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Inverness ones to watch 2025: Business





With a new year comes new hope and optimism is key for anyone running their own enterprise: so who are the business figures to keep an eye on in 2025?

River Elliott and Rebecca MacKintosh

Hurtling into our ones to watch at the last moment are savvy duo River and Rebecca.

The pair are former staff of Velocity Cafe and Bicycle Workshop who are now on a crowdfunding mission to set up their own establishment: Roots Cafe.

Both have a wealth of knowledge in the hospitality industry and are keen to provide a community space, offering 100 per cent made in house, vegetarian food.

They are hoping to open up their cafe in mid-February and further down the line hope to have a bakery and provide event catering.

Lauren Johnston set up Sianology.
Lauren Johnston set up Sianology.

Lauren Johnston

Lauren’s business, Sianology sells homemade reed diffusers with scents inspired by the local area alongside calendars with her own photography and bottle lamps.

With a lack of affordable childcare, Lauren decided to take matters into her own hands when it came to work and set up her own business.

Stocking small shops and with her own online store, Lauren dreams of one day having her own little store.

She ensures that the names and scents of her products all reflect the surrounding areas.

She said: “It all draws on the local area and that’s what inspires me.

“Fairy Glen is more of a woody fragrance and Chanonry Point is juniper and seaweed.”

Azhar Khan, joint partner. Picture: James Mackenzie
Azhar Khan, joint partner. Picture: James Mackenzie


Azhar Khan

Azhar is the mastermind behind Ember Kafe on Queensgate.

Providing a ‘cafe for the curious’ the 26-year-old has a background in business and is passionate about meeting the evolving needs of modern hospitality, particularly post-lockdown, with a focus on creating an immersive environment that engages all the senses.

For him, Ember Kafe is just the start…watch this space!


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