New Scotmid layout

[Guest]

My first visit to the store since the revamp. Wow, what an improvement! Better layout, better range of products and much better presentation. Doing away with the butchery section makes sense. It took up a lot of space and who wants to buy supermarket meat when you have got a first-rate award-winning butcher around the corner? Continue to be impressed with the range of organic produce. The organic milk is a steal at 35p (and did you know that buying the small carton works out cheaper than the large one?)

This used to be a terrible shop. Dirty, drab, old fridges that broke down regularly, out of date food on display, poorly trained staff etc. Now we have a local supermarket we deserve. Let's just hope they keep up the standards. Scotmid deserves a lot of credit for their support of the community as well. Support your local shops - we have a great fishmonger, an excellent deli and many others deserving of your patronage. Would like to see a re-launched, more vibrant, pro-active traders association though. The response from local traders recently to the offer from the Council of FREE marketing help was frankly pathetic, which I can assure you did their cause no good at all.

[Guest]

They still don't sell jalapeno chillies tho.

[Guest]

Only one place in town for chillies. Has to be Lupe Pintos in Leven Street. Try one or two of the chipotle variety in your spag bol. Back on the Portobello front, wouldn't it be nice to have one or two new shops that were not:

a) charity shops
b) takeways
c) bookies
d) pubs

PS Anyone hear the rumour about Pizza Hut moving in? Just what we need - more junk food! (Yeah, so sue me - I've no money anyway!)

[chris]

Only one place in town for chillies. Has to be Lupe Pintos in Leven Street.

Damn fine shop!!!

I wouldn't mind a pub opening if it was decent. You know... nice food and good selection of beers instead of spit and sawdust.

[Guest]

How about a little seaside bistro/bar with a selection of real ales, fine wines, bowls of mussels, calamari and crayfish at affordable prices? I think there's a market for it - people must be getting fed up with Leith by now and Porty has much more to offer. Heard some v good reports of Cafe Oop's weekend dinner menu and keen to try if I can get a baby sitter. OK, time for another poll. I have to confess there are several Porty pubs I haven't dared to enter yet. Which one do you recommend?

You will find the poll at the top of this page and remember you can't take part until you register. We will hold the 'Portobello Online' AGM in whichever pub gets the most votes and Chris is buying the drinks.

[angigael]

They still don't sell jalapeno chillies tho.

But they might if asked

Angi

[Susan]

Hi,

In reply to Bob's query about Pizza Hut.

They have recently applied for Planning Permission in the old Clydesdale Bank property, 195 Portobello High Street.

Susan

[Guest]

PAS objecting on grounds of over-provision I believe.

[Guest]

Oh no..! Pizza Hut..! We want local restaurants, for local people.

Cafe Oop's weekend menu is excellent. Went there with a couple of friends last month, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

It's BYOB, with only £1 per head for corkage, so it works out at excellent value.

[Guest]

Agree totally. Death to junk food and all who purvey it!

Keep hearing good reports about Cafe Oop! Maybe we could start a 'Portobello Online' restaurant review section? As a self-confessed 'foodie' I always fancied the chance to be a food critic. It would be a short run though! Seriously, I think the success of their weekend menu (at a commendably reasonable price) is proof that there are opportunities for quality restaurants in Portobello. What we don't need is Pizza Hut, McDonalds etc.

Recommended reading: 'Fast Food Nation' by Eric Schlosser

[Jamesie]

Hi,

In reply to Bob's query about Pizza Hut.

They have recently applied for Planning Permission in the old Clydesdale Bank property, 195 Portobello High Street.

Susan

Pizza Hut have been looking into moving into Portobello for a while. They had a planning application in for the shop next to the Clydesdale a few years back but it went to an Indian restaurant instead.

That restaurant folded a few months later and if I recall correctly had a disturbing array of dead wasps in the front window for many months - there must have been a nest!

That shop is now Costcutter and IMHO Portobello missed a good opportunity back then. I'd be interested to see the plans for converting the Clydesdale though.

However with St Andrews, Pizza Paradise, Carlo's and now potentially Pizza Hut within a five minute walk of one another there is no doubt that PAS has a point!

[Guest]

My first visit to the store since the revamp. Wow, what an improvement!

Agreed. But now we've had time to get used to it... It's still disappointing.

Typical examples (1) they use two different types of basket, which don't stack on top of each other, leading to mess/untidiness at the checkouts - and potentially an accident if badly stacked baskets fall on top of a toddler. (2) The fresh bread is stored right next to the warm-food display. Does anyone else find this odd? Heat = dried-out bread.

So it's an improvement. But Portobello still deserves better.