South Queensferry bakery in former betting shop with incredible views of the bridges set to open this weekend

Edinburgh man set for ‘second coming’ with new bakery by the Firth of Forth

A new bakery will open in the shadows of the Forth bridges this weekend, specialising in vegan baked goods as well as treats for all tastes.

Taking its name from the Gaelic word for Edinburgh - Dùn Èideann - new bakery Dune will start trading on Saturday, with takeaways on offer, and the hope of seating up to 14 people in the former William Hill bookies within a fortnight, once the six staff members get familiar with their surroundings.

Dune owner Lewis Gill, 36, outside his new bakery, set to open this weekend in South Queensferry in the shadow of the Forth bridges.

Owner Lewis Gill, 36, who ran bakeries in Stockbridge and Leith until the Covid pandemic, is not letting a minor setback this week get him down ahead of opening weekend.

He said: “I was excited. We were planning on opening on Friday, but we had to put it back a bit as the oven needs fixed. So it’s not ideal. But it gives us an extra day to get ready, so it’s not the end of the world.

“I previously ran a health food cafe, then a place focusing on vegan pastry. But now we are going down the road of doing everything, including vegan food.

“We found this great spot with an incredible view from where we will be rolling in the kitchen. You can come in and see us baking in the back, through a glass wall.

“I’m not used to that and it will take a while to get used to. You are normally baking in a basement, dancing and singing, but now we will have to behave. No swearing, it’s going to be hard!

“The problem with being in Edinburgh in the past is that the units are all smaller rooms, but this is one big open room, so a lot easier to manage. Our former shops in Edinburgh fell apart when Covid hit. So this is our second coming.

“We will continue to offer people vegan options, but with pastry you are quite restricted with vegan stuff. So we wanted something a bit more broader this time.”

No that isn't a photo of the Forth rail bridge on the wall of Dune Bakery in South Queensferry, it's a window looking out across the Firth of Forth.

Lewis is hopeful that he has found the perfect spot for his Dune bakery.

He said: “It’s great being on the High Street. It’s quite busy here, with a decent footfall all the time. A few local people have said they wanted something like this here. As soon as we saw this unit we thought it was perfect.

“It’s very weather dependent out here. If it’s sunny it can get very busy on the High Street. Which is a nightmare for preparing enough food. But hopefully over the summer it should be more steady as cruise ships full of tourists arrive here.

“That will be a great help for us as a new business. And I don’t think there is any other business nearby doing what we are doing.”

The bakery owner is also confident about its name and has high hopes for its future.

Lewis said: “I just always liked that as a name. And then my sister told me it was Gaelic for Edinburgh, so as I’ve lived in Edinburgh all my life the name is just perfect.

“Our goal is to do the best pastry in at least Scotland. That’s our plan. We want to be the best. Not a lot of places do a vegan version of pastry. So we’ve got something a bit different and I think locals will love our food. Hopefully we go on to win awards for what we produce here in South Queensferry.”

Dune Bakery at South Queensferry High Street will be open 9am-4pm, Thursday - Monday after it opens on Saturday, May 4.