H.en, an ethical chicken restaurant based in Brighton, is to launch a new London residency together with Masterchef finalists Billy Wright and Jack Layer, in Islington on Thursday 21st July. Roosting on Upper Street for six months, H.en will offer Londoners a fresh outlook on the humble chicken, with a ‘beak to feet’ menu using high welfare chickens raised on Caldecott Farm.
H.en was founded in Brighton by Philip Ilic in 2014. Together with Amy, Philip’s sister and Hen’s Creative Director, H.en has teamed up with Masterchef 2016 finalists Billy and Jack who have further developed the Brighton menu for the London residency, aiming to make use of the whole chicken across different dishes. One of H.en’s signature sides will be their chicken wings coated in sweet spicy hot sauce, and exclusive to London will be Crispy Chicken Feet, which all guests will receive on the house on arrival.
Elsewhere on the menu, chicken will be available grilled by the quarter or half. All chicken has a spiced buttermilk marinade and from there guests will have a choice of three marinades: a classic sweet and tangy BBQ; a rich and savoury South American-style Red Eye; and a hot chill with plenty of fiery kick. The H.en Burger can be served with pulled, fried or grilled chicken and is then topped with chicken skin mayo, charred gem lettuce, tomato and pickled cucumber. There will also be sides of sweet potato fries, corn on the cob, sauerkraut and a slaw salad.
The team at H.en are committed to only using the very best high welfare chicken available and all birds served at H.en will be sourced only from Caldecott Farm, a small family farm in rural Worcestershire. Caldecott Farm chickens always have clean bedding, fresh water, do not suffer, and have access to daylight and food at all times. No growth promoters or additives are used, and there is full traceability, guaranteeing the finest quality poultry for H.en’s diners.
“There are lots of chicken restaurants across the UK at the moment but we believe that H.en leads the way in terms of both the quality of chicken we serve and our transparent, ethical approach to sourcing poultry and all our ingredients. We are looking forward to bringing our H.en classics to London together with some exciting new dishes especially for the capital”, says founder Philip llic.
A concise drinks menu will feature signature cocktails such as Holy Hops – Cachaça, Mint, Lime, Agave and West Coast Citrus IPA – and the H.en Bloody Mary. Craft beers will include Bedlam IPA, Freedom Organic Lager, Hiver Honey Beer plus regular guest brews from the UK’s best microbreweries. A short wine list will change regularly but always feature organic bottles from independent producers, in line with the H.en philosophy.H.en’s interiors have been designed by Amy Ilic and David Pentland from Ardour Design. The design will use natural raw materials, taking a sustainable approach through upcycling as much as possible. Huge glass windows will bathe the space in natural light. Wooden booth seating will be adorned with bright colours and corrugated iron, while an egg painted around the doorway will announce the restaurant to passers-by. Working with a local artist, H.en will create a unique feature wall giving the artist an opportunity to exhibit their work on a grand scale whilst also accommodating the menu and creating a focal point to the interiors.
For more information click here