Sustainable and hyper local restaurants
Eating out shouldn’t cost the earth. And with attention now firmly focused on reduction of waste, recycling and slashing carbon emissions - sustainability as key decider of where they may choose to eat. Whether your restaurant sources its food locally or boasts a Michelin Green, we take you on a tour of British restaurants that exceed high sustainability standards.
Six British Michelin Green Star restaurants in 2022
Oak, Bath
For food that won’t bash the wallet, check out Oak in Bath, Somerset. Serving vegetarian and vegan dishes in bistro surroundings, it’s well-priced small plates are designed for sharing - and with 40% of the produce from its allotment it’s deliciously low on food miles.
Wilsons, Bristol
For generously proportioned, highly-seasonal cuisine this Wilsons bistro showcases ingredients from its two-acre smallholding, as well as sourcing ingredients from growers and traders who use ethical and low-impact methods.
Marle, Heckfield
Marle sits in an idyllic setting within an orangery-style dining room overlooking a lake and parkland in Hampshire. Provenance is everything, with ingredients coming from the Georgian country house estate’s own biodynamic farm.
Terroir Tapas, Bournemouth
Former ‘World Bartender of the Year’ James Fowler is at the helm of this ethical, eco-friendly restaurant, and sustainable bar. Terroir Tapas serves small plates with an international flavour made with British ingredients; often foraged or preserved.
Chapters, Hay-on-Wye
The set menu changes every six weeks at Chapters - a cosy Welsh restaurant, which adjoins a chapel in this book-loving town. Locally sourced, hyper-seasonal and attractively presented dishes deliver original flavours. Even the bar is made from reclaimed scaffolding boards.
Oxo Tower Brasserie, London
Head to the eighth floor of this converted factory for some rewarding vistas over the River Thames and Mediterranean-influenced cuisine at the Oxo Tower Brasserie. It even runs a community kitchen working with non-profit organisations to provide meals to those in need, using its surplus ingredients.
Everything you need to know about the Michelin Green Star
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What is the Michelin Green Star?
The Green Star highlights restaurants at the forefront of the industry when it comes to their sustainable practices. It was introduced to the Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland in January 2021.
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How many UK restaurants possess the Michelin Green Star?
In 2021, 23 restaurants received the accolade; for 2022, that number has grown to 31.
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What kind of things do Green Star Restaurants do?
Many work directly with (increasingly local and on-site) growers, farmers and fishermen; forage in hedgerows and woodlands; grow plants and rear animals. They often use or source bio dynamic foods and go beyond environmental considerations to address issues related to ethics and well-being, as well as contributing to charitable and educational projects.
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What are the Michelin inspectors looking for when they award a Green Star?
They consider things such as the provenance of the ingredients; the use of seasonal produce; the restaurant’s environmental footprint; food waste systems; general waste disposal and recycling; resource management; and the communication between the team and the guests about the restaurant’s sustainable approach.
