First up on the speaker-front is eco-restaurateur Arthur Potts Dawson. He's talking rubbish. Bottles, plastics, vegetable waste - "I've been in the restaurant industry for some time and I know the waste that goes on in professional kitchens".
Using a flash machine from Korea, he says, he manages to crush down his recycling and reduce collection to once every ten days. Only one bag a week is un-recyclable. He's also got worms - which is where some of the compostable items end up, as well as on his garden.
It's 9.45 and the first challenge is chucked to the crowd. It's like 1960s Greenwich Village in here. "Can we as an industry be more accountable? Talk to growers, talk to suppliers, talk to delivery men - find alternative ways and be more responsible. Everyone can change and be more accountable in this industry. Let's make a concerted effort to move forward."
The future for Mr Potts Dawson? "I'm looking to do about five of these restaurants. But I want each one to get better and stronger. People come in, add their support, suggest new ways. The industry has come forward to support this. It's something that should be shared, there's no hiding this."
"It's a new arena we're stepping in to. People are more than welcome to come along and see what we're doing. The last few years have been a wonderful ride but Acorn House and Water House are really just places that have come out of the restaurant industry. I'm excited about being here today and I think now we can take a big step forward and say we are accountable as an industry."
How does he view restaurants making just small gestures to sustainability."I think any thing right now is good. Any means of shifting this industry the right way is good. At the moment it's just about raising awareness. Our restaurants are never going to change the environment but they might just get people talking and start to change perceptions."
