][1]One of the more interesting bars to open in Edinburgh of late is The Potting Shed.
It’s on Potterrow, in a site which, over the years, has had many names including Native State and the Wool Pack.
Potting shed chic
The latest incarnation takes its design cues from the name. If such a thing exists then potting shed chic is the game at The Potting Shed.
The walls are lined with old gardening tools, the ceiling appears to covered with hessian sacks and every available surface looks as though it has been carefully distressed.
Recycled
In tune with the eco-friendly spirit of the times, it feels as though every part of The Potting Shed, from the chairs to the floorboards, has been reclaimed and recycled.
Not so long ago, most new bars wanted to look as sleek and shiny as possible. Now, it’s all about flaunting your eco-credentials; getting your hands dirty and getting back to nature.
Back to the roots
Giving your new bar an allotment theme is a clever move although it can only be a matter of time before someone goes a step further and opens a pub called The Forager which sells nothing but dandelion wine and craft ale made from nettles.
At The Potting Shed, the menus hammer home the back to the roots ambience – the house burger is called Farmer Campbell’s homemade burger and it comes with ‘proper’ chips’ while a pate starter is described as a ‘wee pot of Morag’s chicken pate; artisan bread and garden chutney’.
As you might have guessed by now, craft beers feature heavily on the drinks list. Of course, they are served in 2/3 pint schooners.