After hosting COP26 in Glasgow, numerous businesses shared their new initiatives with the aim to tackle climate change, including the food industry. According to research published in Nature Food, the food industry is responsible for a third of carbon emissions, however in an effort to tackle this issue one restaurant group has unveiled plans to open “Scotland’s most sustainable steak restaurant”.
Gaucho restaurants has announced that it will be opening the country’s first restaurant that will serve exclusively ‘carbon neutral steaks’ in Glasgow, taking bookings from March 5. The 120-cover venue will serve Gaucho’s Argentine beef, which is said to be sourced from “cattle which have enjoyed a life roaming in vast pastures at specially selected pampas farms”.
And with research published by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation stating that the total emissions from global livestock is responsible for 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, of which beef and cattle milk account for 41% of those emissions, you’re probably wondering how Gaucho plans to do this. Gaucho states that the carbon emissions in their beef offering have been reduced at source, then calculated from field to fork at source before being offset through a reforestation programme in the Amazon with charity partner ‘Not For Sale’ who rescue victims from the threat of ‘modern-day slavery’ to plant trees for Gaucho. In turn producing a ‘carbon neutral’ steak offering.
The Glasgow restaurant itself, situated on West Nile Street, is inspired by the iconic original cowhide design of Gaucho and boasts a black and white marbled bar in the centre of the venue. The dining room is both moody and glamorous thanks to the low lighting and sleek furnishings, as well as featuring textures and colours reflecting modern Argentina.
Rare Restaurants Founder and CEO, Martin Williams, said: “I am delighted to announce our second ‘Carbon Free Beef restaurant’, all our future new openings will serve only carbon neutral beef and as of January 2022, all our 20 restaurants will boast a carbon neutral steak and wine offering which sits alongside our zero food waste and green energy policies.” The new venue announcement is also aligned with a call to action from Gaucho CEO Martin Williams to fellow steak restaurateurs to join the ‘Sustainable Steak Movement’ which he has founded and launched at COP26.
The movement by Gaucho encourages steak restaurants to sign up to a manifesto which pledges that in 2022 the participating restaurants will offer a ‘carbon neutral’’ beef option like their steaks on their menus, promote a ‘carbon neutral’ wine offering, commit to minimise food waste and the use of ‘green energy’ in their restaurants. By 2025 the participating restaurants will offer an exclusively ‘carbon neutral’ beef menu and in 2030 members will commit to become ‘net zero’ venues, using the ‘Zero Carbon Forum’ as a roadmap.
Gaucho, 7 West Nile Street, G1 2PR