With his signature style, Ollie Couillaud’s new menu takes inspiration from international culinary dishes by incorporating a twist on Western and Eastern classic dishes such as bao buns and papaya and avocado ceviche, which reflect the multicultural area of the Thames Bankside by London’s Tate Modern. Appointed to the restaurant in February this year, Ollie will also be bringing new initiatives into the OXBO Bankside restaurant, including cutting down food waste in the restaurant’s kitchen and looking at how best the kitchen staff can recycle and reuse product to help with the hotel’s sustainability efforts.
Growing up in France within a family of cooks, the use of high quality, seasonal ingredients that are bought from local markets has always been important to Ollie and is evident in this spring-summer menu. As a culinarian, he constantly strives to improve his dishes and create innovative taste combinations – all items on offer are elevated with the finest locally-sourced ingredients that diners will inevitably love.
While many perceive food waste to be the result of unnecessary packaging and unfinished plates, some of the highest levels of food waste can be seen at the preparation stage. With the help of the OXBO Bankside culinary team, Ollie will look to change this in the kitchens at the hotel, whereby processes will be put in place to eliminate premature preparation of food, alongside factors such as excessive trimming of ingredients and insufficient or non-sustainable storing options.
Ollie’s efforts are a welcomed addition to the OXBO Bankside restaurant in Hilton London Bankside hotel, that has introduced many sustainability and community driven projects since its launch in 2011. The hotel is always looking for new and innovative ways to contribute to the community and lighten its ecological footprint having recently launched the world’s very first Vegan Suite, a suite made up of vegan-friendly materials and design elements for the ethically-conscious traveler, alongside housing beehives on the hotel’s Meadow Garden; an initiative set up to reintegrate nature into the urban Bankside landscape. In this time, Hilton London Bankside has continued to care for its Bankside Bees and guests have been able to sample the delicious and floral-tasting honey in the OXBO Bankside restaurant which is harvested each September.
This year the hotel launched the world’s very first Vegan Suite, following guest feedback. Given the approval of the Vegan Society, everything from the carpets to the pillow options and mini-bar offering has been redesigned to create a boutique, luxurious and welcoming experience for the ethically-conscious traveller.
For reservations and further information please visit oxbobankside.co.uk
