As the city’s premier cocktail festival returned from 3rd to 12th October 2025, Lumo showcased its ongoing commitment to Scotland and greener travel by hosting a sustainable drinks reception for guests to sip, socialise and be super sustainable thanks to the operator’s support for socially conscious suppliers.
Chamber member Lumo was the official travel provider of eco-conscious transport for Edinburgh Cocktail Week. As the first long-distance operator in the UK to eliminate plastic bottles from its trains, Lumo’s commitment to sustainability aligned seamlessly with the spirit of the festival. Travelling on the East Coast Main Line, Lumo offered relaxed, 100% electric-powered connections between Edinburgh, Newcastle, London and, from this December, Glasgow Queen Street, helping draw visitors into the city in the greenest way possible.
Lumo hosted a sustainable drinks reception, following the success of their 2024 event at Hotel Indigo’s Juniper Bar with Edinburgh Chamber members, community partners and suppliers from across Scotland all in the mix to help stir-up conversations aimed at helping boost Scotland’s visitor economy.
Stuart Jones, Managing Director of First Rail Open Access, said: “We were proud to be back supporting Edinburgh Cocktail Week for 2025, not just as the official travel partner but as a champion of sustainability and collaboration. Festivals like this showcase the very best of Scotland’s hospitality, tourism and creativity, and we wanted to make sure people could enjoy them in the greenest way possible. From our 100% electric trains to our partnerships with socially-conscious suppliers, Lumo is committed to making sustainable choices more accessible, enjoyable and inspiring. It was about showing that great journeys and great experiences could go hand in hand with protecting our planet.”
Gary Anderson, Managing Director of Edinburgh Cocktail Week, said: “It was a real pleasure to have Lumo onboard as our official travel partner that year, a company that shared our passion for promoting sustainable travel to Scotland.
“This year’s Edinburgh Cocktail Week was bigger than ever before, with a range of exciting experiences on offer for attendees. I was particularly excited that Lumo hosted a fabulous drinks reception, which incorporated talented suppliers from across Scotland. Thank you to the Lumo team for their ongoing support and for championing events like ours.”
Partnering with Flawsome! Drinks, a B Corp certified company which transformed surplus and “wonky” fruit into refreshing juice which was served on Lumo’s services, the event offered guilt-free cocktails (and mocktails) helping people enjoy a taste of the operator’s passion for protecting the environment.
The reception also featured Blowin’ Free Gin as part of the menu. Lumo has recently joined a trade mission with the Scottish Chamber of Commerce to Spain and was helping stir-up support for the farm-based Ayrshire gin. In the spirit of shaking things-up, award-winning north Northumberland tourist attraction and distiller Ad Gefrin joined the event to add a splash of cross-border collaboration.
Edinburgh Cocktail Week attracted more than 25,000 visitors across ten days, providing a significant boost to the hospitality and tourism sectors. By enabling sustainable travel and spotlighting green partnerships, Transform Scotland members Lumo supported the city’s economic vibrancy while helping to move both the industry and its customers, supply chain and community partners toward a low-carbon future. Their customer satisfaction rating of 96% also highlighted their success in blending excellent service with environmental leadership.
As Edinburgh Cocktail Week raised the bar once more, Lumo returned not just as a transport provider, but as a partner in sustainable innovation. Through green travel, responsible refreshments, and a celebrated community-focus, they continued to help Edinburgh mix culture, commerce, and eco-consciousness, proving that when it came to festival fun, responsible choices made for the best cocktails.
Lumo was also proud to announce that it was the prestigious sponsor of the Net Zero Champion Award at the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Business Awards, which took place in February 2026.
