Zero-waste pioneers Silo to launch new London restaurant this month

On Wednesday 13^th November, Silo – the world’s first zero-waste restaurant by award-winning chef Douglas McMaster – will join CRATE Brewery in their Hackney Wick home, The White Building. A sustainbility pioneer, Douglas’s innovative approach is threaded throughout the whole restaurant and its supply chains: from trading directly with farmers to composting any leftover scraps into compost, the continuing aim is to “close the loop” in the food production process.

Silo will open at 6pm for dinner, which will see a continually changing selection of dishes for guests to choose from such as Grilled Fantail Squid, White Kimchi and Douglas Fir; Jerusalem Artichokes Cooked on Fire, Cashel Blue and Ruby Kraut; and Blue Potatoes, Barbecued Sea Kale and Caramelised Whey. Sweet options include Golden Linseed Ice-cream with Fig Leaf Oil; and Sea Buckthorn, Fresh Cheese, Grand Fir and Fermented Caramel. On the weekends, Silo will open for brunch from 10am, with a menu featuring plates such as the Silo Porridge, made with freshly rolled oats and home-made crème fraîche, topped with seasonal fruit; Coddled eggs, Kimchi, Black Pudding and Freshly Baked Sourdough; and to drink, a selection of fresh juices made using wonky fruit and veg.

The wine list will be put together by Ania Smelskaya, previously of Sager + Wilde, Silo Brighton and Plateau Brighton, and will be created in line with Silo’s philosophy, with Ania sourcing from small, artisanal producers such as Sussex-based wine producer Ben Walgate of Tillingham Wines and Eduard and Stephanie Eselböck-Tscheppe of Gut Oggau, where they produce biodynamic, zero sulphite wines. For something a little stronger, there will be a cocktail list, made in collaboration with award-winning bartender Mr Lyan and Empirical Spirits, the Copenhagen-based grain-to-bottle distillery. Brewed exclusively for Silo by JARR Kombucha, there will be a fig leaf kombucha with fruity undertones of white grapes and green apples, as well as craft beer from Silo’s partner, award-winning CRATE Brewery.

Housed on the upper floor of The White Building, Silo’s interiors will be designed by Nina Woodcroft – a renowned interior designer known for her focus on sustainable design – and material conservationist Seetal Solanki. As guests climb the canalside cast-iron staircase, they will enjoy views over the River Lea, before entering the restaurant, which boasts the building’s original large, steel-framed windows and red-painted steel trusses. The open space will be an “innovative evolution of Silo Brighton” says Douglas, with a few pioneering, high-quality materials – such as cork, mycelium, and upcycled plastic and leather – forming the base of the design. There will be an open kitchen with a burning fire at the centre, furniture made from post-industrial materials, and a large hand-crafted counter made from upcycled plastic packaging by Smile Plastics, a waste materials design and manufacturing house, where guests can watch the action of the kitchen unfold.

Tom Seaton, Co-founder of CRATE Brewery, says, “We are so excited to be embarking on this new chapter in CRATE’s story with Doug and Silo, and to ensure that sustainability and creativity thrive throughout all areas of the business.” Douglas McMaster adds, “I’m thrilled to be joining the team and opening Silo in London – it will, of course, follow the same philosophy with sustainability at the forefront, but we’re constantly raising the bar when it comes to up-cycling and zero waste, so more exciting developments to come.”

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Photo: Matt Russell

Silo London will open at The White Building Queens Yard Hackney Wick London E9 5EN on Wednesday 13^th November 2019. To book a table, call 020 8533 7179 or visit their website here.