Last week, I took a trip to Brighton to check out Silo, a restaurant with an interesting idea. The concept is a pre industrial food system with zero waste. Not a plastic wrapper in sight, nothing from the supermarket, no bins to fill. They achieve this with ancient techniques, lots of out of the box thinking, fantastic relationships with their independent suppliers and a huge composting machine.
Each member of staff is a master of something. A brewer, a baker, a cheese maker, and of course there is Douglas McMaster himself. Nature dictates his menu then he executes it with precision.
This precision is what brought Miele, the high end appliance brand, in to the picture. Together they developed a menu that demonstrated the versatility of their steam ovens and that was what I was invited to Silo to eat.
When I arrived, I was greeted by the warm welcome of coffee and the most stunning pastries.
I already heard that I was about to experience something special because I’d read a lot about Silo before my trip, but when I saw that tray I was certain of it.
One of the things that’s mentioned over and over again is the plates made from plastic bags. Take a look:
I didn’t expect them to be so beautiful. They have a grain through them that reminds me of marble but they feel more like wax. They’re so unusual.
I love the recycled industrial style of the place. Right down the centre of the room ran stainless steel tables, topped with potted herbs and wild flowers. Either side of it, chipboard seats. Simple, functional and surprisingly comfortable.
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The Menu
Silo Sourdough
Snack with Elderflower Bubbly
Tomatoes, Smoked Curd and Wild Garlic Buds with Lime & Ginger Tonic
Asparagus, Egg Yolk and Seeds with Nettle Iced Tea
Chicken, Broad Beans and Smoked Radicchio with Ancient Lemon Mead
Strawberries, Raw Cacao, Lemon Skin and Elderflowers with Old Tree Perry
Coffee Canelé with Cold Brew Coffee
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Let’s begin.
Silo Sourdough.
Silo sourdough is a very special bread. It’s made from flour that’s milled in house which gives it the most intense flavour. They were actually making flour whilst I was there, so I got to take a look at the action. I’d loved to have taken a bag home to experiment with.
Opening the meal with something as simple as bread was a great way to illustrate the craft behind zero waste food. See, making your own flour brings with it a problem; unlike commercial flour, it doesn’t have a predictable protein content ( the main difference between bread flour, plain flour and 00). It’s an ancient art to master bread without that predictability, but they’ve done it.
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Next came ox heart on the carrier bag plates again, with elderflower bubbly.
I couldn’t help but turn around as we were nibbling away to get a glimpse of the chefs at work. The open plan kitchen/dining space, dotted with equipment, really helps you to feel the relationship between the produce, the chef and the final plate. I felt familiar with the food right down the line, which is part of what Silo is about. I’d seen where the herbs come from, where the flour is milled and the ingredients prepared right in front of me.
I watched as the next dish came over the pass:
Tomatoes, Smoked Curd and Wild Garlic Buds and sprouted lentils with Lime & Ginger Tonic
Under those beautiful tomatoes lay the cleverest zero waste tactic. They make cheese from the left over milk from lattes. One of the other diners told me how she worked in a coffee chain once and that the amount of frothed milk that was thrown away was shocking. I’d never thought about it before. I guess that’s consumerism at its worst.
The soft curd was ridiculously tasty. It’s salty tang was wonderful with the sweet tomatoes and the wild garlic. I’d love to recreate this dish at home.
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Next up: Asparagus, Egg Yolk and Seeds served with Nettle Iced Tea
The entire dish was utter perfection in simplicity. Those few ingredients came together to impress us all. McMaster’s Mum is an asparagus grower so this dish is a homage to a British classic that’s close to his heart. The beautiful egg yolk was cooked in a Miele steam oven and provided the most rich and glossy, natural sauce. If I could have a steam oven for one reason, it would be to relive eating that yolk.
Then out of the kitchen:
Chicken, Broad Beans and Smoked Radicchio with Ancient Lemon Mead
Chicken breast is widely regarded as the most boring part of the chicken. It isn’t where the most flavour lies and it isn’t the most succulent part. However, this is where the Silo & Miele partnership really comes in to its own. There’s no doubt that free range, ‘slow food’ tastes the best but McMaster puts the flavour down to simply using ‘the happiest chickens you’ll ever see’. Pair that level of produce with Miele’s precision steam oven and what could easily be a dry and dull chicken breast became the star of the show. Juicy, tender and quite frankly a game changer.
The best thing about events like this is hearing the background to the food. Where does the inspiration come from and what makes it all come together?
As dessert was placed in front of us, we listened to the story of how this quintessentially summer time plate came to be.
Strawberries, Raw Cacao, Lemon Skin and Elderflowers with Old Tree Perry
McMaster told us how the cacao nibs came in to the country on a super eco friendly pirate ship providing only fair trade ingredients. They’re at sea for weeks at a time, bringing only the best things with them.
The cacao nibs were turned in to these chewy bitter toffees that really brought out the natural sweetness of the strawberries. The elderflowers sprinkled on top provided plenty of floral intrigue then the whole dish was livened up by the sharp lemon skin curd.
Laying beneath this pile of deliciousness was an extra treat; imagine clotted cream made even more indulgent. This extra addition breaks McMaster’s 3 ingredient rule but once he’d discovered it, he felt it couldn’t be left out. I must say I agree.
Finally came a coffee canelé with a mug of cold brew coffee. I can’t think of a more perfect way to round off a meal and despite being full, I didn’t want to leave! There’s an atmosphere about the place that you don’t get in ‘normal’ restaurants.
I collected my bag from beside the huge compost machine, passed the flour mill and then, on the way out of the door, I spotted soap for sale. Made from leftover oil and coffee grounds.
See, that’s the thing about Silo. You can’t take a step in the building without being reminded of the complex machine that keeps this place true to its zero waste ethos. This isn’t the type of restaurant where you can sit and eat a mindless meal, fill a hole and leave. From the moment you enter you’re forced to face the reality of food production, where it comes from, how it’s made and who is making it. It’s an experience like no other and you’ll come out a better person for it.
If you find yourself in Brighton, you ought to visit. Browse the sample menu and book on the Silo website. You can find out more about the Miele steam ovens here too.
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