Best sustainable restaurants in London and the UK

Increasingly savvy diners are not only asking restaurants whether their roast chicken is free range, their tuna line caught and their scallops hand dived; more and more now want to know where ingredients have come from, what eco-credentials a restaurant possesses, and how establishments treat their staff in terms of training and tips. The Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) awards one-, two- or three-star ratings to member restaurants that perform highly in these categories, and works with them to improve their sustainability. Here is Square Meal’s pick of the best SRA-certified sustainable restaurants in London and the UK, including Café Spice Namasté (pictured, right).

London

Bumpkin, all branches (2*)

With its seasonal menus, Freedom Food-certified and free-range meats, organic wine and Fairtrade tea and coffee, Bumpkin (pictured, left) really delivers in terms of sourcing and seasonality, wringing maximum feel-good factor out of dishes such as roast chump of lamb with rosemary and Jersey Royals. It also goes the extra ‘country’ mile, using furniture made from reclaimed or recycled materials while still managing to make its branches look the business.

Café Spice Namasté, Whitechapel (3*)

Cyrus Todiwala’s City restaurant (pictured, above right) has long been a standard-bearer for sustainability, sourcing its seafood and meat ethically and showing commitment to small suppliers and rare-breed animals. The menu mixes inventive flavour combinations with high-quality produce, with dishes such as Keralan crab masala. Diners can enjoy organic wines.

Franklins, East Dulwich (3*)

Local produce, including local ales, is at the heart of things at this converted pub. Franklins’ seasonal menu – printed on recycled paper, natch – changes daily, but always includes several gutsy options, from devilled kidneys to faggots with pease pudding. The restaurant is also actively involved with charities such as StreetSmart and local initiatives that teach food provenance in schools.

Hawksmoor, all branches (2*)

The three branches of Hawksmoor are as celebrated for their top-class steaks (pictured, right) and sundries as they are for the way they source them. Sup beer from local breweries at the bar before tucking into high-welfare meat, safe in the knowledge that both staff and suppliers are treated fairly.

Leon, all branches (2*)

Leon set out to change the face of fast food, and arguably is well on the way to doing so. Strong supplier relationships, seasonal ingredients, smiley service and recyclable packaging all add up to food that’s healthy and tasty in equal measures.

Around the UK

Blas Burgerworks, Cornwall (2*)

This surf shack-style restaurant, with its scuffed furniture, communal tables and open kitchen, scores an A for its sourcing practices. The restaurant uses only environmentally-conscious local suppliers for its meat and vegetables, recycles as many resources as it can, and spells out to customers on the menu what exactly is in each dish. It’s also keenly involved with a range of charities.

The Chimney House, Brighton (3*)

Champions of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s Fish Fight and Freedom Food’s ‘Simply Ask’ campaigns, The Chimney House and its sister restaurant, Preston Park Tavern (see below), are pillars of their community, participating in local events and initiatives and ensuring sustainability runs further than just the food. All the better with which to serve inspired gastropub dishes such as organic beetroot-and-horseradish risotto with toasted almonds.

Due South, Brighton (3*)

The owner of this two-tiered restaurant overlooking the beach and pier (pictured, left) is strongly committed to local, seasonal produce, with 80% of ingredients sourced within 35 miles of the city. Sustainability, wild produce, organic and free-range are other talismen, and everything reflects the restaurant’s crusading mission statement – even the wine list has a decent selection of English, organic or biodynamic bottles.

Preston Park Tavern, Brighton (3*)

Preston Park Tavern and its sibling, The Chimney House (see above), use only MSC-certified seafood, free-range eggs and high-welfare pork to produce dishes such as crispy pork-belly rarebit with poached egg and rocket, or Redlands farm rib-eye steak with hand-cut chips and garlic-and-thyme butter. Plus, the adventurous wine list runs to organic and vegan bottles.

River Cottage Canteen & Deli, Devon (3*)

Trailblazing Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall was one of the first people to bring a truly sustainable way of living to public attention. His Canteen & Deli, in Axminster, uses ingredients from its kitchen garden as well as small producers and growers, and is held up by many as a model of sustainability. Recipes in the canteen come from the man himself, and the wine list is weighted towards English producers such as Camel Valley.

The Sustainable Restaurant Association, a non-profit organisation, works with member restaurants to help them source food more sustainably, manage resources in a more environmentally-friendly manner, and work with the community by engaging with charities and neighbourhood projects. Restaurants work towards one-, two- or three-star ‘sustainability champion’ rating.

To view the full SRA reports on these restaurants and to find out which other restaurants are working towards improved sustainability – and how – visit the Sustainable Restaurant Association.