Food waste has been a hot topic as of late, from Hugh’s War on Waste showing up the supermarkets, to Evening Standard’s work with The Felix Project redistributing surplus food – there’s a conscious shift to think before binning.
Perfect timing for New York celeb chef Dan Barber to swoop in to the rooftop of Selfridges and reimagine [what is perceived as] by-products from local farmers, fishermen, suppliers and retailers. Even the furniture is made from recycled materials they’re really going the whole hog with the theme.
Each day, Dan shares the stove (and the Spotify playlist) with a lucky dip of renowned guest chefs. On the night I visited, we were treated to a selection of canapes by the chefs from lauded Thai restaurant Som Saa; injecting fire and fish sauce to the meal.
Everything on the menu is £15, regardless of portion size, and is designed to share. This does mean the bill ramps up, and since the majority of the food would have been thrown away, in my eyes the price you end up paying doesn’t quite add up. Though what you’re paying for here is the experience, the story and an altruistic glow.
What of the food? Unloved elements transformed into theatre. A kale ‘tree’, part of the plant never normally eaten, towers above diner’s heads, who carefully snip away at the tastiest leaves like a gardener sampling their own delights.
The charcuterie board with coppa ham from pigs also fed on waste food, old bread from London’s E5 bakery served up with pickled watermelon rinds and cheddar which has started blueing. All perfectly safe to eat.
The dish with the most drama comes from a whole cod’s head served intact on a plate (eyes removed) with a side of kedgeree. You’re given utensils to dig around the head and extract the juicy flesh. It’s funny how you see cod cheeks on a menu as a prized medallion of fish, but rarely would you see people excavating through the skull on their plate in order to reach it. Gruesome though it may sound, being confronted with the fact that meat comes from an animal is an essential reminder for diners to be mindful over their consumption habits.
The real winner for me was a beetroot burger made from leftover pulp from the cold-press juice industry; sandwiched between stale bread and served with a ketchup based on the runoff collected from the cooking and processing of beetroot. To end, a brûlée with cocoa husks and ‘rejected’ shortbread biscuits.
Admittedly things got a little hazy towards the end (wastED by name and wasted by nature), and not just because the lighting wasn’t ideal for taking photos. A captivating story behind each dish shone a light on the possibilities for food usually chucked away. Though at fifteen quid a pop for small plates served on a rooftop luxury department store, it’s likely Dan Barber is preaching to the already converted.
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