Support Farmers & Fishers: Pasture
12 August 2024
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PASTURE IS A CELEBRATION OF FIRE-BASED COOKING CENTRED AROUND PROVENANCE, SUSTAINABILITY AND INNOVATION, WHICH HAS GROWN FROM A SINGLE STEAKHOUSE IN BRISTOL TO AN EXPANDING GROUP OF VENUES ACROSS THREE CITIES. THEY COMPLETED THEIR FIRST FOOD MADE GOOD STANDARD IN 2023, EARNING THE TOP ACCOLADE OF THREE STARS – PARTICULARLY IMPRESSIVE FOR A MEAT-FOCUSED BUSINESS!
We asked Sustainability Manager Alec Wilkinson to talk us through sustainability at Pasture, why they’ve supported farmers and fishers since day one and how the Food Made Good Standard has sparked fresh enthusiasm across the team.
“As a restaurant offering beef front and centre, ignorance isn’t an option,” says Alec Wilkinson, Sustainability Manager at Pasture. “We provide the best possible, low-impact product in our restaurants; however, a more sincere, company-wide approach is needed to truly make a difference against our carbon footprint. Learning how to improve has led us to many significant innovations, giving us the confidence to search out new ways to contribute positive action and to create an inspirational story for our colleagues, community and guests.”
STRONG FOUNDATIONS: SUPPORTING FARMERS AND FISHERS AT PASTURE
At Pasture, both procurement and menu creation are built on a foundation of strong community connections and favouring local, indigenous and native where possible. “Our key suppliers were carefully selected and haven’t wavered since day one,” says Alec. “Our continued support for each other benefits both parties, with consistency and the confidence to act with purpose as we grow together.”
Photo caption: Chef Shinobu Namae’s signature dish “Fixed Point” is a symbol of the restaurant’s culinary evolution. | Photo Credit: L’Effervescence
The team at Pasture is proud to support a collective of local farmers, fishers and producers. “Our beef supplier, Philip Warren, works with some farms that are female-owned, and can guarantee the traceability of every cut we receive. Our fish sourcing has improved too, with supplier Jack Wing in open communication with our restaurants and guiding our purchasing with daily updates from the boats.” They also work with a number of small-scale and female-owned drinks producers in their area.
What are the benefits of working with local farmers and fishers? “Perhaps because I’ve worked this way for so long it seems obvious, but to put it simply: ingredients taste better and have added nutritional benefits,” says Alec, observing that shorter supply chains and long-term relationships with producers also make it easier to ensure your restaurant isn’t contributing to detrimental practices like deforestation, water waste, tilling, topsoil erosion or increased fossil fuel use. “That’s even before we get to the inequality and damaging economic practices found within standard supply chains,” he says. “If every restaurant around the world acts this way, we can – as a collective – reduce the negative impact on the planet.”
Photo Credit: L’Effervescence
Going one step further, Pasture has invested greatly into developing their own smallholding and vineyard, Buttercliffe Farm, which employs three full-time staff and supplies the Pasture restaurants with organic produce all year round. “Our farm is our pride and joy,” says Alec. “It’s a huge privilege and we strive to take advantage of it all year.”
Alongside the obvious benefits of growing and serving their own vegetables and herbs, they also use Buttercliffe as a platform to educate and inspire their staff. Throughout the summer, Alec and owner Sam Elliott host monthly trips to the farm, and employees have the opportunity to volunteer every two weeks, under the guidance of farmer Tom. “It’s non-stop inspiration for everyone involved,” says Alec, “with tangible innovations as a result. One example is our recent water harvest project: we can now capture up to 6,000 litres of rainwater and use this to irrigate the land.”
FOOD MADE GOOD AT PASTURE
The team at Pasture submitted their evaluation for the Food Made Good Standard in 2023. “Once we learned about Food Made Good, it felt like the right time for the next step and to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of our restaurants.” They were proud to earn three stars – an especially impressive feat for a beef-focused business! – and have seen multiple benefits from the process.
“Undergoing the accreditation gave me the knowledge to suggest further improvements,” says Alec, “whereas, previously, it had only been Sam who had these insights. Having two dedicated personnel with a passion for sustainability has helped propel us toward new and exciting projects.” These include the water harvesting project mentioned above as well as initiatives like making their own fertiliser, removing blue roll from all sites and developing ‘Land & Sea’ calendars so that their employees can better understand the yearly cycles of sensible sourcing.
The Standard has also inspired the wider team, sparking fresh enthusiasm. “Very notably, staff engagement towards sustainability has increased, along with the overall education we provide and an uplift in guest engagement,” says Alec. This shared fervour has led to the next big innovation for Pasture: in 2025, they plan to open their very own winery. “This is a really exciting project,” says Alec, “and will allow us to produce our own low-impact wine for our restaurants. We think this might be a first for the UK – at least at this scale, with 3,000 vines at our disposal just a couple of miles from our Bristol restaurant! It will be one of our greatest achievements to date, and will also become our farm HQ, allowing us to level up our vegetable production.”
We can’t wait to see the results.
You can learn more about Pasture at their website. Read about why it’s important to support farmers and fishers here, or discover the benefits of the Food Made Good Standard. Got some questions about the Standard? Drop us a line at standard@thesra.org.
All Images copyright: Faydit Photography
Source: The Sustainable Restaurant Association
