Ómós Digest: #28 Big news.
We’re looking for a space and we need your help!
This newsletter is brought to you by Cúán Greene, Founder of Ómós.
This announcement has been in the pipeline for a while and I’m delighted to share it with you. Ómós is expanding and we need your help! My team and I are looking for a premises to house all of the thoughts and ideas which we have been drip-feeding you over the last however many months via this weekly Digest. It’s a very exciting step that will allow us to put our words into practice. We hope for it to be a space that encapsulates the ethos of Ómós and builds upon this knowledge-sharing network that has largely been allowed to grow thanks to your continued support.
The impact of Covid has been enormous. Almost two years ago, I silently stood back from Bastible restaurant in Portobello, where I had been head chef for a little under a calendar year (many think I still work there). With a wonderfully passionate team, the period was formative and invaluable. We had support from the restaurant owners who have a track record of allowing youth to prevail. With a licence to cook as we wished, we served dishes that were inspired by the traditions of this island and the food from my travels. During this period I learnt a lot about myself and my values, as well as what fundamental drawbacks and mistakes could be avoided and improved upon moving forward. However as Covid hit, my redundancy bestowed on me something I had experienced very little of in my career: time. Gone were the long shifts, back-to-back services, orders and deadlines. These were replaced with, well, a day with no agenda. Although I would love to tell you that putting my feet up was my first priority, instead this newfound time presented itself with an opportunity. It was time to deep dive into the business plan I had envisioned ever since I first stepped into a kitchen at the age of 15.
Starting this newsletter was not only a means to connect with a knowledge-hungry community and share my learnings, I also wanted it to be a place where we could all forget about the ever-escalating pandemic, momentarily at least. That said, I have the pandemic to thank for compelling me to change directions. I met Niall, the organic grower at Thrive Farm, who allowed me to stomp around his land and plant obscure produce, fuelling me to learn as much as I possibly could about farming (I’m still learning). It was this time that allowed me to appreciate why local food is of great importance. I discovered places I didn't know existed and came across wild produce that I never had time to pick or had never even heard of. I preserved, trialed and experimented. Some worked and some failed spectacularly, but over the last two years, I, with the help of many others, have been able to learn a great deal. The result is an Ómós that may have looked very different had it not been pushed down the various pathways of the pandemic. With restrictions and restraint for sure, it was allowed to slowly gather insight and find its course organically.
Ómós is a traveling caravan of ideas - collaborations of food and innovations as well as investigations surrounding what we eat. That, it always will be. However, with a space to call home, we can continue to build upon our community in other ways. We can extend beyond telling you about that berry you should forage in fall and physically invite you in. A space means we can cook for you, cook with you and continue this learning experience we have embarked upon collectively. With your help - farmers, growers, producers, foragers, chefs, scientists, nature lovers, food enthusiasts, craftsmen and women, architects, designers and diners - we hope to create a space that we can all be a part of. A space where we can create memories to last a lifetime.
HERE’S WHAT WE NEED:
Location:
We’re looking for a space in Dublin. We love Dublin. Its imperfection is endearing, the whimsical qualities of its streets and the character of its people are everything we wish to enclose within our four walls. Part of our ethos at Ómós is to bring the outside in and Dublin’s proximity to the mountains, rivers and oceans allows for just that.
The building:
We’re more premises concerned than location concerned, however, something quirky, offset from a main street would be of preference. It comes with a garden you say? There's access to parking? We’re in!
The conditions:
Access to natural night is essential. Our research shows that unless you are composed of 100% mycelium or are growing koji, chances are you benefit from the exposure to natural light. While many of our guests will experience the space in the form of evening service, our staff will be working throughout the day (prepping food from the farms, creating products for our online store, future project designing, newsletter writing etc). We place a huge emphasis on diversifying and drawing on the principles of what it means to sustain a good business. Therefore it is crucial that we create an environment that promotes good working conditions, embraces cultural diversity and celebrates equality. We hope to do this with fairness, dignity and respect. In honouring this, it ultimately impacts the food we provide.
Got a lead?
If you know of a landlord looking to do exciting things, or if there is a building you might know of, please don't hesitate to give us a shout. Anything from an ad hoc space, a loft or a derelict restaurant with potential. A 1 or 10 year lease might not matter - we’re open to all propositions. Ómós is on a journey and our vision entails much more than your conventional restaurant. We appreciate all your support so far and would love to reach you beyond our newsletter.
Please share this message with your contacts and who knows, we might just fall upon something special! Send an email to omos@omos.co.
If you’re more of a social bunny you can hit us up on Facebook, slide into our Instagram DMs via or give us a tweet via Twitter.
Thank you!
Cúán