The colourful 'love letter' of a bakery and cafe opening in busy Edinburgh locale
This is an exciting launch for the area
If you’ve been wandering along Edinburgh’s Pleasance recently, you may have noticed an eye-catching freshly painted bright yellow shop front at number 207.
This is Gorse - named after the coconut and pineapple scented shrub - and it’ll be opening on April 17, with a menu that includes coffee, bakes and other goodies. We asked its owner, Natalie Rai, to tell us more about the business.
What’s your and the team’s background?
I’ve spent years in the speciality coffee industry and opened my first Edinburgh coffee shop almost four years ago with my husband. Alongside us we have a fantastic baker, who was born in Shetland and raised in Northern Ireland, so that affinity runs naturally through the team.
How long have you been thinking about opening this new business?
I feel it has been brewing in the back of my mind for quite some time, but really came to the forefront over the last year. We lost my granny to cancer, and between the frequent trips home to see her, and realising that I’ve now spent almost half my life in Belfast and half in Edinburgh, I’ve been thinking a lot more about identity.
In a way, Gorse is a love letter to both where I’m from and where I’ve found home. Common gorse grows in abundance in each place, especially in areas we love spending time - Arthur’s Seat and the North Coast back home in Northern Ireland.
What will Gorse offer?
We’re a coffee shop, bakery and pantry inspired by Northern Irish produce, using seasonal ingredients from both Northern Ireland and locally from Scotland. It’s quite a simple offering at its core - good baking, a tight coffee menu, and a small selection of pantry items to take home. I’ve been watching the speciality coffee scene back home grow with real admiration, and I’m keen to shine a light on some of the great roasters there alongside what we’re doing in-house.
Tell us more about the menu
We’ll have staples like wheaten bread loaves, soda farls and potato farls, alongside Northern Irish flavours that have been reimagined through pastries and a few savoury options. We’ll move with the seasons, using what’s available locally in Scotland. The Northern Irish traybake fifteens, Tayto cheese and onion crisps, and using dulse as an ingredient have shaped where we start, and we’ll see where it goes from there. On the coffee side, we’ll be using Established Coffee from Belfast. It felt like a natural choice. We’ll also have beans from a selection of Northern Irish roasters on the pantry shelves for customers to take home.
Why did you choose the location? Was it something that the area needed?
We came across the space in August during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe - our favourite time of year, when the city has that buzz and palpable energy. We’re a two minute walk from vibrant Nicolson Street and five minutes from the bustle of the Pleasance venue, but the space itself feels quite tranquil, with views out to the gorse-covered crags and Arthur’s Seat. That contrast really sold it to us.
What were the premises previously and what have you done to the interior?
A criminal defence lawyers’ office - sadly, no evidence left behind! The new interiors are what I’ve been calling “granny chic”. We’ve kept and refreshed traditional elements like wood chip wallpaper and tongue-and-groove panelling, then contrasted that with more modern touches so it doesn’t tip into pastiche - keeping the warmth and nostalgia of a granny’s kitchen, but still feeling current.
Will you be offering sit in as well as takeaway options?
Yes. It’s a cosy space, but designed to work both ways. You can sit in with a coffee and pastry, or drop by for soda farls and a few pantry bits on your way past - whether that’s because you’re walking the dog or heading up Arthur’s Seat. It’s as much a quick stop as it is somewhere to linger.
What kind of customer do you hope Gorse will attract?
For Northern Irish people in Edinburgh, we want it to feel familiar - something that carries a sense of home, without leaning too heavily on tradition. For locals, we hope it offers an introduction to Northern Irish food done well, that still feels at home within Edinburgh’s already incredible food scene.
Have you been inspired by any other Edinburgh businesses?
Collectively, yes. I adore Edinburgh’s hospitality scene - being part of that community feels like a real privilege. In the Capital, there’s a strong focus on doing things properly and a consistently high level across new openings, which has definitely shaped how we’ve approached Gorse. Edinburgh’s the kind of place that pushes you to do your best.
When's the opening date and are you excited or nervous about that?
We’re working flat out and hoping to open for 17 April. We’re super excited. There are always nerves before the doors open, but even more so with something that’s rooted in identity. You just want people to embrace it.
Do you think this is a good time of year for you to open?
Common gorse begins to bloom on Arthur’s Seat in April, so it feels like perfect timing. Everything starts to shift a bit in spring - there’s a sense of momentum at this time of year, and it feels like the right moment to start something new.
For more information, follow Gorse (207 Pleasance, Edinburgh) on Instagram @gorseedinburgh
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