Lamb with hummous? Why not?

Guilty Pleasure reporter Lea Fourmaux went to a Victorian-style tavern in Groveland Court to spend an evening savouring an unusual mix of food.

Want to try something new? What about a tasty combination of hummous and lamb, or perhaps a skewer of octopus and chorizo? Or maybe a bowl of marinated salmon, garnished with pomegranate?

The Food Factory Project recently teamed up with The Four Sisters Townhouse, a tavern near Bank station, to offer guests a preview of its trial menu. And despite thoughts to the contrary, the unusual dishes were sure to impress.

Guests had the chance to try its three-act food menu, which was a good opportunity to share not only food but also an unusual dining experience with friends and family. Not only were the combinations surprising, but each act also had an accompanying cocktail, created to liven up the food.

“We like to play with every aspect of food,” said Meliti Bampili-Thymara, the event coordinator. “We like to be adventurous with the food and surprise people’s palates.”

The first act was composed of three dishes: served in a bowl a mix of salmon ceviche mixed with pomegranate and basil, on a platter two croquettes of duck leg with pesto and mango salsa and a mix of burrata, grapes, and olive oil rocks. The first act seemed small to share for two people, but you will need to save space for the second act.

Act Two was the most surprising in terms of food associations: ignore what everything is made of and to dig in directly. First off is a big bowl of hummous with a plate of pulled lamb shank on the top of it, with accompanying pita bread. In another bowl were mixed mushrooms and poached eggs with truffles and croutons. The mushrooms were raw, which will not be to everybody’s taste, but they should still be tried, as the rich flavour really stood out.

The third platter of the second act though, was the piece de resistance, two octopus and chorizo skewers to share, with piquillo pepper. The mix was delicious, tasty and left diners wanting more.

“I’m not a big fan of raw mushrooms, said Stephen Kilbey, a fellow food enthusiast, “I really enjoyed the hummous and lamb and the cocktails are perfect with the food.”

Bampili often came to check on the customers and make sure they were enthusiastic about the chef’s creations. She was keen to hear everyone’s opinions and welcomed all comments.

“This is why we created this pop-up,” she said. “We want the menu to be perfect and there’s no better way to ensure that by asking the people who are eating it to be critics.”

The third act – dessert – had a different twist. In this case, it was turned into a tasting game, where the diners were asked to guess which ingredients were used to make the three desserts on offer.

There was an incentive too, as anyone who guessed right received a voucher for their next trial evening for free.

There was some milk, some flowers and what appeared to be rice, but guessing wasn’t an easy task for anyone in the room. We tried, and well... we failed.

The Food Factory Project is one of the few catering companies in London that asks its customers to try unusual dishes and food combinations, before they actually put them on the daily menu.

It was created five months ago by Bampili-Thymara and the executive chef Vasilis Kalamoukis, who wanted to share their passion for food by starting a business focused on creating and selling good quality meals.

“We like to create the idea of a possible relationship between the garden, the food, and the people,” said Kalamoukis, who came to London from his hometown of Athens.

If you are out of ideas for a night out to eat, keep an eye on the Food Factory Project’s Facebook page for its next trial night. You won’t be disappointed!

Cost: We paid £22 per person, without drinks, but costs may vary depending on ingredients.