An environmental approach to dining
“We are at a truly exciting junction with food, both in the UK and across Europe, with our guests showing an ever-increasing love and general inquisitiveness towards great cookery, chefs and prime local ingredients. I feel that Rocco Forte Hotels as a brand is well placed to deliver on an exciting and broader food offering that compliments its already extraordinary hospitality” explains Michelin-starred chef, Adam Byatt, our Chef Director at Charlie’s restaurant in London, UK.
As we become more conscious of our impact on our surroundings, many of us are moving towards a ‘climatarian’ diet with a lower environmental impact. Here, we explore this concept and its growing popularity.
What is a climatarian?
Simply put, a climatarian chooses what to eat according to what is least harmful to the
environment. This involves eating ingredients that have been produced locally which have a lower carbon footprint.
The term climatarian entered the Cambridge Dictionary in 2015 and is gaining momentum as our environmental responsibilities become increasingly important. Restaurants are making their menus climatarian friendly, apps such as Kuri are offering climatarian recipes and companies such as the tech startup Moonshot are selling “sustainability software” to encourage food companies to track their environmental impact.
How can I become a climatarian?
Consumers are becoming more aware of the environmental impact their dietary choices have and are taking action. A simple rule for becoming a climatarian, is to consider your impact on the environment through the decisions you make in your daily life.
Climatarians have realised that being a vegetarian is no longer the answer to help reverse climate change. Swapping meat in favour of vegetables grown in greenhouses that then travel thousands of miles to reach your shopping bag might actually increase your carbon footprint rather than reduce it, for instance.
While many climatarians aren’t vegetarians, they make sure the meat they are consuming comes from local farms, rather than factory farms overseas. They also source seasonal fruit and vegetables, avoid wasting food, choose products with palm oil-free labels and swap ready meals for cooking from scratch.
Where to dine with us across Europe
Several of our restaurants across Europe have already implemented menus that suit a climatarian mindset. In Sicily, Verdura Società Agricola (Verdura Organic Farm) is our way of sharing our home-grown produce with you. Across our 230 hectares estate at Verdura Resort, we have 2,000 olive trees, 3,000 orange trees, 250 almond trees, 150 prickly pear cacti, 120 pomegranate trees and 50 lemon trees. Our organic vegetable garden spans over 2,600m² of land, where aromatic herbs and organic vegetables are grown, such as artichokes, eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, melons, red pepper, beans, rosemary, sage, mint, wild fennel and much more. We handpick these ingredients every day to serve in our restaurants and bars. We also produce our own olive oil and varieties of pesto and pâté that you can take home with you or order to your door.
Meanwhile, Sophia’s in Munich’s The Charles, is known for what it calls botanical bistronomy, which means it uses ingredients from the old botanical gardens that border the hotel as well as produce that has been hand-picked by local producers. Its handcrafted cheese comes from dairies, alpine farms and monasteries while its meat and fish such as game and trout is sourced from Gutshof-Polting, a family-run farm in Bavaria that was established in 1899.
In the UK, our Chef Director Adam Byatt is a champion of local, seasonal produce to create classic British dishes with a contemporary twist at our renowned restaurant Charlie’s in London’s Brown’s Hotel. Number One in Edinburgh’s The Balmoral also sources its ingredients from an exceptional list of trusted farmers and fishermen to create Scottish cuisine with a modern flair.
Discover an array of fresh, locally-sourced dishes at each of our hotels across Europe.
Few cities have shaped Italy’s table quite like Milan. Arguably best known for its extraordinary fashion and design scene, the city’s culinary story is one less often told - though no less remarkable. It is one best read on a plate, through recipes handed down over centuries.
For many, dogs are part of the family, and their place is with us - even when we travel. In some of Europe’s most beautiful cities, our hotels extend a warm welcome to your four-legged friends, with thoughtful touches in-room, friendly spaces to ‘paws’ together, and a concierge ready with tips for the best local walks. From shaded parks to riverside trails and neighbourhood cafés that set out water bowls at the door, every detail is designed to make them feel as at home as you do.
For more than thirty years, Mariateresa has dedicated her career as a cultural guide to revealing these secrets, unlocking doors that are usually very firmly closed. We meet her in the heart of the city, where Via della Spiga meets Via Senato, at The Carlton, a distinctly Milanese address surrounded by noble palazzi, designer boutiques, and storied architecture. “My work is to reveal these treasures… so that visitors feel privileged and can truly appreciate the uniqueness of what they are experiencing.”
