The GOODS from Forage

Vancouver, BC | 2013 marks the first year of operation for Forage Restaurant. Chef Chris Whittaker is pretty happy with the numbers. From the amount of guests at the restaurant to the amount of community events Forage has been able to support, this business has proven itself sustainable. Of course, one important factor of Forage’s success is in its energy efficient production of deliciously local meals, and its dedicated gas and electric meters (installed as a key element of The Next Course project with BC Hydro and LiveSmartBC) provide a reliable reference to that measure. At the end of its first full year of operations, the restaurant is maintaining combined energy savings of 24% (30% gas, 18% electric) over its previous baseline. Or to look at it another way, the energy cost per meal served at Forage is only 45 cents, down from over 60 cents previously. Learn more about other strategic decisions and their benefits after the jump…

• zero waste – though a certified ‘zero-waste’ program (i.e. comprehensive composting and recycling) supports both Forage and its home at the Listel Hotel, one of the other strategic goals of Forage “made to share” menu concept was to prevent food waste. This ‘smart sizing’ and serving strategy has not only been popular with diners, but has produced a sizable reduction of 80 per cent in food scraped from plates into the organics bins, as compared to the previous conventional menu at O’Doul’s, which featured many of same high-quality local ingredients.

• plus zero thirst – the popular ‘unbottled’ and ‘bottomless’ filtered and carbonated water program on tap at Forage has pulled more than 2,500 one-litre bottles from recycling, and saved a truckload of transportation impacts on the environment.

• iron and wood – by using reusable boards and cast-iron pans to serve its creations, Forage has also reduced by 30 per cent the amount of chipped and broken china (which is not readily recyclable) going to landfill.

Community support rates at the top of the list for Whittaker. His relationships with farmers and suppliers has been another key factor in the success of Forage – and participation in fundraising events has kept the kitchen on the move and often outside. Some of the highlights this year include; house – made pickles at Feast of Fields, barley hay smoked pork rack at Fraser Common Farm (Glorious Organics), lamb belly with chimichurri at Brewery and the Beast, honey winter pumpkin pie at Ripe (in support of Farmers’ Markets), and “A taste of BC Mushrooms” for Gold Medal Plates. To this end, Chef was invited as the keynote speaker at the recent Metro Vancouver Food Systems conference, where he spoke about the importance of our agricultural land and keeping our food locally sourced. Keep an eye out for Whittaker in 2014 – this is only year one of Forage’s quest for sustainability.

Details

1300 Robson Street Vancouver, BC V6E 1C5
Telephone: 604.661.1400
Web: www.foragevancouver.com | Twitter

GALLERY

Key People

Chris Whittaker | Executive Chef
Margot Baloro | Restaurant Manager
Matthew President | Assistant Restaurant Manager

About Forage

Forage stands for everything I care about. It represents what I was taught about food preparation both when I was growing up and over the course of my career in the kitchen. To me Forage means that we no longer seek out excess and indulgence, but instead revisit a time when we respected the land and oceans and took only what we needed to survive. It is about being stewards of our land and true conservationists, as we conduct our business and live our lives. It is about goodness, about taking care of each other, and bringing together our community over good food. Our philosophy is a way of life as much as a way of doing business. Saving energy, conserving water, composting and local/responsible purchasing policies all make a positive contribution to our world and our company’s bottom line. Casual, comfortable and affordable, Forage celebrates all things BC. The menu is locally focused in both food and beverage; service is attentive yet never fussy, and its approachable West End location (1300 Robson Street beside The Listel Hotel) makes Forage a local’s locale. It’s an ideal destination for breakfast 7 days a week, brunch on weekends and nightly for drinks and dinner from 4pm.

Chris Whittaker, Executive Chef