Join us for A Seastainable Supper this Autumn

We’ve teamed up with charity Wildscreen to bring you an evening of sustainable deliciousness, Yurt-style.

Join Josh and the fabulous Yurt Lush team on October 6th for an alternative, Seastainable Supper at Yurt Lush. With a menu designed around sustainable sea produce and farming methods, this imaginative and innovative supper is not one to miss.

Wildscreen are a Bristol-based charity who convene the best photographers, filmmakers and creative professionals with the most committed conservationists to create compelling stories about the natural world; that inspire the wider public to experience it, feel part of it and protect it.

Witness the Wild is back and will take place between 30 September – 8 October with a programme of cycle powered screenings, a rubbish art trail, outdoor exhibitions and pop-up food events. Witness the Wild is about bringing the sea back to the city, encouraging people to think responsibly about what they eat, where it comes from and what they throw away. 
Even though half of the world’s population lives within 100 kilometres of the sea, it’s suffering from a bad case of out of sight, out of mind.

Working with Wildscreen, Josh has imagined a menu that focuses on utilizing abundant species like jellyfish and herring, alternative farming methods like aquaponics and edible coastal plants that grow within 20 miles of Bristol.

Part of Witness the Wild, Future Plates: A Seastainable Supper will deliver an evening of experimental dining examining untapped resources, innovative sustainable farming techniques and the wealth of sea plants growing just outside Bristol.

Come down to Yurt Lush and sea what the food-ture looks like !

 Future Plates: A Seastainable Supper will be held at Yurt Lush on Friday 6th Of October.
Get your tickets on Wriggle now: https://www.getawriggleon.com/o/bristol-wildscreen-future-plates-a-seastainable-supper

 All profits from this event will be donated to Wildscreen

See you there...

The SRA comes to Root to #FlipTheMenu

Fancy flipping the menu?

Join us on Tuesday 22nd August 2017 for a chance to join the vital conversation about what we put on our plates - in particular the proportion of veg and meat.

To support our August campaign for restaurants to serve ‘More Veg & Better Meat’, Josh Eggleton, Rob Howell and the team at Eat Drink Bristol Fashion will be flipping the menu upside down by offering their new menu at Root which includes ten main veg dishes with five optional meat and fish sides. Blazing the trail for sustainable eating, the transformation will ultimately reduce the environmental impact of meat production, support animal welfare and encourage diners to consider the health benefits of eating less meat as well as provide them with truly vegelicious dishes. You can expect:

Flatbread

Roasted garlic, Salted Tomatoes

Cauliflower

Roasted cauliflower, walnuts, smoked rapeseed

Strode Valley leaves

Mushroom,shallot,turnip,radish

Beetroot

Blackberries,hazelnuts,dill

Peas and corn

Broad beans,cabbage,ewes curd

Late Summer fruits

Yogurt,cream,pavlova

Josh will be there to share the thinking behind Root and as a self-confessed vegetable lover, to provide some inspiring tips and tricks for making them the stars of the plate. SRA CEO Andrew Stephen will also be on hand to impart some of the other trade secrets we’ve learned from chefs ploughing a plant-based furrow through their menus with stunning results.

Don’t delay, buy your tickets here for just £20! For more details about how to support our More Veg & Better Meat campaign, visit our website and discover how you can #FlipTheMenu.

We hope to see you there!

YOUR Christmas PARTY at Yurt Lush!

"Ittttt'ssss Christmassssssss!" Well nearly. Well not really, but it's definitely time to book for your Christmas shinding!

Our Christmas party period runs from 20th November up to 23rd December 2017.

The whole venue will be available to hire Monday to Saturday, though please note we will  only have one side yurt available for hire on a Friday.

You can book either the whole venue, a smaller yurt or tables for smaller groups (minimum of 8 guests) and parties can be held from 2pm onwards. 

The whole venue can hold 90 seated, 100 standing, whereas individually the side yurts can hold 35 people.

We are licensed until midnight Sun-Thu and until 1am Fri-Sat. For live music, we can provide a PA and decks for a hire fee of £70. This is only available for whole venue hire.  We cannot have any live music after 11pm and DJs must finish at 12.30am. 

