If you’ve ever dined out and wondered just how restaurants make such perfect-looking food, or what happens to all the scraps and trash, you might be shocked to learn how much goes to waste. Fortunately, many London restaurants are looking to reconsider their relationship with waste – looking for new and novel ways to be more sustainable. And now, a new restaurant guide wants to highlight the work of these sustainable restaurants whilst also recognising their incredible food.
The 360°Eat Guide was started by Pär Bergkvist, a long-time food writer and publisher who spent a number of years on the jury for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. He was left disappointed by the way that existing restaurant guides were not placing enough emphasis on sustainability or transparency. This goes beyond just reducing food waste, too. In their own words, “the food industry has a tremendous impact on our climate, and the way in which many restaurants treat their employees leaves much to be desired.”
Judging the restaurants
The 360°Eat Guide rates both “gastronomy and sustainability, aiming to award the pioneers and groundbreakers of modern, transparent gastronomy.” In the guide, each restaurant has a number of circles they have been awarded and a gastronomy score. The circles recognise the sustainability of the restaurants, across their “commitment to both produce and people”. And then the gastronomy score, as you might have guessed, refers to the gastronomic experience itself. This encompasses everything from the food to the drinks, the ambience, the service, and beyond.
The number of circles reflects the Michelin Guide’s own ranking system. Restaurants can earn between one and three circles. Three circles are awarded if a restaurant “masters all areas of sustainability”, while one circle shows “great commitment in some, or several, areas of sustainability”.
London’s most sustainable restaurants
Only one London restaurant was awarded a full score of three sustainability circles: Hackney Wick’s Silo – which was the world’s first zero-waste restaurant when it opened. The 360°Eat Guide recognised Silo as “a great example for chefs who want to transform and be more sustainable”. Having influenced chefs and restaurants around London, and the rest of the world, it’s a fitting recognition of the restaurant’s truly impressive sustainability efforts. Their food was also recognised as being particularly strong, earning 81-85 Gastronomy Points.
Seven London restaurants were recognised with two sustainability circles. This recognises that these particular restaurants are “very ambitious in several areas of sustainability. These restaurants were:
- Restaurant St. Barts (Smithfields) – Gastronomy Points: 86-90P
- Frog by Adam Handling (Covent Garden) – Gastronomy Points: 81-85P
- Anglo (Farringdon) – Gastronomy Points: 81-85P
- Spring (Strand) – Gastronomy Points: 76-80P
- Apricity (Mayfair) – Gastronomy Points: 76-80P
- Jikoni (Marylebone) – Gastronomy Points: 71-75P
- Barge East (Hackney Wick) – Gastronomy Points: 71-75P
Noteworthy sustainable restaurants
26 London restaurants were recognised as being among the city’s most sustainable restaurants with one Sustainability circle. These were:
- Aulis (Soho)
- Kol (Marylebone)
- Nest (Shoreditch)
- Brat (Shoreditch)
- Counter 71 (Old Street)
- Brawn (Columbia Road)
- Hereford Road (Notting Hill)
- Sune (Hackney)
- Levan (Peckham)
- Firebird (Soho)
- Eline (Shoreditch)
- Mountain Beak Street (Soho)
- Kiln (Soho)
- Leroy (Shoreditch)
- Rogues (Cambridge Heath)
- Perilla (Newington Green)
- The Culpeper (Spitalfields)
- The 10 Cases (Covent Garden)
- Ducksoup (Soho)
- Saltine (Highbury)
- Bubala (Spitalfields and Soho)
- ROVI (Fitzrovia)
- Camille (Borough Market)
- Oren (Dalston)
- Rubedo (Stoke Newington)
- La Petite Ferme (Clerkenwell)
It’s worth noting that restaurants that received one Sustainability Circle are still in vaunted territory. The recognition places them well above many other restaurants for their sustainability efforts and the quality of the food.
Read the full 360°Eat Guide here.