Plate after plate of smoky, umami, fermented combinations are brought to our table. While we watch Doug finely plate up in the open kitchen area we’re told that the dishes are intended to be ‘playful on your palate,’ and I think that’s a perfect description. Having only opened a matter of weeks ago, Silo is still limiting itself to a perfected tasting menu while refining their full menu to London’s liking. Nose to TailĪnd what of the food? Frankly I’m so impressed by all of this sustainable scene setting that I’d have been satisfied with a sad salad, but the food is by no means the afterthought. The staff, dressed in uniformly dark colours, add to the atmosphere – welcoming and conversational, I’m thankful that they’re down to earth even when discussing the intricacies of ingredients, which could easily open an air of pretentiousness. Photo: Claire LewingtonĬoupled with the casual yet refined ambience in the quiet chatter against low, unobtrusively relaxed soul-infused hip hop, tucked well above street level, you’re given the impression of being in some prosperous city of the future, where our environmental crisis has been solved and everything is beautiful. Perhaps the most interesting inclusion is their grain mill (also the inspiration for their logo) which they use to freshly mill grains, including einkorn from Duchess Grains – used in the ‘Siloaf’ bread. Every item in the building is satisfying to hold and look at, and Doug is able to tell us the provenance of each one-not least the food and ingredients. Broken mugs are made usable, and more beautiful, through kintsugi (the Japanese repair method that uses lacquer coloured with gold). The menu is a paperless projection on the wall, updated in real-time as dishes evolve through the night’s ingredients. The low lit former-factory is occupied by sleek table tops and serving dishes made from recycled single-use plastics, processed to look like marble, the coat cupboard is made using joinery, eliminating the need for nails and glue, and seat cushions are made from waste wool. This progressively pre-industrial food system is brought forward with inventively resourceful finishing touches and final products. It means whole foods, minimal food miles, minimal processing and a staggering attention to detail that extends from the food to the décor. It means total industry innovation, executed with respect for the environment, for ‘the way our food is generated’, and for our own bodies. To Doug and his team, a pre-industrial food system means much more than using locally grown vegetables and not having a bin. As London’s appreciation for ingredient sourcing and zero-waste practices continues to spread, Doug tells us how he’s having to ‘explain himself’ much less these days. Silo’s welcome seems to have been very warm indeed – the space is still full when we arrive very late on a Thursday evening. After several successful years in Brighton, honing a better-than-zero-waste enterprise that still manages to be flavour-forward, owner/head chef Doug McMaster moved the entire operation to East London’s, appropriately industrial, White Building in Hackney Wick. London’s sustainable food scene has been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Silo’s now-iconic ‘pre-industrial food system’ since they announced plans to open here early last year. Open Thursday - Sunday, more info bellow. SILO is now reoppening post-lockdown as a wine bar and food experience: SILO X Wine Bar. This review first featured in the Jellied Eel Print Mag in Feburary 2020. As the hotly anticipated zero-waste restaurant finally lands in London, Francesca Nicol explores the excitement around Silo’s ‘pre-industrial food system’.
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