Invest East Lothian

🎉 Friday Good News for East Lothian 🎉

🌾 Company Bakery brings flour milling back to East Lothian
East Lothian’s Company Bakery is investing £170,000 in Tantallon Mill at Auldhame Farm near Seacliff, creating four full-time jobs and strengthening links between local farmers and Scotland’s food and drink sector.

The mill will process up to 500 tonnes of mainly locally sourced wheat each year, supplying flour to Company Bakery and independent bakeries, restaurants and food businesses across Scotland. The project has also secured almost £66,000 through the Scottish Government’s Food and Drink Processing Scheme Scotland.
📷 Jack Macaulay

🥕 Another five years for East Lothian Food & Drink
East Lothian Food and Drink BID has successfully secured its third five-year term, taking it through to 2031. Established in 2016 as the world’s first food and drink Business Improvement District, the BID will now build on a decade of collaboration, creating opportunities for growth, opening new routes to market and championing East Lothian as Scotland’s Food & Drink County.

🍽️ Gold for the Dunmuir Hotel
The Dunmuir Hotel in Dunbar has been awarded a Good Food Gold Seal Award 2026/27, adding another accolade to East Lothian’s hospitality scene.
📷 Pilot Fish

🏫 Whitecraig makes another national shortlist
And there’s further recognition for Whitecraig Primary School, which has been shortlisted for the prestigious AJ Architecture Awards 2026 in the School Project (up to £20 million) category – another national nod for the design of East Lothian’s newest learning environment.
East Lothian Council

Looking for a compact commercial space in the heart of Musselburgh?

71 High Street is now available to lease through East Lothian Council, offering 408 sq ft (37.9 sq m) of ground-floor space in a prominent town-centre location, around five miles from Edinburgh.

📍 Musselburgh High Street
GIA: 408 sq ft (37.9 sq m)
Offers over £9,600 per annum
Class 1A use
Rateable value: £8,600

Most recently used as a showroom and office, the premises include a retail area to the front with storage/workshop space, kitchen and WC to the rear. Its Class 1A designation allows for a range of potential uses and it is available on East Lothian Council's flexible “easy in/easy out” lease terms.

👉 View the full particulars and arrange a viewing to find out more: https://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/business-and-licensing/properties-and-land/commercial-industrial-residential-property-and-land-lease-or-sale/71-high-street-musselburgh-0

September is Scottish Start-Up Month and a great opportunity to turn that business idea you’ve been thinking about into something more.

Business Gateway East Lothian offers free, local advice and support to help you get started, from writing a business plan and understanding finances to working out how to market your new business.

You’ll also find free workshops, webinars, market research, templates and practical online guides to help you build your skills and confidence.

A good place to start is the free Business Support Tool. It takes around ten minutes and gives you an instant toolkit before connecting you with one of the local Business Gateway advisers.

Got an idea? Make September the month you take the first step: https://www.bgateway.com/local-offices/east-lothian

Secure your spot at this Thursday's in-person workshop with Business Gateway East Lothian and learn how to convert your fans into customers on social media. More info and booking details below.

Are your social media channels helping your business grow?

At our FREE Social Media to Sales workshop, you'll learn how to create purposeful content that engages your audience and supports your sales objectives.

The session will cover practical ways to use social media more effectively, helping you build stronger customer relationships and turn online engagement into real business opportunities.

📅 Thursday 27 August
⏰ 10am-12pm
📍 John Muir House, Haddington

Book your free place today:

🔗 https://ow.ly/gNQH50ZyogT

Invest East Lothian

🎉 Friday Good News for East Lothian 🎉

This week brings new investment and jobs for Dunbar – and a special anniversary for one of East Lothian's longest-established manufacturers.

🛍️ East Lothian's first M&S Foodhall gets the go-ahead
Marks and Spencer has secured approval for its first Foodhall in East Lothian, joining the retail development currently under construction in Dunbar.

The new store will add another household name to the site and, alongside B&M and Lidl, is expected to help create around 250 jobs, bringing significant new investment and employment opportunities to the area.

