A family affair: the Gladwin brothers' Notting Hill restaurant is a welcome addition to the borough, says Emma McAlpine.
Notting Hill has its fair share of good restaurants. There's the (Michelin-starred) Ledders obviously. The old school Notting Hill Brasserie, celeb fave E&O, fishy stalwart Kensington Place and the brilliantly no-nonsense Hereford Road headed by former St John chef Tom Permberton (I may have left one or two out - don't hate me!). Yet, while there's no shortage of decent places to eat, there haven't been any particularly interesting or exciting openings since Pizza East Portobello launched last year, with its puffy wood-fired pizzas, Italian cocktails and a (gasp!) no bookings policy.
Thank goodness then, for The Shed, which has injected a bit of imagination back into the borough. Set up by three Gladwin brothers, each brings something different to the table. 28-year-old restaurateur Richard, having previously launched Bunga Bunga and Brawn, is a welcoming and informative front of house presence. Chef Oliver is a champion of innovative British cooking having cut his teeth at the likes of Launceston Place and The River Cottage; while farmer Gregory sources the produce from local suppliers, including meat from the family farm. Even their parents are involved, supplying wine from their vineyard in Nutbourne, Sussex.
The dining room is small but cosy, with brightly coloured décor and a buzzy atmosphere. The design is distinctly sheddy, with farm equipment, vintage signs, reclaimed furniture, exposed brickwork and wood walls. A tractor bonnet hangs from the ceiling. There’s also a separate bar area and a Butchers Table, available for butchery demonstrations and private dining for up to 14 guests.
The menu, which changes every day, is British cooking with a twist. Dishes are priced between about £5 and £8, and are served as ‘small plates’, giving you the chance to sample lots of everything – ideal for someone as greedy and susceptible to food envy as I am. To drink, we start with ‘The Shed’s Daily Loosener’ – a Nutbourne Pinot Noir punch which Richard informs us was pressed that very weekend on the vineyard. “It’s delicious - like a posh sangria” my sister-in-law remarks. “Don’t debase our lovely cocktail!,” he laughs.
We then try a few ‘mouthfuls’ at £1.50 each, including a silky chicken liver and puffball mushroom pate on toast, followed by fluffy crab cakes with an addictively tangy, sweet chilli sauce. I may have dipped a finger when the crab ran out. We also sample some cured meat from the family farm, including slivers of ‘pig foot’, much yummier than that sounds. Beetroot cured seabass with skinny samphire strands and a thick, vinegary dressing is fresh, light and full of the sea; while radicchio with spaghetti squash, spelt and blue cheese is a pleasingly autumnal dish.
From the ‘slow cooking’ section of the menu, we opt for a pollock, cuttlefish and spinach stew, with a crispy almond and garlic crumb: a rustic, comforting pot of goodness, that may have ruined fish pie for me forever. ‘Lamb chips’ – large fingers of braised lamb shoulder, dipped in bread crumbs, deep fried and served with a spicy harissa sauce – melted in the mouth.
Puddings are not to be missed here either. Sometimes I can pass on pudding; but not on ‘panna cotta with candied chesnuts and salted caramel sauce’, or ‘blackberry eggy bread with golden syrup flavoured yoghurt’ for that matter. It's all about sharing here.
I’ve been to The Shed twice now and have every intention of returning. You can’t help but buy into its home-grown ethos; the honest, imaginative cooking and the brothers’ earnest passion for their trade. It seems to be proving popular too. Both times I visited the place was at almost full capacity and this was before the official launch. Creative new restaurants may not be de rigeur in Notting Hill, but they certainly are welcome.
A meal for two, with wine came to about £90.
The Shed
122 Palace Gardens Terrace,W8
Open Tues-Sat 5.30pm-11.30pm
theshed-restaurant.com
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