Hackney hotspot: a cool venue for Veganuary
(Picture: Issy Croker)A plant-based fine-dining restaurant with a commitment to sustainability is opening in Hackney in January. Edit promises to be focused on seasonal ingredients and a circular, low-waste philosophy, which sees it fall right on trend with much of what else is happening across the capital at present.
The independently owned newcomer on Mare Street is the brainchild of architect-turned restaurateur Elly Ward, whose former career dictates that as much attention will be lavished on the interiors as how each dish looks on the plate.
The name nods towards the theme of improving raw materials and removing anything surplus. Intensively produced ingredients, unnecessary waste and single-use products will be rejected in favour of wild and organic ingredients based on regenerative farming processes.
The “root-to-fruit”, zero-waste dishes will include the likes of roasted salsify and crispy kalettes followed by wild mushroom fricassée with British grains and Swiss chard, and seaweed-cured celeriac with purple potato mash. To finish, there will be traditional fruit desserts with homemade ice cream, and a vegan cheeseboard with homemade chutneys and breads. A six-course tasting menu will offer whatever is best each day paired with natural wines, local beers and ciders.
The interiors of the 30-cover dining room will be just as eco, featuring the original cast-iron columns of the former factory building, reclaimed furniture and tables made from recycled wood waste, plus a plant-filled internal courtyard for warm weather.
The Edit team has impeccable plant-based credentials. Chefs Fabrice Jacquet and Beth Olivier are a former group executive chef of The Gate and head chef of Super Nature respectively, while Ward herself is the brains behind Super Nature, which grew out of a small vegan café on Hackney Road.
Commenting on the opening of her new restaurant, Ward says: “I’m so excited to take my team with me on this next stage of our journey. With Edit we plan to take our hyper-seasonal and low-waste approach to the next level, putting amazing local produce where it belongs, at centre stage; celebrating those farmers and growers that share our ethos, and ultimately creating delicious, sustainable food and a fine-dining experience.”
It’s a brave restaurateur who opens in the January lull after Christmas and an even braver one offering a seasonal plant-based menu in the depths of winter. Ward’s ethos, however, could be the answer to new-year resolutions based on intentions to be more mindful about our impact on our bodies as well as the planet. Veganuary, perhaps, has a new home.
217 Mare Street, E8 3QE, edit.london
