The Sustainable Restaurant Association

Huge shoutout to our Food Made Good accredited business, Salvo Patria! 🌊🐟 They’re doing incredible work in sourcing seafood sustainably. Ten years ago, Salvo Patria embarked on a journey through a programme to support responsible fishing projects in the Colombian Pacific, backed by Conservation International. This initiative ensures fair prices for fishing communities, promotes the use of seasonal species and adheres to fishing bans and minimum size regulations. It has also given them the chance to connect with fishing communities, explore uncommon species and diversify their menu. Since the programme began, they’ve worked with 33 fish species, 3 bivalves and 4 crustaceans - bringing more creativity to their dishes and making the most of each fish that arrives at the restaurant to minimise waste. Their efforts help diners discover and appreciate the rich biodiversity of Colombia’s waters. 👉 Head to our News & Insights page for more inspiring examples of how businesses in our network are sourcing seafood sustainably! https://lnkd.in/dpFgVsrA

We’re delighted to announce our participation in the 4th annual Sustainable Foods event, taking place at London’s Business Design Centre on 28th to 29th January 2025. This event brings together businesses from across the entire value chain to drive impactful change and implement sustainable and regenerative food systems. We’re also excited to share that Juliane Caillouette Noble will be joining the panel line-up! Stay tuned for updates. Use the discount code SRASF2025 to get 15% off your ticket. https://lnkd.in/efZhgMpd

As climate change accelerates, fish stocks are becoming increasingly fragile, and the hospitality industry plays a key role in this issue. By selecting seafood from healthy, local ecosystems and openly discussing these practices, we can shift demand away from overfished stocks and help protect them. This is precisely what Dan Hunter’s Brae restaurant in Australia is doing. At Brae, the product comes first. Dan explains, “Instead of demanding a specific fish for a new dish, we only create a new dish once we find an excellent quality, responsibly sourced seafood product.” We spoke with Dan about Brae’s approach to sourcing seafood responsibly and the insights they've gained from the Food Made Good Standard. Check out the full interview on our News & Insights page! https://lnkd.in/dzcVq_fn

Have you read our latest guide on tackling Scope 3 emissions in hospitality? These emissions span your entire value chain—from the emissions incurred by every ingredient you buy, at every stage of its production and journey to your kitchen, to the services that support your business, like laundry or packaging suppliers. They’re a huge part of your footprint, but also an area where real impact can be made. With net-zero goals and climate regulations evolving, addressing Scope 3 is a must. Our guide, created with support from Sustained and Agrasta Ltd, provides strategies to track, measure and reduce these emissions. Sustained helps food brands and manufacturers cut their products’ environmental impact by automating carbon footprinting and life cycle assessments at scale. Agrasta offers low-carbon ingredients, supporting farmers with regenerative and low-impact practices. Regenerative and low-carbon flour, rapeseed oil, and oats are available to purchase in bulk. Go check them out.

With restaurants across the UK, Flat Iron is all about making great quality beef affordable for everyone. They focus on beef grown in regenerative systems, favouring traditional breeds and longer, slower rearing processes. Flat Iron was the first hospitality business to complete the Food Made Good Standard with our newly developed additional support, earning three stars in January 2024! We thought it was a great time to catch up with the team and learn how things have been since the evaluation. One of the most impressive insights we gained is that they recognise their biggest environmental impact occurs on the farm. They’re exploring ways to make their beef farming less intensive. Together with Charles Ashbridge, who breeds and raises the best cattle for Flat Iron’s own herd, they’ve set up a lifecycle analysis to measure their herd’s carbon footprint and reduce on-farm emissions. Read the full interview on our News & Insights page! https://lnkd.in/euRja37Z

“Your customers aren’t stupid, so make sure every story you tell is sincere and human. In hospitality, all kinds of people come through your doors. Everything you do – whether on a menu or even information in the loo – is an opportunity to tell a story.”  - Juliet Kinsman, sustainability editor, writer, podcaster. What a day! We wrapped up our final working group of the year, focusing on how authentic sustainability stories can inspire real change for both people and the planet. Huge thanks to our speakers Aimee McDonald Daniel Brown Young's Pubs Rob Don Competition and Markets Authority Juliet Kinsman Bouteco and everyone who joined us! Olive Catering Services Limited Gather & Gather GAUCHO Sands Catering London wagamama Wahaca JKS Restaurants YO! Sushi Flat Iron THE PIG Hotel | B Corp Cubitt House National Trust Vacherin Hall & Woodhouse Ltd Fuller's Brewery Jamie Oliver Restaurants Boparan Restaurant Group. Throughout the year, we’ve hosted quarterly sessions for the larger hospitality businesses in our network, tackling key topics like Water, Deforestation, Biodiversity and Sustainability Communications. These sessions offered insightful discussions and practical resources for teams to implement and share. Want to find out more and get involved? Email hello@thesra.org or send us a DM!

Most of us would be horrified at the thought of eating a Sumatran tiger or a black rhino. Yet, many continue to source, serve and eat seafood species that are similarly endangered. We’ve spoken to experts and chefs across our global network to understand why this is the case, what seafoods we should avoid and what role restaurants can play in restoring healthy populations before it’s too late. Read on to learn about the most critically endangered species and why it’s time to remove them from the menu.

At Caruso’s, Rosewood Miramar Beach in California, the culinary offering is built around seasonality and responsible sourcing – including seafood. Chef Massimo Falsini has no problem using whichever species is available, as he says: “– our chefs must stay on their toes!” For example, they only use sea urchin from local diver Stephanie Mutz, and when the weather prevents her from going out, they simply change the menu. “It’s not hard, it’s just what we do. It’s a chef’s responsibility to respect the environment, animal welfare, and public health.” Caruso’s works with SmartCatch Inc., OceanWise Project, and FishChoice to stay informed on the best seafood choices for their seasonal menus. They submit seafood purchase invoices quarterly for review to ensure they’re staying accountable – and have done so since opening five years ago. This is at the core of their seafood culinary R&D. Learn more about how restaurants are sourcing seafood responsibly on our News & Insights page! https://lnkd.in/dpFgVsrA

We're thrilled to announce that Zest in Seoul has earned the Sustainable Bar Award at The World's 50 Best Bars 2024! Zest has set a new standard in Seoul’s nightlife scene with their ‘Sustainable Fine Drinking’ philosophy. Our team of sustainability consultants was particularly impressed by their creative approach to crafting drinks from local ingredients with minimal waste, as well as their efforts to carefully monitor waste and find clever alternatives to ingredients not grown near Seoul. We especially love how they invite guests to suggest their next steps—a memorable touch that promotes continuous improvement and brings customers along on the journey. https://lnkd.in/dJhb-5ge

Congratulations to Cardiff Metropolitan University for earning three stars in our Food Made Good Standard! Their fantastic results clearly show their dedication to transforming their operations to be more considerate of the planet. Cardiff Met first participated in our Food Made Good Standard in 2016, and this is their sixth submission, jumping from 64% to 88% over the past eight years. There are many reasons for this achievement, but here are three that stood out: 🌎 Cardiff Met supports suppliers in developing sustainability plans using a supplier assessment tool. They are also a member of Electronics Watch, promoting and protecting workers' rights in global supply chains. 🌎 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 collaborate with plant-based companies like Planted and healthy drinks brands like Flawsome! Drinks | B Corp™, offering free samples and engaging in conversations with staff and students. 🌎 Cardiff Met participated in the Cardiff Council's Be Mighty Recycle campaign, focusing on food waste reduction. They partnered with Sustainable Growing Future to repurpose food waste into natural dyes using avocado skins, red cabbage and onion peels.