We have two different food menus for you to choose from;

SET MENU - Two or three courses for groups of up to 40

To start

- Cream of salsify soup, charred sourdough, rapeseed & butternut

- Vodka cured Valley smokehouse salmon, horseradish & apple

- Monkfish, wild mushroom ragu, bacon & pine nut

Mains

- Portobello mushroom, salted peanut & squash loaf, celeriac veloute & roasted chestnut dukkah

- Pan roasted fillet of cod, English gruyere croquette, salted salisfy mash, roasted tomato & ginger sauce

- Powells’ Rolled Salt marsh lamb belly, roasted garlic & anchovy stuffing, smoked bacon & coconut haricot stew

Dessert

- Roasted pistachio & brown butter ice cream

- Bread & butter pudding & custard

- Selection of English cheese, crackers & chutney (3.00 supplement)

Sides - Roast potatoes 2.00 / Greens 2.00 / Braised red cabbage 2.00

BUFFET MENU -  for groups of over 40 guests

- Field mushroom tortilla#Crudités, hummus & olives

- Chew valley mackerel pate on marks sourdough toast

- Chew valley smoked salmon on marks rye bread

- Charcuterie sliced meats & pickles

- Vintage Montgomery cheddar board & chutney

- Homemade chips, green salad & breads all included

16.00 per head

Dessert options

- Bread & butter pudding & custard

- Crumble & custard

4.00 per head
 

All allergies can be catered for.  Please notify us when making the booking.  Your food will come out strictly 30 minutes after your arrival time, please ensure your guests arrive with enough time to get a drink and get settled before the meal.

A non-refundable deposit of £10.00 per head will be required to finalise your booking and will be deducted from your final total on the evening of your hire.

We cannot refund the deposit ahead of the booking in the event of a cancellation.

If you wish to be invoiced for the cost of your event this needs to be agreed at least a week prior to the hire date. We will hold credit/debit card details which will be used to process the payment if the invoice is not paid within 7 days. 

All Christmas parties are organised via the General Manager strictly on e-mail only.

Please get in touch with us at yurtlush@eatdrinkbristolfashion.co.uk

Root to replace Chicken Shed at Cargo

A taste of things to come at Root, our new dining concept at Cargo

In a bold and exciting move, we will be waving goodbye to Chicken Shed and saying hello to our new dining concept Root, at Cargo on Wapping Wharf

Our ethos has always put sustainability at the heart of ouroperations, closing Chicken Shed and opening Root in its place has enabled us to put vegetables at the heart of this new venture, switching convention to make meat dishes the side options on the menu.

With high profile backing from the Sustainable Restaurant Association, transforming the concept is designed to help raise awareness of the environmental benefits of eating more veg and encourage diners to consider the numerous health benefits which are attributed to eating less meat.

Rob Howell, formerly of The Pony & Trap in Chew Magna and Ondine in Edinburgh will be assuming the Head Chef role while Meg Oakley, also of The Pony & Trap will join experienced General Manager Domhnaill Barnes to run the Front of House operation. 

Our own Amelia Twine, had this to say:

“For many years it’s been an ambition to open a restaurant that puts vegetables front and centre on the menu and it is exciting to be able to do so as part of Eat Drink Bristol Fashion family.

“In short, vegetables are an amazing food source and there are so many wonderful dishes that we’ll be able to offer. We still love meat and we’ll still serve it, but by giving veg star billing and making meat the supporting cast, we hope to make people think a bit more about the food they’re eating, how it got on their plate and what impact it has on health.” 

The U-turn which switches emphasis from meat to veg stems from issues faced in ensuring Chicken Shed remained a truly sustainable operation in serving high grade organic fried chicken.

Josh Eggleton added:

“We opened Chicken Shed last September with a goal to become the first chicken shop in the country to serve high quality organic chicken across the whole menu.

“In keeping with the ethos of Eat Drink Bristol Fashion we felt it was possible to serve “guilt free” organic chicken. Chicken that was sustainable, of the highest welfare and sold at a fair price.

“While we feel we achieved that, the reality is that we faced a number of challenges which meant either our values or our whole business would be compromised in the long term.

“As organic chickens live longer, the pieces are larger with thicker skin which ironically does not make for the best fried chicken. In latter weeks we experimented by serving organic crowns and free range pieces which improved our product in taste but countered the initial concept of an organic, guilt free chicken shop.

“We went back to the drawing board and came up with Root, which better aligns with our sustainable aims and company values.”

In the kitchen, Head Chef Rob Howell is looking to put his mark on Eat Drink Cargo and is excited for the new challenge... he had this to say:

“Having spent four years at The Pony & Trap with two as Head Chef, launching and running a restaurant has long been the goal and I can’t wait to get going with Domhnaill and Meg at Root.

“Recently I’ve spent some time doing stages in Denmark, in London at Elystan Street and Outlaw’s at the Capital, and perhaps best of all, Bristol’s very own Casamia with Pete Sanchez Iglesias.”

“It’s no secret that the West country is an unrivalled area for top class produce and I believe that it’s a chef’s responsibility to work sustainably and make that most of that.

