French Broad Chocolates on sourcing sustainable cacao

• WHO: Jael & Dan Rattigan, co-creators
• WHAT: We make awesome chocolate, crafted with love & served with gratitude

• WHERE: 10 South Pack Square, Asheville, North Carolina 28801, USA

“We work with farmers and producers who share our ideals of sustainably-produced, wholesome foods. In the summer of 2016, our co-founder Dan travelled to the remote Peruvian Amazon with a cohort of fellow craft chocolate makers to establish a connection to a new source of cacao. Because of the effects of climate change, coffee is becoming increasingly challenging for farmers to grow in the region, so some are turning more of their attention to the commercial production of cacao. Cooperativa Agraria Cafetalera (CAC) Pangoa, a large cooperative with over 700 farmer members, is at a crossroads. Most of their cacao production is undifferentiated, what might be called ‘commodity cacao’. But under the leadership of Esperanza Dionisio Castillo, with support from an organization called Conservation Cacao, the members are being encouraged and trained to devote a portion of their production to fine flavour varietals with more attention given to the quality of harvest and fermentation. Conservation Cacao’s mission is to save the rainforest through sustainable cacao. The chocolate we make from this cacao brings this effort to fruition.”

To read more about French Broad Chocolates visit their Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery profile here.

Appellation talk local networking

• WHO: Daniel Murphy & Emily Murphy, chefs
• WHAT: Refined regional dining in the heart of the Barossa Valley

• WHERE: 375 Seppeltsfield Road, Marananga, South Australia 5355, Australia

“For us, true sustainability is about community support as much as it is about menus showcasing locally-farmed produce and guests refreshed by glass bottles of sparkling rainwater. Our commitment to the local Barossa community is further reinforced by our recruitment values. We actively preference local candidates and revel in our ability to introduce and nurture them in the unique art of luxury Australian hospitality. Along with other premier dining establishments in the Barossa such as St Hugo, Fino and Hentley Farm, Appellation is a founding member of the Barossa Restaurant Experience program; a subsidized dining program helping local hospitality recruits experience all the magic and finesse of fine dining, serving to inspire a healthy industry network and benchmark for excellence in Barossa cuisine.”

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

Appellation, Marananga, South Australia, Australia

Turl Street Kitchen on helping its community

• WHO: Adam O'Boyle, owner
• WHAT: An independent restaurant serving great local, seasonal food

• WHERE: 16–17 Turl Street, Oxford OX1 3DH, UK; plus other locations

“We work with local businesses as much as possible. We work closely alongside our sister charity, Oxford Hub, and support them with events within the building such as Project Soup (a community dinner series using food that would otherwise be thrown away), and we are currently working with another food project charity to host an event within our building. We are part of a local independent business network, Independent Oxford, and often host their events in the building, too.”

To read more about Turl Street Kitchen visit their Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery profile here.

Turl Street Kitchen, Oxford, UK

High Street on Hudson share three of its favourite dishes

• WHO: Ellen Yin, partner & Eli Kulp, chef/partner
• WHAT: All-day neighbourhood restaurant, bakery & café
• WHERE: 637 Hudson Street, New York City, New York 1001, USA

“The Bodega is an ode to the New York City neighbourhood corner store. It’s a breakfast sandwich made on a sage black pepper buttermilk biscuit with local farm eggs, aged Hudson Valley cheddar and homemade sausage.

“Our turkey sandwich made on our homemade Kaiser roll with Fossil Farm New Jersey/Pennsylvania turkey, green goddess dressing, lettuce and tomato

“At dinner, hand-made smoked paprika mafaldine with braised Fossil Farm rabbit, peas and pecorino.”

To read more about High Street on Hudson visit their Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery profile here.

High Street on Hudson, New York City, New York, USA

Willem Hiele on reducing food wastage

• WHO: Willem Hiele, chef & Shannah Zeebroek, sommelier
• WHAT: A gastronomic restaurant in Belgium

• WHERE: Pylyserlaan 138, 8670 Koksijd, Belgium

“We have a garden nearby where we grow our vegetables and herbs ourselves. There is a lot of nature (dunes, etc.) around this place. Every product that enters our restaurant is made sustainably by local farmers and is fair trade. When it comes to meat, we try to buy the whole animal and work nose-to-tail.”

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

Willem Hiele, Koksijd, Belgium

Wild Canary celebrates local producers

• WHO: Kate & Matt Harvey, restaurateurs
• WHAT: A botanical bistro with its own kitchen garden
• WHERE: 2371 Moggill Rodd, Brookfield, Brisbane, Queensland 4069, Australia

“We are fortunate to be surrounded by some of the most diverse and rich farming regions providing food Australia-wide. To throw the spotlight on these individual regions we host regular ‘producer lunches’, where we visit a chosen region, develop relationships with the farmers and purchase their produce for use at Wild Canary. Our menu during this time is defined by the produce from the region we are showcasing. This all culminates in the producers lunch, where the farmers come and share their story with the guests over a five-course meal made from produce from the region. We have also ventures into the countryside to host farm tours and lunches on site at producers farms to create a more in-depth food/farm experience.”

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

Wild Canary, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Actinolite talk hyper-regional cuisine

• WHO: Justin Cournoyer & Claudia Bianchi, co-owners
• WHAT: Canadian restaurant focused on sustainable eating using local, seasonal ingredients
• WHERE: 971 Ossington Ave, Toronto, Ontario M6G 3V5, Canada

“Actinolite is about hyper-regional cuisine. Our major goal is to find and source food that reflects our local region, as well as the specific time of year. We respect our ingredients and our suppliers. That means supporting local and small scale producers in as many aspects of the restaurant as possible. From our vegetables to our plates (the chef works with local potters who create the perfect feel and shape of the dishes for our restaurant), it is imperative that we are supporting our community. Our wine program follows the same philosophy, sourcing our wines from producers who farm in harmony with nature – sustainably, organically and biodynamically.”

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

Actinolite, Toronto, Ontario, Canada