Relais & Châteaux celebrates World Oceans Day with over 90 sustainable seafood menus
London, May 2018 // On 8th June, Relais & Châteaux will celebrate UN-recognised World Oceans Day for the 3rd year in a row, this year more prestigious hotel and restaurants than ever before are taking part. In partnership with Ethic Ocean, over 90 Relais & Châteaux properties around the world will offer sustainable seafood menus in accordance with Ethic Ocean’s global product guide. By taking part, Relais & Châteaux pays tribute to our seas and heighten people’s awareness of the threats they face.
The oceans’ fragile balance is being gradually destroyed by industrial “plundering” of the seas, with 31% of the planet’s seafood stock overfished and 58% is fully fished* (Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations, 2016). However, by promoting ethical fishing methods, contributing to local economic development and offering seasonal menus, Relais & Châteaux aims to protect our oceans’ biodiversity and provide quality products for its guests and future generations. Signing a petition that successfully saw the EU ban electric fishing in January, Relais & Châteaux chefs play a key role in setting trends within the industry and can influence both suppliers and consumers. Indeed, it was chefs and restaurateurs who were responsible for protecting the Bluefin tuna which has seen a huge regeneration on the Mediterranean.
Speaking about the issue, Philippe Gombert, International President said “Relais & Châteaux properties continue to protect what is most precious to their local terroir, sea life being an immense part of that. By making a firm commitment to sustainable fishing through the world of food and hospitality, they lead the future of gastronomy.”
Here is a snapshot of activity for World Oceans Day from Relais & Châteaux properties worldwide, demonstrating a shared commitment to protecting the biodiversity of our oceans, supporting artisanal fishing, contributing to local economic development and offering healthy dishes teeming with quality. Unless otherwise stated, all menus are exclusively available on 8th June.
Zazu Restaurant, Ecuador
Sourcing sustainable seafood all along Ecuador’s coast as well as the Galápagos Islands, chef Wilson Alpala of Zazu is creating a seven-course tasting menu for World Oceans Day that showcases the region’s indigenous clams, oysters and prawns. For the main course, guests will enjoy a damsel bass, head-to-tail style. As guests eat through the courses, they’ll be transported to a different part of the country with an illustrated map on the menu.
Longueville Manor, UK
Over the past 25 years Executive Head Chef Andrew Baird has built up strong relationships with local Jersey fishermen who all aid him to bring the finest and freshest to the table. One of those fishermen Bob Titterington hand dives the 100,000 plus scallops used in Longueville’s kitchen each year. Chef Andrew, a qualified PADI diver himself, also catches some. As part of the menu the Jersey scallops will be served with new season asparagus and globe artichoke.
Maisons de Bricourt, France
On 8 June, Maisons de Bricourt will offer a six-course lunch menu of langoustines, clams, cuttlefish, spider crab, oysters and lobster sourced off the coast of Cancale and Saint-Malo in the English Channel. Committed to sustainable seafood, Chef Olivier Roellinger works closely with local fishermen such as Tilly, Orveillon, Minihic, Arbona and ProdHomme to ensure he is preparing high quality products.
Hambleton Hall, UK
For lunch and dinner on 8th June, Michelin-starred chef Aaron Patterson will serve Atlantic mackerel caught by John Godden near Looe, Cornwall. Mackerel is commonly found throughout the UK and Ireland in the summer months, as it is a migratory shoal species. Guests will taste the sustainably sourced fish in an escabeche preparation, marinated in teriyaki and caramelised.
Quadrille, Poland
Serving one of Poland’s most traditional dishes on World Oceans Day, Chef Marcin Popielarz at Quadrille’s restaurant Biały Królik will offer Baltic herring served in the classic fisherman style with sour cream and apple, but reimagined for modern tastes.
Camp Jabulani, South Africa
Committed to sustainable fishing and preparing beautiful dishes, Camp Jabulani follows the SASSI Chart and writes a blog on how to use it. Chef Dylan Frost’s focus on seafood quality has inspired two menu options for World Oceans Day. One of the menus features a yellowtail fillet for the main course with a yellowtail soup as a starter, which utilizes the entire fish to ensure nothing goes to waste.
Wild Coast Tented Lodge, Sri Lanka
Chef Nandana Jayasekara will serve seafood from the southern coast of Sri Lanka. Lobster will be picked by hand from the Kirinda Sea and red mullet will be line caught and bigger than 5kg from the Gall Sea, ensuring that the fish had ample time to reproduce before harvest.
Saison, USA
Over the past ten years the Saison team, led by Chef Joshua Skenes, has established a close relationship with local fishermen and producers, who have a clear understanding of the standards and specific level of quality and tastes they seek. With changing oceans, finding environmentally sound sources of sea life has become part of their product ethos. Through responsible eco-aqua culture by the Monterey Abalone Company, Saison’s guests, along with their aspiring chefs, can experience how special Red Abalone is, while taking into mind the health of the coasts and wild native abalone. Applying a zero-waste policy to his sustainably sourced Monterey Bay abalone, Chef Skenes will grill and serve the tender mollusk with a sauce of its liver.
Additional UK and Ireland properties who have had their menus approved by Ethic Ocean include Glenapp Castle, Chewton Glen, Summer Lodge and Cliveden.
*Fully fished – a fish stock is ‘fully fished’ when fishing pressure is at the maximum limit of what can be sustained before overfishing will likely occur.
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For more press information on Relais & Châteaux please contact Jessica Jackson Jessica.jackson@saucecommunications.com, Evie Porter evie@saucecommunications.com or Harriet Rowlinson Harriet@saucecommunications.com, or call 0208 600 3600.
About Ethic Ocean
Ethic Ocean is an environmental organization dedicated to the preservation of fish resources and marine ecosystems. Its mission is to create opportunities for change and to contribute to the implementation of sustainable practices within the sector.
About Relais & Châteaux
Established in 1954, Relais & Châteaux is an association of more than 550 landmark hotels and restaurants operated by independent innkeepers, chefs, and owners who share a passion for their businesses and a desire for authenticity in their relationships with their clientele.
Relais & Châteaux is established around the globe, from the Napa Valley vineyards and French Provence to the beaches of the Indian Ocean. It offers an introduction to a lifestyle inspired by local culture and a unique dip into human history.
Relais & Châteaux members have a driving desire to protect and promote the richness and diversity of the world’s cuisine and traditions of hospitality. They are committed to preserving local heritage and the environment, as encompassed in the Charter presented to UNESCO in November 2014.
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