The Sustainable Restaurant Association of Japan (SRA-J) held the Food Made Good Japan Awards 2022 on November 14, 2022. The Grand Prize and Category Awards were given to restaurants that have promoted particularly sustainable initiatives among SRA-J member restaurants and received high marks in the ratings based on the three guidelines of “procurement,” “society,” and “environment.

SRA-J is the Japanese branch of the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA), an organization established in the UK in 2010 with the aim of realizing a sustainable food cycle. SRA-J contributes to the creation of a sustainable food system by providing support for the realization of a sustainable food system and measuring the sustainability of food through a comprehensive index. The SRA-J rating index is also used as an evaluation indicator for “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants,” known as the food academy awards, and is highly recognized around the world.

In this column, we present a report on the FOOD MADE GOOD Japan Awards 2022 event, detailing the reasons for the awards and comments from each award-winning restaurant.

Table of Contents

• • Evaluation indicators based on the three guidelines of “Procurement, Society, and Environment
  • Circular Economy Award “BOTTEGA BLU.”
  • Reasons for the award by the judges / Mr. Ito, Executive Director, National Milk Container Environmental Council
  • Award Comments / BOTTEGA BLU. Chef Oshima
  • Procurement Award “PIZZERIA GTALIA DA FILIPPO”
  • Reasons for the award by the jury / Mr. Ide, journalist on food loss issues
  • Award Comments / PIZZERIA GTALIA DA FILIPPO Chef Iwasawa
  • Social Award “haishop cafe”
  • Reasons for the award by the judges / Mr. Yamaguchi, President, Japan Sustainable Labeling Association
  • Award Comments / Mr. Omote, haishop café (operated by Innovation Design Inc.)
  • Environmental Award “Trattoria qenaru”
  • Reasons for the award by the judges / Ms. Shiozaki, Executive Director of Fairtrade Labels Japan, an authorized NPO
  • Award Comments / Mr. Eshita, Trattoria Kenaru (Operated by St. Mark’s Innovations)
  • Grand Prize “BOTTEGA BLU.”
  • Reasons for the award by the judges / Mr. Shiozaki, Executive Director of Fairtrade Labels Japan, an authorized NPO
  • Award Comments / BOTTEGA BLU. Chef Oshima
  • Editor’s Note

Evaluation indicators based on the three guidelines of “Procurement, Society, and Environment”.

This was the second year for the event to be held in Japan, and it was held at the “3×3 Lab Future” operated by Mitsubishi Estate, the sponsor of the awards. Each award winner was presented with a plaque provided by Nikko Company, a long-established ceramics manufacturer that manages the web media.

The following 17 restaurants completed the 2022 sustainability assessment by the Japan Sustainable Restaurant Association.

In addition, five advisors from the Japan Sustainable Restaurant Association, who are experts in their respective fields, served as judges based on the following 10 evaluation items based on the three guidelines of “Procurement, Society, and Environment”.

Circular Economy Award “BOTTEGA BLU.”

The winner of the Circular Economy Award was BOTTEGA BLU. in Ashiya, Hyogo Prefecture, which has maintained the “Mottainai Spirit” that Chef Oshima developed during his training in Italy, and has taken it for granted to eliminate food loss in the restaurant by using scrap materials for soup stock, and using dough from failed sweets as oven sheets. The company takes it for granted that it is committed to zero food loss in its restaurants.

In 2022, SRA-J collaborated with the “National Milk Container Environmental Council” on a project to promote paper carton recycling and conducted a demonstration experiment on paper carton recycling at several member restaurants. SRA-J was recognized by the “Circular Economy Award” supported by the National Milk Container Environmental Council as the restaurant that has done the most to realize the circular economy through this project.

Reasons for the award by the judges / Mr. Ito, Executive Director, National Milk Container Environmental Council

In the project to promote paper carton recycling, all of the stores were enthusiastic about educating visitors to their stores by installing paper carton collection boxes in their stores and distributing flyers. BOTTEGA BLU. in particular, in addition to the amount of paper cartons collected, involved the Ashiya City Environment Bureau and the Ashiya City Chamber of Commerce and Industry to appeal to other companies in the same industry, and as a result, within one month, the mayor of Ashiya City asked us to “do the cycle together. We appreciated their ability to execute and disseminate information.”

Award Comments / BOTTEGA BLU. Chef Oshima

“Looking back on the past year, the thing that left the greatest impression on me was supervising the cooking of Trattoria qenaru, newly opened by saint marc’s in Hiruzen Highland, Maniwa City, Okayama Prefecture, which was selected as an ‘SDGs Future City’. It is. It was a tough job because it was done during normal business hours, but I think it helped me grow as a person. I was also impressed by the fact that the range of activities for our own brand of gluten-free sweets tripled over last year. If I have the opportunity to speak in front of you again next year, I will do my best to report on the efforts I have made over the past year.”

