The Vicarage

• WHO: Steven Tuke, executive chef
• WHAT: Locally-sourced produce with a menu driven by responsible local gardeners, foragers & farmers
• WHERE: Knutsford Road, Holmes Chapel, Cranage, UK

“We are very aware of our carbon footprint and our environment and have managed to reduce our energy bills by installing activity switches to our washrooms, passages and public area lighting. We banished both plastic straws and cocktail sticks, changing instead to paper straws and wooden cocktail sticks. Our chef's garden produces organic vegetables and herbs using our own compost. We have also worked with suppliers to reuse packaging and have actually saved money whilst being responsible. Additionally, we have adapted our menu to include a fish mixed grill consisting of whatever our day-boat suppliers manage to catch, as well as offering more wild game and fowl.”

Christmas at The Vicarage Whether you’re looking for a venue for your work Christmas party, a delicious family lunch on Christmas Day, a cracking party with friends on New Year’s Eve, or a romantic festive break, The Vicarage is the perfect destination. Find out more here.

To read more about The Vicarage, visit their Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery profile here.

Transformer Fitzroy

• WHO: Laki Papadopoulos & Mark Price, owners
• WHAT: Super smart vegetarian & vegan restaurant in backstreet Fitzroy
• WHERE: 99 Rose Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

“Reducing waste is an important step when designing a new dish for our restaurant. How we can incorporate the off-cuts in other dishes or stocks and sauces is always a consideration. We believe that not serving meat at the restaurant has a positive impact on the environment by minimizing the carbon foot print of our establishment.

“Using organic and biodynamic produce not only aligns well with the ethos of the business, it also usually tastes the best and has the most easily discernible provenance. Knowing where the produce we serve at the restaurant has come from and the care with which it has been treated is key to the experience we want our guests to have.

“At Transformer we not only espouse the healthy benefits of eating a predominantly plant-based diet, but we also offer around 90 percent of our menu either vegan or with a vegan option. We also provide a range of cold pressed tonics and elixirs to bolster the immune system and aid in digestion.”

To read more about Transformer Fitzroy, visit their Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery profile here.

Transformer Fitzroy

Al di la Trattoria

• WHO: Anna Klinger, chef/co-owner & Emilano Coppa, co-owner
• WHAT: A Northern Italian trattoria focusing on simply-prepared seasonal ingredients
• WHERE: 248 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, USA

“We have a network of farmers that we buy produce and eggs from in the area, and we are frequently at the local farmers' market – we do our best to source locally whenever possible. Our pork products come from Heritage Foods, who work with farms who are deeply concerned about the welfare of their animals; we also use sustainable seafood from Pierless Fish.

“I love that neighbours have been coming to our restaurant since opening in 1998. They come when they're in need of a quick meal during the week and to celebrate a special occasion. We are proud to participate in numerous charity events throughout the year supporting our community and local organizations that help provide food and shelter to the homeless.”

To read more about Al di la Trattoria, visit their Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery profile here.

Al di la Trattoria

Salopian Inn

• WHO: Karena Armstrong, chef & Alex Marchetti, sommelier
• WHAT: Casual, wine-region restaurant with eclectic, seasonal cooking
• WHERE: 5 McMurtrie Road, McLaren Vale, South Australia

“Small, constant changes for larger impact is a key focus for us. Asking the local dairy company to put cream into ten litre buckets for us instead of smaller packaging, changing the plastic kitchen containers to recycled plastic, and asking small suppliers not to pack in plastic.

“We have a very simple ethos of 'use it all'. Green waste is returned to our very own ¼ acre garden where it becomes compost then is returned to the soil. The food we grow comes to work with Karena, meaning our food miles are kept very low. Our garden is at the heart of everything we do and the driving force of Salopian Inn.

“Our menu changes all the time to reflect what is in season. Often there is only enough of a particular crop, such as globe artichokes, to have a dish for three days – ensuring customers taste what is truly in season within our region. Seasonality forces the kitchen to be creative, we preserve, ferment and pickle to help when the garden is in between crops.”

Get to know Chef Karena Armstrong a little better in this week's Q&A!

To read more about Salopian Inn, visit their Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery profile here.

