A VARIETY of businesses in Musselburgh are banding together to offer a delivery service to local residents during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Sharon Brown, owner of Blueberry gifts, whose High Street premises are currently closed during the pandemic, is giving people the chance to stay in touch with family and friends by sending cards on their behalf via an online shop.

She explained: “We are going through some very difficult times at the moment and I realise how much I value keeping in touch with my own family and friends.

“One of the ways I am doing this is sending a card to say hello and brighten their day. This led me to wonder if others would like to do the same.

“With lots of people isolating or limiting trips out I thought it would be a great idea to offer to send cards on behalf of people. They pick the card, give me the message to go inside and I mail the card directly to the lucky recipient.

“Alternatively, I can deliver cards to people to write and send themselves. We have been offering a bundle of six cards for £14, a mix of birthday and blank cards, and this has proved very popular. We can even supply stamps.

“Our card-sending service proved really popular over Easter but it doesn’t have to be a special occasion to send a card. More and more people are turning to cards just to say hello.”

An online shop has been set up at blueberry-gifts.mybigcommerce.com to allow people to still shop locally. Messages about specific cards can be posted on facebook.com/blueberrygiftsandsweettreats.

Blueberry is offering free deliveries to Musselburgh, too, to say thank you for shopping locally.

High Street delicatessen Mint Fig said their deliveries were also proving popular with existing customers as well as vulnerable people, whose families had submitted orders on their behalf.

Owner Mhairri Duxbury, a former nurse, said that, although the shop was closed due to the lockdown, as well as deliveries they had a closed collection service which gave customers, out for their daily exercise, a short window to uplift goods.

On offer is produce such as fresh bread and cheese, Jarvis Pickle pies and charcuterie, and also meals including lasagne and pasta bakes.

Mhairri said: “We are delivering in East Lothian and Midlothian, and a lot of people are already customers but we are also taking the shop to a wider audience.

“We deliver to vulnerable people and leave their goods at their door, promoting safe social distancing.”

Orders can be placed online at mintfig.com, via Facebook at facebook.com/delimintfig/ or by phone/text to 07881 583548.

Bridge Street-based Maison Macaron, which sells furniture and homewares, has always offered a free delivery service to those living in Musselburgh and surrounding areas.

Owner Terri Buzzeo is continuing to do so in the Covid-19 crisis, as well as working as a volunteer to get aid to those in need.

She said: “Being a small business it has been incredibly tough.

“I noticed a significant downturn in customers, even before the lockdown. People were focusing on food and other essentials and homewares wasn’t one of them, which is understandable.”

She added: “I’ve always offered a free delivery service to those living in Musselburgh and the immediate areas so thankfully the transition hasn’t been too difficult. I’m also now volunteering for Resilient Musselburgh, which means that I can fill two needs with one deed. They are doing such a fantastic job at the moment, helping those who are more vulnerable.”

Visit facebook.com/MaisonMacaronShop for more details about the shop or call 0800 772 3926.

The Bistro at the Brunton Hall is delivering food boxes of prepared meals such as curries, lasagne, fish pie and macaroni, and also offers a weekend special of a two-course meal as well as assorted scones. There is a cut-off time for orders, with a minimum order costing £20, and £18 for the weekend special. A ten-mile radius is covered with no added delivery charge.

Manager Norma Buchan said they hoped the service would help the local community and urged people whose relatives were not on social media to get in touch on their behalf.

She added: “Last week was our first week and we had a really good response from a wide age group.”

Go to the bistro’s Facebook page for more details or order via the link form.jotform.com/201076559245356.

For any allergen advice or queries, email bruntonbistro.orders@gmail.com or call 07796776589.

Other businesses offering deliveries include Wilson’s Fresh Farm Produce, which also has a shop in North Berwick, and well-known ice cream makers S Luca, who are giving locals the chance to “isolate with ice cream” via lucasicecreamshop.co.uk