If you want to try doing eco-friendly travel London or are looking for travel sustainability tips while staying with us, a key area to focus on is food. Eating local in London can have a positive impact on your travels, and help the world to become that little bit more sustainable—but how does it all work, and where should you visit? We can help.
For those who want to focus on farm-to-table and ethical eating London, you might be surprised by how many restaurants are on the same mission, and they don’t sacrifice an ounce of flavour.
What Does ‘Eating Local’ Actually Mean in London?
Eating local in London means that the food you eat has been produced or grown close to the restaurants themselves and the surrounding area. This means the lamb you cut through hasn’t been imported from New Zealand, and the berries you are enjoying are not all the way from Morocco.Â
How Do Food Choices Impact Your Travel Footprint?
Food choices can have a huge impact on your travel footprint no matter where you go due to emissions. Although it isn’t the first thing we usually think about when we have a delicious plate of food in front of us, knowing where our food came from, how far it has travelled, and how it was processed are crucial if we want to reduce our travel footprint and protect our environment.
Eating local in London means that all the ingredients you see on your plate are locally sourced—and locally sourced means fewer emissions from transport. The term ‘food miles’ is frequently used to refer to how far something has had to travel, with some of the most common distant ingredients being things like lamb, berries, bananas, coconuts, and more.Â
It isn’t only how far food has had to travel to reach us, though. A key part of sustainability comes from what the food itself is, and the greenhouse gas emissions released from producing it. This is why many sustainable restaurants will focus on meat-free or vegan dishes, as the amount of greenhouse gas produced for meats and dairy (and also highly processed foods), is much higher than it is for fruits and vegetables.Â
What Are the Benefits of Choosing Local and Seasonal Ingredients?
Eating local in London (and anywhere else) reduces your carbon footprint, and it can make a real change—especially when it comes to ingredients like lamb or beef. Reducing your carbon footprint can be done in many ways, and when we all make a stand together and support local, there is no telling just how beneficial it can be.
The benefit of local food in London goes further than reducing your carbon footprint, though. When we eat local food, we are also supporting local farmers and producers and putting money directly back into the local economy. This is what community is all about, and when we can support one another, the results are incredible.Â
Examples of Sustainable Dining in London
There is no shortage of sustainable dining London, and you can reduce carbon footprint food usually comes with by eating local in London and enjoying true British food that won’t disappoint. Scattered across the city, there are local food restaurants London that are ready to blow you away with ever-changing menus, seasonal dishes, and creature twists on everyday meals that will leave you wanting more.Â
Whether you are vegan or not, seasonal dining London is for everyone, and these restaurants show it beautifully. And, don’t forget that this is a non-exhaustive list, and there are many, many other restaurants in the city that boast sustainability without sacrifice, like Silo, Acme Fire Cult, and Barge East—but these are a bit further away from our hotels (and still well worth a visit!).
Rucola at The Conduit (Covent Garden)
Located in Covent Garden, Rucola at The Conduit is a rooftop restaurant and event venue that everyone will love. Here, you can enjoy a plant-forward menu that has been designed to minimise waste and prepared sustainably, and not one single-use plastic in sight–including from its supply chain. This no-waste restaurant is the perfect spot to visit on a sunny day, and one that you will keep coming back to.Â
Key Information:
- Address – Rucola at The Conduit, 6 Langley St, Greater, London WC2H 9JA
- Nearest station(s) – Covent Garden Station
- Booking required? – not required, but recommendedÂ
Apricity Restaurant (Mayfair)
If you want to support a restaurant that offers a zero-waste approach, Apricity Restaurant is one that every visitor should experience. Highlighting the wonder and delight of seasonal British produce with vegetable-focused dishes and low intervention wines, Apricity is one sustainable restaurant in London that will blow you away.
Key Information:
- Address – 68 Duke St, London W1K 6JU
- Nearest station(s) – Bond Street Station
- Booking required? – yes
Spring Restaurant (Somerset House)
Spring Restaurant offers a menu that is constantly changing to use seasonal ingredients, and makes an effort to minimise waste with its Scratch menu, which was launched back in 2016. Make the most of new and exciting meals, great prices, and food that is made with sustainability at the heart of it, without sacrificing quality or flavour.
Key Information:
- Address – Lancaster Pl, London WC2R 1LA
- Nearest station(s) – Temple Station, Covent Garden Station
- Booking required? – yes
Frog (Covent Garden)
Boasting of seasonal ingredients and a delicious contemporary menu that everyone will love, Frog is dedicated to minimising waste within the food industry and promoting education on sustainable cooking. Here, you can enjoy a variety of quality meals and cocktails knowing that food waste is not on the table.
Key Information:
- Address – 34-35 Southampton St, London WC2E 7HG
- Nearest station(s) – Covent Garden, Charing Cross, Leicester Square
- Booking required? – yes
Mildreds (Covent Garden, Camden, Dalston, Victoria, Soho & Kings Cross
Visit Mildreds restaurants across London for quality vegan food that will keep you coming back for more. Home to sustainably sourced comfort food, this easy-to-access restaurant chain has become the favourite of many locals and visitors alike. And, with locations across the city, you can visit every single one of them and find a new go-to spot, no matter which of our hotels you stay in.Â
Key Information:
- Address – 79 St Martin’s Ln, London WC2N 4AA
- Nearest station(s) – Covent Garden, Leicester Square (for Covent Garden site)
- Booking required? – not required, but recommendedÂ
Hawksmoor (Seven Dials)
For the sustainable eaters who want to dig into steak, Hawksmoor is the place to go if you want the best of both worlds—and there are several locations within London! Here, you can enjoy juicy, mouthwatering steaks and seafood from the world’s first carbon-neutral steak group. The champions of ethically-sourced meat and known for transforming their waste into fuel, Hawksmoor is in a league of its own, and well worth visiting.
Key Information:
- Address – 11 Langley St, London WC2H 9JG
- Nearest station(s) – Covent Garden
- Booking required? – not required, but recommendedÂ
How Crown Group of Hotels Supports Eco-Friendly Choices for Guests
Tourists can eat sustainably in London by looking for sustainable restaurants, cars, and cafés during their stay, and making a point to avoid out-of-season foods or dishes. A huge part of sustainability in the food industry focuses on seasonal foods—so this is a fantastic place to start.
Eating local in London can make a big difference, especially when everyone takes part. Luckily, when you stay with us, you can also enjoy hotel dining sustainability, and benefit from dozens of local Crown Group of Hotels restaurants.
Stay with Crown Group of Hotels at Mabledon Court Hotel, Bloomsbury Palace Hotel, Hatton Garden Hotel, Arran House Hotel, or Great St. Helen Hotel, and enjoy easy access to local dining options that let you experience London’s flavours while reducing your travel footprint. Before booking, please read through our booking and privacy policies and terms and conditions.
