L O C A L LY G R O W N
The importance of sustainability in fine dining first occurred to
James Viles when he was setting up his restaurant Biota in Bowral some six years ago, complete with kitchen garden, chicken coop, greenhouse and on-site composting. “Sustainability’s one of those things where one thing leads to another,” he says. “So recycling, composting and all of that is good for the garden. You feed the soil and you get nice plants, you use what you want and [the waste] goes back into the garden. Sustainability’s just about processes that link.” At Biota, the gardens are fed by natural springs and the constantly changing menu is dictated by the different seasonal ingredients brought each week by trusted local suppliers. Sustainability is also about the long term, stresses Viles. In this he’s aligned with
Nespresso’s commitment to building and assisting the communities and farmers who grow its coffee, as well as the company’s commitment to using aluminium, a material which is infinitely recyclable while protecting the freshness and aromas of the coffee inside the capsule. The important last step of the sustainability journey for Nespresso is the recycling process, not only of the aluminium, but also transforming the coffee grounds into compost. “That’s a big thing. It happens from start to finish,” says Viles. “It’s about committing to that way of life and building on it over the years. That’s what sustainability is.”
“I like to know where the food is from om and the process byb by which it was made, or how it grew. That’s very important.”t ” JAMES VILES Biota Dining