Café ODE named the UK's most sustainable restaurant by the Sustainable Restaurant Association
Café ODE in Shaldon, Devon, has been named the UK's most sustainable restaurant by the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA).
Sister venue to ODE Dining, which won the same award last year, the café recently received the SRA's highest ever rating after it achieved an overall score of 94% in the organisation's Sustainability Rating.
The SRA's second national awards, announced at London's Oxo Tower today, recognise restaurants across 14 categories covering all aspects of sustainability.
Café ODE won the overall award for the most sustainable restaurant of the year, with the SRA praising owners Tim and Clare Bouget's huge commitment to sourcing locally produced organic vegetables and meat as well as its use of renewable electricity, its grass roof designed to attract wildlife and its commitment to the local community through running cooking classes for schoolchildren and raising money for the local wildlife trust.
SRA managing director Mark Linehan said: "To set out to open the most sustainable restaurant and achieve it is a terrific feat. To do it twice is extraordinary. Perhaps the most pleasing aspect of Café ODE's success is that it is a very popular local restaurant, serving high quality, but simple, well sourced food in the heart of a thriving community. It epitomises the efforts and achievements of all the Sustainable Restaurant Awards winners."
Meanwhile Sheila Dillon, presenter of the BBC's Food Programme, was recognised for her efforts to champion responsible food production and sourcing with SRA president Raymond Blanc's sustainability hero award.
Mexican restaurant group Wahaca, which owned by former MasterChef winner Thomasina Miers and Mark Selby, won the sustainable small restaurant group of the year award for the second year running. The sustainable large restaurant group of the year went to Marriott Hotels International.
Two fish and chip shops were named Scottish and Welsh sustainable restaurant of the Year: The Bay Fish and Chips, in Stonehaven, and Enochs in Llandudno. The other regional award went to Friends House, on Euston Road, which was named London sustainable restaurant of the year.
The award for most improved restaurant was won by Babylon in London in recognition of its improvement in all 14 of the SRA's key sustainability areas. Most notably, it increased its commitment to responsibly farmed meat and dairy as well as sustainable fish, began measuring its food waste and introduced eco-doggy boxes. The restaurant also raised £120,000 for charity.
Dixcart Bay Hotel, on the island of Sark, received the award for sustainable hotel restaurant of the year and Preston Park Tavern in Brighton was named sustainable pub of the year.
SRA Awards in full:
Sustainable Restaurant of the Year: Cafe-ODE, Devon
Sustainable Small Restaurant Group of the Year: Wahaca
Sustainable Large Restaurant Group of the Year: Marriott Hotels International
Sustainable Pub of the Year: Preston Park Tavern, Brighton
Sustainable Hotel Restaurant of the Year: Dixcart Bay Hotel, Sark
Scottish Sustainable Restaurant of the Year: The Bay Fish and Chips, Aberdeenshire
Welsh Sustainable Restaurant of the Year: Enochs, Llandudno
London Sustainable Restaurant of the Year: Friends House, Euston Road
SRA Award for Sourcing: River Cottage, Devon
SRA Award for Society: Cafe St Honoré, Edinburgh
SRA Award for Environment: Poco, Bristol
SRA Award for Most Improved Restaurant: Babylon, London
Best Food Waste Strategy: The Savoy, London
Sustainable Innovation Award: Feng Sushi
Raymond Blanc Sustainability Hero: Sheila Dillon
