Shortlist revealed for Support Global Farmers Award sponsored by Farm Africa
10 October 2019
Three finalists vying for award at Food Made Good Awards 2019
An independent café and roastery, one of the UK’s best-known chicken restaurants and a large restaurant group were today named as finalists for the Support Global Farmers award at the Food Made Good Awards 2019, the Sustainable Restaurant Association’s (SRA) annual industry accolades for the most progressive purveyors of food and drink.
The Support Global Farmers award, sponsored by Farm Africa, is designed to recognise businesses that have gone above and beyond to support ethical sourcing, having a big impact on the lives and land of farmers growing food for them thousands of miles away. As sponsor of the award, Farm Africa played a role in the shortlisting for the award, drawing on our global expertise in engaging with smallholder farmers.
Brighton-based Kemptown Project, which includes Redroaster and Lucky Beach Café, has raised funds to build a school and medical centre in the Rwanda community from which it sources its coffee. Nando’s has used its influence as the world’s largest importer of African Bird’s Eye chillies to support 1500 farmers through above market value pricing and training. The Restaurant Group has increased to three quarters the proportion of certified coffee, tea, sugar and chocolate it sources and is now applying the same commitment to responsibly sourced palm oil.
Penny Ruszczynski, Head of Corporate Partnerships at Farm Africa, commented:
“We are excited to work with the Food Made Good Awards to inspire positive change in food production worldwide. The Awards’ focus on sustainability aligns with Farm Africa’s mission to improve lives by driving agricultural and environmental change.
“Progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is dangerously off track. Sustainable food production plays a pivotal role in contributing towards the achievement of many of the off-track goals, such as eliminating poverty, ending hunger and achieving gender equality.”
This award is one of 20 that will be presented at a special ceremony on 5 November at Troxy in East London. The Food Made Good Awards recognise restaurants and food service 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.
Caterer bartlett mitchell won the award in 2018 in recognition of the success of its Perkee coffee brand which, in the two years following its launch, provided 600 farmers in Nicaragua with a range of health, education and business opportunities as well as increasing coffee sales by more than a fifth.
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 Support Global Farmers 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 5 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.
