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