Edinburgh St James Quarter: Bonnie & Wild named best food hall in UK by National Geographic
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An Edinburgh food hall has been named the best in the whole UK by National Geographic. Bonnie & Wild in St James Quarter placed first on the list by the respected travel magazine – beating renowned venues from London, Sheffield, and Manchester.
National Geographic wrote: “Chef-led concepts take centre stage at Bonnie & Wild, where diners can enjoy steamed Shetland mussels and grilled king prawns from Creel Caught (the first solo venture from the National Chef of Scotland, Gary Maclean), or a delectable katsu chicken curry from Salt & Chilli Oriental (the brainchild of TV chef Jimmy Lee). Plus, ingredients are chiefly sourced from local producers and purveyors committed to sustainability.”
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Hide AdBonnie & Wild also placed 13th on a list of best food halls in the UK by global travel site Big 7 Travel. Judges praised the hall, which has room for at least 700 diners, as “light and contemporary” with a “stunning selection” of “legendary” food.
They wrote: “Some of Scotland’s highest acclaimed chefs are hard at work at this upmarket food hall in St James Quarter. The light and contemporary space features a stunning selection of independent food and drink producers, with room for at least 700 diners. On the menu, you’ll find everything from legendary Sri Lankan street food to Scottish seafood from MasterChef winner Gary Maclean to craft coffee.
"It’s also home to El Perro Negro, the two-time winner of the ‘Best Burger in the UK’. If your trip has inspired you to put on a pinny at home several speciality retailers are selling artisanal produce, luxury artisan gelato and an excellent selection of award-winning wines.”
Reacting to the news, Ryan Barrie, Bonnie & Wild's managing director, said: "This is a brilliant accolade, and is testament to the quality Scottish food and drink on offer at Bonnie & Wild, as well as the dedication and professionalism of our staff and concessionaires.
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Hide Ad"Our 12 kitchens and artisanal retailers represent a dynamic and diverse Scotland committed to serving up the best of Scotland, and include well-known faces such as Gary Maclean of Creel Caught and Jimmy Lee of Salt & Chilli Oriental and Leith Woks, award-winning kitchens El Perro Negro and Kochchi, family favourites east PIZZAS, Joelato, Stack & Still and Cairngorm, and new enterprises Chooks, the IM Bottleshop, and Soup & Caboodle.
"We know that Scotland has some of the world's best food and drink, and it's fantastic to see that our collective efforts in showcasing Scotland have been recognised by Bonnie & Wild's inclusion in this list and us taking the top spot in National Geographic's list of the UK's best Food Halls."
Nick Peel, managing director at St James Quarter, said: “St James Quarter is extremely proud to house one of the leading food halls in the UK which is home to some of Scotland's best chefs, independent restaurants, and street food kitchens including Creel Caught by Gary Maclean, Salt & Chilli by Jimmy Lee, Leith Woks, Kochchi and the newly opened Soup and Caboodle. Bonnie and Wild has continued to evolve over the past two years and we are delighted that their unique offer has been continually recognised by industry experts and respected media.”