm and welcoming as a kitchen hearth. Before we moved in, the building was actually a dog daycare, so it’s been quite a transformation.
Which new cookbooks are you most excited about?
At the top of my list is Korean Temple Cooking by Hoo Nam Seelmann. It explores both Korean Buddhism and this highly specialised type of cooking; there’s nothing else quite like it. And since we both need to eat gluten-free, we’re also excited about The Art of Gluten-Free Bread by Aran Goyoaga.
What are each of your most loved and used cookbooks at home?
Liz: The one that has changed my approach to food most profoundly is The Food of Sichuan by Fuchsia Dunlop. Even when I’m not cooking Chinese recipes, my technique is overall better, less wasteful and more efficient because of this book.
Martyn: I’m more of an anxious cook, and I’m still developing my intuition in the kitchen. So Julia Turshen’s What Goes with What has been really transformative. It’s full of helpful charts that help me visualise meals and make substitutions.
Who do you think is the best cookbook author of all time?
There’s definitely no single greatest author, as what each of us is looking for in a cookbook is so different! Certainly, though, there have been greats in the English-speaking world: Edna Lewis, Ruby Tandoh, Yasmin Khan, Caroline Eden, Anthony Bourdain, Julia Child. For the very successful chefs/authors, I think that part of what makes them great is using their platform to develop new talent and uplift marginalised voices in food. In that respect, Ottolenghi and Nigella are also outstanding.
What makes a good cookbook/and a bad one?
For me, a great cookbook, like a great restaurant, is generous. It’s such a generous act to do the intense, repetitive work of recipe testing to help strangers make something lovely to eat. And you can often tell when that level of effort hasn’t been put in. I also appreciate cookbooks that are honest about how difficult it is to pin down precise cooking times. We each cook in wildly different circumstances – ingredients, experience, weather, tools – and it’s more helpful to learn how food should look, feel, sound, and taste at each stage rather than adhere to rigid instructions. It also helps if the book is well organised and beautiful. Cookbooks are so often companions in the kitchen, not instructors.
Why do you think some people prefer cookbooks to online recipes?
Even though I love cookbooks, I still use online recipes. They are great when you need a quick answer or something that fits specific dietary needs. But cookbooks offer a completely different experience. Their tactility keeps you grounded in the moment. You’re engaging your senses and appreciating the thought, craft, and creativity behind not just hundreds of recipe tests, but the design of the book itself. At the same time, search engines are becoming less reliable at surfacing high-quality recipes. The top results are increasingly flooded with low-quality, AI-generated content that often hasn’t been tested and may not work.
Tell us about the first events/workshops that you'll be running?
We’re excited to kick-off our events calendar with cookbook clubs, where anyone can join, cook one recipe from a book, and then come together in the shop to taste lots of other dishes from the same book. It’s a fantastic way to meet new people and try new foods. Alongside that, we’re planning a programme of talks and demos, including fermentation workshops, wine tasting, knife-skills sessions, and cooking classes focused on different regions of the world. We’ll also host film screenings and food-focused storytime events for kids.
Should a visit to a bookshop be an experience?
We want people who visit our bookshop to feel they can truly linger. Using a cookbook encourages you to slow down and savour a sensory experience, and we think The Cookbook Shop should evoke that same feeling. We also want the space to feel different each time you walk through the door. For us, that sense of discovery is one of the most magical things about independent bookshops.
What items will you be selling, apart from books?
We’ll also stock art prints, greeting cards, zines, pottery, candles, gift wrap, small kitchen items, international pantry items, store-branded merchandise, and chilled drinks to takeaway. We always prioritise small, independent, local makers. Things you can’t find everywhere else. Cookbooks are all about the joy of making, so a cookbook shop is a natural place to celebrate other, food-related crafts as well.
Why was it important to have a physical shop, rather than an online one?
Ultimately, our goal is to have both an online and a physical shop. But the physical shop is foundational because there are so few bookshops like it in the UK. And browsing in person is often more conducive to learning and discovery than a targeted online search. Sometimes, we need things to find us, rather than the other way around.
Who do you think will be your average customer?
Food is universal, and cooking is such a common ambition that we hope our shop will appeal to many different people. If both complete beginners and seasoned food professionals feel at home with our selection, we’ll know we’re doing something right.
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