Cairngorm Coffee and Mossgiel Organic Dairy stunt highlights pressures facing Scotland’s pubs
A new one-night-only “pub” is coming to Edinburgh on 12 November, with Cairngorm Coffee on Barclay Place teaming up with Mossgiel Organic Dairy to sell pints of milk for £1 instead of beer. The event, called Thirsty Thursdays, will see the café transformed into a nighttime venue for the evening, with organic milk from Mossgiel’s Ayrshire dairy served alongside shots of soft serve ice cream.
Behind the stunt, the companies say they want to highlight the rising cost of a night out and the pressures facing Scotland’s pubs, cafés and independent producers. The release notes that the Scottish Licensed Trade Association has warned that the price of a pint could soar to £10. Figures from the Scottish Beer and Pub Association cited in the release state that 62 pubs closed across Scotland in the first nine months of 2026, equivalent to one every four and a half days, with the loss of an estimated 585 jobs.
Bryce Cunningham, founder of Mossgiel Organic Dairy, said: “We’re opening a pub where a pint costs a pound. The only catch is that it’s milk.” He added: “It’s a bit of fun, but there’s a serious point behind it. Whether you’re running a farm, a café or a pub, it’s getting harder and harder to make the numbers work.”
Cunningham also said: “We’re incredibly proud of the organic Scottish milk we produce in Ayrshire, and we want to show people just how good it is. It’s brewed in Scotland, nutritious, delicious and there’s no ultra-processed nonsense. I’ll drink to that.”
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Robi Lambie, from Cairngorm Coffee, said: “We’re living in a world where going out for a couple of pints could soon cost you £20. That’s a lot of money, particularly for younger people.” He added: “I truly believe we need to find ways to make it easier and not harder for people to go out. We risk losing not just pubs, but also the friendships and sense of community that come with them.”
Lambie also said: “The idea is a bit ridiculous but we’re here to make a serious point. As a cafe owner I see these rising costs first hand and I stand with the publicans and everyone else feeling the pinch at the moment.” He continued: “We might be serving milk instead of beer, but what we’re really doing is bringing people together. Hopefully, they can all go and support their favourite pub too afterwards.”
Thirsty Thursdays takes place on Thursday 12 November at Cairngorm Coffee, 49 Barclay Place, Edinburgh, from 6pm. Cairngorm Coffee also has premises at 1 Melville Place, Edinburgh, and at Ralia Cafe, by Newtonmore.
