Dig In is unlike a normal small shop in that we are a community enterprise and wouldn’t exist without the hard work and support from lots of people across the community.
As well as our small staff team, who manage the shop on a day-to-day basis, we have shop volunteers working behind the till and stacking shelves and a Management Committee and subgroups of the committee who do work behind the scenes in everything from events, promotion, policies, operations and finance. Finally, we wouldn’t be here at all without the generous support from our 300 shareholders.
As a registered Community Benefit Society, we have the privilege and responsibility to engage with our community and not represent any one individual’s interests.
Staff
We have a small but dedicated team of staff who manage the daily shop operations and keep Dig In looking fresh and beautiful all year round. The shop is currently managed by Steph (Shop Manager) and Iva (Deputy Manager) with Lilli and Michelle supervising and Struan, our former deputy manager still providing addtional support when needed. Our staff have varied backgrounds in food retail, business, chemistry, ecology and design!
Management Committee
The Management Committee is elected by our shareholders to support Dig In behind the scenes with all matters business, strategy, policy, finance, HR, promotion and community engagement and operations.
We can have up to 12 MC members so if you’re interested in contributing and learning more about the running of a community enterprise, consider joining us here…
Short bios below!
Simon Braunholtz – our Chair, is a regular shop volunteer and was co-opted onto the MC in 2023 and formally elected to MC at the AGM. Originally from Cambridge, Simon worked in London with MORI, the polling and research agency before moving to Edinburgh in 1997. He retired in 2011 and has since had several volunteer roles – including with Open Door in Morningside, as past Chair of the Parent Council at Boroughmuir High School, board member and past Chair of Fountainbridge Canal Initiative and he is now the chair of the Edinburgh Southern Labour Party. .
Will Sohler – as our new Vice-Chair, you’re very likely to run into Will volunteering on a Saturday in the shop! He recently moved to the Bruntsfield area with his wife and started volunteering at Dig-In after hearing our story, being co-opted onto the MC last year and determined to help us turn the business around. Will works within a Sales team in market research – with experience in food and drink market research. He spends much time speaking with some of the world’s largest supermarket chains which offers an interesting contrast from his work at Dig-In!
Stephen Brown has a strong connection with the Bruntsfield Area. He graduated from Boroughmuir High School in the 1970s and is a regular shopper of Dig-In and our local shop community. He retired from corporate life after nearly 40 years in the insurance market with a Sales/Marketing and people management background. He is an avid foodie and has a good knowledge of the Edinburgh retail/hospitality sector.
Ingrid Bell is an economist who relocated to Scotland in 2023, from Perth, Australia. She volunteers in the shop and was elected to the MC in 2024. She has 10 years experience with the Reserve Bank of Australia and over 20 years in various economic and finance roles in the water sector. She brings experience as Treasurer for the North Perth Community Garden in Australia, a not-for-profit organisation – where she introduced a budget, improved reporting and saw them achieve a healthy financial surplus for reinvestment in the initiative!
Will Sohler – as our new Vice-Chair, you’re very likely to run into Will volunteering on a Saturday in the shop! He recently moved to the Bruntsfield area with his wife and started volunteering at Dig-In after hearing our story, being co-opted onto the MC last year and determined to help us turn the business around. Will works within a Sales team in market research – with experience in food and drink market research. He spends much time speaking with some of the world’s largest supermarket chains which offers an interesting contrast from his work at Dig-In!
Catherine Chisem joined the MC in 2025 as Treasurer.
Tia Manavis also joined the MC and is working on reviewing our operations and sysems.