Australia has one of the world’s healthiest hospitality industries, with a cafe culture that’s cited as the biggest outside Europe. It comes with a sizeable carbon and waste footprint as a result of factors such as supply chains, food and packaging.
Globally, food production accounts for between 19 and 29% of greenhouse gas emissions. The farther food has to travel, the greater its environmental impact. A 2022 University of Sydney study found that almost twice the amount of greenhouse gases are released in transporting fruit and vegetables compared with their actual production.
For many in the industry, quality is synonymous with environmentally friendly practices. Some cafes and restaurants make it part of their identity, by serving organic or vegetarian fare, or through local or ethical sourcing.
But how can you tell if a restaurant or cafe is sustainably minded? Useful online resources exist, such as Good Fish or Responsible Cafes, which provide Australia-wide maps of venues assessed to be sustainable.
But there are also simple signs to look for.
For starters, the menu
Alex Giannakis from Natoora, a company whose mission is to connect restaurants and cafes with local produce, says “seasonality and transparency are markers of a sustainably minded venue”.
Diners can look to websites such as the Seasonal Food Guide but should also feel comfortable to simply ask their server. While it may seem silly to ask after the provenance of a pea, any venue that is invested in serving a quality product will proudly share a tomato’s tale or the source of their snapper.
Seasonal and local sourcing cuts the environmental cost of transportation and storage associated with out-of-season or foreign produce.
Tom Campbell, a chef at Thelma in the Adelaide Hills, is skilfully nimble with produce. He looks for what is available seasonally, making his menu a dynamic entity that sees sweet red peppers with sardines in autumn make way for the crunch of puntarelle (a variety of chicory) in winter.
“To me, it doesn’t make sense to eat produce from a far away place, or grown in a completely controlled environment just so you can have them when they’re out of season,” he says. “It’s all about supporting the smaller producers close to us, doing things in the right way and working with them to create a more sustainable future.”
A menu should ideally be small. The hospitality industry is one of Australia’s biggest culprits when it comes to food waste, making up roughly 16% of the nation’s total. Research conducted by RMIT for End Food Waste Australia suggests that small menus make stock control easier, meaning less food is thrown out.
Look for local, seasonal and minimal meat
Sustainability, of course, is inextricably linked with the produce that is served. Venues that use local suppliers are reducing the carbon footprint involved in getting the food from the farm and on to your plate. Research suggests that transporting food accounts for 6% of global emissions.
Dishes that skew in favour of vegetarian options are lower impact, given the adverse environmental impacts of the meat industry, as well as the negative effects of overfishing and some fish farming.
Researchers have found swapping red meat for plant-based alternatives can substantially reduce a meal’s associated emissions.
That’s not to say meat can’t be served. A sustainably minded venue that serves meat might, for example, source from local, organic producers and use unconventional cuts to reduce waste. Many will either note their sourcing on the menu or happily discuss it with diners.
Reduce and reuse
Finally, how a cafe or restaurant approaches the practicalities of serving people can be a red or green flag. Easy things to look out for include the use of tap water, cloth napkins and minimal single-use or disposable items.
Cafes present a big, obvious problem: takeaway coffee cups. Australians go through a staggering 1.84bn single use cups each year.
While many venues now encourage their customers to bring their own reusable cups, places like Napier Quarter in Melbourne have done away with takeaway completely. Instead, drawing inspiration from the Italian tradition of a quick espresso at the counter, the Fitzroy coffee and wine bar encourages customers to pause for a moment, by making a coffee at the bar cheaper than if you sit down.
While a risk, it’s one owner Daniel Lewis is happy to make. “We’re not perfect, we’re not pioneers, but when we see small opportunities where we can have an impact or lead by example, we take them,” he says.
Luckily, in Australia we enjoy a thriving hospitality culture, including many passionate chefs and venue owners who are sustainably minded.
Remembering to stay local and focus on venues with small, seasonal menus will ensure not only an environmentally friendly feast, but one bursting with flavour.
