You may or may not have been following my dairy free journey over on Instagram but I’ve never been more gutted to be dairy (and egg 😭) free than when I was invited to try Badger & Co’s brunch board which is a big ol’ board of deliciousness that I can’t have. So instead they very kindly offered* for us to come (including the baby) for lunch as there are more items that are or can be made dairy free. If you want to see more of that brunch board, head to His & Hers Brunch’s Instagram!

Not only that, but they were also kind enough to reschedule when we had to cancel our table on a Saturday afternoon due to a poorly baby.

When we did eventually manage to make it along, we weren’t disappointed – both the food and service were excellent.

They’d made a note on my booking of the dairy intolerance so were prepared with a menu of what I could and couldn’t have – either by them being dairy free already or being able to be made dairy free without question or the often inevitable two reactions I’ve found thus far 1) absolute fear and uncertainty as to what is actually made with dairy 2) a slight disdain as if I’m on a fad diet and am doing this to be awkward.

Turns out there were quite a few things on the menu that can accommodate my request.

We both went for the scallops to start – mine made with a crushed pea purée of sorts which was DF and my boyfriend’s with the original pea purée – he was delighted at his clever choice of the same dish as me which meant he didn’t need to wait for me to photograph his before he tucked in!

The scallops were just cooked – as they should be – and came with the classic and complementary additions of black pudding, aforementioned pea purée and crispy shallots.

After our nice light starter, I went for the lamb gigot served with rocket salad and a salsa verde.

The dish was nice, particularly the more charred bits of the lamb which had more flavour – I couldn’t detect any of the advertised rosemary and cumin rub but I didn’t miss it. The pickled shallots in the rocket salad were so, so good and tickled the tastebuds. At £19.50, I’d say it’s a touch on the pricey side not to have any carbs on the plate (you can order from the sides menu but they’d obviously be charged).

My boyfriend’s choice was better value for money and he really enjoyed everything – if there’s pork belly on a menu you know he’s gonna order that. His only comment was that he’d have liked the pork belly skin to be crispy. As I can’t risk contamination of dairy and eggs I sadly couldn’t try any of his but it looked delish.

Similar to his choice at the Scottish Cafe, it was like a light summer Sunday Roast.

When they said I’d be able to have the sorbet for dessert and that the flavours were mango, passion fruit and raspberry, I didn’t need to think twice – and neither did my boyfriend!

Lovely, light and refreshing – the perfect end to the meal.

Badger & Co is a great spot, just off George Street, for families and friends alike for both food and cocktails.

This September, Badger & Co will be raising funds for Macmillan Cancer Support by hosting a coffee morning on Friday 28th September and creating a limited edition Macmillan ‘tea’riffic cocktail which will see 50% of the cocktail sales donated to the charity.

To mark their third Macmillan Coffee Morning, the expert bar team have concocted a limited edition cocktail, served in a teacup which will be available from Friday 28th September to Sunday 30th September. 50% of its sales will be donated to help the work of Macmillan Cancer Support. A classic take on a gin sour, the ‘tea’riffic cocktail will blend traditional Earl Grey flavours with fresh lemon juice, elderflower liqueur and a healthy measure of Edinburgh Gin. A delicious non-alcoholic alternative will also be available.

Badger & Co’s Coffee Morning will take place from 9am – 11am on Friday 28th September at 32 Castle Street, Edinburgh, EH2 3HT. The cocktail will be available all weekend. Make sure you pop along to show your support for a great cause!

* We were invited along for the meal complimentary but as always all words, thoughts, opinions and probably some grammatical errors are entirely my own!