A Hot Dinners exclusive
Hot Dinners can exclusively reveal details of Scout, a new bar from cocktail guru Matt Whiley, which is set to open in Shoreditch next month. Located on Great Eastern Street, Scout aims to shift the way we think about cocktails and drinks, by championing seasonal British ingredients. The drinks list will change regularly as produce from farmers and growers comes in and out of season – adopting an approach more commonly used by chefs in top London restaurants.
Short and to the point, the menu at Scout will feature just ten cocktails, five house ferments, five beers - one of which is brewed in house - and a small selection of natural wines.
Sample drinks include:
- Strawberry wine, gin lemon balm and whey
- Carrot, hemp seed and licorice
- Burnt beetroot, horseradish, apple and hay vermouth with herb oil
Sustainability is another key focus for Matt and his team. In addition to fermenting, brewing and distilling, the ’Snacks' menu at Scout will ensure that every usable part of each ingredient is taken advantage of, reducing waste.
Dishes on the ’Snacks’ menu will include:
- Toasted sourdough with house kohlrabi, sauerkraut and London coppa
- Fried vegetable skins with house seasoning
- Pickled celeriac with truffle
‘If it’s not in season in the UK, we won’t buy it’ says Matt 'we have amazing produce in this country and I really want to celebrate what’s local, native and seasonal to the British Isles’.
Having worked his way through some of the capital’s finest bars including Purl and Worship St Whistling Shop, Matt has also made a name for his innovative consultancy - creating drinks lists for top restaurants including Story, Hoppers, Bone Daddies, Rök and Fera at Claridges.
In addition to the ground floor bar, Scout will also boast a Laboratory. This ten seat private area will feature an exclusive menu of daily changing drinks, and will be a first look at some of the cocktails in development for future menus. The Laboratory provides guests with a window into the creative process which Matt and the team go through when working with new flavours and fresh seasonal ingredients. Bookings for this experience will be essential, however there will also be more casual events such as tastings and mixology masterclasses on offer as part of a monthly events programme.
Bookings will be taken for seats in the bar, however Scout will also reserve space for walk-ins.
Scout opens at 93 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3HZ on 11 April. Follow Scout on Instagram @scoutldn
