Bovril Johnston's.

John Lawson Johnston was born at this very place in 1839, a plaque can be seen just above the space between the door to No. 29 and the window to its right. It was he who invented the thickened dark brown stock known as Bovril, made from beef trimmings. The name is derived from Bovine and "Vril," a magical substance that gave the mythical Vril-ya tribe their super-powers (c.f. Asterix the Gaul and his Gallic tribe's magic potion). It has served to make army food at "The Front," during several wars, more palatable, and this fact has been used in numerous advertising campaigns feature unhappy looking bulls. (Bull One to Bull Two, "I hear they need more Bovril at The Front.")

This coffee shop was opened in August 2009 by Aimee (a research scientist in micro-biology) and her husband Paul, and The Old Lady was one of their customers on the day they opened. For a while the shop served as a village hub, I used to go there every Thursday for lunch where there were usually a few acquaintances for a blether. Most of the produce sold was cooked by Aimee's own fair hand and there was a pride in producing fare that encouraged repeat customers.

After a year or two, the cafe was offered the poisoned chalice of a franchise at the Rosslyn Chapel; the Bovril trade name had been granted, under exceptional circumstances, for sole use at 29 Main Street and so that did not go to the chapel with the business.
A careless design error in the layout of the gift centre meant that customers to the new cafe had to first pay a tourist charge to visit the chapel, so the repeat custom trade disappeared and, with it, the original appeal of the business; so, last October, Aimee and Paul pulled out and are now selling this property; it would be really nice if the purchaser were to re-launch the Bovril Johnston ethic.

Note: In general, I don’t like urban landscapes without people in them but, today was wet, windy and generally miserable so no-one was about - except for some idiot taking photographs.

I’ve just posted last Thursday’s blip, “Walking Backwards for Christmas” and
Wednesday’s “Traprain Law.”