A staggering 2.6 billion tonnes of food is wasted each year. On International Stop Food Waste Day, what better time to delve into the different locations across the world where you can enjoy a meal or brew and not worry about contributing to this growing food endemic.
From tucking into fresh locally-sourced ingredients in America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital, Sacramento, to catching your dinner and having it cooked at a restaurant in Florida’s Paradise Coast, there are many ways to avoid contributing to food waste while travelling away from home. Besides, what better way to get to know a place than through its locally grown produce!
Championing locally-grown produce
1) Locally grown, seasonal produce in America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital, Sacramento, California, USA
As America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital, Sacramento is the best place in the country to get locally grown, fresh, seasonal food, and the restaurants in the city take great advantage of this. Visitors to the city will find locally grown food in most of the restaurants and cafes they visit and Grange Restaurant and Bar is one of Sacramento’s best examples using regionally grown ingredients. A top-rated Michelin Guide’s Point of View restaurant, Grange utilises Sacramento’s produce to create the very best of farm-to-fork cuisine. Visitors can also immerse themselves in the farms of Sacramento on the Capay Valley Farm Tour which tours three California farms that produce wine, olive oil and lavender, tasting the incredible food and drink they make along the way.
2) 1 Kitchen by Chris Crary, West Hollywood, California, USA
Located in the eco-friendly 1 Hotel West Hollywood, 1 Kitchen features fresh, local and sustainably sourced farm-to-table Southern California cuisine. Using only ingredients sourced from its on-site organic garden, beehive and local farms, 1 Kitchen is committed to preserving the beauty and bounty of nature. The restaurant also features several zero waste dishes which highlight its commitment to sustainable practices. Guests can also enjoy a selection of local wines – many of which are biodynamic or organic, as well as local craft beers on tap.
3) The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
From seed to skillet best describes the self-sustainable farm-to-table experience offered at The Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix. Each season, the farm’s gardens are planted with seeds selected by Chief Dustin Christofolo, growing vegetables and herbs to create delicious meals for the three onsite restaurants. Reconnect with nature while having a picnic at the Farm Kitchen where guests’ lunches are packed in picnic baskets allowing them to explore the farm before eating fresh cuisine at a picnic table or on their own picnic blankets. Early risers can enjoy seasonal omelettes along the organic garden at the Morning Glory Cafe while those seeking a romantic evening can escape to an intimate setting at Quiessence to savour a meal made from local meat and produce paired with local wine.
4) Moonacres Kitchen in Robertson, New South Wales, Australia
With its farm just ten minutes away, it’s no surprise that Moonacres Kitchen, in the small town of Robertson, chooses to highlight hyper-local ingredients. Moonacres Farm supplies some of Sydney’s and regional NSW’s best restaurants, sells its produce at markets in Sydney, the South Coast and the Southern Highlands and delivers fresh produce to locals. The eatery’s menu features organic fruit and vegetables harvested from its own grounds, including farm greens in a three-egg scramble with feta cheese on sourdough. Moonacres Kitchen also spotlights other producers and growers in the region, for example its charred cauliflower salad with za’atar spice gets a savoury hit from blue cheese by the local Pecora Dairy. Founded in 2017, its bakery uses stoneground and certified heritage flour that’s been responsibly and sustainably grown to make fresh sourdough, pastries and more.
Spearheading sustainable beverage production
5) Sustainable viticulture in Yolo County, California, USA
Home to University California, Davis, a world leader in sustainable winemaking research, Yolo County has many vineyards that make delicious wine whilst also looking after the land they grow it on. Many of the vineyards in Yolo County are family run and often limit their production so they can ensure their wine is high quality and that they don’t over-farm the land. Great Bear Vineyards is located just outside of Davis and works with the University to make sure they are doing what’s best for the land which results in delicious wines. They aim to work in harmony with the soil and climate, minimising any chemical inputs to produce premium grapes to make premium wines.
6) Brewing sustainably on the Central Coast, California, USA
Whilst SLO CAL (San Luis Obispo County, California) is home to some of California’s leading wine regions, the county also has over 30 craft breweries, with everything from innovative tap rooms to laid-back beer gardens. One brewery leading the way in sustainable production is Firestone Walker Brewing Company, which has called SLO CAL its home since 1996. With a commitment to clean, renewable energy, the majority of its beer is now brewed with California sunshine through the 9.7 acre solar array, excess material and equipment is reused and recycled and water is saved, recycled and returned. 500,000 gallons of water is recycled here annually and 20 million pounds of spent grain is recovered and fed to local livestock each year.
7) The Zero Waste Village of Kamikatsu, Japan
Kamikatsu, a small town on the island of Shikoku in the Tokushima prefecture is a Zero Waste Village committed to reducing waste in all forms from food, to plastic. The town is home to a sustainable craft brewery Rise & Win Brewing Co. which was built out of scrap materials from demolished buildings. An icon of sustainability, the brewery allows customers to bring their own bottles to fill up with Rise & Win’s Portland-style craft beer. The venue is also a general store, selling Kamikatsu’s specialty product, bancha green tea, as well as other dry goods. With all products being sold by weight, they ensure that customers buy only what they need. Customers also bring their own containers, ensuring that there is no wastage with pre-packed items. The brewery uses discarded yuko citrus peel provided by local farms who use the juice to produce other products, and in return, they offer their spent grain for local farmers to use as compost.
Committing to preventing food waste
8) Cook your catch in Florida’s Paradise Coast – Naples, Marco Island & the Everglades, USA
Not getting a catch means not having a meal with the “Cook your Catch” initiative in Naples and Marco Island – Florida’s Paradise Coast. The initiative is supported by several restaurants in the area, ensuring that what is caught is consumed, making it both sustainable and fun for travellers. Visitors can opt to take one of the many fishing charters available, where captains will provide their guidance and expertise along the way. Alternatively, those who would like to head out and fish on their own can do so, however they will have to bear in mind the fishing regulations surrounding the sizes and types of fish that are allowed to be caught. Visitors can then bring their catch to restaurants along the coast such as Kelly’s Fish House in Naples, or Snook Inn on Marco Island, who will gladly prepare and cook your catch.
9) Yosemite Residential Food Waste Diversion Pilot, Yosemite Mariposa, California, USA
Yosemite Conservancy launched a composting programme in summer 2021 converting food waste into compost. Local schoolchildren established a composting programme as part of the Yosemite Residential Food Waste Diversion Pilot, where food waste is separated for compost and then placed in organic waste dumpsters in several locations around the park. The organic waste is then processed using composting equipment generously donated to Mariposa County by the Zero Landfill Initiative, creating nutrient-rich compost material. Since the launch the team behind it have collected more than 134 tonnes of food waste, which Mariposa County has converted to high-quality compost for local farmers and gardeners.
10) A commitment to composting in Aspen Snowmass, Colorado, USA
Almost five years ago, Aspen Skiing Company started an initiative to commit to composting food and now the majority of on-mountain restaurants have made the same effort. Currently Bumps, Two Creeks, Cliffhouse, Elk Camp, Ullrhof, Sam’s Smokehouse, The Little Nell, the Limelight Hotel Aspen and Aspen Skiing Company’s corporate office all have composting programmes. This not only means making sure each restaurant is equipped with a place to compost, and that the waste physically makes it down the mountain on snowcats when needed, but also sourcing items like single-use utensils, cups and plates that are compostable. Aspen is proud to work in creating a sustainable future by implementing other green operations too, from using solar energy across their mountains to offering low-impact dining options, as well as forging change at the policy level.
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