Nestled in a beautiful grade II listed building just off Covent Garden, members club The Conduit, provides a space for leaders, thinkers, and activists with a shared interest in positive global change. For the first time, they have opened up their doors to the general public in the form of a restaurant, and as expected, one with a social conscience.

The Space

Warehouse, which has been named after the original Covent Garden fruit and veg warehouse of the 19th century has sustainability woven into its fabric. The beautifully designed and softly-lit interior gives a rustic yet homely feeling with natural textures of baskets and ceramics, mixed with tapestries. The designers have worked closely with NGOs, co-operatives and charities across the Global South, South Africa and Swaziland to support artisans in these communities and bring their products into the restaurant alongside reclaimed and vintage materials.

The Food

Head Chef Brendan Eades’ works with carefully selected UK producers who have a shared vision of sustainability and protecting food systems. From using traditional techniques that echo the establishment’s warehouse origins, focusing on seasonality through to using every part of an ingredient. The seasonal menu currently features ingredients such as grain and oil from Hertfordshire’s Dutchess Farm, Vanilla from world-renowned humanitarian brand Heilala Vanilla, expertly foraged Wild mushrooms from the Wild Room and Rock Oysters directly from our coastline.

Using the right ingredients at the right time don’t do the flavours any harm at all. The Beetroot, Sprouted Quinoa, Apple and Seaweed offers up a rich purple garden of thinly sliced beetroot, dig a little deeper and you find the sweet pool of apple to compliment the earthy surface. The Venison Tartare, Sumac & Biber Chilli consists of the most delicate and melt in the mouth cubes of venison with a welcome tang, all nicely shovelled onto a crispy allum wafer.

For the large plates, a deliciously tender but delicately flavoured sliced Pork Chop is accompanied by the tartness of Barberries, whilst a ginger-infused sauce adds some clout. The Ethical Butcher Beef, Smoked pepper is also given some welly with a rich sauce.

The interesting flavours of the menu come to a peak with the Chocolate Tart, Rosehip Curd and Heilala Vanilla Ice Cream. The rosehip provides a genuinely fascinating flavour against the bitterness of the dark chocolate tart. Whereas the vanilla ice cream is welcomed to mellow everything down it does the job perfectly to create a really enjoyable desert.

Overall

There’s a lot to love about the mission and purpose of a place like Warehouse. From the approach to sourcing and preparing the food, to the ethical design of its beautiful interiors. It just so happens that the food tastes good too. Bravo!

Address: 6 Langley St, London WC2H 9JA

Website: www.warehouselondon.com

Written by Rick Hartley

Photography courtesy of Warehouse