THE SHED - Notting Hill

I am ashamed of myself for not having written anything for such a long time. My excuse is that I have been busy with work, but I've realised that in the world of blogging, that line just doesn't cut the mustard. So where to begin? One place that I really wanted to have my say on (although I am sure by now it will have been reviewed by most London bloggers) is The Shed.

My mum - being far trendier than me - went there with some friends within the first few weeks of it opening, and, despite feeling noticeably above the average age, thoroughly enjoyed her meal. Having described it as 'haphazardly decorated', but also eulogising about the 'lamb chips', I was intrigued, and so decided to try it for myself during the pre-Christmas festivities.

On arrival I was unsure whether I found it refreshingly unpretentious and quirky, or actually rather twee... in fact I am still not convinced about which side of the line it falls on. It is, as my mother described, haphazardly furnished with an eclectic range of furniture and knickknacks, giving the impression of literally being inside someones converted shed. Consistently, it's pretty limited on table space, and due to high-demand we got shifted onto the chef's table so as to create more leeway. This actually might have made the evening for me, not only because it meant we didn't have to squish onto bar stools next to two other people, but because it meant virtually spending the evening with head-chef Oliver Gladwin.

Sitting on our little garden-table-and-chairs right beside Oliver as he plated up all of the small, tapas-style sharing dishes, we got to talkin' about how the restaurant came to be. The Gladwin brother duo, made up of head-chef Oliver, and manager/maitre d', Richard, have grown up on a farm in West Sussex and have brought their wholesome rural attitude right to the heart of London. All of the produce comes from their own farm, which means that the menu changes daily depending on what's available. Furthermore, they advocate a sustainable approach to cooking by ensuring that they use "the whole animal (nose to tail cooking) so that nothing is wasted". For me, this deserves real brownie points, as I think that this modern, responsible attitude towards produce and cooking is the way of the future... or should be anyway! Above all, what stood out for me was their genuine passion for good food, which  manifested not only in his good-natured and earnest manner, but also translated into really delicious food.

Maldon Rock Oyster, Shallot Vinegar

Chorizo, labneh cheese, kale, crisp bread

The menu is split into 'slow-cooking' and 'fast-cooking,' and everything sounded tasty... but I had to restrain myself, and so we resolved to ordering one oyster 'mouthful' each, plus four sharing plates (two slow, two fast), and two puddings, which was actually plenty of food. I could go into detail about each dish but instead let me save time by saying, they were all delicious. They were all uniquely scrumptious in their own right, and nothing that we ordered was disappointing. If I had to recommend one thing it would have to be the lamb chips, (which were exceptionally divine), but I would feel confident in ordering anything on the menu and knowing it would be good.

Lamb chips, lemon, parsley, harrissa

Venison haunch, mustard mash, rosehip sauce

Veal shin, thyme tagliatelle

Veal steak, lentils, herb sauce

Despite my blatant envy for these young brothers who appear to be making their dream come true with this venture, I think it is fair to say that they deserve their success. Whatever you might think about the questionable decor and the potentially over-stated 'home-grown British-ness' of it all (even the wine we drank came from their vineyard) - there's no denying it's good food. That, combined with the homely, hearty atmosphere make it somewhere I would happily go back to time and time again. It's not cheap or 'fine-dining', but it's pretty good value, and I would put money on this being the beginning of a beautiful story for the brothers at The Shed.

FUN FACT: Oliver used to work for Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall... which explains a lot about his outlook and cooking style!

The Shed

122 PALACE GARDENS TERRACE | LONDON | W8 4RT


TUESDAY – SATURDAY | 12PM – 12AM