The UK’s Most Sustainable Restaurant Guide with BMWi8 and Melissa Hemsley
The UK’s most sustainable restaurant guide with BMWi8 and Melissa Hemsley
In celebration of the launch of the new BMW i8 Roadster, the latest electric hybrid car, BMWi has collaborated with the lovely celebrity chef Melissa Hemsley, to create the ultimate sustainable dining guide, ‘Eat.Live.Drive.’
In today’s society people are becoming more and more eco conscious, with a recent survey finding that 32 percent of people would prefer to choose a restaurant with sustainable practices.
These include: Sourcing – Using locally produced organic or foraged ingredients.
Community – supporting not just the staff but working with community farms or using table ware made by local artisans.
Environment – Reusing, recycling, composting and being clever with food waste to cooking with leftovers.
Resources – Finding innovative ways to reduce energy and water usage in the day to day running of the establishment.
With all of these ethical criteria in mind BMW enlisted the knowledge of eco friendly chef and author Melissa Hemsley to curate a guide of the UK’s best sustainable and eco friendly restaurants.
I was not only lucky enough to try out one of the restaurants in the guide, Native in London’s trendy Borough Market area, but I also got to loan and test drive the new BMWi8 for the weekend, which means drove to the restaurant in style, eco friendly style I might add!
Native
‘A dining experience which encapsulates the country’s best wild food that is Native to the UK’ is this fine establishments tag line. And I’m quite in agreement.
The brain child of Ivan (self taught chef who’d worked at River Cottage HQ and Michelin starred Stone Hill Farm in NYC) and Imogen (who was named in Grace Dents ’10 people to watch in the food industry 2017′), Native is one of the most exciting new restaurants on the London dining scene.
Using Imogen’s hunter gatherer skills honed as a teenager growing up in the Northamptonshire countryside, learning from her family’s Falconry business, she learnt a thing or two about foraging, skinning, plucking and nurturing wild ingredients from a young age.
‘Our food looks to unite the country’s best foraged foods and game in a laid back, full flavour adventure through the British seasons.’
Charlie and I enjoyed the seven course tasting menu. I have to say I can sometimes (always) be quite fussy with food and I was a little worried as to whether I’d be a fan of the game dishes and the foraged ingredients, but I’m really pleased to say it was one of the most delicious, inventive and beautifully presented meals I’ve had in a long time. And I eat out all the time as you know. I was super pleasantly surprised and I would highly recommend Native!
Each dish was presented like a mini work of art or with a really cute sense of humour, like the bread presented literally on a polished stone and dessert served in a marrow bone, see above.
The book is filled some really fantastic restaurants such as Native and Portland (pictured below) in London, which to be honest weren’t really on my radar before I read it. But there are wonderful restaurants from all over the country from well known to newbie places like The River Cottage and The Pig, to Sat Bains and Silo, so it’s the perfect excuse to head out on a little foodie weekend mini break.
Me and the BMWi8 outside sustainable restaurant Portland in Marylebone.
That’s all from London for now. To find out more about BMWi8 click here or to download the Eat.Live.Drive guide click here.
Happy sustainable eating!
Bon appetit!
Wow, what an experience! I live about 15 miles from central London. I would love to head one evening and dine somewhere like this.
I love the homey vibe of that restaurant. My cousins live in London, and will share this info with them. :)
That’s such a great idea, to have a guide to sustainable restaurants! I’ll need to get it the next time I go to the UK!
The food looks incredible. Sustainable restaurants are definitely a growing trend that more people should catch onto!
It so is! X
Both the food and the car look amazing! It’s so important to move towards sustainability. I hope it’s a trend that catches on!
such a great idea, the place and the food looks so incredible.
Your photos are always phenomenal and you look so stylish. The food looked more like art. Overall, it seems like you had an incredible stay!
Ooooh I’m so fascinated with sustainable restaurants–– so cool. The food looks amazing!
Oh i love the plating so much, they made such a cute imagination on serving dishes in something that was literally made from nature.
Wow those dish are just so appetizing. I love it. They really did a great job with plating.
thanks
The end of next year will be all about traveling for me and I hope to visot this place one day. I also share the love for places and people who practice sustainability. Very nice place
What a lovely restaurant to go. You look more stylish and the foods made me hungry.
What an amazing experience! I loved your photos :) Adding this place in my bucket list. It really seems awesome.
ou should
How fancy! I love the hat that you are wearing. I love that wall in the background as well!
thanks so much
This is such a cool guide. All the food there looks pretty amazing. And great that they can be sustainable.
The food and the car both look incredible! What an awesome experience.
that is one wonderful restaurant, and love the presentation of the food..and of course, the car as well!
Love both
Everything looks so beautiful. There is something so charming about the restaurant. Thanks for sharing.
Your pictures with BMWi8 look awesome! If only I live near London, I’ll definitely visit those restaurants. I’m sharing this with my cousins in London.
Oh girl! That BMWi8 is it! You look so great beside it. Anyway, that was such an experience you had; the food looks so delicious! I’d love to eat at a sustainable restaurant too.
We have such an eclectic array of eateries in the UK – Thanks for sharing some amazing looking ones.
yes they were great
Wow I’ve never heard of this restaurant. But I love the borough market area! I’ll have to give it a try next time I’m in London!
It’s great you should try it
Added your recommendation to my list of must visit restaurants. I really love when creatives take the time to present their work of art in unique ways!
Fabulous roundup of sustainable Restaurant Guide and the BMWi8 is an absolutely delectable car. Love the colors and gosh- so want it!
I honestly have not tried game meat. The restaurant looks really nice and I love that they practice sustainability in sourcing their ingredients.