Salopian Inn

Elpiniki (Gourmet Goat)

• WHO: Nick & Nadia Stokes, founders/owners
• WHAT: Cypriot dishes using sustainable British ingredients
• WHERE: Borough Market, Rochester Walk, London, UK

“All of our ingredients are thoughtfully sourced. Every dish served at Elpiniki is a flavour memory connecting us with the past and giving our future a chance, because what we do and what we believe in is cooking in harmony with our environment.

“We are partnered with a local growing community at Forty Hall Farm in north London who provide our seasonal produce. When it comes to meat we believe in the ‘eat better quality meat less often’ approach. All of our meat is of the highest quality, sourced within the UK. All of our kid goat comes from surplus billies from the dairy industry and is free-range. We only buy direct from the farm – Gourmet Goatling in North Yorkshire. Our Veal comes from surplus calves – using only Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) certified ‘rose’ veal direct from Westons farm in Devon.

“We are proud to say that we have very little food waste at Elpiniki. We plan meticulously each day what will be prepared so that we either sell out or that it can be used the following days. On the rare occasions we do have food left over on a Saturday then this is given to the charitable organization Plan Zheros.”

News: "Multi-award winning Gourmet Goat, now Elpiniki, has had a makeover following a move to a new location within Borough Market. Just ten metres opposite our old place, we now serve a wider range of sustainable Cypriot dishes. We also serve local wines and ales, direct trade coffee and tea."

To read more about Elpiniki, visit their Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery profile here.

Elpiniki

Karena… that’s me. I am the chef and owner of Salopian Inn, we have a really unique restaurant that is plonked right in the middle of the gorgeous McLaren Vale. We have created a style of hospitality that is uniquely our own and very much driven by what we grow in our garden.

What is your idea of perfect happiness? Hot summers day, tomato salad from the garden, G&T in hand.

What is the purest thing you have ever tasted? Oyster straight from the ocean off Kangaroo Island...pristine, briney perfection.

What is the best thing you can do with your hands? Roll dumplings...lots of dumplings, and hold the hand of someone who needs it.

What was your first experience with sustainable eating? Growing up with my mum... he can make something out of any garden for dinner.

What do you love most about what you do? That it’s ever-changing; I never stop learning.

What do you consider the most overrated ingredient? Caviar.

What’s the best thing you’ve ever been taught? To listen.

Is there anything you don’t particularly care to eat? Food cooked without love or care.

If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be? My dog!!! He has the best life.

When was the last time you ate out, and where? soi.38 Adelaide...it was excellent.

Are there any mentors or food heroes you would like to thank? Oh wow, that is a long list. Kylie Kwong, Alla Wolf Tasker are both standouts.

What are your favourite books or cookbooks? Flavour Thesaurus by Niki Segnit - a great, creative thinking book.

What is the dish on your own menu that most engages you? It still is the prawn dumplings – the mediation whilst rolling, and they always taste so good.

What do you make from scratch? Most things.

What would you be doing if you weren’t doing what you are doing? Not sure really…

How do you like to spend your day off? With my family...three boys who are awesome fun.

What does success mean to you? That I grow something that brings the team along with it, that those around me grow and benefit.

What is your current obsession, the thing you think about at 3am? Reducing meat on the menu and staying commercially viable.

What are the qualities you most admire in others? Kindness and patience.

Can you tell us something we don’t know about you? I am almost a black belt at karate.

Which three words best describe your cooking style? Honest, generous, vibrant.

If you could eat only one thing today, what would it be? Salopian sourdough.

What do you see when you think of the cuisine of your own country? I see creativity and lateral thinking...I love what I see.

Which producer or supplier really brightens your day? My rabbit bloke, shoots and cleans them himself.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse? F@%*.

Which talent would you most like to have? Speak another language.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I would be calmer.

What do you think the food of the future will look like? In terms of global food culture, really bad if we don’t get our act together.

Do you have a motto or mantra? Row your own boat.

What is your number one sustainability tip or trick? To set your purpose of sustainability and then bring every decision you make back to that purpose.

Salopian Inn

Roast goose with chestnut and pear stuffing

By Simon Arkless, head chef, Terrace Restaurant, St Leonards Vineyard Café, Thousand Pound Wine Bar & Store.

