ETHICAL EXCELLENCE IN THE KITCHEN

Ethical excellence in the kitchen is easily condensed into a few words: 'The future of haute cuisine is to realise that the real luxury is to know the farmer who grows vegetables at five in the morning so that I can eat them at noon, without them having sunbathed, because he is still asleep, and they still have all the flavour inside'.

Norbert Niederkofler - a Michelin-starred chef with a green star for sustainability - pronounced these words in the
course of a' interview with Vanity Fair magazine. An invitation, his, to reflect on the meaning of luxury in the field of catering.
In the common imagination we usually associate excellence (strictly with a capital letter) with dishes
with ingredients that meet four basic parameters: Preciousness, Rarity, Exoticity and Cost
(high). We could therefore call them the 'KPIs' of thehaute cuisinewhich over the years have influenced cuisines and tables all over the world.

Care in the kitchen

A system that could satisfy the most discerning palates (and the deepest pockets), but which had little to
to do with the concept of sustainability. Drawing up a menu requires, in fact, much more and considers
factors such as innovation and tradition, skilfully combined and 'seasoned' by the passion that the chef
infuses each of his dishes. Like Don Alfonso Iaccarino of the Don Alfonso 1890sublime interpreter of a
philosophy that brings to the table the flavours of a land rich in history, culture and charm in full respect of the
natural and human resources. Work that has earned him an honorary degree in Educational Sciences
of Adults and Continuing Education.
The availability of raw materials and the proximity of suppliers are certainly essential elements for the
path to genuine sustainability, but there are others that are equally important.

Ethics in the kitchen is now certified

With CARE's -The Etichal Chef daysNiederkofler believed in a project that could revolutionise the
established schemes and then went on to transform this project into a certification.
CER (CARE's Ethical Restaurant) measures the degree of sustainability not only by the creation of the menu,
but also considering objective parameters such as

• working conditions
• the environment
• procurement
• the structure
• communication
• the community
• culture and management
  The presence of measurable, reliable and transparent criteria therefore constitutes (and guarantees) a universal sustainability standard applicable to any gastronomic activity.
  There are 129 requirements considered (29 of which are mandatory). These include energy sources, ecological cleaning products, use of micro-filtered water, waste disposal and proper warehouse management to avoid waste (of both food and energy). Not forgetting, of course, the care in selecting suppliers to have excellent products, but always respecting people and the Earth.

Ethics in the kitchen for widespread sustainability

In summary, the ERC programme aims, and aspires, to form a community of certified ethical restaurants at the level of
international through raising awareness and promoting sustainable and credible practices
in the field of gastronomy. A manifesto with five main objectives:

• Creating an internationally recognised and respected network
• Inspiring change by recognising all-round sustainability in the catering industry
• Demonstrating that sustainability can be 'measured'
• Giving visibility to restaurants that make sustainable choices in practice
• Overcoming the notion that sustainability should only be linked to supply
  food
  A system that 'rewards' virtuous restaurants, earning them a place in the
  overall ranking and assigning a different level according to the score obtained. As on a podium,
  we will have three 'medals' Bronze (BronzeR), Silver (Silver Restaurant) and Gold (Gold Restaurant).
  A system, above all, that abandons old patterns to meet the future, thus respecting
  the inheritance received and leaving the new generations with a mission to carry on with the same care.