Auro Foxcroft, founder of Village Underground and champion of Hackney nightlife, and Chris Gillard, who helmed the St. John Group as executive chef, are today opening Earth Kitchen in London's Stoke Newington.
Residing in the former art deco cinema on Dalston’s bustling Stoke Newington Road, the menu will reflect Gillard’s passion for using the best available ingredients, in line with the changing seasons. To celebrate the opening, diners will be able to enjoy 50% off brunch this coming weekend.
Housed within the cinema’s former foyer, Foxcroft and Gillard are bringing a neighbourhood-style restaurant to new East London multi-arts space Evolutionary Arts Hackney. In the light-filled, contemporary space, head chef Chris will place a strong emphasis on provenance and seasonality, with a focus on the quality of ingredients.
Dishes such as Pardina lentils with roasted root vegetables and Grilled Ox heart with chips sit alongside smaller plates including pork and duck rillettes, cornichons and toast and smoked sprats with cucumber, kohlrabi and chervil.
Midday diners can enjoy a daily-changing set lunch menu, whilst those attending a show can fill up on the pre-show express specials.
Weekends will be all about brunch, with Gillard and the team serving up weekend staples of avocado toast and poached eggs sitting alongside smoked haddock kedgeree, buttermilk pancakes and Chia seed muesli.
With a strong emphasis on music throughout the building, EartH Kitchen will be playing its part in the life and soul of the venue. A line-up of everything from raucous Thursday jazz nights to low-key Sunday DJ sets has been curated by artists involved in the project, and in the evening, EartH Kitchen’s cocktail bar is an ideal spot for those wanting one more for the road.
Restaurant Manager Toni Castillo, also formerly of St. John, will pour wines from a list with a European focus, as well as mixing classic cocktails that make the most of seasonal ingredients.
Designed by Transit Studio, EartH Kitchen occupies a sunny 150-seat space on the building’s first floor. Crittal windows look out onto Kingsland Road with polished plaster walls and accents of bright colour provided by melamine-topped tables.
Gillard said, “I’ve cooked everywhere from St. John to muddy festival fields, and EartH Kitchen will draw on all of those elements: an emphasis on traditional hospitality, all food made in-house, and a willingness to experiment. We’re looking forward to welcoming apprentices from Hackney City College – EartH Kitchen is a place for training, and for talent to be nurtured, with the promise of a role in the team at the end of it.”
Foxcrof added, “When we saw the space, we knew it would be the perfect place for East London’s creative and cultural scenes to meet. The area has changed so much since I founded Village Underground, and EartH will provide a vital new home for the arts in Hackney and London, with EartH Kitchen at its heart.”