Scottish artisan pasta maker liquidated after HMRC tax probe, all jobs lost

A Stockbridge pasta counter that drew crowds from Leith Market to Dundas Street has been pushed into liquidation, with all jobs lost after an HMRC tax probe caught up with The Artisan Pasta Maker Ltd.

The company, based at 138 Dundas Street in Edinburgh, entered compulsory liquidation after HM Revenue & Customs petitioned Edinburgh Sheriff Court on 29 January 2026 over unpaid taxes. Companies House records the winding-up as compulsory liquidation, with both the petition date and commencement of winding up shown as 4 March 2026. David Meldrum of bk plus was appointed interim liquidator on 4 March 2026 and then confirmed as liquidator on 30 April 2026.

The sudden end has landed hard in a part of Edinburgh that had come to see the business as more than a storefront. Situated in Stockbridge, close to Edinburgh’s historic New Town, The Artisan Pasta Maker built a strong following online and became a favourite among food influencers, with thousands of views across its social media platforms. What started as a market presence grew into a bricks-and-mortar venue that gave the business a visible foothold in one of the city’s best-known food neighbourhoods.

That rise had been built, in part, on a simple stall-to-shop progression. Earlier coverage from The Scotsman noted that the fresh pasta had been sold over the past couple of years at Stockbridge and Leith markets before the Dundas Street venue opened. Social posts also pointed customers to the business at Leith Market on Saturdays and Stockbridge Market on Sundays, a rhythm that helped turn it into a familiar name for shoppers chasing handmade pasta and Italian-style dishes.

The collapse underlines how exposed small food manufacturers can be when growth outpaces financial resilience. The Artisan Pasta Maker was incorporated on 19 August 2021, giving it less than five years to move from market trading to a permanent premises before HMRC’s action forced liquidation. For a business with a loyal following and strong product appeal, the tax pressure proved fatal, and the closure has left Stockbridge without one of its most recognisable artisan pasta spots.