‘Plate up’ for sustainable Scottish food

More than 35 Glasgow hospitality venues have teamed up as part of a new initiative designed to address food waste and its impact on climate change.

Ahead of the official launch date (October 12), the team behind Plate up for Glasgow has unveiled the venues taking part, inviting bookings.

As part of this hospitality-led initiative, scheduled to coincide with COP26, diners can look forward to sampling a range of sustainable Food Hero dishes and drinks created by some of the city’s best chefs from 12 October – 12 November inclusive.

All dishes are designed to showcase at least one of four food waste reduction techniques, challenging traditional and wasteful dining and takeaway business models with the goal of sending as little organic waste as possible to landfill. These techniques include rethinking existing menu items; showcasing food preservation techniques; using unfashionable cuts of meat and or creating a dish from surplus or donated food.

Dishes and drinks available to order as part of the Plate up for Glasgow initiative include the “humble” cauliflower with almond pesto and Mossgiel ricotta from Eusebi Restaurant and Deli, which uses the whole cauliflower from its leaf right through to its core; pig head croquettes with fried egg, capers and anchovies from The Duke’s Umbrella; and Spare Parts – a zero- waste beer by Drygate, brewed using surplus ‘waste’ bread which acts as an aid to
fermentation.

Ahead of launching, a ‘Plate up for Glasgow’ showcase event was held at Drygate Brewery to bring together several food and drink venues taking part in the initiative and allow guests to taste-test some of the dishes which will be available in restaurants throughout the month-long campaign.

Rebecca Ricketts, campaign lead for Plate up for Glasgow, said: ‘Food waste currently costs the Scottish hospitality industry approximately £212 million annually and is recognised to be a bigger cause of climate change than plastics.

‘Through Plate up for Glasgow we hope to bring the industry together, giving them a better chance of rebuilding post the pandemic whilst learning collaboratively how to become sustainable and profitable for the future.’

Alison McRae, senior director at Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, said: ‘As lead partner of Plate up for Glasgow, Glasgow Chamber of Commerce is proud to see how the hospitality businesses have come together to tackle the issue of food waste.

‘By embracing innovative ways of repurposing food that is usually thrown out, our city’s inventive food service sector is playing a critical role in influencing positive and long-term behavioural change, whilst delivering practical and tangible ways to achieve net zero and strengthen the local economy.’

Plate up for Glasgow is being piloted by Glasgow Chamber of Commerce through its Circular Glasgow initiative and funded by Experience Glasgow Food and Drink Regional Group. Eusebi Restaurant and Deli is the campaign’s lead hospitality partner.

To make a reservation for Plate up for Glasgow, visit HERE.

For more information about Plate up for Glasgow, visit: https://plateupforglasgow.co.uk

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