On Wednesday 13th November, following on from a hugely successful Crowdfunding campaign, 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 zero-waste pioneer, Douglas’ innovative approach can be seen 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.
Open daily for lunch and dinner, as well as early for brunch on Sunday, Silo aims to bring a new element to the usual CRATE offerings of beer and pizza. Silo will open its doors daily at 6pm for dinner, which will see a continually changing menu of ten to fifteen dishes for guests to choose from, such as Grilled Fantail Squid, White Kimchi and Douglas Fir; Fire-Cooked Jerusalem Artichokes with Cashel Blue and Ruby Kraut; and Blue Potatoes, Barbecued Sea Kale and Caramelised Whey. For something sweet, 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 dishes 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 has been compiled by Ania Smelskaya, previously of Sager + Wilde, Silo Brighton and Plateau Brighton. In line with Silo’s philosophy, Ania has sourced 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, a cocktail list made in collaboration with Douglas’ business partner at Cub, the world-famous Mr Lyan, as well as the Copenhagen-based grain-to-bottle distillery, Empirical Spirits. Other exclusives bevvies include a Fig Leaf Kombucha brewed by JARR Kombucha, as well as craft beer from CRATE Brewery.
Douglas says,
“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.”
In terms of aesthetics, Silo‘s interiors have been crafted by sustainable designer, Nina Woodcroft and material conservationist, Seetal Solanki. The open upstairs space will be an “innovative evolution of Silo Brighton” says Douglas, with a few pioneering, high-quality materials, such as cork, mycelium, and up-cycled plastic and leather, forming the base of the design. An open kitchen with a burning fire at the centre will be a main feature, whilst the dining area will be decked with furniture made from post-industrial materials, and a large hand-crafted counter formed from upcycled plastic packaging.
Together under one roof, CRATE Brewery and Silo will aim to bring Douglas’ vision of a sustainable ecosystem to all areas of The White Building, including hosted workshops by Douglas in the new events space next door to the restaurant. Other major changes to The White Building, include an installation of a new state-of-the-art pilot brewery, bringing more focus to small batches and unique beers available in the taproom.
Silo London will open on Wednesday 13th November 2019. To make a booking, please see here.
Silo, The White Building, 1st Floor, Unit 7 Queen’s Yard, Hackney Wick, London E9 5EN
Opening Times:
Monday – Thursday: 12pm – 11pm
Friday – Saturday: 12pm- 12am
Sunday: 12pm – 11pm