Low-carbon Christmas meal initiative, Net Zero Festival imminent
Bristol-based pub, the Canteen, made a Net Zero vow in May 2023 to reduce carbon emissions by 25% within five years – and now, it is offering a 53% less carbon-intensive Christmas dinner.
A spokesperson for The Assemblies, which operates the Canteen pub, said: “We aim to be industry-leading with our sustainable and regenerative practices. This year we’re offering all our customers the chance to indulge in a low-carbon Christmas.”
The Christmas meal, which is vegetarian and plant-based, comprises a sharing feast of freshly made focaccia, whipped goats’ cheese & hummus; Vichy heritage carrots, braised beluga lentils, carrot & orange puree; pearl barley risotto, maple glazed parsnips, truffle oil; potato dauphinoise, caramelised leeks, taleggio pithivier; wild mushroom stroganoff arancini; breaded goats’ cheese, quince & nigella seed chutney; crispy Brussels sprouts, pomegranate molasses, hazelnuts; celeriac pastillas (brik pastry cigars), harissa yogurt, honey, pistachio; and served with a big pot of red wine gravy.
Every bit as delicious
Meanwhile, the desserts are white chocolate croquettes with cardamom sugar and sticky toffee pudding with Marshfield vanilla ice cream.
Net Zero Festival 2024
The new Government’s net zero priorities and the impact of a Donald Trump presidency on global climate action will be top of the agenda at Net Zero Festival 2024 on Tuesday and Wednesday (22-23 October).
The event, which is dedicated to accelerating the net zero transition will bring together 2,000 business leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers and campaigners to showcase the best of the UK’s green economy and explore strategies for turbocharging decarbonisation.
New Labour MP and environmental campaigner Polly Billington, green entrepreneur and Labour donor Dale Vince and Google’s sustainability lead Adam Elman are among the more than 150 expert speakers leading keynotes, panel discussions and workshops during the event.
Net Zero Festival co-founder James Murray said: “Action on climate change is more critical than ever.
“We’ve seen an incredible surge in interest in this year’s event, reflecting the urgency and importance of the net zero agenda and how serious it is being taken by our new government.
“Our focus now is to convert this enthusiasm into actionable collaboration during the festival and so we are bringing together a diverse group of leaders to collaborate on tangible solutions for a sustainable future.”
The event will take place at the Business Design Centre, Angel, north London.
The Canteen sustainability & general manager Liam Stock said: “Our menu is a chance to celebrate responsibly with your party and can show avowed carnivores that vegetarian food cooked creatively, is every bit as delicious and can help contribute to a much lower carbon-intensive lifestyle. It’s good for you, good for the planet and good for Christmas.”
The Assemblies spokesperson added Christmas can be a wasteful time of year and that includes food and cited statistics that found, during Christmas in the UK, about 230,000 tonnes of food is thrown away, which means if the average person eats 35 tonnes in a lifetime, that is over 6,500 people’s lifetime diet being lost.
The hospitality sector being responsible for up to 15% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions (source: The Race to Net Zero report) and the UK Government set a target for the economy to be Net Zero by 2050.
Perfect alternative
The Assemblies was one of the first hospitality businesses to join The Net Zero Hospitality Initiative, a practical climate solution for restaurants and pubs.
The initiative is built around the Net Zero Hospitality Protocol – an industry-standard methodology for measuring and reporting emissions from hospitality businesses, developed in collaboration with the industry to ensure consistent interpretation of the global carbon accounting guidelines across the sector.
Net Zero Now head of partnerships and customer success Emily Tradd said: “We are so proud of The Assemblies and all they have undertaken on their sustainability journey thus far.
“The low carbon Christmas meal is the perfect alternative for work Christmas parties or families wanting to make a positive climate impact while having a great time together.”
