Client
Silo restaurantLocation
Hackney WickMaterial
Grey MistSilo restaurant: Grey Mist, Kaleido & Charcoal help set the bar for circularity
Groundbreaking dining
Silo is the world’s first zero waste restaurant. The spark for the concept came from artist Joost Bakker, who pondered the idea of a restaurant “not having a bin”. This, teamed with a desire to “innovate the food industry while demonstrating respect’, would be applied to all areas of the business.
And so, Silo was born. Everything within the restaurant is used in its entirety. Butter is churned on the premises. Wheat is ground into flour. Oats are rolled. And drinks are fermented from live cultures on site.
The concept
In line with its zero-waste ethos, all product delivered to the restaurant come in re-usable vessels, and any minimal leftover waste is natural, and so compostable – thus closing the loop.
The founders have chosen to work in a circular way to demonstrate that a sustainable food business is commercially viable. They hope to inspire the inception of other waste-free businesses – whether through collaboration or as simply being the blueprint.
The design
Nina Woodcroft at Nina + Co. led the interior design and fit out for the project, for which only furniture and fittings crafted from recycled material would be considered. Each piece would have otherwise gone to waste had it not undergone a process of transformation.
For the bar top – the focal point of the dining space – the calming allure of Smile Plastics’ Grey Mist invites visitors to pull up a pew next to the open kitchen. In contrast to the pared-back tones of Grey Mist, a bolt of bold multicolour is delivered by Kaleido for the private dining table. Nearby, tabletops feature the dramatic, monochromatic impact of Charcoal in black with a smattering of white flecks. Visitors to the space may also spy some Smile Plastics’ chopping boards, splashbacks, a host stand, mirror frame and coat hooks.
Setting the bar for circularity
“Working with Silo restaurant was a dream come true for us at Smile Plastics. When we meet likeminded brands that share so deeply in our vision, it fills us with excitement for the future. What the team at Silo have achieved is truly amazing – a fantastic example of how circular economy can be fully adopted with no impact to commerciality. We’re extremely proud to have our materials in the space, and urge anyone who hasn’t already dined at Silo to do so soon!”— Smile Plastics co founder, Rosalie McMillan
