Never has the phrase: “Always with the bin in mind” seemed so appealing.
How many restaurants can claim they mill their own flour, churn their own butter and make their own oat milk? You’ll find all of the above and more at Silo, London’s first zero waste restaurant that aims to keep respect for the environment at the forefront of its business.
Zero-waste pioneer Doug McMaster opened the original Silo in Brighton five years ago as a world’s first, and now CRATE has taken the concept and helped turn it into a reality for London. After much anticipation, Silo opened in partnership with Doug and CRATE on 5 November.
Doug’s approach is woven throughout the restaurant and its supply chain; from trading directly with farmers to composting any leftover scraps into compost. Unlike traditional restaurants that might source ingredients from all over the world, Silo ensures that the entire supply chain is focused on producing zero waste.
The production of waste has been eliminated by choosing to trade directly with farmers, using reusable delivery vessels and choosing local ingredients that generate no waste. The restaurant mills has a “nose to tail” policy of respectfully using the entire animal in recipes. There’s even a compost machine set inside Silo, which turns any of the restaurant scraps and trimmings directly into a compost used to produce more food.
So what’s on the menu at Silo? The food is nothing short of exceptional, with an ever-changing menu including smoked violet carrots with egg yolks & elephant garlic and Jerusalem artichokes cooked on fire with stilton sauce & pickles. Come along at the weekend for brunch, when you’ll be able to enjoy dishes like Silo porridge, made with freshly rolled oats and home-made crème fraîche, topped with seasonal fruit, and coddled eggs, kimchi, black pudding and freshly baked sourdough. There’ll be between 10-15 dishes on the menu at any one time. Feeling thirsty? Dishes will be paired with beers fresh from CRATE’s brewery just across Queen’s yard from the White Building.
And, of course, the restaurant decor follows a similar theme of reuse and recycling. The furniture is made from materials that would have otherwise been wasted and even the plates and tables are formed from plastic bags and reconstituted food packaging.
The restaurant will be open every evening Tuesday to Saturday from 6pm to 10pm and for brunch Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 3pm. Find out more about Silo here or book a table here. Find Silo at: The White Building 1st Floor, Unit 7 c/o CRATE Bar, Queen’s Yard, London E9 5EN. This article was sponsored by CRATE Brewery.