WHO knew waste tasted so good? Pioneering chefs at an international hotel giant… that’s who.
The Hilton has joined independent and possibly trendier eateries by joining the no-waste revolution, and is now offering guests a £40 menu based on kitchen scraps, leftovers and cuts of food that would normally get chucked.
Diners can enjoy a treacle tart made using sourdough bread from the previous night’s dinner service and chips made out of potato skins, as well as unusual cuts including ox hearts and salmon cheeks.
Other options include crisp fried cod tongues with nettle leaf tomato salad and chicken mince on toast with toasted sourdough, grilled chicken heart, soft herb pesto and seeds
Paul Bates, executive head chef at Hilton London Metropole, which is one of the four hotels offering the new ‘snout to tail and root to shoot’ fayre, said: “As chefs, we are the catalysts for positive change and have the opportunity to set the bar for sustainable dining.
“Our menu inspires diners to embrace new flavours, while empowering them to lead the charge when it comes to tackling food waste.”
Behind the scenes Paul and his colleagues will also be using veggie trimmings to make sauces and stocks, as well as damaged or overripe fruits in desserts and cocktails, the Daily Mail reports.
Other fresh fruit and veg past its best will either be pickled or somehow incorporated into dishes as a garnish instead of going into the bin.
Only four of the chain’s more than 50 UK sites are trialling the scheme until the end of May, with Brighton and Manchester joining another venue in London in the quartet.
The move – which aims to make a small dent in the estimated 1 billion tonnes of food wasted each year – is set to be rolled out worldwide, although it’s not clear for how long.
It aims to inspire other hoteliers and food chains to follow suit and comes after a number of smaller businesses have led the way.
Silo in East London claims to be ‘the world’s first Zero Waste restaurant’ and doesn’t even have a bin in its kitchen, with all food used somehow rather than being sent to landfill.
