Raymond Blanc becomes first president of the SRA
Raymond Blanc has been appointed the first president of the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA).
Marking his appointment, the chef-patron of the two-Michelin-starred Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons in Oxfordshire called on UK chefs and restaurateurs to become world leaders in sustainability.
"Chefs, restaurateurs and consumers can make the difference by embracing these values and in doing so create a better food chain," he said.
"Thousands of chefs have done so by joining the SRA, demonstrating that good sustainability can translate into good business and this is very important to us if we are to capitalise on our reputation as one of the finest food nations in the world."
Blanc added: "For 40 years I have cared passionately about sourcing and serving the very best food, looking after my staff and the community and environment around me. In the past two years I have really sensed the beginnings of a movement in restaurants across this country to meet their environmental and social responsibilities.
"But, unless more restaurants meet consumer demand for restaurants to behave responsibly, we will miss this opportunity to make this mainstream and lose the chance to leave a significant legacy for chefs and diners."
Mark Linehan, managing director of the SRA, added: "We exist to help and support restaurants operate more sustainably and provide diners with the tools to make the informed decisions they tell us they want to make.
"We are delighted to have someone as committed as Raymond Blanc at the forefront of this ongoing campaign and join him in his call to restaurants to grasp this opportunity."
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By Kerstin Kühn
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