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Fine dining might conjure up images of exotic foods, sourced from far-off lands. But St. Barts in London is on a mission to prove delicious food can be local—and it’s won a coveted Michelin award for its efforts.
St. Barts is the only Michelin-starred restaurant in London to also have a Green Michelin Star. While the traditional Michelin star indicates exceptional food, its green sister recognizes restaurants that use industry-leading sustainable practices.
From furniture made from fallen trees by a local woodworker to ingredients that are grown in an environmentally responsible way, the ethos is to protect the land and support British suppliers.
“Sustainability is for me about making sort of intelligent choices about the food that we use and the way in which we use it. So, a big thing for me is using UK produce. The fact that we can produce everything within the UK gives us a real opportunity to use all of that produce and therefore, help sustain the British farming industry,” says Johnnie Crowe, Executive Head Chef of Restaurant St. Barts. There is a strict policy to only use British ingredients—that means no olive oil, no lemons, no exotic spices.
Other restaurants would just throw waste products away, but here they become garums, sauces that can be used in dishes months from now. The idea is that not a single morsel of an animal or fish is wasted. Industry experts say being sustainable is not just about helping the environment, it makes good business sense too.
“[…] you can eliminate waste and cost from the business—and many of the green initiatives that people can take do just that, they reduce energy overheads and energy bills, which are a key headache at the moment,” says Kate Nicholls, CEO of the trade organization UK Hospitality.
But do diners care?
Crowe says he doesn’t think there is any point in “lecturing to people.” “There’s enough of that going on, without us doing it as well. But if 5 percent of diners pick up on it, appreciate it, then that’s kind of enough for me.”
It’s a restaurant that wants to prove that fine dining doesn’t have to cost the earth.
This article was provided by The Associated Press.