Green Initiatives |
|
Our food philosophy is simple. Low food miles, sustainable product and when we can, we make it on-site. SOURCED LOCALLY, LOW FOOD MILES We are proud to say this philosophy literally starts in our backyard. The Zoo veggie patch is set up as a display on Zoo grounds to educate people how to compost, create your own vegetable garden at home and eat from a sustainable supply with zero food miles. We look forward to our regular harvest of vine ripened tomatoes, spinach, beetroot, silverbeet and a variety of herbs delivered by wheelbarrow direct to the kitchen in less than 200 meters. We use this produce wherever we can across our various menus at the Zoo. We try wherever possible to source from local suppliers in an effort to reduce food miles. For example, we source our beef from Werribee based company Tip Top Meats where our Butcher is proud to provide tasty grass-fed beef without hormones. We source accredited free range and antibiotic free chicken from 100% Australian owned company Hazeldene in Victoria. Our cheeses are from Victoria Dairy producers also. Always aiming to reduce our carbon footprint our menus are created seasonally to make the most of fresh produce when it is at its best. MADE HERE Liberty Catering Concepts is delighted to have launched the Zoo Bakery located on site at Melbourne Zoo. Our Baker produces freshly baked loaves using flour sourced from Laucke's Certified Organic Mills in Victoria. Also on offer are fresh muffins, cookies, pastries, filled sandwiches, baguettes, hot gourmet pies and a variety of breads delivered to our customers in 100% compostable packaging. Making our bread on site gives us the advantage of creating fresh, high quality baked goods with low food miles and low waste. GREEN SUPPLIERS Liberty Catering Concepts strives to align ourselves with companies who have a focus on reducing harm to the environment. We select suppliers who we feel fit in with our green philosophy. For example: Coffee Our coffee is from Melbourne-based Red Star Coffee whose beans are sourced ethically with a fully transparent supply chain, starting with their growers. The blends feature certifications including organic, Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, estate grown and shade–grown. Wine Our wines are sourced from Victorian winery De Bortoli Wines who have made a major commitment to the environment and sustainable practices with their overall aim to become a Zero Waste Wine Company. Sustainable fish We are very pleased to have sourced Australia's first Marine Stewardship Council certified all natural sustainable harvest Capensis Hake fish fillets in tempura for our takeaway fish product in the Plaza at Melbourne Zoo and the Kiosk at Werribee Open Range Zoo. We acknowledge the importance of sourcing from sustainable fish stocks whilst providing a quality product. Packaging In order to achieve our food service sustainability goals we are committed to making the best choices possible to minimise harm on our environment. That's why we use Biopack to supply a range of compostable and biodegradable products including drinking cups, bin liners, takeaway containers and cutlery. These high quality plant based products are certified carbon neutral and offer a smart alternative to traditional single use products. Once used, these products are recycled in the Zoo's onsite Hot Rot system which chews up all organic waste and turns it into garden ready mulch.. Reduced chemical use on site Our environmental and sustainability philosophy encompasses all parts of our operations. Liberty Catering Concepts has installed innovative eWater Systems into our kitchens which use ROX electrolysed water. "Rox Water combines ordinary tap water, a mild salt solution and electric current in a process known as electrolysis to produce two highly effective, yet remarkably safe, solutions - alkaline cleaning water and acidic sanitizing water."* We use this for rinsing fresh produce, cleaning benches and surfaces and hand washing. This highly effective system reduces water waste, elminates suds or harsh chemical pollutants into drains and has zero residue to ensure a smart, earth friendly alternative to traditional infection control and cleaning. *Sourced from http://www.ewatersystems.com.au Recycling In partnership with Zoos Victoria we use a colour coded bin system, which ensures that each waste stream is differentiated from the next. we use six different coloured bins: Commingle, organics, clean paper, plastic film, food and landfill rubbish. With ongoing education, we hope that the general public will become familiar with this easy separation system and help in our efforts to recycle as much as possible in all parts of the business. In addition, we source our cooking oil from a company who takes back the used oil and processes it into bio diesel which the Zoo buys back to run their vehicles on site. Second Bite Within any catering operation, food waste is inevitable, however we have recognised an opportunity to ensure that nutritious surplus fresh food and produce does not go to waste. We use the services of a not-for-profit organisation called SecondBite who facilitate safe and timely distribution of surplus food to agencies and people in need. By participating in this program, we are not only reducing food waste and helping people in need but also helping the environment. "Foe every tonne of food Secondbite collects, 0.9 tonnes of methane is spared from the atmosphere."* *Sourced from http://www.secondbite.org
|