⚙️ 150 years of engineering heritage in Musselburgh
Bruntons Aero Products is celebrating an incredible 150 years of precision engineering. From its origins in specialist wire production in Musselburgh to today's work across aerospace, defence and high-performance engineering, the company has continually evolved with changing technologies and markets while retaining its commitment to precision manufacturing.

Still based in Musselburgh today, Bruntons' heritage is now providing the foundation for continued investment, innovation and growth – a remarkable milestone for a business that has been part of East Lothian's industrial story for generations.

A mixed-use development opportunity has come to market in the heart of North Berwick, with planning consent already in place for two ground-floor commercial units and a one-bedroom flat.

📍 12A Westgate, North Berwick
1,850 sq ft (172 sq m) GIA
Offers over £575,000 – no VAT
Two commercial units suitable for Class 1A use
Rateable value of £9,300
One-bedroom first-floor residential flat
South-facing walled garden

Marketed through Allied Surveyors Scotland, the former RBS premises occupy a prime central location just off the High Street, with the consented development set to benefit from outstanding views across the golf course, West Beach, islands and Fife coastline.

With North Berwick's thriving mix of independent businesses and year-round appeal to residents and visitors, this is an exciting opportunity for an investor or developer.

👉 View the full particulars for more information: https://www.alliedsurveyorsscotland.com/property/for-sale/east-lothian/class-1a/12a-westgate-north-berwick-east-lothian-eh39-4af/

The NFU Mutual Charitable Trust is accepting applications for its latest funding round, with priority given to larger initiatives that can demonstrate significant impact in rural areas.

The Trust is particularly interested in projects supporting young people's education and those helping to relieve poverty in rural communities.

📅 Applications close 9 October 2026.

Find out more about the funding and how to apply: https://www.nfumutual.co.uk/about-us/charitable-trust/applications-for-funding/

🗳️ There are just a few days left to vote on the future of the East Lothian Food and Drink Business Improvement District (BID).

Eligible levy-paying businesses are being asked whether they support renewing the BID for a further five years, from August 2026 to August 2031.

The proposed Business Plan includes continued activity across marketing and promotion, trade and consumer events, business development, networking, food tourism and collaborative projects – all aimed at supporting and strengthening East Lothian's food and drink sector.

📅 Completed ballot papers must be returned by 5pm on Thursday 20 August.

Every vote counts, so if you're eligible, make sure yours is in on time.

Business Gateway East Lothian's free, in-person Talking to AI workshop next month will show you how to use AI effectively from writing better prompts to saving time on everyday business tasks. Find out more and book below.

🤖 Curious about AI but not sure how to use it in your business?

Join our FREE Talking to AI workshop and learn how to get useful results from AI using smart prompts, time-saving shortcuts and practical business examples.

Discover how AI can help with: ✅ Writing and improving emails ✅ Marketing content and social media planning ✅ Research and information gathering ✅ Creating proposals and presentations ✅ Streamlining everyday admin tasks

Most importantly, you'll learn how to ask better questions so AI gives you better answers.

📅 Thursday 17 September
⏰ 1.30pm - 3.30pm
📍 John Muir House, Haddington

Limited availability and booking is essential - book your free place today:

🔗 https://ow.ly/CJeN50ZyoSs

Invest East Lothian

Finishing summer off with a swing is the next Midlothian & East Lothian Chamber of Commerce outdoor social. Held at Wild Cairns adventure park at Whitekirk Hill, you'll be able to try your hand at axe throwing and zombie shoot-outs as well as network with the living. Find out more and book below.

Summer is coming and we have some Networking activities outdoor and indoor for you all 🎯✨️🎉

🚶‍♂️Chamber NetWalking | 9/7/26 | 10:00am - 11:30am | at Pentland Hills

☕️Coffee Connections at The Leddie Hotel & Restaurant | 11/08/26 | 9.30am - 11:00am (Postponed)

🍴Joint Luncheon at Macdonald Houston House Hotel with West Lothian Chamber of Commerce | 20/08/26 | 12noon - 2.00pm

🪓 Summer Outdoor Social at Wild Cairns Wildcairn Activity Centre, Whitekirk Hill | 28/08/26 | 10am - 12.30pm

Register 👉 www.melcc.org.uk

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