OCEAN-TO-PLATE PHILOSOPHY

This is the display window of The Atlantic which features freshly caught gems of the sea, from left to right .... Blue Eye, Yellow Fin Tuna, Hapuka and Snappers .... It is an impressive display, in a cold room over crushed ice, but not for very long as the business traffic calls for them to be served within a couple of days. On the wall of the Chef's Office at The Atlantic is a prominent piece of paper with the word 'Sustainability' in block capital. It is not rocket science, it is motherhood, it is easy to understand but the key is, the management is mindful which is the right place to start. I thought I would share the essential bits on my blog.

Do you know 80% of the world's fish stock is over-fished or fished to its limit? The Atlantic prides itself of practicing the Ocean-to-Plate Philosophy which means ' ... the restuarant does not rely on any one type of fish, the menu is so flexible it changes daily depending on what is caught the day before and what is the freshest available'. The chef responsible for fish is instructed 'to check with the supplier at the crack of dawn, everyday'.

The following questions will be asked :

* is the species overfished
* how was it caught, or was it framed
* any collateral damage to the environment, and to other marine wildlife
* was it a deep sea (takes much longer to recover) slow growing or long lived species
* or it is a species of local origin which is not always sustainable

Then there is what I would call 'The Atlantic Motto' which makes good sense :

* we accept responsibility for the part we play
* our buying habit now can shape the future
* fish stock we chose today directly affects the health of our oceans tomorrow