An East Lothian dad-of-four has agreed to get a tattoo of an Edinburgh café owner to win free Irn Bru pies for life.
Nettie’s café is famous across Edinburgh and the Lothians for serving up a wacky range of pies, including the special chicken and haggis offering that is cooked in an Irn Bru sauce.
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But local man Derek Marr has now agreed to get their logo permanently inked onto his body in order to win one of Nettie’s pies every day for the rest of his life.
Speaking to Edinburgh Live, owner Lynnette Shields from Lochend, explained how the idea came about.
The 42-year-old said: “I noticed the other month that someone had got the Greggs logo tattooed onto themselves and they gave them free sausage rolls or something for life and it got me thinking.
“This was around October or November time and I jokingly just put up a post on social media saying I would give away free pies if someone got our logo.
“We didn’t expect it but there was loads of local interest so we narrowed it down to just three guys and decided to run a wee competition and see which of the three of them could get the most likes and shares from their posts.
“The winner then got free pies for life. We drew it on Christmas Eve, and a guy Derek Marr won.
“Derek works for the NHS and plays rugby with my son, but he is nicknamed the Hulk, so he had no problems accepting the challenge.”
Lynnette has already started paying out early and for the last two weeks Derek has been turning up on a Saturday morning to collect his pies and taking them up to the local rugby club to dish out.
Edinburgh Live previously reported on Nettie’s after word spread about the eatery’s famous Irn Bru and they went viral in 2020.
However, unfortunately since then they had to shut down their old premises in Newhaven but have again set up another café in East Lothian, closer to where the family live now.
The new Nettie’s on the high street in Tranent is open seven days a week and offers the same menu as the old café.
The café is keeping the same distinct logo of Lynette’s face and it is this that Derek is getting inked onto his body.
However, her son is getting a little nervous about where his rugby buddy might end up with his mum’s face tattooed.
Lynette continued: “He is just going to get a wee caricature of me tattooed onto him. He will have our and a wee picture of my face.
“My son plays rugby with him and he was joking saying to him ‘you better not get a tattoo of my mum on your a***. I don’t want to be seeing that when we go into the showers!’
“I am not quite sure, I hope he is going to get it on his leg but he is actually keeping it a secret just now and won’t tell anyone.”
Lynette and her 24-year-old son Glen and his twin sister Sophie, and 20-year-old Jack, face a nervous wait to discover if Derek gets the logo tattooed in an intimate area of his body.
Brass Buddha Tattoos will have Derek along to their studio in Tranent and will be inking him free of charge this Saturday, February 5.
Nettie’s is a traditional café, serving home made comfort food up to grateful locals, and the menu includes all the classics, like breakfast rolls, paninis. wraps and burgers.
There special range of pies are renowned, including their Irn Bru and Haggis Curry pies, but more traditional pastries are available, like steak pie.
The café at 32 High Street Tranent is open Monday to Friday from 7am to 3pm and Saturday from 8am to 2pm and Sundays at 8am to 1pm.
