A FOOD MADE GOOD SUCCESS STORY: LIMANÁ RESTAURANT

Why sustainability matters at Limaná 

“The reason I founded Limaná is to contribute to the protection of the environment, the planet, animals and of course people’s health,” says owner Ana Belaunde. An animal-lover since childhood, Ana has been a vegetarian for 30 years, and her love of food forms a big part of her identity as a Peruvian. “This is what led me to develop my own recipes. Over time, I learned a completely new way of cooking delicious and healthy vegetarian food.”

Along the way, Ana discovered the many benefits of a healthy diet, noticing that her energy levels and overall health – both physical and emotional – improved remarkably. Her passion for cooking began to gain real purpose and direction, and she began reading more about gastronomy and nutrition. 

“I began to discover the serious impact our diets have, not only for our personal health, but for the environment. Industrial livestock and agriculture contribute negatively to the contamination of soil, rivers and seas, fill us with chemicals, create so much plastic packaging and generate great food waste, not to mention the terrible suffering they inflict on animals.”

Ana was inspired to do something that would help other people to enjoy the delicious food about which she felt so passionate, without neglecting health or the environment. “Like many people, I love the idea of creating a better world.”

She decided to open a restaurant as a means of showing people that it is possible to enjoy delicious, high-quality and healthy meals, while minimising environmental impact and eliminating the need for animal suffering. Just like that, Limaná was born. 

“I am convinced that, today more than ever, caring for the planet is everyone's task,” Ana says. “Sustainability must be a consideration in any business or project. However, it is even more important in the food industry.” 

The challenges of a sustainable operation 

While Ana had learned a lot about sustainability, putting these lessons into practice was easier said than done. She found that her biggest challenge lay in ensuring sustainable practices were in place throughout her entire supply chain – a stumbling block for many businesses.

“Many supplier companies believe they do [sustainability] well,” she says, “but on many occasions, I found that their practices were not the best. This is usually because their real interest is just to use it as a marketing tool.”

Finding the Food Made Good Standard 

Ana and her team found that the Food Made Good Standard gave them order and focus when it came to their sustainability work. “Our philosophy had inspired the many good practices we had,” she explains, “but we needed orientation.” 

Achieving sustainability is a complex and multifaceted undertaking, and it was important for the team at Limaná to receive expert guidance that could highlight what they were doing well and show them where they could do better. 

“We love to have a ‘north star’”, says Ana. “We like having a goal to achieve, and working with The Sustainable Restaurant Association gave us that.” 

As a result of taking the FMG Standard, the team at Limaná now has a list of actions to undertake, and these tasks are part of a cohesive, orderly and well-thought-out strategy. 

The impact of the Food Made Good Standard on business at Limaná 

Since taking the Standard, the team at Limaná recognises the importance of measuring their efforts. These days, they monitor their recycling and composting rates and energy consumption on an ongoing basis, always with an eye to improvement. “We have goals to achieve now,” says Ana. With more information at hand, they’re also finding it easier to work with their suppliers to align their efforts and, together, achieve bigger, better sustainability goals.

One exciting initiative underway is a programme they’ve started to create a zero-waste menu. There’s more of a focus on communicating news like this, too, since Ana has implemented a process for sharing updates on their sustainability work with customers and employees. They are also regular attendees of Food Made Good events that provide education around the three pillars of the Standard: Sourcing, Society and Environment. 

As they continue on their mission to make their restaurant as sustainable as possible, the team at Limaná feels as though they have joined something bigger. “We are part of a wider effort,” says Ana. “We are not alone.” 

To read more about Limaná, visit their website here. Read more about how the Food Made Good Standard can benefit your restaurant here, or sign up to get started on your own sustainability journey!