Cooking with a Conscience!

By KUDOS –

How do we define the meaning of food provenance? Food provenance is knowing where your food has come from, how and where it was produced, transported and delivered to us.

My grandmother was one of my favourite cooks producing the most amazing soups from scraps left over from the family meal and creating amazing puddings from the fruit she could pick from the garden.  Pears, apples and blackberries were always on the menu!

The guilty feeling when buying pre-packaged fruit and vegetables at my local supermarkets are always there as I know I should be investing in local farmers’ market produce and buying just what the family need. However, the excuse of time not being on my side and my busy working life prevents me from taking the better option!

Nevertheless, packaging waste in the Kitchen amazes me. I find that as a small family we generate a lot of waste. The volume of plastic, tins and vegetable packaging is overwhelming when you look at a week’s general consumption.  If I struggle with the disposal of waste products, how do the restaurants and large catering facilities manage to dispose of this waste and focus on cooking with a conscience?

A 2018 survey by Recoup showed that 525,000 tonnes of plastic trays, pots and tubs alone were utilised in homes, with only 169,145 tonnes sent for recycling.  Ways to help reduce the environmental burden on landfill are to:

* buy from farmers’ markets

* use pick your own farms

* buy from farm shops

* use local greengrocers

* take reusable containers or bags for purchase

* buy via a box scheme

* grow your own.

This is fantastic for us individuals concerned about reducing our carbon footprint! However, what is KUDOS doing to reduce and support The Mermaid on this mission?

Food Waste

Food waste reduction is supported by a project throughout the company to recycle coffee granules and encourage us to utilise it as fertiliser for our gardens which is being provided by the cafés in brown recyclable bags.  Reduction in single-use plastic is a priority and we are researching ways to eradicate this entirely.

Natural Resources 

Drop4Drop is a campaign supporting Life Water which is an ethical natural spring water brand that works in partnership with charity Drop4Drop to provide clean water projects to the neediest communities around the world. Every bottle of Life Water sold funds the delivery of at least 1,000 litres of clean drinking water to a community in need. KUDOS helps bring a new sense of opportunity to the village communities, allowing them to utilise clean water to improve their health, strengthen economic productivity and increase child school attendance.  Our charitable campaigns are focused each month within The Mermaid to help generate donations for this charity. We also have a strong focus on other charities closer to home and we have established a worthy cause we support every month.

Supply Chain

The food at The Mermaid is sourced locally within a 50 mile radius (example of menu). The chefs take pride in cooking with fresh ingredients that are supporting our local farmers with the Red Tractor initiative.  Red Tractor has some of the most comprehensive farm and food standards in the world, covering more types of food and drink than any other. By purchasing Red Tractor you are supporting British farmers and food producers and choosing a world-leading food safety standard which can only benefit you and your family.

Creative Menus 

The menus are crafted by our professional team on-site and will deliver an experience to delight even the most discerning of taste buds as all ingredients are cooked with passion and a conscience.