This week is zero waste week which focuses on raising awareness about the impact of environmental waste.
This year marked a significant change in the fine dining industry as the Michelin Star guide added a new category, the Michelin Green Star.
This distinction highlights restaurants who are at the forefront of the industry when it comes to their sustainable practises, including their ethical and environmental standards. This takes into consideration the work that the restaurant does with sustainable producers and suppliers to avoid waste, reduce or remove plastic and non-recyclable materials.
These restaurants who are awarded the star may work directly with growers, farmers and fisherman or they may grow their own plants and use regenerative methods such as no-dig vegetable gardens. The star also takes into consideration the quality of life that the staff of the establishment are able to have whilst working there.
Since being launched in January of this year there has already been 22 restaurants awarded this rating from Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England.
We've rounded up three of those restaurants to tell you a little bit about them in honour of zero waste week.
You can find out more about them below.
A Restaurant Where The Light Gets In
Based in an old coffee warehouse in Stockport, Greater Manchester is A Restaurant Where The Light Gets In. The restaurant works directly with farmers and fishermen from all over the isles to create a seasonal menu with their own touch, cooking everything in their open plan restaurant and kitchen.
James Galton, who has been general manager at WTLGI for over a year, said: “The Michelin Guide is moving with the times and recognising the importance of sustainability. It also takes into account how the restaurant treats their staff, including factors such as a four-day working week and mental health
“At our restaurant we not only recycle, but cut plastic out of our supply chains, and constantly strive to do more through the long-standing relationships we have with our suppliers. New ways to be sustainable often come about through different treatment of our leftover products. This could be anything from dehydrating fish skins to make seasonings, fermenting or salting last season’s fruit, or even using vegetable peelings to dye fabrics like our napkins. To put it succinctly, zero waste is the target.
“We are also lucky enough to have our own local outdoor growing space which we helped build with MUD (Manchester Urban Diggers) as part of a community project. Although because of the weather at the moment, we just have fennel and some of the hardier herbs growing.”
Find out more: www.wtlgi.co
Photo credit: WTLGI
L'Enclume
Located in the sleepy Lakeland village where Cartmel sticky toffee pudding is produced in a characterful old smithy is Simon Rogan's L'Enclume restaurant.
It is described in the Michelin guide as having its menu at one with nature as much of the produce comes from the restaurants 12 acre farm.
As well as its Michelin Green Star for gastronomy and sustainablily the restaurant has also been awarded two Michelin stars for the dish quality and flavours.
Simon Rogan was quoted by the Michelin guide saying: "At L'Enclume we use ingredients from our 12 acre farm, which was designed by chefs, for chefs; along with local suppliers for meat and fish. We have continually developed preserving methods over the past decade to enable us to extend the time we can rely on our own growing."
Find out more: www.Lenclume.co.uk
Petersham Nurseries Café
Based in London but inspired by nature and its protection this cafe produces menus with a slow food ethos, sticking to seasonal fruit and vegetables. The farm they use in Devon, Haye Farm, ran by the son of one of their founders supplies meat, eggs and produce. They use a agro-forestry and regenerative method of farming, using waste from one part of the farm as fuel for the other, the cycle continues and little waste occurs.
Any waste that the restaurant produces is recycled as much as possible, they use a aerobic food digester last year which odourlessly turns food waste into water.
"We always look for ways to reduce our footprint, protect the environment and give back to the community. This approach is integral to how we operate and we hope to demonstrate to others that businesses can succeed in a natural, environmentally correct way."
— Ambra Papa, quote taken from Michelin guide
To find out more about the Michelin Green Guide visit here
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
