Scotland's First Soup Cafe - Union of Genius

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Elaine Mason, Owner of Union of Genius, located in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I opened Union of Genius, Scotland’s first soup cafe, in 2011. A lifelong soup lover, I wanted a cafe that specialized in soup, offering multiple different homemade soups each day with flavor-match breads. A short menu, but one where we can showcase new flavors and ingredients and keep the quality high by making everything ourselves. Our cafe customers are students from Edinburgh University, which is nearby, staff from the University, local office workers, and staff from the nearby National Museum and the courts.

Tell us about yourself

The idea for the soup cafe blossomed fully-fledged in my head one wet lunchtime in Manchester. I imagined the sort of cafe which I’d like to eat in at that particular moment in time. I’ve always been a keen cook but had never thought of opening a cafe, as I’m not a trained cook and have no background in hospitality. However, a career handbrake turns a couple of decades later opened up the chance for me to try this, so I did. I researched everything, including my cooking skills, and eventually took the plunge when I found a vacant shop in the ideal location. What motivates me today is the same enthusiasm for flavors as when I started! We have grown from being a single cafe. We have added on a food truck in the form of a vintage Citroen H van; we have a production kitchen that also supplies food to around 35 independent cafes across town, and over lockdown, we started offering some of our soups packaged in jars for retail sale through an Edinburgh-based supermarket chain. In 2022, we took over a coffee kiosk on top of Calton Hill. Having employees is a real responsibility, and I feel that keenly - I have the responsibility to my staff to ensure they are happy and well-treated and that the work continues to come in.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

What I’m proudest of that the Union of Genius is still standing after the pandemic lockdowns and the recovery period, which continues today. Trade has still not fully recovered, and hospitality is facing multiple challenges right now in cost of living increases and price rises across the board for both ingredients and energy costs. We are weathering the storms, and I am incredibly proud of our teams and our achievements.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

It never stops. You never get a break from the business - it takes up permanent residence in your head and never stops being the main event. This gets tiring, and that carries its own brand of stress.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Research, and research some more. You need to know everything about what you intend to do, who your customers are, and how to reach them. Markets today are crowded, and everyone is jostling for attention. Treat people kindly. People are not accessories to your ambition, and that is the reason I object if anyone describes me as an entrepreneur. That word, to me, stands for everything I hate about business. Take responsibility for your decisions and your failures - own them, learn from them and march on.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: http://www.unionofgenius.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnionOfGenius
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unionofgenius/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elaine-mason-7585092a/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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