I have to confess I really don’t like turkey in any shape or form, dry and bland and not very interesting to my mind. But goose, well now you are talking! Rich, moist and gamey, that’s my ideal main for Christmas in July and can be paired with all the usual Christmas trimmings like roast potatoes, brussels sprouts etc.

Ingredients

• 1 goose, weighing 5 kg, oven-ready

• 5 carrots, peeled

Chestnut and pear stuffing

• 6 pork sausages
• 1 egg
• 300 g of chestnuts, cooked
• 2 pears, ripened

• 1 bunch of marjoram, chopped white pepper

Method Preheat the oven to 180˚C/Gas mark 4.

Make the stuffing by removing the meat from the sausage skins and placing it in a bowl with the egg. Cut the chestnuts into small, even pieces and add them to the sausage meat.

Peel and core the pears then cut them into small, even pieces and add to the sausage meat along with the marjoram and some freshly ground white pepper.

Remove all the fat from inside the goose and prick the skin several times all over with a fork. Place the bird in the sink and carefully pour three full kettles of boiling water over it.

Dry the goose with kitchen paper, then leave it for an hour or so to dry completely. This will help the skin to crisp while cooking.

Season the cavity of the goose with salt and pepper and stuff it with the chestnut and pear stuffing. Rub the breasts and legs with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and season generously with salt.

Lay the carrots in the middle of a very large roasting tin and sit the bird the right way up on top of them – this stops the goose sitting in its fat as it cooks.

Cover the bird and tin with a large piece of foil, scrunching it up at the sides so it’s a tight fit, and place in the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes.

Take the goose out of the oven. Remove the foil and carefully baste the goose with the rendered fat in the roasting tin.

Re-cover with foil and roast for another hour. Remove goose from the oven and baste again, then increase the heat to 220˚C/Gas mark 7.

Return the goose to the oven without any foil to brown for 30 minutes until golden, then remove it from the oven and transfer it to a large board or platter to rest in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Keep the roasting tin contents for making the gravy. Discard the carrots or keep them for another dish.

Chef Simon Arkless

Battlesteads Hotel & Restaurant

• WHO: Richard & Dee Slade, owners
• WHAT: One of the UK’s leading sustainable tourism destinations
• WHERE: Wark on Tyne, Hexham, Northumberland, UK

“Our local sourcing policy means our restaurant menus are reflective of Northumberland’s agricultural landscape. We are surrounded by some of the finest livestock, game, fish, poultry, fruit and vegetables in the country and what we can’t grow ourselves is sourced locally to support our county’s farmers and producers. We source prime local ingredients to ensure freshness and flavour and highlight the provenance of these ingredients on our menus.

“We also have a completely sustainable wine list after considerable research and negotiation with our wine suppliers Bibendum. The list includes over twenty specialist wines including natural, biodynamic and organic varieties. A key gives guests all the detail they need in order to make informed decisions about their ethical wine selections.”

News:

• Multi-award winning Battlesteads Hotel and Restaurant, renowned for its superb food, welcoming hospitality and outstanding ‘green’ credentials has recently been awarded one of the highest accolades in UK hospitality – the Sustainable Business Award at The Cateys 2019. Find out more about this coveted award here.

• In addition to the Sustainable Business Award, Battlesteads has also been shortlisted in three categories of the North East England Tourism Awards 2020. You can read more about the categories and awards here. Congratulations to the entire Battlesteads team!

To read more about Battlesteads Hotel & Restaurant, visit their Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery profile here.

Bacash

• WHO: Fiona Perkins & Michael Bacash, owners/chefs
• WHAT: A sophisticated & sustainable seafood restaurant
• WHERE: 175 Domain Road, South Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

“We focus on sourcing our produce and wine from small-scale, local producers with our menu reflecting the best of natural, seasonal and local ingredients, including organic whenever possible. We buy the best quality seasonal fish we can and look after it the best we can – most of which is filleted in-house.

“We do a lot of simply grilled fish – our minimalist approach highlights the characteristics of the different species. I am passionate about fish and my job as a chef is to bring out the nuances of the fish and not overpower them with technique. At Bacash, fish is the order of the day and simplicity is key.”

To read more about Bacash, visit their Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery profile here.

