The Sustainable Dish - 6/11

Welcome to The Sustainable Dish, your biweekly update from The Sustainable Restaurant Association.

Can you believe it’s November already? In this newsletter, we’re looking to APAC to welcome a host of new businesses in our network and to share the story of Zest in Seoul, the winner of the Sustainable Bar Award at The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024! We’re also inviting you to an exclusive webinar packed with insights on sustainable bartending; dishing on some unique new Food Made Good accreditations; answering all your burning questions about the Food Made Good Standard; and serving up some sustainability, hospitality and food news bites.?

? Have a great week,?

– The SRA Team.?

Food Made Good is growing across APAC?

We’re delighted to have so many new businesses across APAC show their commitment to sustainability by taking the Food Made Good Standard! These include Taiwan (Puli Tiger 虎嘯山嵐, IMPERSONATE 佳穎農食, Regent Taipei 晶華國際酒店股份有限公司), Japan (共恵一丁目バル Oggi, NINJA TOKYO, Cafe&Meal MUJI 吉祥寺マルイ), Hong Kong (Fortnum & Mason HK), Singapore (Mandala Club) and our first Vietnamese restaurant, Nén Danang Restaurant! The FMG Standard helps hospitality businesses measure, improve and showcase their sustainability progress, offering actionable insights and certification to ensure transparency for diners and stakeholders. If your APAC businesses is interested in how our Food Made Good Standard can support your sustainability work, contact Karen Finnerty at [email protected] .?

Why This Innovative Seoul Bar Won The 50 Best Bars Sustainability Award??

Last year, we named Zest as Time Out Seoul’s first ‘Bar of Tomorrow’, an award that supports the shift towards a more sustainable and responsible bartending community. Now, we’re thrilled to have selected them as the winner of the Sustainable Bar Award at The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024 – learn why! ?

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Dates for the diary?

Flor de Ca?a Webinar: Mixing with a Conscience: Global Insights from a Sustainable Bar, November 19th, 11am EST/4pm GMT?

Calling all bartenders! Flor de Ca?a and The SRA are excited to announce an exclusive webinar with Osvaldo Páez (Sustainability Manager) and Ximena Moreno (Head Mixologist) from Maroma, A Belmond Hotel , the 2024 The World’s 50 Best Hotels Eco Hotel Award winner! Hosted by our MD, Juliane Caillouette Noble , alongside Luis Baez , Global Brand Ambassador of Flor de Ca?a, this webinar is an incredible chance for bartenders to hear from these sustainability experts, taking inspiration for making every bar better for both the planet and its people. They’ll be offering practical tips on bringing sustainable practices into everyday bar life, no matter where you are on your journey, and will be ready to answer any questions you have. Register here! ?

Sustainable Foods, Business Design Centre, London, 28-29th January 2025?

We’re proud to be partnering with Sustainable Foods , returning for its fourth annual edition on 28-29th January 2025! Sustainable Foods convenes senior executives across the value chain working on the design and implementation of sustainable and regenerative food systems. Welcoming global policymakers, food and drink multinationals, agribusinesses, technology firms and investors, Sustainable Foods aims to drive tangible change and decisive business outcomes for the sector. Register before this Friday November 8th to get your best-value early bird ticket – and use our special discount code SRASF2025 to enjoy 15% off! Register now. ?

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Stories worth sharing?

A Food Made Good Success Story: Flat Iron?

Flat Iron were one of the first businesses to complete the Food Made Good Standard with one of our Supported and Facilitated packages, available to any business signing up. They were awarded three stars in January 2024, so we thought it was time for a catch-up! We sat down with the team at Flat Iron to see how they found the process. Read more. ?

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Stars of the FMG Standard?

Three stars: Devonshire Hotels & Restaurants Group ?

Devonshire Hotels have scored three stars in the Food Made Good Standard! Exceptional effort across all departments has resulted in real, measurable actions that benefit the planet and local communities. Here are some highlights: Each site has introduced a kitchen garden, with seasonal ingredients featured on menus. They source over 60% of food and produce within a five-mile radius and they rely on estate venison, mushrooms foraged by Robin and 'wonky' veggies from Chatsworth gardens. They organise visits, cooking demos and work experience opportunities for local secondary schools, showing students that hospitality offers a range of career options. Gas stoves have been swapped for induction, and a significant portion of energy demand is met through on-site renewables, including biomass heating and photovoltaic solar panels. Fantastic job, Devonshire Hotels — keep up the great work!?

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Two stars: Everyman Cinemas ?

Everyman Cinemas just became the first cinema to earn the Food Made Good Standard, scoring two stars! From supporting their people to reducing waste, Everyman is working hard to make a positive impact on the planet. Everyman’s menu always includes vegetarian and vegan options, and they recently upgraded to Purezza’s UK-made vegan stracciatella. They use prep waste creatively: lemon and lime off-cuts are juiced in-house; “sad” basil from their G&T becomes a garnish for margherita pizzas; chicken off-cuts are repurposed for buttermilk chicken. With zero waste sent to landfill, Everyman’s recycling and waste-to-energy programmes last year generated enough renewable energy to power thousands of homes and kept over 780 tonnes of CO2 out of the atmosphere. Everyman supports their team with early wage access and senior staff receive diversity and inclusion training. The team is already making plans to aim for a three-star rating next time, tackling even more sustainability goals. We’re excited to support them on this journey!?

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Three stars: Cardiff Metropolitan University ?

Congratulations to Cardiff Met for earning three stars in our Food Made Good Standard! Cardiff Met first took the Standard in 2016, and their score has jumped from 64% to 88% in the years since. There are many reasons for this achievement, but here are a few that stand out: Cardiff Met supports suppliers in developing sustainability plans using a supplier assessment tool. The catering team is dedicated to healthier meals, reducing salt content by 20% and sugar content by 10% by using fresh herbs and natural alternatives. They also participated in the Cardiff Council's Be Mighty Recycle campaign, focusing on food waste reduction, and partnered with Sustainable Growing Future to repurpose food waste into natural dyes using avocado skins, red cabbage and onion peels.?

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Insights from The SRA? ?

Real ways restaurants are sourcing seafood sustainably?

In this article, we explore how some of the restaurants in our network are putting the theory of sustainable seafood sourcing into practice. Read more. ?

Answering your questions about the Food Made Good Standard?

In this article, our Standard team shares the answers to the questions they get asked most often about our flagship sustainability accreditation for the F&B industry, the Food Made Good Standard.?Read more.

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Sustainable Bites?

Your bite-sized round-up of hospitality, food and sustainability news?

Food chain links to deforestation could mean legal breaches for F&B businesses?

Soy-related deforestation is rising at an “alarming” rate, and a new report reveals that EU- and UK-based companies could be exposed to illegal practices with the advent of increased regulation. Read more. ?

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Is fermentation the missing ingredient in solving our food waste problem??

Earth.org explores how fermentation can play a role in preventing food waste by repurposing fresh foods and giving them a longer shelf life. Read more. ?

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US climate efforts will hinge on today’s election?

With the US Presidential election taking place, it’s worth remembering that a second Trump term will have serious ramifications for global efforts to tackle the climate crisis. He – once again – dismissed the concept of climate change at a rally in Wisconsin last Saturday, calling it the “green new scam” and mocking concerns about rising sea levels. He has also promised to pull the USA out of the Paris Agreement. Read more. ?

Budget points to a tough year ahead for UK hospitality?

Trade body UKHospitality says the UK’s Budget will make 2025 an extremely challenging year for hospitality businesses, but that “there are reasons for longer-term positivity”. Read more. ?

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