Procurement Award “PIZZERIA GTALIA DA FILIPPO

The Procurement Award went to PIZZERIA GTALIA DA FILIPPO, a pizzeria in Tokyo’s Nerima Ward that values local ingredients and people and is beloved by local residents. In Tokyo, where local production for local consumption is considered difficult to achieve, the company is actively working to reduce food loss and waste through procurement that takes into consideration fishery resources, ecosystems, and fair trade.

Reasons for the award by the jury / Mr. Ide, journalist on food loss issues

“Of the four items related to ‘procurement’ in the evaluation index, this was the only restaurant among the target restaurants that received a high rating of 70% or higher in all of them. In accordance with its procurement policy, the restaurant purchases ingredients, giving priority to procuring fish from nearby fishmongers that use environmentally friendly fishing methods and waters designated for fishing. We also collaborate with producers to purchase unused fish that are not available in the market, and if the fish cannot be used in the restaurant, we put effort into product development, such as making furikake (sprinkled on rice). We also actively use Fairtrade-certified ingredients from overseas, and we appreciate their commitment to providing high quality ingredients that are environmentally and socially conscious. ”

 

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A post shared by Pizzeriagtaliada Filippo (@pizzeriagtaliadafilippo)

Award Comments / PIZZERIA GTALIA DA FILIPPO Chef Iwasawa

“Most of the recipes on the current menu are created by the staff on site, and the producers are selected mainly by young people. I would like to give first and foremost praise to the staff on site, as ‘this is a restaurant that was created by all the staff’. I also feel that this evaluation was made possible by the cooperation of the producers, who were able to combine their ideas with those of the front-line staff, and by the guidance of SRA-J. I hope that we can further develop this evaluation in the future. In the future, I hope that all of our staff will work together to further develop the evaluation we received this time.”

Social Award “haishop cafe

The winner of the Social Award was “haishop cafe” in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. Aiming to solve social issues related to food and to make food enjoyable at the same time, haishop café contributes to solving social issues through “food”, with the aim of promoting food sustainability. The café uses pesticide-free vegetables, including non-standard ones, harvested within an 80-kilometer radius, does not use any beef due to its high environmental impact, and 80% of its menu is vegan. The restaurant also engages in many activities outside the framework of a restaurant/cafe, such as film screenings on social issues, while also working to communicate sustainable information, including background on environmental and social issues.

Reasons for the award by the judges / Ms. Yamaguchi, President, Japan Sustainable Labeling Association

“In addition to fair trade and seafood, we felt that the restaurant is able to meet the needs of a wide variety of customers with diverse values, countries, and tastes, such as expanding sustainable considerations throughout the restaurant and offering a vegan menu. In addition, the restaurant has built excellent relationships of trust with food producers, for example, by supporting farm work at partner farms together with its employees, and by allowing its chef to experience a week-long fishing trip. All employees work as sustainable designers, and we saw a system that encourages them to actively take action to solve problems. The company’s contributions to society beyond its own restaurants, such as the planning and promotion of fair trade campaigns and SDGs classes at culinary schools, are significant, and I commend the company for understanding the importance of promoting lifelong education and next-generation education at the same time.”

haishop cafe Interior

Award Comments / Mr. Omote, haishop café (operated by Innovation Design Inc.)

“We are working hard to solve various issues in the food system, not only with the help of ourselves, but also with students, associations, and organizations. We are grateful to everyone who has worked with us over the past year to build a co-creative relationship. Above all, we feel that this is a result of the efforts of our chef, who develops the menu for haishop café, our kitchen members, and all of our employees, who are sustainable designers, to communicate our thoughts and feelings to our customers. ”

Environmental Award “Trattoria qenaru”

The winner of the Environmental Award was “Trattoria qenaru”, an authentic Italian restaurant in Maniwa City, Okayama Prefecture. The restaurant uses water-saving tools and furniture and fixtures made from recycled materials to create an environmentally friendly restaurant. The restaurant is also committed to local production for local consumption using ingredients from the Hiruzen Highland, and offers a menu supervised by Chef Takashi Oshima of “BOTTEGA BLU.”, which won both the Grand Prize and the Circular Economy Award in the “Food Made Good Japan Awards 2022”. The restaurant aims to continue to promote sustainability as a sustainable restaurant rooted in the local community in Maniwa City, Okayama Prefecture, which has been selected as an “SDGs Future City”.

Reasons for the award by the judges / Ms. Shiozaki, Executive Director of Fairtrade Label Japan, an authorized NPO

“We promote circular economy through active use of reused and recycled materials. They do not dispose of all food waste, but use it as fertilizer, introduce energy and water saving tools, and return waste oil to the local community as ‘bio diesel fuel’. We also appreciate the excellent operational design that produces daily improvements, such as measuring the amount of food loss every day and involving all staff members to come up with ideas for countermeasures.”

Cuisine that makes the most of seasonal ingredients from the Hiruzen Highland / Various types of wood, including round scaffolding rods left over from the scaling down of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, are used for the interior design.

