Open since 2015, the revitalised Pitt Street Market in the historic Leith area of Edinburgh operates every Saturday from noon till 10pm, as well as on Sundays during the summer months.
With four main traders – plus a revolving rota for three others – and a busy bar, this dog- and child-friendly market is a constant hubbub of chatter and laughter. Its air might be largely filled with the smells of cooked meat and fried fish, but it’s certainly not a desert for vegans, as the 100% plant-based EarthWorm Kitchen and FacePlant Foods also take their rota place among the Pitt Street family.
Founded by Scott Kirkham (also owner of Ròst) and Hal Prescott (the Barnacles & Bones head man), Pitt Street Market is managed by Kat Hänninen. A final-year student on the City of Glasgow College’s advertising & PR course, Hänninen started at the Pitt in 2016 as a volunteer, and is today helping us make contact with the traders (plus she acts as an ad hoc bouncer by stopping a man leaving the market with a beer in his hand).
“We never have any issues of rowdiness or anything,” says Hänninen, as she ponders over the main challenges of managing the market. “A couple of years ago, there was a drain in the yard that had a hole into which nothing could fit – except a toddler’s foot. And that’s exactly what happened once! He was a bit startled, but we managed to pull him free within a minute.”
The only street food market of its kind in Scotland’s capital, Pitt Street Market’s success has led to it challenging the hegemony of the Saturday evening pub experience. “There’s a lack of beer gardens in this area specifically,” says Hänninen. “We combine food, drink and the outdoors, and that’s a big draw.”
Kat Hänninen, Pitt Street Market’s manager, and Hal Prescott, one of its founders
Buffalo Truck
Robin Strigner trained as a chef in Wales, after he tired of the remote living involved with his previous career as a marine biologist. “I was burned out a bit and realised that maybe being a chef in the traditional sense wasn’t for me. But I still wanted to work with food,” he says.
Having spent time in London observing its thriving street food scene, Strigner spotted a gap in the Scottish capital’s market. “I was scrolling through eBay one day, looking at food trucks, and spotted one that happened to be in Edinburgh already; after some deliberation, I decided to go for it.”
Robin Strigner, Buffalo Truck; Kumi Cepilchrist, Barnacles and Bones; Buffalo Truck’s buttermilk fried chicken burger
In the three years since, Strigner’s Buffalo Truck has become a staple of Pitt Street Market, with its menu including buttermilk fried chicken burgers, and truffle-parmesan fries. “Despite growing, the Pitt has managed to fully retain its soul. I come here because my friends all work here – we hang out together and go to the pub afterwards.”
Buffalo Truck is one of a number of Pitt Market vendors managing their money with iZettle. “We use the card reader as it is super-convenient. The money goes straight into the bank, and the percentage they take off us is reasonable.”
Ròst
The Gaelic word for “roast”, Ròst is the domain of one of the Pitt’s co-founders, Scott Kirkham. A self-described “food obsessive”, when he’s not prepping and delivering produce to the Ròst stall he’s at home creating another dish, watching a cookery show or reading a food book.
After being a chef and kitchen manager for 15 years, Kirkham was trading with his Ròst truck at the top of Leith Walk, but was keen to find a more stable location. “I was storing my trailer in the yard at Pitt Street and I kept driving away thinking: ‘Why don’t we just try here?’”
A popular spot each week at the Pitt, Ròst delivers a menu featuring peanut butter crunch pheasant burgers and halloumi bao buns. It seems as though Kirkham never switches off. “Whenever I’m away on holiday, the food is the first thing I’ll check out,” he says.
The menu at Ròst; a canine customer
Barnacles & Bones
With the Barnacles & Bones boss away doing culinary business at an electronic music festival, James Wright holds the fort. When you ask him about the particular challenges on working at this truck, he simply shows off his arm, where a three-week-old burn is slowly healing. “Something accidentally fell into the fryer and hot oil splashed out,” he recalls. “I didn’t rush to hospital as I was far too busy; just wrapped it with clingfilm and the adrenaline rush kept me going.”
As suggested by the name, this truck lays on fish and meat options, including crab ‘n’ fries, and meatballs. Running the stall makes for busy work for Wright, who is keen to focus on his food without worrying about payments admin. He also uses iZettle: “It’s so handy being able to use cards in different, obscure places. You just need good internet and you’re ready to go.
“My main challenge is keeping the barbecue stocked up, always making sure we have enough of the produce. We all know each other, so we can often pop in and borrow things from each other’s stalls.”
Jenni McCandless (left) and friends (Esme Pringle, Hannah Bowry Williams and Georgina Barry)
Stooge Burger
Mark Harrison-Hand likes his food spicy. “I started off doing noodles, ramen and curries,” he says. “I’ve been known to put too much chilli in, but people need to man up! It’s good for you.” Stooge Burger has been up and running for about a year, and Harrison-Hand knows when to mix it up and when to leave things be. “Burgers are always going to be a big seller, so we thought we shouldn’t do anything fancy with the burger mix, which is good Scottish beef.”
Harrison-Hand got the serious foodie bug when he was travelling around Asia and took some cookery lessons. “It was mainly so I could cook for myself, but when I was later working in hospitality I made my way from front-of-house back into the kitchen.”
He is a fan of Leith and sees the area and the market as an ideal fit. “It’s nice being away from town and in a place where you get a good mix of people.”
Tim Vincent-Smith
Pianodrome duo Tim Vincent-Smith and Matt Wright, part of today’s entertainment, are so impressed with the Pitt Street Market atmosphere that they’re returning in August to perform a Fringe show – in an amphitheatre entirely made out of upcycled pianos. “Lovely food, lovely beer, lovely vibe and 10,000 followers on Facebook. In one way, it might not be in the centre of town, so might not bring a festival crowd, but in another way, well, who cares? The people who would want to find out about us will find out,” says Vincent-Smith.
‘Super convenient’: Buffalo Truck’s Robin Stigner’s verdict on iZettle
Jenni McCandless
Jenni: “I found out about it through a friend when it just had this courtyard bit. We’ll be here for a few hours and get some food in a bit.”
Mark Vigers
“I worked for Barnacles & Bones two or three years ago and have been a frequent visitor ever since. I love the community vibe, good music, good food, good beer, and it’s outside.”
Lauren and Steven Rackley (and Murray the dog)
Lauren: “We’re new to Edinburgh and I only heard about the Pitt through a girl at work. This is our first time here, and we’re always looking for dog-friendly places, so we brought him along and it’s amazing.”
Steven: “I’ve messaged some of our friends to ask them to come along, as it’s a fantastic way to spend an afternoon.”
Discover what iZettle can do for your business at izettle.com
