Chef Henry Dobson is putting provenance at the centre of his new Edinburgh venture, Moss, promising a menu that will be 100% Scottish, including over 90 products sourced from his family’s farm in Angus.
Set to open on Stockbridge’s St Stephen’s St on 29th January, the restaurant’s a la carte menu is said to take inspiration from Dobson’s travels in Scandinavia and East Asia, as well as from the diverse cultures within his venue team.
Dobson’s international culinary credentials are strong – having worked at the famed three-Michelin-star Noma in Copenhagen, The Ledbury and Pollen Street Social in London, and Heron in Edinburgh.
Dobson said: “Moss is the culmination of two years of solid research and development and I can’t wait to open our doors and share our perspective on what we think is possible with Scotland’s diverse palette of ingredients.
“My team and I are excited to amalgamate the best of Scotland’s local makers and producers and find our niche amongst the incredible scene of restaurants in Edinburgh.”
While in Scandinavia, Dobson became interested in ‘slow food’ ideology and preserving and fermenting seasonal ingredients to use in dishes and drinks throughout the year.
During his time in Japan, he worked at both two Michelin-star Maz, studying the approach and techniques of Virgilio Martinez, and at 1 Michelin-star Kabi, where he learnt their preservation techniques for ultra high-quality Japanese produce.
At launch, the Moss menu will feature beef dripping, bone marrow and garum focaccia, smoked duck, ceviche cooked with acid from wild sorrel, and ‘the fluffiest chiffon cake outside of Japan’.
The drinks list will focus solely on British made natural and ‘low intervention’ wines, beers and spirits from producers like Westwell, Domaine Hugo and Henners, as well as house made infusions, kombuchas and caffeinated hot beverages using roasted barley koji and British grown tea.
In terms of décor, the 26-cover scandi-inspired minimalist dining room has been designed by Henry and his artist wife, Akiko, featuring home-made textured paint, using ash from farm-sourced hardwood, that gives the impression of exposed concrete.
The tables have also been built by Henry using wood from wind-fallen Lime trees, with crockery made by Akiko, who specialises in ceramics, using clay from the farm.
“This project has already been such a personal journey for my family and I,” said Dobson. “From our six month R&D trip to Japan, to Akiko and I digging clay out of ditches for the tableware, to sieving ash for the paint, to bucking, milling and joining the table tops all the way to foraging our vast library of preserved ingredients from my family farm.”
Moss will open Wednesday – Saturday for a set lunch and a la carte dinner service with reservations opening soon. Follow Moss_edinburgh on Instagram for updates.
