WE'RE AT THE TABLE - JULY 2010

A round-up of all the latest SRA and SRA Member news for July 2010

 

  • SRA MEMBER FEEDBACK

  • SRA NEWS - WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO THIS MONTH

  • WORKSHOPS, SEMINARS AND EVENTS

 


SRA MEMBER FEEDBACK

News, views and activities carried out by our Members during July 2010 – we want to hear your feedback so get in touch...

  • New Members

The sweltering summer continues but that's not the only good news! We've signed up some more fantastic new Members including the Soho House Group, Fifteen London, Konstam, Criterion and Moshi Moshi (see right for the full Member list or visit or Restaurant Directory for more details or to book a table). If you'd like to join the SRA contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 020 7479 4221.

  • Audits

The race is on for the first Sustainable Restaurant Association Gold Champion Award! Full sustainability Audits will be carried out by GoodCorporation at Hawksmoor in London's Shoreditch and The Green House, Tring. Hawksmoor is already doing some great things with British food (amazing steaks!) and the community (including taking on a work placement from Westminster Kingsway). The Green House serves organic vegetarian cuisine with a strong sustainable ethos, even growing some of their own produce. The SRA eagerly awaits the Audit results! If you'd like to sign up for an audit, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or find out more about how to Get Accredited online. You can also read about Leon's Audit on their website.

 

SRA NEWS - WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO THIS MONTH

It's been an action-packed month, carrying out our Food Waste Survey, launching the SRA Roadshow campaign, visiting Taste of Birmingham and joining a group of the UK's top food bloggers for a Sustainable Supper Safari!

  • Waste, waste, waste!

We're in the process of carrying out a Food Waste Survey with Member restaurants in the capital over the next two weeks. We'll be bringing you the results soon and launching our Food Waste Campaign. Members can also sign up for a full Waste Audit, working with Cawleys (interested parties should contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

While we're talking rubbish, we had a great time at the Great British 'Waste' Menu event on Saturday 4 July (rubbing shoulders with a real mix of sustainable experts, celebs and politicians including Bill Oddie, Helen Lederer, Ken Livingstone and Toyah Willcox) where we learned that 30% of perfectly good food is thrown away, and to prove we didn't condone the statistics, ate a delicious three course meal cooked entirely from food waste including offal, Kent fish and mouthwatering summer berries! Look out for the programme, which airs in October this year.

Plus we turned out in force for the Why Waste Workshop on 13 July along with SRA Members Petrichor, Caluccio's and L'Anima and picked up some great tips on Reducing, Reusing and Recycling from Sustain and LRS Consultancy. If you want to put the three Rs into action at home, WRAP have some great tips including how to reduce food waste, get a greener garden and find where to recycle.

  • Launch of the SRA Roadshow

July also saw the launch of the SRA Roadshow with our inaugural event hosted by Blackfriars Restaurant in Newcastle. Local and regional attendees included Secco, Paradiso, Hotel du Vin and fellow SRA Member Battlesteads, with sustainable tips swapped over freshly baked bread, a selection of British cheese and Divine chocolate. Thanks to everyone for their support! We'll be hosting more events around the UK in the coming months so look out for dates - it's a great opportunity to network with neighbouring restaurants and find out more about the SRA. If you'd like to host a Roadshow event in your city or region and rev other restaurants up to be more sustainable, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

  • Taste of Birmingham

Our Membership Manager, Ed Franklin, also made a date with Taste of Birmingham, where he sampled delicious squid courtesy of Opus restaurant, chatted to lots of local restaurants and found some friends to attend the Green Restaurant Awards with in the evening. Birmingham is the first city in the UK to run such an award scheme (judged on waste management, energy reduction, staff and community and purchasing) with over 13 restaurants shortlisted for an award. Moor Hall Hotel scooped the prize for Birmingham Green Restaurant of the Year and one for Energy Reduction, the Eastside Cafe took the Purchasing Award, Kitchen Garden Cafe won for Staff and Community, while the Waste Management Award went to the Warehouse Cafe. Read a full report from Be Birmingham.

  • Sustainable Safari Supper

On the 27 July, Ed Franklin (he's either a very busy or a very hungry man!), Henry Dimbleby and Mark Sainsbury of the SRA, Jess from Sauce and Charlotte Jarman of Sustain joined a group of top UK food bloggers for a Sustainable Safari Supper in the capital , visiting Clerkenwell Kitchen, The Modern Pantry and The Zetter all in one night! Look out for reports from:

For more food blogging sites visit the UK Food Bloggers Association.

  • Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) Guide - deadline 30 September

We're launching a series of helpful new materials including updated online factsheets for Members (in line with new legislation and governmental shift-arounds), a Guide to the new Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) legislation to ensure any qualifying Members don't miss the CRC registration deadline date and risk a hefty fine (30 September 2010). We'll also have a list of additional services and benefits for Chains and a Start-Up Toolkit. For more details or a copy of the CRC report contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

  • Managing Director of the SRA required - deadline 4 August

And last but not least, we're on the look out for a full-time Managing Director to lead the organisation to new heights in 2010 and beyond. Applicants must be qualified to degree level or equivalent, have at least 5 years management experience, and sound entrepreneurial, organisational, communication and interpersonal skills. Knowledge of the catering sector and sustainability issues is important. For more details see our New Managing Director for the SRA advert in Guardian Jobs – deadline is 4 August so you'll need to get in quick.

 

WORKSHOPS, SEMINARS AND EVENTS

Members, this is your chance to be more sustainable and network with other restaurants in your area or across the UK. Plus it's a good chance to talk with the SRA in person and meet experts from our supporter and partner organisations such as Sustain...

  • 2 September: TRAINING FOR LIFE EVENT WITH THE SRA AND PRUE LEITH

Helping restaurants set up apprenticeship schemes and get in touch with training programmes and support

Training for Life was set up in 1995 by SRA Advisory Board Member and award-winning social entrepreneur Gordon D'Silva, to enable disadvantaged people make changes to their lives. Through specially focused Prospect Centres, it helps train people for specific sectors such as the hospitality and catering industry – and in the case of the Hoxton and Dartmouth Prospect Centres, provides their two adjoining social enterprise restaurants, the Hoxton Apprentice and the Dartmouth Apprentice with staff. The SRA is fully behind Training for Life and would like to encourage more of its Member restaurants to take on apprentices and work placements from colleges and socially disadvantaged communities. We'll have more information in the run up to the event plus the fabulous Prue Leith will be speaking! If you'd like to attend contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

  • 22 September: SUSTAINABLE COOKERY DEMO FROM ROB SHENTON OF DUE SOUTH @ BRIGHTON & HOVE FOOD FESTIVAL

Meet the SRA and watch SRA Member Rob Shenton of Due South and students from the local catering college give a live sustainable cookery demo

The Brighton and Hove Food Festival (1 Sept-7 Oct) is the largest festival of its kind on the South Coast with over 110,000 foodies attending in 2009! A celebration of the best food and drink to be found in the city and the wider area of Sussex, it's a great opportunity to meet chefs, restaurateurs, local producers and suppliers, attend book signings, pop ups, tastings and live cookery demos. We'll be there supporting Rob Shenton of one of Brighton's best restaurants, Due South, as he gives a live sustainable cookery demo on the 22 September (12 midday) to hungry attendees at the Live Food Kitchen in Churchill Square. If you'd like to attend contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .