Eskmills owner backs events venture with £150k – Daily Business

An East Lothian events business is to be relaunched after the owner of the Eskmills business hub bought it out of administration.

Based in a Victorian mill, Eskmills suffered a blow when key tenant, the Hickory catering and events firm, collapsed at the end of last year.

Oliver Stephen is investing £150,000 to enhance the 400-seater venue which shares space with 100 businesses employing 500 people.

He said: “Hickory’s collapse was a shock – not just financially, but emotionally for everyone who had special plans tied to the space. I believe The Venue has even greater potential as part of Eskmills than it ever did as a standalone tenant.

“For 15 years, Hickory – which had become one of Scotland’s largest independent catering, events and venue operators – was a jewel in the crown of Eskmills.

“We’re taking the best bits of what worked before, like the team’s experience and the fantastic service they delivered, but with a new concept and a stronger foundation.

“We’re building a totally new, sustainable, inclusive venue business that will host more than just weddings, from business conferences to community celebrations. We’re aiming to make it thrive, not just as a commercial venture, but as a trusted and valued part of the local community.”

Since Mr Stephen acquired the Eskmills site in 2016, it has become a vibrant business centre with tenants that include Fearless gym and PT studio, Crolla’s Italian Kitchen bistro and The Eskmills Café by the Company Bakery..