This October will see the opening of Silo – a zero-waste restaurant by award-winning chef, Douglas McMaster – will open in The White Building, Hackney Wick.
A zero-waste pioneer, Douglas’ innovative approach is threaded throughout the whole restaurant and its supply chains: from trading directly with farmers to composting any leftover scraps in the kitchen’s own compost machine, the continuing aim is to ‘close the loop’ in the food production process.
Housed on the upper floor of The White Building, Silo’s interiors will be designed by Nina Woodcroft, renowned 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 furniture made from post-industrial materials, an open kitchen with a burning fire at the centre, and a large counter made from recycled glass bottles where guests can watch the action of the kitchen unfold.
Silo will open its doors early evening for dinner, which will see a continually changing menu of ten to fifteen dishes for guests to choose from, such as smoked violet carrots with egg yolks & elephant garlic and Jerusalem artichokes cooked on fire with stilton sauce & pickles.
In line with their philosophy, Silo’s wine list will be sourced from small, artisanal producers such as Sussex-based natural and biodynamic wine producer, Ben Walgate of Tillingham Wines, and bespoke cocktails will be made in collaboration with award-winning bartender, Mr Lyan.
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 and kombucha brewed onsite by JARR Kombucha.
Together under one roof, CRATE Brewery and Silo will work together to bring Douglas’ vision of a sustainable eco system 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, led by CRATE Brewery, 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, and outside, an amphitheatre-style seating area will be created, overlooking the canal which has become such a focal point of the East London site.
