A new recipe platform has launched with the aim of 'celebrating contemporary food culture', collating recipes from the UK food community in a way that 'champions seasonal, slow and conscious cooking'.
The concept, called Another Pantry, will support the hospitality industry by encouraging consumers to 'think about where food comes from, whether we’re dining in or out', said founder Safia Shakarchi, a food writer and photographer.
Shakarchi added the idea is to champion 'seasonal, slow and conscious cooking' and the website will feature recipes, stories and interviews with celebrated and up-and-coming chefs and creatives.
To mark the launch of the site, a pop-up at Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross will open between March 15-22.
On sale at Another Pantry the grocery store will be, among other things, Merlin Labron-Johnson’s cider from his Somerset restaurant Osip; products from Cornwall’s Coombeshead Farm; handmade ceramics from Pophams’ new homeware brand; regenerative flour from Wildfarmed; confit potatoes and pies from Quality Chop House; and kombucha and ferments from Little Duck - The Picklery.
We spoke to Shakarchi to find out more.
Why did you launch Another Pantry?
I had the idea for Another Pantry back in the first lockdown in 2020. Even though life changed completely and we couldn’t see our loved ones, there was such an incredible feeling of community. A lot of us spent so much more time in the kitchen and it gave us a sense of comfort. Food writers, chefs, bakers and restaurants were all sharing recipes online, tips on what to try out in the kitchen, and ideas for how to reduce food waste when it was hard to get hold of certain ingredients.
I wanted to create a platform that would help us hold onto that sense of community and mindfulness around food. I also wanted to do something to support our food industry at such a difficult time and celebrate all of the people that make it what it is. The pandemic made life even more virtual than it already was, so I wanted to create a space online that would have a positive impact, through the pandemic and beyond.
What’s the overarching aim?
Another Pantry is a recipe platform for the modern, conscious cook. It’s a contemporary take on the traditional recipe website, trying to encourage us to think more actively about where our food comes from and the people, processes and stories behind the food we eat.
It’s a resource for the home cook to turn to when trying to understand how to cook seasonally, and how we can make better choices in what we cook and eat throughout the year. Working in the industry, many of us are constantly thinking about seasonality, provenance, local food systems and regenerative farming. But speaking to friends and family, I realised how hard it was for the home cook to know what’s in season, or how a more conscious attitude towards the food we eat can benefit ourselves, our community and our planet. Another Pantry aims to fill that gap.
How is it different to other recipe platforms?
With four seasonal recipe releases throughout the year, Another Pantry is trying to encourage us to be more mindful of what we consume both on our plates and on our screens. It has a ‘slow food content’ philosophy, sharing recipes old and new. We are breathing new life into older recipes that we may have forgotten, whilst also celebrating the great things happening in food newsletters, Instagram feeds, blogs and individual projects across the food world and bringing them into one place.
Our recipe collection features food writers and chefs we know and love, but Another Pantry also provides a platform for emerging, lesser known food writers and creatives too. It can be difficult to break into food media, so this is an attempt to shake that up a bit. There are no food columns, so it won’t always be the same faces, and the idea is to discover new people each quarter. Each contributor has a profile so our audience can learn more about them and their story too.
What can we expect from the pop up grocery store?
To mark the launch of Another Pantry, we are putting together a pop-up grocery store Coal Drops Yard for one week. The idea is to bring together items from restaurants and bakeries that have been selling their pantry products and provisions over the pandemic, alongside products from British-based food businesses. Ultimately, it aims to support and celebrate hospitality after a difficult few years.
Expect Merlin Labron-Johnson’s cider from his Somerset restaurant Osip, wine, beer & cocktails from St John Bread & Wine, provisions from Cornwall’s Coombeshead Farm, handmade ceramics from Pophams’ new homeware brand, regeneratively grown flour from Wildfarmed, confit potatoes and pies from Quality Chop House, kombucha and ferments from Little Duck The Picklery and olive oil from Hackney’s Café Cecilia. There will be fresh pastries from Flor, including brown butter cakes, Danishes and hot cross buns, available in the shop on Sunday morning.
There are also a few workshops happening during the week. We’ll be hosting a still life food drawing session with Charcoal Art Club x Natoora on Thursday 17, and a pasta-making workshop with Wildfarmed x Burro e salvia on Sunday 20.
First published in our sister publication CODE Hospitality
