Accommodation, Catering and Events (ACE) in partnership with Edinburgh University Students Associations at the University of Edinburgh has been named among three businesses shortlisted for the Reduce Reuse Recycle category at the Food Made Good Awards 2019, the Sustainable Restaurant Association’s (SRA) annual industry leading accolades for the most progressive purveyors of food and drink. This award is one of 20 that will be presented at a special ceremony on 5th November at Troxy in East London. The Food Made Good Awards recognise restaurants and foodservice operators, as well as the businesses supplying them, whose extraordinary accomplishments in the last year are helping diners use the power of their appetites wisely. Ian Macaulay, Director of Catering with ACE said: “This is a significant achievement for the University and naturally we’re delighted to have made the shortlist. “The fact that we can participate at a national level in industry awards really is testament to the hard work and commitment of our organisation – especially when it comes to reducing our environmental impact. “We know there is a huge issue in the sector around waste be it single-use plastic, disposable hot drink cups and food waste which is why we’ve made it our business to make positive, environmentally-conscious changes.” The Reduce Reuse Recycle award is designed to recognise businesses who’ve taken serious steps to stem the rising tide of single-use plastic and unnecessary packaging. The last year has seen a wave of operators wake up to the issue and respond by ditching plastic straws. Leaders in this field are addressing this huge challenge across their entire business. Café-ODE in Devon won this award in 2018 for its community-wide initiative to reduce single plastic, including a group purchasing scheme to reduce the cost of better packaging and an educational programme with the local school. The Food Made Good Awards recognise restaurants and food service businesses whose accomplishments in the last year have driven progress in the industry and demonstrated that all food can be made delicious, ethical and sustainable. The shortlist is a treasure trove of concepts proven to make a positive difference. Every operator can find at least one great idea to try in their business. Raymond Blanc, OBE, President of the SRA, said “The whole world and kitchens across the UK are waking up to the climate threat. The Food Made Good Awards are the perfect platform for shining a light on those kitchens and the teams working in them, that are using incredible creativity and taking risks to help their customers make food choices that are good for them and the planet. Every chef and restaurateur will take inspiration from this shortlist of dozens of inspiring ideas and initiatives successfully implemented by their industry colleagues.” The Reduce, Reuse, Recycle award is one of ten categories that align with the ten key themes of the SRA’s Food Made Good sustainability framework. Operators fulfilling all ten are the very definition of a good restaurant or foodservice business. A full list of categories and the shortlisted restaurants are available below. Melissa Hemsley who will be hosting the ceremony, said: “I am excited about presenting the Food Made Good Awards and I can’t wait to discover, and of course reveal, all of the incredible winners when it comes to the big night on 5th November.” In addition to the ten themed awards, there are a further ten categories including the People’s Favourite Restaurant. Readers of delicious. magazine have been voting for the five restaurants on the shortlist: Café-ODE, Fodder, Poco Tapas Bar, SpiceBox and Yeo Valley Canteen. Raymond Blanc’s Sustainability Hero 2019, will also be revealed at the ceremony, following in the footsteps of the likes of Jamie Oliver, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and the 2018 winner, Tim Lang. This article was published on 2023-11-08
