Back in March, I was invited to the Food Made Good Awards (FMGA), which are hosted by the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA). We’ve been members of the SRA for a couple of years, and it’s fair to say you get out what you put in! The awards teach people that there are so many things you can do to help the environment when it comes to sustainability – something we’re keen on learning more about.
At the awards, I met plenty of passionate and influential people, such as top chefs, Jamie Oliver and Raymond Blanc – I was definitely star struck! It was a totally different vibe to any other awards I’ve been to, and everyone was rooting for each other with it not seeming to matter who won.
When it comes to SRA, there’s a lot of emphasis on local produce, and how much better it can be. This is something really close to our hearts, as we spend much of our time getting in touch with farmers to ensure that the ingredients we use, such as chicken and potatoes, are selected and bought from UK farms. In fact, we’re so dedicated to local that we already grow our own herbs (used for our famous tartare sauce) in our outdoor bath tub. Now that really is local!
Not only that, but here at Simpsons we are incredibly conscious of our waste, and have recently signed up to a zero-to-landfill contract. This basically means that all leftover food, glass, card and other general waste is converted into energy.
The FGMAs not only confirmed that we’re on the right track, but that there’s also so much more we, and the rest of the industry, can do to create more sustainable and environmentally aware UK restaurants and takeaways. And after our big win earlier this year, we’re incredibly excited to get started on our next journey, where we hope to learn even more.
