The mural at Whighams: A History
This was the work of Ken Wolverton, a maverick character from the USA. The setting was his choice and is in Princes Street Gardens. The characters are all people who were involved with Hendersons or prominent characters in Edinburgh at the time.
Hendersons Salad Table was a busy vegetarian restaurant in the basement in Hanover Street, Edinburgh. It had just opened an extension which doubled it in size. This was termed the Wine Bar. The artist saw an opportunity to create a mural on the bare walls to show off his talent and earn his payment of a free food for 3 months. Janet Henderson, ne Millar (1913-1973), brought up in a conventional household had changed to follow a vegetarian diet, having traveled to Germany and Austria pre-war. She also followed homeopathic and naturopathic principles. She married and East Lothian Farmer James ‘Mac’ Henderson and they went on to have seven children. They developed a market garden which avoided the use of pesticides and artificial fertilisers, termed as ‘compost grown’ and of course free range hens. She built up a thriving business in Edinburgh from the back of her Ford Consul. When a Greengrocers in Queensferry Street was closing down, she bought the premises at 92 Hanover Street and employed Miss Tait with her staff. This was known at the Farm Shop. There was a derelict basement below which was turned into a coffee house. Coffee was just becoming popular and of course vegetarian. It went from strength to strength opening a separate bakery producing wholemeal bread and then an extension to the cafe and a bar opened on Thistle Street. She sadly died shortly after a trip to the Far East and before the mural was in place.
Nicholas Henderson took over the reins of the business for a few years before retiring to leave his siblings and their children to run it. The Business was closed down during Covid times which left the mural requiring a new home.
Food
Whether you are after a relaxing long lunch or dinner, or a light bite whilst enjoying some delicious wines we have an option to suit.
We pride ourselves on using the highest quality, locally sourced Scottish produce. Our kitchen team, led by Head Chef Dougie Lyall (he’s been here for a while now but please don’t ask him how long!), use locally sourced produce to create our seafood-based menu. Whilst seafood is our passion, we also offer a range of vegan and meat based dishes to satisfy all palates.
We have been around for 41years and counting, so naturally some dishes have become synonymous with Whigham’s. To name but a few there is our sumptuously creamy Cullen Skink, beautifully fresh Loch Fyne oysters which have been a staple since our inception and don’t forget good ole fish and chips, a classic beer battered haddock with fries and minted peas or for those with a sweet tooth Dougie’s sticky toffee pudding (the recipe is a closely guarded secret) is hands down the best in town. Even if you’re just in for a nibble and a glass of wine our chipolatas, crispy calamari and plump Gordal olives make great accompaniments.
Whilst some dishes will always be there, we do reflect the seasons and change dishes throughout the year to reflect what is best seasonally and produced locally where possible. So come summertime we feature a delicious seafood salad and in the winter you will find a hearty casserole. Game and lobster will make an appearance when they are at their best.
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Wine
Wine is where it all began for Whigham’s and is at the heart of all we do. We spend a lot of time looking for and tasting wines to make our list complete and interesting (I know poor us it’s a hard life) Each year the list has big changes in March/April but we always tweak as we go, so you have something new to try each time you come, including our wine spotlight which changes weekly.
For a wine to make the list it needs to be a great example of that style/grape variety or region. That might be a classic like Chablis or the best that somewhere more obscure like Armenia has to offer. They need to be competitively priced for what they are and of course most importantly taste great. We strive to introduce you to smaller producers and those who are taking a keen interest in the environment around them. Wines on the list include many that are organic, biodynamic, carbon neutral and even help to save the Painted Wolves of South Africa!
We take pride in training our staff to be able to give you great advise on which wine to choose or pair. Most of our staff have completed the Wine and Spirit education trust exams (all with distinctions no less). If they don’t already love wine when they start working here they do fairly quickly after as we don’t stop going on about its greatness, and have regular training tastings to expand their knowledge.
All our wine suppliers are Scottish owned and share our ethos on sourcing wines from the little guys you won’t see in your local supermarket. The only exception to the supermarket rule is Bollinger Champagne, but it’s been on the list since day one and there’s always an exception that proves a rule, right?
Jazz
“Musically, Whigham’s has an exceptional reputation and in particular, it has been warmly applauded as a fantastic jazz venue across the land and a ‘go to’ destination for any visiting musician.”
Our famed jazz club was started back in March 2009 by two friends – local jazz musician Kevin Dorrian and jazz enthusiast Graeme Knox, regularly welcoming a crowd that reaches well into three figures every week. It has become one of the leading weekly jazz club’s in the UK – continually attracting some of the biggest names in jazz from around Scotland, the rest of the UK and Internationally. We’ve featured a raft of styles from the ‘Golden Age’ jazz of the early 20th century, Dixieland, Gypsy Jazz, West Coast, Be-Bop and of course some fantastic re-workings of The Great American Songbook.
Promoting young ‘up and coming’ jazz instrumentalists and vocalists has also been at the heart of Whigham’s Jazz Club’s philosophy and that continues to this day. Indeed, no other ‘hostelry’ in Edinburgh can match Whigham’s for its ambience and atmosphere every Sunday when the jazz session takes place.
Whighams Jazz Club has played host to a cabal of great jazz names – world renowned acts such as vocalists Liane Carroll and Anita Wardell, guitarist Jim Mullen, pianist Brian Kellock, saxophonist Konrad Wiszniewski and trumpet supremo Colin Steele and ‘gypsy jazz’ quartet Rose Room are just about some of the UK’s finest musicians.
Throw into the mix the likes of Barbra Streisand’s pianist and musical director Tamir Hendelman and also pianist John Colianni who worked with greats like Mel Torme, Lionel Hampton and Les Paul, then you quickly understand why Whighams has earned its reputation as one of the most discerning venues for jazz in the UK.