Ethical members’ club The Conduit in Covent Garden was founded in 2018 with the mission of becoming an industry leader in sustainable and ethical hospitality. Its members all share the same vision for positive social, economic and environmental change and there are a number of spaces within the club in which to gather, network and have meaningful discussions with like-minded people. One of those is its ground-floor restaurant Warehouse, which is available to hire for a private dining event or occasion for up to 16 people seated.
It’s no surprise that Warehouse shares the same vision for a more sustainable future as the club it’s housed in. The kitchen team is led by Brendan Eades, ex-head chef at zero-waste restaurant Silo, which feels like a natural fit and there is a focus on incorporating ethical techniques and practices in everything from the food to the interiors.
The private dining room at the far end of the restaurant is decorated in the same style as the main dining area, with turquoise-blue walls, tall tree-like plants and an eclectic mix of crockery and objects sourced from artisans across the Global South. Lampshades, tapestries and baskets from Swaziland can be found throughout, while a huge wall display featuring various plates features at the head of the table.
The food and drink menus are constructed entirely from seasonal produce, using whole ingredients where possible, sourcing from small independent suppliers and utilising traditional preservation, fermentation and pickling techniques. Examples of dishes include whole trout with turnips and trout roe, roasted pumpkin with crème fraiche and pumpkin seed dukkah and roasted carrots with ancient grains, clementine and hemp.
While the drinks menu features foraged hedgerow ingredients to infuse its cocktails with unique flavours, such as Autumn’s Forage which blends buillet bourbon, trois rivières rum, quince and birch sap soda.