Press release: 5th August 2009
Pubs and restaurants compete to be named the UK’s most ethical eateries
The RSPCA announces the finalists for the 2009 Good Business Awards
From Cornwall to Northumberland, exceptional pubs and restaurants from around the country have been shortlisted for this year’s RSPCA Good Business Awards, which recognise business approaches to higher animal welfare.
Finalists in The RSPCA Good Business Awards restaurants category - in association with Caterer and Hotelkeeper – are: Cygnet Restaurant/Swan Inn, Inkpen, Berkshire, McDonald’s Restaurants, ODE, Shaldon, Devon and Restaurant Alimentum, Cambridge and finalists in the pubs category are: The Duke of Cambridge, Islington, London, The Feathers Inn, Stocksfield, Northumberland, The Norway Inn, Truro, Cornwall and The Swan Inn, Inkpen, Berkshire.
One of the judges3, TV presenter and journalist Richard Johnson says: "Recent TV programmes highlighting the plight of chickens and pigs have meant that people are increasingly aware of the origin of the food they buy and want to be assured of the animal welfare credentials of the restaurants and pubs they chose to eat at. This is why our finalists, who are making real efforts to use suppliers who rear their animals with humanity, deserve our support and recognition."
Restaurants and pubs finalists for the 2009 Good Business Awards (in alphabetical order) are:
Restaurants
- Cygnet Restaurant/Swan Inn, Inkpen, Berkshire: Knowledgeable staff are actively encouraged to engage with customers on welfare issues. The restaurant carries out visits to suppliers and has an on-farm slaughter facility, helping to avoid live transportation.
- McDonald’s Restaurants: For its free range eggs throughout, its improvements in humane poultry slaughter, a long term commitment to improving animal welfare through primary research projects and in encouraging improvements, such as the Flagship Farm scheme designed to promote and share the benefits of sustainable agricultural practices.
- ODE, Shaldon, Devon: As well as local sourcing, the restaurant has a no foie gras and no veal policy, and is completely transparent in displaying these policies on menus and on their website. Animal welfare is a major part of the eating experience.
- Restaurant Alimentum, Cambridge: Animal welfare is at the heart of the restaurant. They regularly visit the farms they source from, staff are fully trained about where the food comes from and they engage with customers by asking for feedback.
Pubs
- The Duke of Cambridge, Islington, London: For an ongoing commitment to animal welfare including keeping food miles to a minimum by local sourcing. Customers are made aware of where the meat and fish comes from and staff are trained so that they can share an in-depth knowledge of animal welfare with their customers.
- The Feathers Inn, Stocksfield, Northumberland: A business right at the heart of the community - not only does the pub source local produce but they also campaign to raise awareness by networking with local food groups and communicating with schools.
- The Norway Inn, Truro, Cornwall: For a commitment to using only locally reared animals, keeping transportation to a minimum. They also put great emphasis on visiting the farms and premises they use, and communicate policies with their customers.
- The Swan Inn, Inkpen, Berkshire: For continuing to make improvements including switching to a farm that has a slaughter facility on site. Beef is supplied by its own organic farm and the menu is designed to ensure that every part of an animal is used, keeping waste to a minimum.
David Bowles, Head of External Affairs for the RSPCA says: "The economic downturn doesn’t seem to have affected ethical consumerism and there is still a real demand for cruelty-free produce. It is great to see restaurants, regardless of their size, striving to implement exceptional welfare standards. Companies, such as those on this year’s shortlist, deserve our recognition as they set the standard for others to work towards."
The RSPCA Good Business Awards gala ceremony will be held at One Marylebone, London on Wednesday 7 October 2009. Tickets for the awards ceremony are available by contacting the RSPCA Good Business Awards team on 0300 123 0488 or awards@rspca.org.uk or online: www.rspcagoodbusinessawards.com
For media enquiries, please contact Vaneetha Balasubramaniam or Nicki Akers at 77PR on 0207 492 0977. Email vaneetha.b@77pr.co.uk or nicki.akers@77pr.co.uk or the RSPCA press office on 0300 123 0244 or press@rspca.org.uk.
Find out more about this year's winners.
Find out how your company can be part of the RSPCA Good Business Awards 20010
Notes to editors:
1. The other categories in the RSPCA Good Business Awards are Food retail, Supermarket of the year People’s Choice award, Cosmetics and Fashion
2. Entrants this year were judged on the basis of their practices in the following areas:
- Welfare of beef, dairy cattle, chickens bred for meat, laying hens, pigs, sheep and farmed fish
- Live transport of animals
- Slaughter methods
- Policies to ensure the restaurant does not sell foie gras or white veal
- Labeling
- Import of meat and eggs from other countries
- Farm inspection
- Policies to phase out the use of whole cage eggs and cage eggs as ingredients by 2012
3. The judging panel for the restaurant and pubs category (in association with CatererSearch.com) is: Richard Johnson, presenter of the BBC’s Full On Food, judge on ITV's Taste the Nation and regular contributor to the Food Programme on Radio 4; Andrew Opie, food policy director, British Retail Consortium; Dr Geoff Spriegel, independent food consultant; Professor John Webster, Professor Emeritus at Bristol University.
About the Good Business Awards
The RSPCA Good Business Awards were set up in recognition of the achievements of companies in the cosmetics, fashion and food industries to attain higher standards of animal welfare by implementing sustainable policies and practices.
The RSPCA is pleased to announce Caterer and Hotelkeeper as the official media partner for the restaurant and pub category of the 2009 Good Business Awards.
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