Famed bakery on the rise as it joins Edinburgh Food Hall Bonnie & Wild after summer of successful pop-ups

Famous in Glasgow and Edinburgh for its creative cookies, Chulo’s Stuffed Cookies has been running a temporary residency at Bonnie & Wild over the summer months following a pop-up trial in February, which saw almost a tonne of cookies sold over 10 days.

Now, with their stuffed cookies “selling almost as fast as they can make them”, Chulo’s owner Jordan Rankin has been offered a coveted concessionaire’s contract at the Edinburgh Food Hall.

Bonnie & Wild’s Managing Director Ryan Barrie said he was excited by the prospect of Chulo’s coming into the Scottish Marketplace on a long-term tenancy agreement and that the young business was a “perfect addition to an already incredible line-up of kitchens, chefs and restaurateurs”.

Ryan added: “We invited Chulo’s in for a pop-up during the February half-term earlier this year, when it’s safe to say they smashed all expectations and sold almost a tonne of cookies in little over a week. 

“We were delighted to welcome them back into Scottish Marketplace for the summer and they’ve been every bit as popular, selling their cookies almost as fast as they can make them. As a result, we’ve been able to give them a home in the St James Quarter. It’s a fantastic success story for a young Scottish food business.”

Bonnie & Wild has 12 concession units as well as its three bars, and pop-up and events spaces. A slight redesign of the venue enabled the Bonnie & Wild team to find the space to house the new Chulo’s concession.

Ryan added: “With their eye-catching branding, exciting product and good business sense, Chulo’s are a perfect addition to an already incredible line-up of kitchens, chefs and restaurateurs that offers a range of menus including pancakes, pizzas, burgers, Asian cuisine, fried chicken, fresh seafood, and traditional Scottish deli items. We’re very proud to be supporting Scottish food and drink businesses, and it means there’s something for everyone at Bonnie & Wild.”

Jordan Rankin, who founded Chulo’s with his partner Rebecca Paterson in 2021, said the opportunity to trade in Bonnie & Wild’s Scottish Marketplace had been a key contributor to the ongoing success of his business, which has enjoyed significant trading growth over the summer months.

“We’ve had to expand the team to cope with demand and our kitchen is practically running non-stop. People have got a real appetite for our stuffed cookies, while they’ve also been a major hit online as well. It’s been an incredible journey since we first started trading at farmer’s markets and food fairs only a few years ago.”

The Chulos pop-up was the latest in a programme of meet-the-makers, tastings, pop-ups and brand activations at Bonnie & Wild, which aims to showcase Scottish food and drink brands and provide a supportive platform within the busy St James Quarter for local producers.

As well as Chulo’s, Bonnie & Wild has hosted pop-ups with the likes of Wester Distillery, Botanist Gin, and Isle of Raasay and Isle of Skye distilleries. Gary Maclean, the National Chef of Scotland, hosted an oyster and champagne bar in collaboration with venerable fishmonger Bernard Corrigan and Champagne Piaff, while other other activations included Ruby Flowers, southeast Asian food business Okanda and local bakery Kilted Donuts. Its also offers regular meet the maker tasting events with Scottish craft distilleries.

Ryan added: “It’s really important to us that Bonnie & Wild is always vibrant and fresh, that we champion amazing Scottish food and drink products, and that we can always offer our guests something new and exciting.”