To get accredited, members need to complete a Sustainability Audit, carried out by GoodCorporation. Audit marks depend on how restaurants fare in our three main categories – Sourcing, Environment and Society – and across our 14 topic areas...

Accredited restaurants can then show off their super sustainability with Gold, Silver and Bronze window stickers instead of the standard purple ones. They can also use these logos on websites or marketing material and will be flagged up accordingly in our Restaurant Directory and booking Partner Guides.

What is the aim of Sustainable Restaurant Association Accreditation?

The aim of accreditation is to assess a restaurant based on its entire operational approach and then award it a sustainability score. We do this through the Sustainable Restaurant Association Audit.

Are there different levels of Accreditation?

Yes, there are three levels: Gold, Silver and Bronze. The level of accreditation restaurants receive is based on their total Audit Rating. We hope all our audited restaurant achieve Champion status and we encourage them to aim for the highest accolade.

What denotes an Accredited restaurant?

Accredited restaurants get to swap their standard purple “We’re at the table” window sticker for a Gold, Silver or Bronze one, depending on their award. They can also use this Mark on their website and marketing material. And they’ll be flagged up accordingly in our booking Partner Guides with a gold, silver or bronze icon.

What does the Audit comprise?

The Audit covers all aspects of sustainability and comprises three sections:

• A Management Survey to be filled in by the restaurant plus any evidence required to support claims
• Consumer feedback cards handed out at the venue, used to support restaurant claims
• Employee feedback cards given to staff, used to support restaurant claims

How long does it take?

For independent restaurants, a four-hour visit should suffice. For chains, it depends on how many restaurants are being assessed. For five or six restaurants in a chain, we would visit two of them; for 50 restaurants we would aim to visit five with as wide a geographical spread as possible. In both cases, some preparatory work is required by the restaurant in order to assemble evidence for claims made. In some cases this could take a couple of days.

Who runs the Sustainable Restaurant Association Audit?

Our Audit is overseen by the Sustainable Restaurant Association but carried out by assessment company GoodCorporation. They helped devise the scoring system. They also test-ran our pilot Audits with Alimentum (Cambridge), The Zetter (London) and Leon (UK Chain).

What’s on the Management Survey?

Questions cover our three sustainability categories – Sourcing, Environmental and Society – and our 14 key topic areas. Check out our Sample Audit questions or you can download a copy of the Audit Management Survey and supporting documents (Evidence Log and Guide to Audit) to get a full overview.

How are restaurants judged?

A restaurant scores points based on its Audit Management Survey responses. Most questions carry a maximum score of a point. However points awarded depend on claims being fully backed up with evidence. If you say you source 100 per cent of your vegetables locally, but can only prove this is the case for 50 per cent of the, you’ll only get one point. See Ratings System for more information.

How is the Management Survey fair?

The nature of the questioning is designed to be as fair to restaurants as possible and early questions have been modified to reflect this. For example, restaurants aren’t scored on the percentage of ingredients sourced from the UK, but the percentage of ingredients that can be sourced from the UK but are imported.

How do you weight Survey questions?

Within each topic, questions are weighted differently depending on how many questions there are. No category is more important than another.

What kind of evidence is required?

Evidence could be in the form of invoices, contracts with suppliers or training and staff records. The onus is on restaurants to provide proof but Good Corporation could potentially contact suppliers or contractors to corroborate evidence. See our Audit Guide and Evidence Log for more details.

Do any Survey questions work on a case-by-case basis?

Yes. Some questions need to be addressed this way. A restaurant may want to source local products, for example, but can’t get the quantity of products it needs in the UK. We appreciate that many chains may have issues like this. The use of pre-prepared produce can also make it harder to carbon footprint a restaurant. GoodCorporation will look into such issues, but believe that because of the way the Audit Management Survey is set out, they shouldn’t affect a restaurant’s overall score or affect the bigger picture.

How does the Staff Survey work?

These surveys are designed to support the main Audit Management Survey. The Staff Survey is issued to staff on an anonymous basis. It is used as evidence for questions on topics such as pay, staff treatment or staff training.

How does the Customer Survey work?

This helps assess public perception of a restaurant. In this case Good Corporation will apply common sense and seek further details if any findings are contradictory.

What kind of proof is required?

At present, restaurants will be given the questionnaire in advance, and then both parties will go through the answers and the evidence face-to-face at the Audit, rather than responses and evidence being supplied in advance. This is because different restaurants will supply evidence in different ways. Some will have in-depth spread sheets and supporting emails. Others will have a paper-trail of invoices. However, in future, evidence could be supplied in advance. See our Audit Guide and Evidence Log for more details.

How is the Audit scored?

Scores are based on the results of all three Surveys and evidence supplied. Restaurants receive Gold, Silver or Bronze grades – or no grade at all (hopefully this is a grade we never have to award!). Scores are awarded across the 14 topic areas and an average score worked out for each of the three sustainability categories: Sourcing, Environment and Society. The sum total of these scores denotes what the Accreditation grade will be.

How do restaurants receive their results?

Audit results should take no longer than two weeks to come through. The Accreditation grade is awarded along with an Audit Report and an Audit Action Plan. The Report gives a breakdown of Audit results. This helps restaurants to pinpoint areas of success and areas that could be improved. The Audit Action Plan is a valuable tool that earmarks and advises on areas for improvement or change, and areas that could positively promoted.

Do you offer Pre-Audit advice?

Yes, we do that too. Our Pre Audit gives restaurants half a day of expert consultancy, outlining what the audit entails and how restaurants can best prepare for a successful Audit – and hopefully Champion status! See our Membership Fees and Member Benefits for more details.

Do you offer further consultancy?

We also offer full day, on-site consultancy for restaurants that feel they would benefit further direction and expertise. This applies to Standard Member restaurants and Accredited Members. Restaurants can decide on the focus of consultancy. This could include more advice on waste management, help with an energy audit or carbon footprinting, or a long-term strategy for sourcing.

Is Accreditation open to independent and chains?

Absolutely! Accreditation is open to all our Sustainable Restaurant Association Members. That includes independents and chains, from fine dining to fish and chips! Our Audit Fees are structured accordingly. For independents, we charge by turnover. For chains we charge on the number of restaurants in a chain.