28/9/21

When Hendersons closed its doors last summer, it marked the end of an era. Edinburgh’s legendary vegetarian restaurant, founded by Janet Henderson in 1962, had made its way into the hearts of people seeking goodness from nutritious, homemade food. In recent decades the restaurant adopted the mantra ‘eat better, live better’, and thanks to Janet’s grandson, Barrie Henderson, her legacy will live on at a new venue in Edinburgh’s Bruntsfield when it opens tomorrow.

Barrie said: “After the amazing support we’ve received from our Edinburgh community, we’re really looking forward to opening. The chefs are excited to reveal new dishes that complement the vintage dishes we’re bringing back. The menus are going to be refreshed with the seasons, as well as in response to feedback from customers, so expect to see a revolving selection of dishes over the coming months, featuring old favourites and new creations.” 

The all-day menu is designed to be both approachable and affordable. Returning customers, eager to see their favourite dishes, like the famous Hendersons haggis and classic salad plates, won’t be disappointed. Head chef Paul Kayne and senior chef Nives Arosio, both hailing from Hendersons former kitchens, have been adding exciting dishes like the starter of pumpkin and blue murder cheese ravioli with browned butter, crispy sage and toasted pumpkin seeds, and a dessert of buckwheat, pistachio and brambles s’more cake with white chocolate and whisky sauce. Their menus reflect a modern approach to the vegetarian and vegan dining experience.

Sourcing is at the forefront of the kitchen philosophy, with everything made from scratch using local, seasonal ingredients. Barrie and his partner Clara have cultivated a small fruit, herb and vegetable garden to the restaurant’s rear, where they are growing as much as possible to sustain the kitchen. The launch menu includes no less than five varieties of heritage potatoes grown in the garden, to be used in a salad with spring onion, chives, parsley, capers tossed in the house dressing.

The harmonising of old and new is also reflected in the restaurant’s interiors, with many echoes of the Hendersons of old resonating throughout the space. The walls have been given a textured feel, and an archway has been created as a nod to the original restaurant.

Natural, sustainable materials are used throughout with a focus on wood, highlighted by original restaurant tables from the 1970s in the main dining space. The aprons worn by front of house staff were designed and made by Barrie’s partner Clara. 

The overall muted colour palate is accented with retro-inspired motifs in yellow, blue and red, displayed in a mural, hand-painted by Edinburgh-based Thomas Paints.  

A wall of dried foliage that featured in the Hendersons of the 1990s was the inspiration for the abundance of dried British wheat, barley, broom, hops and birch leaves that adorn the walls, ceilings and tables, carefully arranged by Scottish floral designers Gloam. The entire design project was overseen by Edinburgh-based firm Four-By-Two.

Open seven days a week, Hendersons is welcoming customers all day for coffee and cake, drinks and snacks, lunch or dinner. A breakfast menu will be introduced at a later date.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Hendersons, 7-13 Barclay Place, Edinburgh, EH10 4HW

www.hendersonsrestaurant.com

Instagram: @hendersonseatbetter

Facebook: Hendersons Eat Better

Twitter: @HendersonsEat

Opening Times

7 days – 12-10pm

View a sample menu here.

About Hendersons

Hendersons opened in Edinburgh 1962, blazing a trail for the vegetarian and healthy-eating lifestyle. Initially an outlet for the organic produce grown at Janet and Mac Henderson’s East Lothian farm, it expanded to a bistro bar and the popular Salad Table restaurant. This pioneering approach to dining earned Hendersons iconic status on Scotland’s food and drink scene. Almost six decades later, in the summer of 2020, Hendersons ceased trading as a result of lockdown, much to the dismay of their long-standing customer base. In order to preserve Janet’s legacy, her grandson Barrie Henderson plans to open a new restaurant this September serving wholesome vegan and vegetarian food made with fresh, organic, local and sustainable produce.

Barrie Henderson, grandson of founder Janet Henderson, announced plans to re-establish the family business earlier this year following pleas from former customers, devastated by news of the closure of the city centre restaurants last year.

About Barrie Henderson

Barrie has been part of the Hendersons family business since he was 14, working his way through different departments including the old organic bakery, the kitchen and front of house, eventually becoming general manager at a time when the company was run by his uncle Nicholas and father Oliver. During a 2-year hiatus in 2010 Barrie gained experience in Germany, then working as a chef in the Inner Hebrides, working under the direction of Pamela Brunton (Inver), returning to Hendersons in 2012. He went on to gain a Masters in Hospitality and became instrumental in the overall running the business, helping them win several awards including Green Family Business of the Year 2018 (The Herald) and Family Business of the Year 2016 (The Sunday Post). Barrie is devoted to a vegetarian lifestyle, spending much of his time developing new recipes. He is also passionate about sustainable food production and growing his own food. His most treasured award is for a red cabbage that secured first prize at a local vegetable competition.

The Chefs

Paul Kayne worked at Hendersons Vegan for 4 years, developing vegan dishes that focused on naturally nutrient-rich wholefood ingredients, bucking the trend of using meat substitutes. This was a big success with the clientele, with ‘the vegan’, as it was affectionately known, being a favourite hang-out for vegan (and non-vegan) celebrities like Woody Harrelson, Ian McKellen, Chris Leibing and Akon when they were visiting Edinburgh. His creations included black bean pudding sliders with beer batter bun, apple pickle and homemade ketchup, and celeriac gnocchi with whisky date sauce.

Nives Arosio was with Hendersons for 8 years, working as Head Chef at The Salad Table for 4 years, and Head of Pastry for 3 years prior to that. Before coming to Scotland, Nives wrote a well-known vegan cookbook in her native Italy: La Cucina Etica Regionale. A mother to 2 lovely daughters, Nives specialises in desserts and makes fantastic vegan cakes.