asado
This spec web page was created for fictional fire restaurant asado.
asado is a plant-based Patagonian inspired barbecue restaurant based in Exeter, England. The owners needed an about page writing explaining the origin story of the restaurant, to give real flavour to the people behind the food and drink.
A customer profile deep-dive for this type of high-end restaurant suggested that diners would tend to be well-off financially, and between the ages of 35 and 70.
Research also suggested that potential diners would very likely love to try new things, create new memories for themselves and have stories to tell friends. They may also wish to try cooking this way themselves.
The business goals for this page are to entice new diners to the restaurant through introducing the people behind it and the origins. Doing this would help asado to become known locally and to get diners to spread the word about the experience as well as share their experience on social media (this is something the owners would further initiate through a separate in-restaurant promotion).
The Copy
[Title] asado, our origin story.
Thank you for being here. We are Paulo and Alice, and this is asado, our passion become reality.
[Image: Asador, Paulo]
[Image: Sommelier, Alice]
Paulo hales from El Chaltén, deep in the south of Argentinian Patagonia. And it was here that we met each other way back in 2009.
I (Alice) had been visiting Mendoza, sourcing local wines for a high-end UK wine importing company. And after that business trip, I headed off to do some trekking along the trails surrounding Mount Fitz Roy in Argentina’s rugged south.
Stopping off for a few nights in El Chatén, I wandered into a local bakery and immediately fell in love. Not with the man behind the counter, Paulo, but with the Argentine delicacy known as Alfajores!
I took the first bite right outside the shop and immediately went back in to buy some more. They are otherworldly. And it was then that Paulo, in perfect English, told me that he had made them himself, using his grandmother’s secret recipe.
[Image: alfajores]
They say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Well, it works the other way, too. We got talking, and were married 3 years later.
While Paulo may be an artiste of pastry and baking, his real passion lies amidst the flames and woodsmoke of barbecue. Or, as it is known across many parts of South America, asado.
[Image: asado]
Hugely inspired by the wild creations of fellow Argentine fire chef Francis Mallmann, Paulo had honed his craft of cooking meat over the grill known as a parrilla. And, even for me as a vegetarian, it was an incredible sight to behold, a base and magical thing to be a part of.
As Mallmann talks about in his phenomenal book ‘Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way’, there are many different ways to cook on open fire. And Paulo loves them all.
- Parrilla – A flat grill on legs above coals
- Chapa – A cast iron plancha with fire directly underneath
- Horno de barro – A clay oven
- Caldero – A hanging cauldron
- Rescoldo – Cooking directly in the ashes
- Infiernillo – Cooking with a fire beneath and above
- Asador – An iron cross for smoking around a fire
I’ve been vegetarian for over 10 years and I’m also a keen cook, too. When I cooked for Paulo, he began to appreciate and introduce more plant-based food into his diet. And as he did so, he began to wonder – how could he recreate the flavours of a true Patagonian asado for vegetarians and vegans like me?
He experimented, created, tweaked and refined. He introduced vegetables and plants to the flames and heat, infusing them with the scent of wood smoke and the flavour of char. He developed his marinades, his rubs and spice mixes.
And he did such a good job, that he went plant-based himself in 2016.
We both knew that the food he was creating on the fire was special. And we knew we had to find a way to share it with the world. And so, our dream to open a plant-based Patagonian fire food restaurant was born.
[Image: asado restaurant]
We welcome you to asado.
Alongside the food, I have poured my 20 years experience in the wine industry to bring you a specially curated menu of South American wines to match each of our dishes. We also have an incredible selection of both local craft ales and lagers, as well as stunning imported beers from across South America.
At asado, we bring you high craft, the passion of South America, and an experience to savour. We bring you the seven fires.
[button] Experience asado
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