BeShroomed Farms: Detroit's Mushroom Coffee
The innovative farm in Detroit is shaking up the coffee market with its unique mushroom coffee. This establishment offers blends that combine the health benefits of medicinal mushrooms with the daily ritual of sipping coffee, without compromising on flavour. Turkey tail, reishi, and lion’s mane mushrooms are grown on the indoor farm and used in their coffee blends. The farm has a self-serve section that caters to daily commuters and also aims to educate the public about the many benefits of mushrooms beyond their traditional uses in food and psychedelics. The founder, who has over 25 years of experience working with mushrooms, plans to provide workshops on mushroom production and identification and teach psychedelic education. This farm is part of a growing movement that seeks to dispel myths and promote the many advantages of mushrooms for improving our well-being and the environment.
Kaffeeform: Turning Ground Coffee into Sustainabale Cups
The Berlin-based company is dedicated to sustainability and aims to revolutionise circularity by repurposing renewable resources that are usually discarded. They started their journey in 2009 to provide an eco-friendly alternative to plastics and came up with a unique recipe in 2015 to utilise spent coffee grounds to create new products, starting with their renowned coffee cups. As they progressed, they incorporated more discarded resources in their sustainable compositions and expanded their product line beyond cups. Their products offer the same durability and functionality as plastic but without harmful environmental impact. They use a blend of discarded coffee grounds, recycled beechwood scraps, renewable plant-based components, and bio-based polymers to create their goods. They focus on producing robust, long-lasting, and sustainable products for everyday use to reduce their ecological footprint and encourage a sustainable way of life. Moreover, they are committed to ethical and local manufacturing.
Their recycling process involves five key steps:
- Collection: The first step is to gather used coffee grounds from local cafes and businesses. Usually discarded as waste, these coffee grounds serve as the primary source of raw materials.
- Preparation: Once gathered, the coffee grounds are dried and prepared for reuse, which may include cleaning to ensure their quality.
- Mixing: The prepared coffee grounds are combined with recycled beechwood scraps and other renewable plant materials. Bio-based polymers are added to the mixture to create a durable and resilient product with plastic-like qualities.
- Moulding: The material composition is then moulded into various shapes to create the desired products.
- Finalising: Finishing procedures ensure that the goods meet high-quality standards. This can involve performing quality checks, adding additional features, and smoothing surfaces.
Miznon: Fitzrovia's Pitas & Kebabs
Located in the centre of Soho, London’s thriving street food culture is brought to life by this uncommon dining establishment, which infuses the lively energy of Tel Aviv into its streets. This eatery, founded by a renowned Israeli chef, offers a creative and diverse menu of high-quality meals that cater to both adventurous eaters and food enthusiasts. The vibrant atmosphere of the restaurant instantly transports you to a Middle Eastern market, with the aroma of spices and chatter filling the air. The menu features various stuffed pitas and robust sides like whole roast cauliflower and lima bean stew, showcasing a fun and inventive culinary approach that pays tribute to tradition.
What makes the menu engaging is its unique presentation and witty culinary knowledge that entices customers to embark on a gastronomic journey. Specialities like the succulent pita filled with soft brisket and tangy pickles and the creatively presented ‘run-over’ potato exemplify the restaurant’s philosophy of merging luxury with simplicity. This establishment is a culinary adventure that captures the vibrant Tel Aviv food scene in the heart of London. It’s a celebration of flavours, cultures, and the joy of sharing a meal together.
Supper Clubs
An inventive eating concept combines the cosiness of social gatherings and the charm of home-cooked meals in the heart of London, a city known for its diverse culinary scene. These small dinner clubs gained popularity in the early 2000s and provide more than simply a meal; they are immersive experiences where aspiring cooks showcase their culinary skills in warm, inviting settings. Every event invites customers to embark on an unusual gastronomic adventure different from the typical restaurant scene. Each event is distinctive in its concept, cuisine, and price. After the lockdown, this tendency has continued and grown, with seasoned and up-and-coming chefs taking advantage of the chance to showcase their original recipes and create deep connections amidst the busy city life.
A specific dinner club set beneath a piece of London’s transport history, the Victoria Line, hailed as the world’s first wholly automated subterranean railway, adds to the city’s eclectic eating scene. This ‘restaurant’ is housed within a 1967 Metro-Cammell-built “DM” tube carriage, a tribute to London’s inventive spirit. Each dining experience is authentic thanks to preserving every little detail, including the famous chairs and the original fittings. This old carriage is transformed into an exquisite dining area that can seat up to 35 people three nights a week. Guests enjoy a fine dining experience in an environment that honours London’s rich transportation history, with a special touch of redesigned seats that maximise the carriage’s volume.
These stories exemplify the extraordinary ways in which we are witnessing a revolution that marries creativity with sustainability and innovation, and how culinary practices can impact our environment, health, and communities. You too can explore more creative and innovative culinary experiences with us: get in touch to start a conversation.
