Sustainable development in the catering sector: the example of Cookoovaya

Ο Hippocrates he said the phrase «Let your medicine be your food, and your food be your medicine» for 2,500 years as the founder of rational medicine. His words, however, are as relevant today as ever, at a time when not only is nutrition associated with a multitude of diseases, but also when food waste has reached gigantic proportions.

According to data from WWF, globally, nearly 1.3 billion tonnes of food ends up in the trash every year, even though they could be consumed. At the same time, 868 million people suffer from hunger. In addition to inequality, the food that ends up in the garbage has an impact on the economy, as it is responsible for additional waste of water, energy, waste disposal means, etc., and on family budgets. Study of the organisation WRAP in United Kingdom estimates that food waste results in economic losses of €595 per household per year.

The large social, ecological and economic footprint of food waste is also linked to the massive industrialisation of food and its distribution. Today, supermarket shelves and restaurant menus contain tonnes of food that have travelled from the other side of the world, altering and homogenising the food model, and causing major environmental damage through the emission of exhaust gases (for transport) and the overexploitation of natural resources for their production. Together, the globalisation of food production has put pressure on local production and responsible trade, squeezing a number of professions and threatening the sustainability of local economies.

If all this sounds instructive, and possibly the reverse of the prevailing notion of prosperity, consider the deliciousness... How many times has the average consumer not commented on the taste of the tomato that was lost...

In addition to specific awareness campaigns, restaurant kitchens play a key role in re-educating consumers on responsible eating and the principles of the circular economy in the kitchen. A movement has been born worldwide in favour of the use of local and selected foods, a trend that also has representatives in Greece.

The restaurant that sets the example

One of the representatives mentioned above is the Cookoovaya, the restaurant of the team of chefs, who from the very beginning focused on the use of excellent raw materials, on the basis of seasonality and locality, primarily.

To achieve this, Cookoovaya has established stable and consistent partnerships with small producers who know everything about the product they produce and market.

At Cookoovaya, the tomatoes are not just from Evia, but from a specific producer, whose methods are known and evaluated by the team of chefs. This ensures knowledge of how the raw material is processed, which season is appropriate, and in which ways it will be used in a dish. Thus, in addition to incomparable deliciousness, Cookoovaya's menu conveys to customers quality, but also an intangible offer, such as that of knowledge.

In Cookoovaya have also established the wise food stories, where through various tasty suggestions, customers learn about the production and value of local Greek food. The dishes with the indigenous breeds of black pig and steppe cow were based on exactly this philosophy.

Furthermore tried to communicate to their clientele, the Greek breeds of some rare cattle, with enormous value for both the biodiversity of the country and our cultural heritage. These rare cattle, which have survived for thousands of years, are the best example of what sustainability means. Their consumption means an increase in demand and therefore an incentive for the producer to save them, so all production sectors are strengthened in a way that is safe and of high quality for society, the economy and the environment.

At the same time, the wise food experience menu gives the opportunity for someone to try from one raw material, be it fish, meat, vegetables, multiple dishes with different ways of cooking. Thus, from a large fish, one piece can be made raw, another steamed and another fried, without leaving a single piece unused.

It is clear that in Cookoovaya they adopt the principles of zero waste management. In this way, they educate the public on the identification of raw materials and their use, as well as on the principles of the circular economy. It is estimated that in the household economy the number of raw materials that end up in the garbage can be reduced by 60% and in restaurants even 100%.