Noma, which was often recognised as the world’s best restaurant, closed its doors for good at the end of 2024, but those that loved it - or wanted to try it - are in luck as a former chef at the Danish eatery is opening his own restaurant in Scotland.
Moss, a new farm to table restaurant owned by chef director Henry Dobson is set to open in Stockbridge on 29 January with over 90 products sourced directly from Dobson’s Scottish family farm.
The a la carte menu will be based on the best of the fresh and preserved harvest from the farm in Angus and a network of local producers including Phantassie Organic Farm in East Lothian, Butchery at Bowhouse in the East Neuk of Fife with foragables, game, meat, vegetables and herbs sourced from the farm.
Taking inspiration from his travels in Scandinavia and East Asia, as well as from the diverse cultures in his team, the dishes will be ingredient-led and will constantly evolve depending on what produce is available.
The menu has 100 percent of its produce sourced from Scotland and will feature beef dripping, bone marrow and garum focaccia, duck smoked using shavings from the dining tables, ceviche cooked with acid from wild sorrel, and a chiffon cake inspired by those in Japan.
Furthermore, the drinks list will focus solely on British made natural and low intervention wines, beers and spirits with producers like Westwell, Domaine Hugo and Henners featuring prominently on the wine list, as well as house made infusions, kombuchas and caffeinated hot beverages using roasted barley koji and British grown tea.
The 26-cover scandi-inspired minimalist dining room has been designed by Henry and his artist wife, Akiko, featuring their own home-made textured paint, using ash from farm-sourced hardwood, that gives the impression of exposed concrete.
The tables have also been built by Henry using wood from wind-fallen Lime trees, with crockery made by Akiko, who specialises in ceramics, using clay from the farm.
Dobson and his team bring a wealth of fine dining experience, having worked at some of the finest restaurants across the UK and beyond, including Noma in Copenhagen, The Ledbury and Pollen Street Social in London and Heron in Edinburgh.
Of the new restaurant Henry Dobson said: “Moss is the culmination of two years of solid research and development and I can’t wait to open our doors and share our perspective on what we think is possible with Scotland’s diverse palette of ingredients.
“My team and I are excited to amalgamate the best of Scotland’s local makers and producers and find our niche amongst the incredible scene of restaurants in Edinburgh.
“This project has already been such a personal journey for my family and I. From our six-month research and development trip to Japan, to Akiko and I digging clay out of ditches for the tableware, to sieving ash for the paint, to bucking, milling and joining the table tops all the way to foraging our vast library of preserved ingredients from my family farm.”
Henry trained at the Ballymaloe Cookery School in Cork and three Michelin-star restaurant Noma in Copenhagen, where he became fascinated with slow food ideology and preserving and fermenting seasonal ingredients to use in dishes and drinks throughout the year.
Working with a network of specialist producers, the drinks list will only feature British makers and the menu will use only Scottish suppliers.
Working in London as a head chef and sound engineer in the music industry, his dual passions for creating art and gastronomy synthesised into a dream to open his own restaurant where he could source materials direct from producers and his family farm.
Having studied food production, his exploration of hospitality and service techniques saw him move to Japan to take a residency in ceramics and working at both two Michelin-star Maz, studying the approach and techniques of Virgilio Martinez, and at one Michelin-star Kabi where he learnt their unusual preservation techniques and worked with ultra high-quality Japanese produce.
Moss will open Wednesday - Saturday for a set lunch and a la carte dinner service with reservations opening soon. It’s located at 112 St Stephen Street in Edinburgh.
