Sustainable star

WINNERS: Brad Carter of carters of moseley, birmingham, and Douglas McMaster of silo, brighton

For St John-trained Douglas McMaster (pictured below), his zerowaste epiphany came when he worked in an Australian restaurant that threw away too much. “I just knew something was wrong,” says the chef, who has reduced his own waste by simply not having bins in his kitchens. Douglas and his team use every part of the vegetables and animals, with pickling and fermenting techniques employed to make everything last longer. Whether it’s using eco-friendly clingfilm or using vegetable skins (our judge enjoyed a resourceful dessert of blackcurrant with potato skin and fennel flowers), Douglas goes the extra mile. “I’m doing everything I can to provide an alternative,” he says. His first book, Silo: The Zero Waste Blueprint, is out this month.

At Carters of Moseley, Brad Carter (pictured above) uses exclusively British-sourced produce and little-known or ‘lost’ ingredients such as lemony Douglas fir (yes, the same as your Christmas tree) and kaffir lime leaves grown in Evesham rather than Asia. As well as growing produce on his urban allotment, Brad’s commitment to sustainability goes beyond the plate. This month he will start giving his sous vide bags to a company that will recycle them and turn them into children’s plastic toys. The money made from these toys will then be given to Hospitality Action, a charity for hospitality workers who have fallen on tough times.

Head judge Laura Rowe says: “Both of these chefs are inspiring in very different ways. Douglas takes sustainability incredibly seriously – in everything from the tabletops (made from recycled yogurt pots) to the crockery and glassware (he’s now looking into recycling glass to turn it into plates in the future) – and he is producing truly zerowaste food that is challenging and delicious. On the other hand, Brad produced one of the best meals I’ve had all year, all from British-sourced ingredients, most of which were from his allotment or locally foraged. It’s smart food that you want to return for, food that you know is having a positive impact on its environment.”