Eco-focused foodies — want to know where you can gorge of some foraged, locally sourced, seasonal goodness? Look no further than Michelin green stars.
Since 2021, Michelin inspectors have awarded the accolade to a handful of restaurants based on stuff like where their ingredients come from, how they dispose of food and their use of seasonal produce. And on Monday (February 5), six new restaurants across Britain were recognised for their green credentials at the Michelin Guide UK and Ireland ceremony. So let's get into it.
Annwn in Narberth, Pembrokeshire was among the new green star recipients – and it’s got everything you’d expect from an eco-driven eatery. Most notably, chefs grow the vegetables themselves, source local produce and forage from the surrounding area.
Wales’ second green star for 2024 went to The Whitebrook in Monmouthshire, which is now part of a small roster of restos with both a Michelin star and a green star. Michelin notes that The Whitebrook uses organic, no-dig methods to cultivate their vegetables, forages from the surrounding Wye Valley and has planted an orchard that supports local birdlife.
Following suit, Exmoor Forest Inn in Simonsbath, Somerset was noted as being ‘one of the most sustainable pubs in the country’. Its got its own farm from which most of its meat is sourced and (of course) local suppliers are used for everything else.
St Barts became one of just four London spots to get a green tick from Michelin (alongside the likes of Silo and Apricity) for its commitment to wasting as little as possible. Time Out London food editor Leonie Cooper noted St Barts’ ‘proudly geeky obsession with ultra seasonal British ingredients and a chin-stroking dedication to perfect provenance’.
Also boasting a Michelin star and a green star is Interlude in Horsham, Sussex which makes use of the 240 acre gardens that it sits in, including using honey from its beehives and sap from its birch trees.
Completing this year’s list of winner was Forge in North Yorkshire, which is part of Middleton Lodge Estate and grows its own ingredients, offers a decent amount of plant-based options and uses food waste as compost to help grow even more ingredients.
The eco accolades were announced at the same time as the new list of Michelin star restaurants, which you can read all about here. You can also find out all about the latest Michelin Bib Gourmand winners as well as the most recent additions to the Michelin Guide. Oh, and speaking of foraging, read our deep dive into how sustainable it really is.
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