Ethical chicken restaurant H.en has just opened in Brighton. Owner Philip Ilic is former operations manager at London’s Le Mercury, the Islington-based French restaurant set up by his mother, Grace Ilic, in 1987. Philip oversaw the expansion of Le Mercury from one to two restaurants, before opting to open his own place in Brighton, where he lives.
H.en stands for 'happy/healthy, eat natural' and the chicken comes from Brookland Farm in Surrey, where Philip said the birds have the 'highest quality of life with plenty of outdoor space'. Philip’s partner Ana Jungen, a nutritionist, has devised a range of salads to go alongside the chicken.
'Chicken is very popular at the moment – it’s where burgers were three or four years ago,' Ilic told Square Meal. 'Our concept is very close to being Paleo [Cave Man diet], which is very popular at the moment. You can still have fried chicken and beer if you’re feeling naughty on a Friday night, though,' he added.
Paleo restaurant Pure Taste opened in Notting Hill this autumn and the diet is said to be growing in popularity.
Ilic hopes H.en will be popular enough to roll out in the future.
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H.en
This story was published 18 December 2014