Market Kitchen
Five minutes with Arthur Potts Dawson
UKTV Food's Amanda Smith, went to Acorn House to find out how Arthur has earned the reputation of Britain's gastronomic eco-warrior...
Roux-trained Arthur Potts Dawson, executive chef and co-owner of Acorn House, is on a mission to reduce the effect that restaurants have on the environment. Arthur sets an exceptionally high standard by sourcing local produce without packaging, recycling all restaurant waste and even encouraging his staff to come to work by bicycle.
Every aspect of Acorn House is addressed with the ethos of reduce, reuse and recycle: from green energy and biodegradable water bottles, to the recycled paper napkins and wooden tables that come from a sustainable forest.
The restaurant cuts back on waste by offering varying portion sizes, and if a plate isn't cleaned, scraps go into the on-site wormery. Fine compost from the wormery fuels the restaurant's small roof garden that grows herbs and vegetables.
Eco-friendly restaurants are still in their infancy so there are not many about. However Arthur assures us that you can still be an ethical diner as long as you ask questions: "Brits are notorious for being extremely nervous about asking where restaurant food is from, which is crazy as we're willing to ask a butcher or a fishmonger about what we're buying."
"You have to challenge restaurants, ask if produce is in-season, is it English, is it fresh?" urges Arthur. "Customers need to start feeling empowered - demand quality, demand locality, demand sustainability and demand organic if that's what you want. If you go to an organic restaurant ask for proof that they're members of the Soil Association," he says.
Arthur hopes customers will start demanding more of restaurants so that chefs will be forced to change their bad habits. He'd like to see the end of flying in out-of-season produce and bottled water, serving over-sized portions and not recycling rubbish - both organic waste and packaging. "Some chefs out there are getting away with murder and that's only going to change if the customer starts challenging them," he says.
Acorn House is located at 69 Swinton Street, WC1X 9NT, close to King's Cross station. For more information go to acornhouserestaurant.com
Make your kitchen eco-friendly
Arthur's recipes
Every aspect of Acorn House is addressed with the ethos of reduce, reuse and recycle: from green energy and biodegradable water bottles, to the recycled paper napkins and wooden tables that come from a sustainable forest.
The restaurant cuts back on waste by offering varying portion sizes, and if a plate isn't cleaned, scraps go into the on-site wormery. Fine compost from the wormery fuels the restaurant's small roof garden that grows herbs and vegetables.
Eco-friendly restaurants are still in their infancy so there are not many about. However Arthur assures us that you can still be an ethical diner as long as you ask questions: "Brits are notorious for being extremely nervous about asking where restaurant food is from, which is crazy as we're willing to ask a butcher or a fishmonger about what we're buying."
"You have to challenge restaurants, ask if produce is in-season, is it English, is it fresh?" urges Arthur. "Customers need to start feeling empowered - demand quality, demand locality, demand sustainability and demand organic if that's what you want. If you go to an organic restaurant ask for proof that they're members of the Soil Association," he says.
Arthur hopes customers will start demanding more of restaurants so that chefs will be forced to change their bad habits. He'd like to see the end of flying in out-of-season produce and bottled water, serving over-sized portions and not recycling rubbish - both organic waste and packaging. "Some chefs out there are getting away with murder and that's only going to change if the customer starts challenging them," he says.
Acorn House is located at 69 Swinton Street, WC1X 9NT, close to King's Cross station. For more information go to acornhouserestaurant.com
Make your kitchen eco-friendly
Arthur's recipes
