Kosher Edinburgh Fringe Festival

For any Jews visiting the Edinburgh Festival finding kosher food may be a problem. Different Jews keep kosher in different ways, but even for the orthodox Jews there are a few solutions in Edinburgh.

The most well known source is Falko Konditormeister at 185 Bruntsfield Place, a bakery which sells Challeh Thursday & Friday after 12.00 noon, (parve) and the cakes are kosher (milky) but the Danish pastries are not kosher.

Kingsmill bread made by Allied Bakeries can be bought in most supermarkets; it's marked with the sign SKA.

Sainsbury supermarket at Cameron Toll also stocks a limited selection of kosher food which you can find in aisle 9. Costco at Straiton has smoked salmon and cheese cake which is kosher. Also in Straiton Ikia sells some kosher products, herring, biscuits, cookies, crackers and snacks. 

The Edinburgh Hebrew congregation can also arrange Shabbat Hospitality where you are a guest in a local Jewish family's home for the Shabbat meal but you need to contact them a week in advance.

If you just have to have ice-cream you can drive up the coast to Gullane where the Falko store ice-cream is kosher.  However for the strictly Kosher in Edinburgh that is about all. 

If you are not orthodox and simply don't want to mix milk and meat or eat non-kosher animals, then you have many more options. The Cornerstone Café, situated in the vaults of the St. John's Church is a vegetarian and vegan restaurant which serves fresh healthy meals and salads.

Other top quality vegetarian food can be found at Hendersons on 94 Hanover Street, and at David Bann where you can find an elegant atmosphere, a little more up market.

For an Indian meal try Kalpna., also vegetarian or The Forest which will offer you the most interesting eating experience as there are performances there during the Fringe, and the atmosphere is suited to artists and free-thinkers. At Cockburn Street try The Baked Potato Shop you can pick up a baked potato with a variety of veggie toppings.

So although eating as you would at home will be difficult while in Edinburgh, you won't starve. The Chabad centre is unfortunately in Glasgow, but there is an active Jewish community which you could contact if you are in need of more sustenance or information. Alternatively, rent a self-catering apartment and do as some people I know do - bring all your own kosher food with you in a huge suitcase!