Scott and Laura Smith's Fhior Garden Café to close

Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

Deputy Editor

Scott and Laura Smith are set to close their Fhior Garden Café on August 30th as the site has struggled to get off the ground as a result of the pandemic.

The couple opened the café at the Secret Herb Garden, a plant nursery in the outskirts of Edinburgh owned by Hamish and Liberty Martin, in February 2020, offering seasonal menus using produce grown on site, which also supplies their award-winning restaurant and successor to Norn, Fhior.

Sharing the news on social media, the couple said they were "absolutely gutted" to have been forced to close so soon, just as "the amazing team there have really begun to establish its identity, build a great reputation and create a special little space to enjoy simple food with all the correct ethos."

The original concept "has been twisted, distorted, and changed more times than we can count" due to the restrictions, making it an uphill struggle from the get-go.

"We are devastated. More so, we are heartbroken for our team there. They are the ones who have continually adapted to the changing conditions, and they have done it with energy and positivity. What they have moulded the space to become is something we are very proud of, and we are so grateful to them."

Thankfully, they added, another operator will take over the site and will keep the whole team on.

"We are hopeful that they will take the café forward to improve and develop it even further, and we will make sure we can make the whole handover process as smooth and as positive as possible."

Thanking the team, founders Hamish and Liberty and guests for their support, they said: "Timing is usually everything. The timing here (just before lockdown) was pretty terrible."

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