Canary Wharf Launches Conscious Cuisine Initiative to Tackle Food Waste – 11.07.22

• Canary Wharf restaurants introduce new sustainable menu items made from food that would have otherwise gone to waste
• Hawksmoor, Humble Grape, Pergola on the Wharf Gaucho and Caravan amongst participating restaurants

Canary Wharf has announced the launch of eco-dining initiative Conscious Cuisine, a unique project in collaboration with a number of restaurants on the Estate that will see them offering innovative new dishes made from food that would otherwise have gone to waste. 

Launching on Monday 11th July, Conscious Cuisine will see Hawksmoor, Humble Grape, Gaucho, Caravan and Pergola on the Wharf introduce the new dishes and drinks to their menu for a month, each with sustainability at its heart.

The UK throws away around 9.5 million tonnes of food waste each year, despite over 8 million people living in food poverty. This is not only bad for our pockets but for the planet, as most of this food waste ends up in landfill where it releases high levels of methane which contributes to global warming. 

Conscious Cuisine aims to drive awareness around food waste and sustainability, with new sustainable menu items from dishes that are made from otherwise wasted food to carbon-neutral plates and thoughtfully mixed cocktails that give back to the environment.[1]

The project forms part of Canary Wharf’s ongoing investment in sustainability in which visitors are encouraged to live, eat and shop locally through sustainable retail choices, refillable water stations, transport links, extensive green spaces and plastic-free lunch spots.

Most recently, Canary Wharf has also announced its partnership with the Eden Project, acting as the project’s London base to tackle biodiversity challenges in urban environments. Canary Wharf has great transport links, access to green spaces and waterside living; and a huge range of activities and amenities for visitors and residents to enjoy, all designed with sustainability in mind.

Humble Grape – Enjoy dishes made entirely from food that would have otherwise gone to waste

Canary Wharf’s waterfront wine bar Humble Grape is a one-stop-shop for sunset dates or catching up with friends, offering a relaxed atmosphere and a range of over 400 artisan wines. For Conscious Cuisine, Humble Grape will be offering three unique dishes made entirely from excess food items.

• Root Vegetable Bhaji with Herb Sauce – Whether it’s vegetable peelings, trimmings or seeds, nothing gets thrown away when making this incredible dish. Even the sauce it’s served with is made from leaves and stems.
• Pork Croquette and Tomato Aioli – Nothing goes to waste in this flavourful dish where often underused meat from a pig’s head is braised until tender, fried and served with an aioli made of tomato pulp and eggs.
• Tempura Cod Tongue, Cauliflower Leaf Kimchi – Cod tongue is a delicacy in Norway and yet mostly goes to waste in the UK. Here they are battered and transformed into a crunchy tempura, served with kimchi made of cauliflower’s green leaves that often go ignored.

Caravan – Learn new ways of utilising less popular food elements

Located in the heart of Canary Wharf, Caravan brings all day dining to this bustling neighbourhood with their terrazzo, a dining and bar space that is stripped back and sun-drenched. From 11^th July, Caravan will be offering a dish inspired by one of their most popular items.

Cauliflower and Shiitake Potstickers – Potstickers aredumplings similar to Japanese gyoza, and these are inspired by the ingredients of one of Caravan’s bestselling dishes: spiced cauliflower, harissa, tahini, pomegranate and curry leaves. At the heart of this dish are cauliflower stalks, a part of the vegetable that would normally go to waste.

Hawksmoor Wood Wharf – Discover the sustainable story behind a classic

Hawksmoor is one of Canary Wharf’s latest openings: it is housed in an eco-friendly floating pavilion in Wood Wharf, made from sustainably sourced timber decking and aluminium extracted from hydro sources. The fully floating pavilion features a green roof planted with wildflowers and grasses, to encourage visits from insects and bees. The main restaurant at dock-level is joined by a 120-seat waterside bar, The Lowback. For those looking to dine sustainably, Hawksmoor chefs will be offering a dish that was initially created for the staff, the Potted Beef.

• Potted Beef – Made from trimmings of beef that would usually get discarded, this food-waste friendly dish is served with Yorkshire Puddings that can be taken from Sunday Roast leftovers.

 Pergola on the Wharf – Drink sustainable spirits while helping the Planet

Located in the enchanting Crossrail Place Roof Garden, Pergola on the Wharf offers a botanical escape with streaming sunlight from floor to ceiling windows, and tables surrounded by real flowers, ferns and vines. Visitors after a refreshment can enjoy Tree Planter Cocktails while also doing some good for the planet.

• Tree Planter Cocktails – Until 14^th August, guests will be able to order Tree Planter Cocktails: this unique concept means that Pergola will plant a tree in partnership with Sapling Spirits for every cocktail that they sell. Sapling Spirits are fermented using Wildfarmed regenerative organic wheat, which helps create a healthier, living soil, while capturing CO2 and increasing biodiversity. Their cocktail selection includes Sapling Sour (Sapling Vodka, Matcha, Apple, Hone, Lemon & Miracle Foamer) and Sapling Negroni (Sapling Gin, Campari & Discarded Vermouth).

Gaucho Canary Wharf – Rediscover familiar tastes with sustainable ingredients

Located on the bank of the River Thames, Gaucho Canary Wharf boasts spectacular river views from its panoramic restaurant area and leafy, continental terrace. Their Conscious Cuisine selection includes one cocktail and two dishes, promoting a sustainable steak movement.

• Flor Del Mundo – One of Gaucho’s best-selling cocktails, this unique recipe utilises food grade natural acids rather than lemon. By replacing the lemon, this drink helps reduce the CO2 emissions generated by the farming and transportation of the product, as well as the wastage of the fruit and peel. The Botanist gin used in the preparation also contributes by donating £1 per cocktail sold, to Gaucho’s partner charity “Not for Sale”, who plant trees in the Amazon rainforest and work to remove victims from the danger of modern-day slavery.
• Colita De Lomo – A more sustainable version of Gaucho’s famous steaks, the Colita de Lomo is made from the lesser-used tail end of the cow, a part that would usually be considered as waste.
• Crate to Plate salad – The produce used to create this sustainable salad is grown using 96% less water than traditional soil farming and within 3 miles (800 yards for the lettuce) of the restaurant.

[1] https://www.businesswaste.co.uk/food-waste-2022-the-facts/#:~:text=While%20there%20are%20many%20provisions,UK%20are%20in%20food%20poverty

ENDS

For further information, please contact:

Press Office
Canary Wharf Group plc
T: 020 7418 2166
E: pressoffice@canarywharf.com