Sustainability in the kitchen

We all know we should be doing more to make sure we are sustainable in the kitchen. From using localised ingredients to certified produce and recyclable packaging materials, many people are converting to a more sustainable way of cooking to reduce their environmental impact on our planet. 

As part of our Great City Chefs Competition 2019, we have chosen sustainability for our central theme. With and more and more coverage on the relationship between food production, consumption and its planetary effects, we are focused on making a positive change on the environment. As part of this, competing chefs will be judged on how well they consider sustainability when conceptualising their dishes and how they implement sustainable methods/ingredients during production. 

As part of the Searcy's Group, we have our own pledge we must adhere to. This is to ensure we are all adopting the right methods to reduce our impact on the environment and to encourage healthy, fresh, delicious and responsible eating.

Here are some of the ways we adopt sustainability in our kitchens: 

• Up to 90% of seasonal fruit and veg on the menu is British and locally sourced. All cheese and dairy products are sourced within a 48-mile radius from our venues
• We only use pole and line- caught fish, a sustainable fishing method 
• All our teas are ethically and responsibly sourced
• We offer KeepCups, a sustainable alternative to disposable cups
• Our bottled water is Belu. It is ethically-sourced and carbonneutral, with all of its profits donated to WaterAid
• We aim to reduce food waste by 20%

It doesn't take much to be sustainable in the kitchen. Sourcing local foods minimises transportation pollution and helps the local economy. Recycling plastics or buying responsibly sourced fish and meat can really help cut down your footprint. It's little changes that make a massive difference! 

Watch this space to see how the Great City Chefs apply sustainability to their next dish at the fish round!