The new Birch (Selsdon) hotel in South London has opened the doors to Elodie, its signature restaurant by award-winning and Michelin-starred chef Lee Westcott.
Elodie is driven by nature set within an earthy, relaxed and warm atmospheric setting. A seasonal tasting menu will bring Elodie’s ethos to life, celebrating the best produce the British Isles has to offer.
The team will work in harmony with Birch’s major rewilding project, taking cues from the ever-changing nature and the British seasons, with a substantial focus on utilising the surrounding 200 acres of rolling hills, hedgerows and the banks of wildflowers.
To bring Elodie’s ‘led by nature’ ethos to life, Westcott and the team will be foraging for ingredients from within the Birch estate. The kitchen team will work closely alongside the estates growers to build upon the newly planted on-site kitchen garden, allowing this to play an integral part in the dish and menu development.
Situated within the sensational 19th-century mansion house, Elodie’s 100-seat dining room has been recrafted and remodelled by Interior designer Sella Concept, injecting contemporary drama into the Victorian period room.
Transporting guests, the experience at Elodie is intensified by its earthy, relaxed and warm atmospheric setting. Sella Concept has found a harmonious balance for the signature restaurant’s environment, juxtaposing historical features with the nature-driven, light, earthy, community-driven identity of Birch itself. Preserving the old and adapting vintage items to the mix.
With nature as the key focal point, Elodie has been designed with different levels of seating, centralised to the bar and panoramic views outside. Eye-catching design features in the dining room include the restoration of the original timber flooring, bespoke commissioned portrait paintings by artist Poppy Ellis inspired by modern British icons and bespoke lighting by Northern Lights.
Lee Westcott, Executive Chef, said, “My vision for Elodie is to focus on cooking in harmony with the British seasons. We aim to utilise what nature has to offer and to grow, produce and cook ingredients that are at their absolute peak. Our menus will be led by the ingredients available to us and not by the months.
Taking cues from the full 200 acres Birch has to offer, the team and I will forage for organically grown estate produce alongside our recently planted kitchen garden to ensure guests get dishes that are unique to Selsdon. Later this year (maybe next year), we hope to launch nomadic dinners in the land with special guest chef collaborations and more”.
Tatjana von Stein, Sella Concept, said, “The earthy authentic approach to Lee’s cooking is something we took through into the design concept from the flow of space to the choice of materials, colours and design details – balancing out the grandness of the heritage site while bringing the Birch culture to life. There is a decorative feel to the building, which we paired back with honest materials and design throughout, a harmony yet juxtaposition which creates a unique feel to the space.”
Elodie opens to the public, hotel guests and members (16+ only) on Saturday, 24th June. Dinner reservations can be made now online or by phone. Elodie is open for dinner weekly between 6 pm – 10 pm on Wednesdays – Saturdays.
For more information, visit www.birchcommunity.com.
Address: Birch (Selsdon), 126 Addington Rd, South Croydon, CR2 8YA.
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