Award Comments / Mr. Eshita, Trattoria qenaru (Operated by saint marc’s Innovations)

“We were able to receive this award thanks to the cooperation of everyone involved, including the preparation of the restaurant in accordance with the sustainability framework under the guidance of SRA-J even before the restaurant opened, and the six months of menu supervision by Chef Oshima of BOTTEGA BLU. I would like to thank everyone for their cooperation and support. I also feel that this is the result of the diligent efforts of each and every employee, including the training of employees under Chef Oshima of BOTTEGA BLU. before the restaurant opened.”

Grand Prize “BOTTEGA BLU.”

The grand prize was awarded to “BOTTEGA BLU.”, an Italian restaurant in Ashiya City, Hyogo Prefecture. BOTTEGA BLU. received a double award with the Circular Economy Award for its comprehensive approach to “procurement, society, and the environment,” and for its further leadership in expanding the circle of sustainability by accepting chefs and supervising the menus of other restaurants.

Reasons for the award by the judges / Ms. Shiozaki, Executive Director of Fairtrade Label Japan, an authorized NPO

“In terms of procurement, we are taking careful measures in a wide range of areas, including the procurement of organic vegetables and fair trade raw materials. For example, fish is procured by referring to WWF Japan’s fish handbook and checking fish species and fishing methods, etc. Improvements are promoted in a manner that is in line with the current state of local markets, and sustainable procurement, contributions to society, resource recycling, and climate change countermeasures are comprehensively implemented. On the social front, the company was working to improve sustainability in the restaurant industry as a whole by proactively sharing its expertise in food loss reduction with other restaurants, such as by providing guidance to Trattoria qenaru. On the environmental side, in addition to using 100% renewable energy, the company has been able to implement food loss and waste reduction measures throughout its food system, such as helping to prevent food loss not only at its own restaurants but also at partner farms, and working to reduce waste from the menu structure. We appreciate the breadth of their overall efforts, their commitment to sustainable procurement, their sustainability training for restaurant staff, and their support for reducing food loss at partner farmers, all of which contribute to the development of not only their own restaurants, but also the agriculture and restaurant industry as a whole.”

Chef Oshima and Manager Oshima / Efforts to achieve zero food loss: Dashi broth that uses up all ingredients, including vegetable cores

Award Comments / BOTTEGA BLU. Chef Oshima

“We were surprised to receive not only the Circular Economy Award but also the Grand Prize. BOTTEGA BLU., which is celebrating its 13th year in business this year, has been conscious of boosting the local community and reducing food loss since its opening, and has been steadily doing simple things. We started with a husband and wife team, but now our staff has grown and we are making efforts to create a comfortable working environment. I believe that we have been accumulating simple things, but receiving these awards has given me confidence in my efforts. I look forward to working hard in the years to come.”

 

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BOTTEGA BLU. A post shared by Bottega Blue / Italian / Ashiya / Ashiya Gourmet / Organic / Sustainable / Gluten Free Sweets (@botte715)

The plates presented to the winners were made of bone china tableware (NIKKO FINE BONE CHINA) provided by Nikko Corporation, which is a material that can be recycled as a raw material for BONEARTH, a fertilizer made from discarded tableware. The plate itself is sustainable.
[Related Article] Corn Grown with Fertilizer from Discarded Dishes [Event Report].

Editor’s Note

According to the results of a survey released by the Consumer Affairs Agency on November 17, 2021, 89.6% of respondents were interested in “ethical consumption,” consumption behavior that takes social issues into consideration. Compared to the 59.1% of respondents who were interested in “ethical consumption” in the 2020 survey and 35.9% in the 2016 survey, it is clear that consumers’ awareness of the environment has been growing rapidly in recent years.

Because “food” and “environment” are closely related, restaurants need to take the initiative in promoting environmentally friendly initiatives. SRA-J, which presided over the “Food Made Good Japan Awards 2022,” also offers the “Food Made Good 50,” a simple diagnostic tool that enables companies to grasp the current status of their sustainability activities based on clear indicators.

As consumers become increasingly aware of environmental issues, one way to start is to use these diagnostic tools to understand the current situation and identify issues. Why not take a look at the advanced efforts of the restaurants that won awards at the “Food Made Good Japan Awards 2022” to create a sustainable restaurant?

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[Reference Site]Consumer Affairs Agency: Results of an awareness survey on eating out and ethical consumption.
[Reference Site]Consumer Affairs Agency: Summary of Consumer Awareness Survey Report on Ethical Consumption (Ethical Consumption)
[Reference Site]FOOD MADE GOOD Japan Awards 2022
[Reference Site] [Press Release] Awards to recognize restaurants that promote sustainable food systems to be held on Monday, November 14, 2012!
[Reference Site] First in Japan to be awarded three stars by Food Made Good, the highest rating for sustainability of restaurants.
[Reference site] Bottega Blue, an Italian restaurant in Ashiya, started procuring 100% renewable electricity from Asuene, Sustainability that zero food loss restaurant wants to leave to the next generation.
[Reference Site] Trattoria qenaru, a sustainable restaurant in Hiruzen, Okayama, will open on March 14, 2022.