One of the most important organisms on our planet, and a super-sustainable construction material of the future, mycelium is a renewable raw material that is fully compostable at the end of its usefulness. I was very excited to see the use of new innovative materials like the foraged seaweed pendant light above the host stand to the mycelium cocktail lounge furniture grown to order. The combination of new technology to project the menu onto the back wall gives abit of decoration and lights up this large wall. Using local designers and craftspeople to make some of the upcycled furniture to using netted sheep’s wool insulation in the roof it retains the industrial feel of the original building, but with a layer of sophistication. This certainly has worked with the restaurant having a light airy open feel and a simplistic honest interior. McMaster wanted to achieve a Scandinavian crafted feel where the aesthetics were to achieve simplicity, minimalism and functionality. The materials were to be made from waste or thoughtfully sourced natural materials that would either biodegrade or easily disassemble for re-purposing in the future. Originally an old cocoa roasting factory it has large, steel-framed windows, and exposed steel trusses.ĭoug McMaster’s brief to Nina was to use sustainable materials and work towards achieving zero waste. Housed on the upper floor of The White Building, as I climbed the canal side cast-iron staircase beside the graffiti-covered bridge, I was surprised to enter this white minimally decorated interior.

Recipients were also recognised for taking steps to improve the quality of life of their staff and contributing to local, national or global charity and education projects.

Many work directly with growers, farmers and fishermen forage in hedgerows and woodlands and grow plants and rear animals. The award recognises restaurants with a focus on environmental practices and is available to those which hold a Plate, Bib Gourmand or Star distinction. It is the first time the green star has featured in the Uk after debuting in the French 2020 guide last year. Recently, Michelin awarded its green star for sustainable gastronomy to Silo. He also mentions Fergus Henderson of St John and James Lowe of Lyle’s and Flor as his influences. Together they opened a pop-up restaurant in Melbourne and Sydney that aimed to send nothing to landfill, and McMaster grew from there. His passion started in his twenties while working at “ Noma“, and “ The Fat Duck” where he met the Dutch artist and environmentalist, Joost Bakker. Silo is the world’s first zero-waste restaurant, meaning the kitchen will either reuse, repurpose or recycle everything. It is at the forefront of changing the approach of restaurants in terms of sustainability and moving to zero waste. I visited the restaurant at the beginning of 2020 and interviewed Doug McMasters, the chef and mastermind behind it all as part of my research for a project I was completing on “Sustainable Restaurant Interior Design”.ĭoug has taken the Copenhagen philosophy and brought it to the UK with his restaurant. Congratulations to Nina and Co for winning their Surface Matter Design Award for the best Commercial Interiors last week for “ Silo” the Zero Waste Restaurant in Hackney, London.

Silo restaurant and bar