It's 60 years since the iconic restaurant, Hendersons, opened at 94 Hanover Street. Now, in 2023, it still serves a menu of 100% vegetarian, vegan and plant-based food made from scratch.
A series of exciting events will run this summer to commemorate this milestone .
Janet and Mac Henderson first opened the Hendersons Shop in 1962, and a basement restaurant opened in ‘63. Here you could find vibrant veg-laden plates being served to people from all walks of life, from counterculture hippies to the affluent new town clientele, in simple surroundings with only fruit boxes for seats. The restaurant was frequented by celebrities such as Tilda Swinton, Woody Harrelson, Sir Ian McKellen, and Dylan Moran to name but a few.
But in 2020, due to the pandemic, the Hanover Street site closed its doors, seemingly for good. Edinburgh was aghast, but luckily Hendersons has managed to return in a new location, with an updated version of the well-loved blueprint. Grandson of its founders, Barrie Henderson (38), organised a reboot in the space previously occupied by The Apartment.
Headed up in the kitchen by Paul Kane (formerly Hendersons Vegan) and James Porteous (formerly Wedgwood and the New Chapter), their team of talented chefs, along with the front of house led by Laura Dall’Era (who formerly managed the Salad Table before it closed), have created a wealth of new dishes, cocktails and exciting things for you to try, sourcing nutritious ingredients to enjoy in sustainable organic surroundings.
The décor for the new restaurant was created by florists Gloam and Edinburgh design firm Four By Two, who recently were involved in designing the new Virgin Hotel. Dried barley, hops, wheat and heather adorns the ceiling space in a dramatic visual display. Hendersons is passionate about sustainability and avoiding plastics returning all their packaging to their fruit and veg suppliers doing their bit towards a circular economy. The back garden of the restaurant is also used for composting food waste, growing herbs, edible flowers and some vegetables, as well as a beautiful fig tree.
This summer, the Hendersons team wants to say thank you to all their customers by inviting everyone to a series of fun events to bring people together, enjoying the special food and atmosphere. Among others, there will be an introduction to foraging in collaboration with Coeur Sauvage (award-winning foragers), a wine tasting event lead by Alliance Wine who specialise in sustainable wines, a barbecue in their back garden, charity fundraising and by popular demand, the return of some of the amazing musicians that played at the old restaurant for some special live music evenings in the restaurant.
Barrie says:
“We are really excited to get together with everyone to celebrate this milestone, as we look forward to the future, to develop and grow. It’s never been more important than now to make sustainable food choices and we hope you will join us soon.”