Bacash

Boca

• WHO: Omar Shihab, founder/general manager
• WHAT: Homegrown Mediterranean tapas restaurant, bar & wine cellar dining room
• WHERE: Podium Level, Gate Village 6, Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai, UAE

“BOCA has sustainability routed in its operation since inception. For five years we have been sourcing locally to help reduce our carbon footprint and support local farmers and fishermen. Restaurants are big culprits of waste and while the global food system remains under pressure, as a restaurant we have greater responsibility than serving delicious food.

“Local farms are highlighted throughout our menus as with our grape and cocktail lists. We always prefer to use sustainable, biodynamic and organic suppliers and keep a ‘market availability’ board visible to guests showing items in limited supply. Waste is separated and weighed for an upcoming certified waste audit. We refuse plastic from suppliers and grapeboxes are used for storage, decoration and as gifts to customers. We ditched all plastic straws, stirrers and cutlery two years ago and currently use a mix of paper, bamboo and cassava straws. Bamboo straws are handmade by small farmers in Palawan, Philippines.

“An exciting project we have in the pipeline is the launch of a weekly, five-seater chef’s table dinner. We aim to use this as a platform to showcase truly seasonal local products, experiment with unknown herbs, shrubs and vegetables, and put forward lesser-known varieties of fish which live in the Arabian Gulf. We also aim to use this to draw attention to alternative ethical and sustainable ingredients that may not necessarily be sourced locally but can provide inspiration to the industry and the public to follow suit.”

Event: We are hosting an important event on 27 November: a no-waste dinner for the benefit of ocean conservation. We are hosting Jo Ruxton the producer of A Plastic Ocean and co-founder of The Plastic Ocean Foundation, serving sustainable movie snacks, a no waste dinner paired with environmentally-conscious wines from the 'sea change' wine series. Click here for more information.

To read more about Boca, visit their Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery profile here.

BOCA

Solo Italiano

• WHO: Paolo Laboa, chef/owner, Mercedes Laboa, owner & Jesse Bania, wine director/owner
• WHAT: An authentic Northern Italian restaurant specializing in handmade pastas & homemade plates
• WHERE: 100 Commercial Street, Portland, Maine, USA

“Strict attention is paid to the ethical and sustainable sourcing of all of our ingredients, whether they are Italian or American. Organic, non-gmo and additive-free are common themes for the ingredients we source. Meat and fish are pasture-raised and wild, or naturally farmed. Our mushrooms are sourced locally or foraged and our wild rabbit, lamb, beef and pork, dairy and eggs come from a variety of local farmers. We don’t turn away imperfect products either, we just direct them towards their best presentation such as fillings, sauces or main components. Our water comes straight from Sebago Lake and it is encouraged and default on the table.

“We buck the Italian-American trend of large bowls of pasta. We make everything in-house, by hand, so portion sizes are important not only to the business model but also to the environment.

“Breads and pastas are all made in-house from scratch using traditional Genovese recipes. Every ingredient is fresh from the farm and sea to the kitchen and to the table – we want each ingredient to sing.”

Don’t miss the mouthwatering recipe for pansotti al sugo di noci which Solo Italiano share this week!

To read more about Solo Italiano, visit their Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery profile here.

Solo Italiano

Fleet

• WHO: Astrid McCormack, Josh Lewis & Robert Mudge, co-owners
• WHAT: A tiny fourteen-seat North Coast restaurant with a big heart
• WHERE: Shop 2, 16 The Terrace, Brunswick Heads, New South Wales, Australia

“We are blessed with an abundance of produce in this area and work almost exclusively with local producers and growers. The freshness of produce is unsurpassed when you are buying direct from the local community and it’s so wonderful to have that personal connection.

“We have two food businesses, so what is not used at one is often utilized at the other. We buy very little food that is in packaging and have removed the use of single-use plastics in the kitchen as well as using stainless steel straws. We sort our plastic recycling and have a cardboard bale in place with a local farmer who re-uses the cardboard on his property when planting. All kitchen food waste is composted and/or given to our friends as chicken feed. Additionally, we have a vestal water system which eliminates sparkling water bottles. We are also making the transition to pure beeswax candles which are better for us, our guests, and the earth!"

To read more about Fleet, visit their Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery profile here.

Fleet