The eagle-eyed amongst you may have spotted that Chicken Shed at Cargo, Wapping Wharf has mysteriously changed to Root overnight. Opening from the evening of Wednesday, August 2nd, it’s a bold change of direction for the team: rather than making chicken the star of the show, Root is a restaurant that puts vegetables at the heart of the menu, switching convention to make meat dishes the side options.
Root is all about sustainability, and has high profile backing from the Sustainable Restaurant Association. The team’s aim is to help to raise awareness of the environmental benefits of eating more veg, and to encourage diners to consider the health benefits that have been attributed to eating less meat.
Former Pony & Trap and Ondine chef Rob Howell will be taking the role of head chef, while Meg Oakley of The Pony & Trap will be joining general manager Domhnaill Barnes front of house.
So why the change of direction? The Eat Drink Bristol Fashion team say that Chicken Shed faced issues in continuing to serve high grade organic fried chicken in a sustainable way.
Josh Eggleton says, “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.”
At Root, veg small plates will be at the heart of the menu, with local fish and meat used to create interesting side dishes. There will also be an extensive wine list incorporating both natural and biodynamic wines.
The food menu will change regularly – take a look at their website to find out what you can currently enjoy…
I don’t understand why organic chickens have to live longer..? Reading between the lines, was it not making any money? Veg is much cheaper and maybe makes the economics of cargo more realistic…
Organic chickens aren’t force fed, consequently they take longer to grow big enough to ensure the correct size breast.
This dish look amazing! Veg is perfect.