If you haven’t heard of Fallow by now, chances are you have been living under a very large rock. The restaurant has garnered wide acclaim and hype on the back of its incredible food and dedication to conscious cooking. They want to minimise the waste that comes from a kitchen using new and creative techniques and cook up incredible food along the way. And now the team behind the restaurant have turned that same approach to a classic London institution – the chicken shop – with FOWL, a chicken shop like no other.
Just a hop, skip, and a jump from Fallow, FOWL brings inventive chicken dishes to London’s hungry denizens, in a relaxed, walk-in-only site. The menu offers up exciting takes on classic chicken shop orders and all-new dishes. In particular, though, the team are focused on utilising as much of the chicken as they can – thus the ‘beak-to-foot’ description.
Of course, we simply had to check it out for ourselves:
Among the incredible creations for diners are the triple crisp hot wings with sriracha mayo and the cornbread with chicken and herb butter. Oh, and the absolutely befuddling chicken fat crème caramel. Who could resist that?
Fallow’s chefs, Will Murray and Jack Croft, have banded together with The Ethical Butcher and Rare Breed Meats to source the chicken. They’re using only “the best possible pasture-raised and soy-free birds from farms that practise regenerative agriculture”. The birds are raised in stress-free environments and are kept for twice as long as typical chickens. This results in a more humane treatment and a more flavourful bird to boot.
Collaborations at FOWL
If you know anything about Fallow, you know they love collaboration. As such, they’re not just stopping at including their own inventive food on the FOWL menu. They’re also inviting a series of friends and figures from the food industry to create their own one-off, limited-time dishes.
First up was Chef Pierre Koffmann, whose extravagant ‘La Grande Coque Pie’ took the internet by absolute storm thanks to the chicken head that peeks out from the pie crust. Following on from Koffmann is Lennie Ware, from the Table Manners food podcast, who has collaborated with the FOWL team on a selection of “Jew-ish dishes”. These include Lennie’s famous chicken soup and matza balls, as well as caramelised chicken challah bread, among other dishes. The special dishes will be available throughout November.
So, what are you waiting for? Make a beeline for St James’s and try out one of London’s most exciting new restaurants. But remember, there are no bookings – so be ready to queue!