Bournemouth restaurant one of nine in the UK to be offered a Michelin Green Star

The Green Star award was introduced by Michelin in January 2021 to highlight restaurants at the forefront of the industry when it comes to their sustainable practices.

According to the Michelin website, Green Star restaurants offer dining experiences that combine culinary excellence with outstanding eco-friendly commitments, and are a source of inspiration both for keen foodies and the hospitality industry as a whole.

Terroir Tapas in Bournemouth opened in 2017 and is now one of nine restaurants to be awarded a Green Star in 2022.

Owner James Fowler explained some of the sustainable practices in place at the restaurant: "Terroirs internal structure is built from recycled plastics.

"The main bar dining area is made from compressed recycled coffee cup lids and the main dining tables are from yoghurt pots and foil lids. There are other examples of recycled plastic design throughout the venue.

"All napkins, hand towels and cloths are washed and reused. The kitchen has reusable items to replace common single use items such as cling film.

"We only use cleaning products that are natural and biodegradable. They also come with a zero-waste refill and return scheme.

"We don’t accept any packaging from our suppliers. All our produce is delivered in either returnable crates or our own Terroir food boxes that are washed in our dishwasher machine.

"The only bins we have are for food waste which is collected & composted by a local company. Our day-to-day management has led to us having no other waste. Our glass bottles for wines are mechanically ground into sand which we donate to local artists to make ceramics and the local community as building or home art projects. We do use tin cans for our beers but they are readily recycled.

"All water from the bar sinks, ice wells and glass washer are reused to flush our toilets - drastically reducing our draw on the local water supply.

"Our wine list is exclusively focused on English wines reducing the transportation of glass and wine which reduced our drink miles and also supports the local economy.

"The venue is fuelled only with green energy and our kitchen is focused on open fire cooking using locally made charcoal & sustainably sourced wood."

James Fowler lives on a local fruit and vegetable farm eight kilometres from Terroir. He works directly with the growers to source all the fruit and vegetables for the menu including produce that can’t go to general market due to size variation or environmental damage. The produce is delivered daily via an electric cargo bike.

Speaking about the restaurants new Green Star award, Mr Fowler said: "It's an incredible accolade for us. Terroir opened up 5 years ago with sustainability at its core, so now with Michelins award it a massive confirmation on our quality of food as well as our green credentials.  

"Obviously its a huge award for the whole team but especially for our head chef Jesse Wells who lives & breathes the ethos.  

"Dorset is known as one of the best counties for produce but hasn’t had a Michelin star for over 5 years. So its a great achievement for Southbourne, Bournemouth & Dorset."