On Thursday 19th November , we’re heading to The Bothy at Brewhemia in Edinburgh for an evening of matched group dates and drinks.

And we’re so excited to introduce this month’s theme: Après-Ski 🎿

Think private chalet vibes, cosy corners and an evening getting to know some lovely new people x

The plan

From 6pm - come and join us

Our team will be on the door, ready to introduce you to some new people. Most guests come not knowing anyone, so we’ll connect you with some new faces to grab a drink with straight away x

We’ll also let you know where to find your table numbers for your group dates.

7:30pm - your first group date

Head to your first table to meet your first matched group. When buying your ticket, you’ll fill out a form that helps us understand your personality, interests and what you’re looking for.

Our matching technology uses those answers, alongside age and dating preferences, to help us build your groups. The aim is to introduce you to people you have things in common with in a way that feels organic, having used a bit of science behind the scenes.

There’s no swiping, there’s absolutely no pressure and it’s designed to feel like grabbing a glass of wine with some new friends. We’re aiming for three different matched groups over drinks throughout the evening x

After the group dates - stay for the après

There’s a chance to chat to everyone else in the room, or reconnect with someone from earlier. Our team are on hand to make introductions and have a chat too x

Midnight - the venue closes

We’re a small business with a big mission - to make dating fun again. We feel really passionately about connecting fun, interesting people and put our heart and soul into every event we host.

We couldn’t feel more grateful for the absolutely lovely community we’ve built - feel free to read what some of our guests have had to say here .

If there's anything at all you want to see us do differently, please reach out; we read every email and we care a huge amount about you guys!

But for now, if you’re open to meeting some new people, we’d love for you to join us for a drink after work in Edinburgh!x

FAQs

Are dating events worth it?

We have worked very hard to create events for single people that don't feel like typical ‘dating events’, which we know can sometimes feel overwhelming. We hire great venues, invest in fun entertainment and bring compatible single people together in groups, so you can go on multiple low-pressure dates in one evening. There are always new dating apps popping up, but let's be honest - we can barely keep up with our family's WhatsApp chat, let alone another dating app. We're all about getting people off their phones and meeting in real life.

What are your dating events?

Our events use a combination of technology and human judgement to bring single people together. When you arrive, you'll be greeted by our lovely Haystack host/s, who'll help you settle in before introducing you to your matched groups. Depending on the event, you'll meet different groups of people throughout the evening. We host everything from relaxed drinks in beer gardens to arcade games, crazy golf and sporty activities. The whole idea is to make meeting new people feel as natural as having a drink with friends - with the added bonus that everyone happens to be single.

How do you match single people?

When you book, we'll ask you a few questions about yourself, your interests and your dating preferences. Behind the scenes, we use a combination of matching technology and our team's judgement to put together groups of people we think you'll get along with. Depending on the event, this might involve our own software, AI-assisted tools or manual matching. We consider things like age, dating preferences, shared interests and the overall balance of each group. The aim? To make meeting new people feel as natural and pressure-free as possible. Some sensitive matching information requires your separate consent, and you can find the details in our Privacy & Data Protection Notice.

We know making friends as an adult isn't exactly easy, so we now also optimise groups for friendship matches too!x

What should I wear?

We get this question a lot - our recommendation is something you'd wear to a first date in a gorgeous bar or an evening out with friends. Wear what you feel best in and come with an open mind, ready to chat to lovely new people!

I'm nervous!?

We cannot emphasise enough how completely normal and ok that is! Putting yourself out there can feel daunting, let alone turning up to something solo, and honestly we totally get that! We've designed every single step of the process to feel relaxed, fun and informal.

When you sign up, you'll fill out a short form. On the day, jump into some clothes you feel good in, then come meet our host. They'll introduce you to some new people straight off the bat, then a little later into the evening you'll get introduced to your group dates.

We can absolutely promise you, the scariest part is signing up and we would really encourage you to come down with an open mind and see this as a fun opportunity to meet some lovely new people! If at any point at all in the evening you'd like to chat with someone who looks familiar, come say hey to the host. They'd love to chat, and it's their entire job to feel like a new pal, which they absolutely love doing x

It's my first time! Any advice?

YAAAASSS welcome! Tip one - come with an open mind, ready to say hey to anyone and everyone. Everyone's in the same boat; never be afraid to approach someone and say hi, it's the whole point! Tip two - have fun, be kind and relax into the evening. It's designed to feel like a fun evening with some new friends and interesting new people and the crowd we attract are absolutely lovely! Tip three - if you have literally any questions at all, please reach out; we're here to help and really care about every single guest having a fun experience with us!x

How does it work with data?

Your privacy matters to us. We collect and use relevant booking and questionnaire information to organise events and, where you've given the necessary consent, arrange compatible groups. You can read our full Privacy & Data Protection Notice and Guest Code of Conduct here: https://haystack-dating.github...

How does it work with social media?

We're a sociable bunch and sometimes take photos and short videos at our events for our website, social media and advertising. We try to avoid identifiable faces where possible. If you'd prefer not to appear in our content, just let our team know on the night so we can make a conscious effort to avoid filming you. You can also contact us about privacy concerns or objections afterwards. More information is in our Privacy & Data Protection Notice.

What's the cancellation policy?

There's a lot of planning and matching that goes into each event, so tickets are generally non-refundable if you simply change your mind. If you'd like to transfer your ticket to a friend, please email us at least 7 days before the event so we can check whether we can accommodate the change. Nothing in this policy affects your statutory rights, including any refund rights that apply if we cancel or materially change an event. If something unexpected happens, please get in touch and we'll do our absolute best to help in any way we can x

What's the age group?

Our guests tend to range from their early 20s to their mid-40s, although this can vary between events. We take age into account when arranging matched groups, alongside dating preferences, interests and other relevant factors.

Is this event wheelchair accessible?

Brewhemia states that The Bothy is on an upper level and is accessed via stairs. Please get in touch before booking if you have any accessibility requirements so we can confirm the arrangements for our event and discuss how we can best support you. If there’s anything at all we can do to make your experience more comfortable, please reach out. We are really passionate about getting this right x

Is this a speed dating event?

Hard pass lol x The thought of having to pitch yourself to a stranger every two minutes is our worst nightmare lol. Our events are designed to feel organic, like you're having a drink and a laugh with a group of new friends. We do all the thinking behind the scenes to create compatible groups, so you can just turn up and enjoy yourself. No awkward one-on-one rotations. No pressure. Just fun, kind people with shared interests who also happen to be single. And most of our guests come not knowing anyone so everyone's in the same boat and so far we've attracted an absolutely lovely community of people x

Why do you do group dates, not one on one?

We believe dating should be a breeze. Group dates remove any pressure of a one on one interaction and create an atmosphere that feels like grabbing a drink with a new group of friends. It's also a great opportunity to meet new friends and breeze through the evening x

Who are Haystack?!

We're a small, independent business with a very big dream of making dating fun again. We run trips and events - everything from ski trips to surf camps, to paint and sips to mini golf and we're trying our absolute hardest to make dating a positive space again, one day at a time!

Description supplied by the event organiser.