The Soil Association (SA) has expanded its award scheme for restaurants, cafes and eateries to cover the whole of the UK.
The Organic Served Here scheme, which has been running as a pilot in Scotland since last April, assures customers that restaurants source between 15% and 100% of their ingredients from certified organic suppliers.
All establishments that achieve the award are audited by SA certification experts to verify the percentage of their food that is from certified organic farmers, growers and processors. The restaurants are then awarded stars based on these percentages; five stars: 95-100%; four stars: 75-95%; three stars: 50-75%; two stars: 25-50%; and one star: 15-25%.
There are now three cafes in Scotland with the award and, in England, Better Food now has awards in both of its cafes within its independent stores.
“This award encourages everyone who prepares and sells food to think about that quality,” says Neil Forbes, chef director at Edinburgh’s prestigious Cafe St Honoré (pictured), the first restaurant holding the Organic Served Here three-star award (for serving 50-75% organic).
“The Organic Served Here scheme makes organic visible on a much wider scale than ever before, and demonstrates to customers that restaurants are proud of the provenance of their ingredients, and that they are committed to shortening the journey from plough to plate,” says Sascha Grierson of Grierson’s Organic, a traditional family farm in Perthshire, Scotland, that supplies organic meat to Café St Honoré.
Organic Served Here award-holders have access to a range of support and benefits: dedicated support from SA Certification organic specialists; access to a network of organic suppliers via a directory and networking events; opportunities to learn first-hand about where ingredients come from with training and farm visits; listing and promotion as an Organic Served Here award-holder; and promotion to the SA’s network of members and supporters.