“Veg small plates will be at the heart of Root’s menu but we’ll still be using amazing fish and meat from the region to create interesting side dishes. In addition they’ll be an extensive wine list incorporating natural and biodynamic wines that will bring out the best in the food. All in all, we’re confident that it’s going to be a fun place to visit that will add to Bristol’s vibrant food scene which is now getting international recognition.”

Root opens at Cargo in the evening on Wednesday 2nd August serving a range of small plates in a regularly changing menu.

INTERVIEW - Amelia Twine, EDBF Director and SRA Board Member

What is the Sustainable Restaurant Association?

The SRA is a membership organisation that rates restaurants on how sustainable their operations are basing their rating on three 'pillars' - sourcing, environment and society.

How did you become a board member?

As part of our 2013 and 2015 Queen Square festivals we held two Sustainable Food Summits at Eat Drink Bristol Fashion which quite simply explored how to make the restaurant industry in Bristol more sustainable. Following these events I was invited to become an SRA board member in 2016.

How is Eat Drink Bristol Fashion involved with the SRA?

We're delighted to say that Yurt Lush, our restaurant and cafe has the highest SRA rating - a three star rating which means Yurt Lush has achieved some of the highest standards in 14 key areas which include using fairtrade Local & Seasonal produce, sourcing Ethical Meat & Dairy, supporting ethical farmers, serving Sustainable Fish, Treating People Fairly, offering balanced menu options, marketing responsibly, saving water, reducing food waste and using energy efficiently

How does your company ethos align with SRA's onjectives?

Our company was christened with a strong 'field to fork' ethos - where we initially aimed to work with local producers and suppliers as much as possible when designing our menus. This grew into aspiring to achieve greater sustainability in other areas of our sourcing and operations. In wanting to promote our efforts and be transparent about our sustainability journey we wanted to achieve SRA rating to increase the visibility of what we were doing, giving customers an immediately recognisable stamp of good practice. 

How are Bristol restaurants fareing?

Outside of London, Bristol is one of the most SRA restaurant populated cities. We have some really strong contenders - Friska, Poco, Bordeaux Quay, the Canteen and Boston Tea Party are all rated along with others. This ties in with the overall 'movement' in Bristol - there are many groups that are vocal in their support of change in national and global food systems. 

Aims for the future?

We want to maintain a strong trajectory, continuing to open new venues whose menus are built with a sustainable foundation and strong ethical conscience.

JOB! Assistant Manager at Yurt Lush required

The Eat Drink Bristol Fashion team are looking for an enthusiastic and committed individual to help us drive Yurt Lush through its next stage of development. A cafe in a Yurt that strives to offer locally sourced and sustainable food, Yurt Lush is a cafe, bar and venue with a difference. 

The right candidate will have strong hospitality skills as well as some management experience; especially cash and man management. Experience in bar, barista and table service goes without saying, but most importantly we are looking for somebody with a passion for great food, sustainability and excellent service.

Working alongside senior management you will be responsible for much of the day to day running of the business whilst always having the support of the general manager to aid and assist your professional development.

Initiative and self motivation are essential to help drive this dedicated team forward in an environment where your voice will be heard and you can have a direct impact on our direction. This is a continuously evolving business and there is great scope for development for the right individual.

To apply, please send your C.V. and a brief covering email to nesta@eatdrinkbristolfashion.co.uk

Yurt Bistro - Earth Hour Candlelit Supper

In support of Earth Hour 2017, on Saturday 25 March we'll be hosting a very special candlelit #YurtBistro service in solidarity with millions of people, businesses, and landmarks around the globe who are hosting events and switching off their lights between 8.30pm and 9.30pm to make noise for climate change action.

Our menu will be sustainable as ever featuring Earth Hour inspired specials and by joining us you'll be showing your support for climate change action and the Paris Climate Agreement.

2 courses - £15
3 courses - £18

BOOK NOW! Call or text on 07582 048090

Join the Facebook Event here.

JOB! Chicken Shed is recruiting for a Chef!

We are looking for a highly motivated and committed chef to join our team at an exciting time for Chicken Shed.

We need someone with a passion for quality food who understands the importance of
sustainability.

A large part of the job will revolve around following processes, but as we look to grow the business there will be the opportunity to feed in to the decision making process and stamp your own mark on what we produce and sell.

You will be expected to maintain our high standards of food hygiene and motivate the team to excel in all areas, whilst ensuring that the customers expectations are exceeded at every possible point.

We offer a competitive salary for the right candidate as well as the
opportunity to be involved in a growing project from the beginning.

Please email chickenshed@eatdrinkbristolfashion.co.uk with your C.V. and a brief cover letter explaining why you are the right person for the job.