Three Star SRA Sustainability Champions

At the beginning of 2012 we set ourselves a target: to obtain the highest possible rating from the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA), the organisation that recognises sustainability within restaurants. We’re barely three months into the year and we have just been awarded 3 STARS!

What’s more, we’re the only London cookery school to have applied for and picked up an SRA rating, so we’re feeling pretty good about ourselves this week.

Says the SRA:

“Cookery School has implemented numerous commendable sustainability practices, not only sourcing much of its produce locally and purchasing high welfare, organic food but also sourcing most seafood from UK fisheries… Cookery School achieved an excellent score across the three key sustainability sections.“

We believe that cooking simply with the best ingredients results in delicious food, so sourcing fantastic produce is what we do best. This way of thinking, living and teaching is held by the staff at Cookery School and passed onto the students and teams that attend our classes and events. To hear the SRA enthuse about us and recognise our work is a great achievement.

It is by no mean feet that a restaurant or school picks up a three star rating. The school has been examined across three main categories – Sourcing, Environment and Society. This rigorous assessment of our credentials and having to provide evidence of what we’re doing and why, has really made us really think about how we operate and has in fact pushed us to do more.

Here’s a few things we’ve done that have contributed to our three stars:

• Over 75% of our ingredients is sourced locally
• More than 75% of our fresh produce is organic
• Every year we work with local and national charities to raise awareness of sustainability and healthy eating
• This year we have switched to using renewable energy in our kitchens
• We now recycle all of our food waste
• 99% of our supplies arrive in glass or tins, in line with our ‘no plastics’ policy and there’s no cling film in our kitchens

Thanks to the SRA and to all of our staff who have pushed Cookery School to be as responsible, ethical and sustainable a business as possible. 

Related Reading:

• Sustainability at Cookery School
• Sustainable Cooking Classes
• Looking to cook with an eye on fish stocks
• Mackerel and Pollock: How to use our favourite fish

Category
Sustainability