Making the art of supper clubs more hambidextrous than ever, Oink: Swine Dining is the first food event in London of its kind to make an absolute pig's ear of itself, on purpose. Primed with pork, Oink is a supper club curtailing social dining for the sake of one single meat, and they're already rattling with interest. Always wanting to have our snouts in the latest pop-up trough, we got familiar with Oink: Swine Dining creator James Purdie for more news about his latest London venture:
- First things first, why pig?
James: I lived in Dubai for over 5 years and constantly found myself with a fairly hefty yearning for pork – a scratch that is particularly difficult to itch in that part of the world. Once I was back living in London I swore to myself that I’d never again go without those delicious little porkers and Oink was born.
- What makes Swine Dining different from the menagerie of social dining experiences in London right now?
James: We’re all about the pig. We’re single minded in that respect. We want the menu to constantly evolve to show Londoners cuts and flavours that they have never experienced before.
Peruse over pork as Oink: Swine Dining brings about some of the most unique ways to present this favoured meat.
- What dish are you most excited about when it comes to the Swine Dining menu? The black pudding nuggets have had some ears pricked with interest!
James: The Cheeky Nuts have definitely got people talking - they’re the Pig’s Cheek and Black Pudding Nuggets. The Salt Bacon infused Bloody Mary has also been an early favourite. We intended the Bacon Salt to be stirred into the Bloody Mary, but we’ve spotted a lot of guests knocking back the Bacon Salt straight. They can’t get enough of the stuff. We might even start packaging it up for people to take home!
- Can you tell us about the importance of where you’ve been sourcing your pork from, and why it’s been so pivotal in the creation of the menu?
James: We believe that big flavours start in the field. It’s imperative to us that we’re part of the farming process from the very beginning which is why we’re working with a friendly farm just 50 miles away from the Oink kitchen
- What has been one of the biggest challenges in using only one type of meat?
James: Honestly the response to the concept has been better than we could have hoped. I think it’s because of the versatility of the meat. The amount of different flavours you can get out of one animal is quite staggering.
Pigs are claimed to be the second most intelligent animal next to man, James Purdie also thinks that they're delicious.
- Are there any plans for more supper clubs once the Swine Dining residency is over? Perhaps even a different, showcased meat?
James: The dream is to take Oink and the Swine Dining concept to a permanent home. Right now all we’re focusing on is our curly-tailed friends, but never say never.
- Pork scratchings, or a sausage sandwich?
James: Pork scratchings, all day long. With Fennel Salt and apple sauce.
- Let’s get hypothetical: You’re on a date, you’ve got to wow them with your best pig pun, what would it be (as if the second date depended on it)?
James: Hypothetically (I’m very much spoken for), I’d probably opt for a poem rather than a pun. We’ve actually got one scrawled across the wall in the restaurant.
Roses are Red
So is Bacon
Rhymes are hard
Bacon
Oink: Swine Dining takes place every Friday and Saturday night at 7:30pm. Book your table here with DesignMyNight now: http://www.oink-swinedining.com/
