Prue Leith Cares… A Lot
Environment
As chefs we create waste daily from the tins we open and bottles we empty, eggs we crack, the plastic with which we wrap. Add to that boxes, papers and old deep fryer oil.
Realising our impact on the environment Prue Leith Chefs Academy started a recycling system several years ago and we have grown from strength to strength in these efforts. Currently we recycle all glass bottles, boxes and paper as well as printer cartridges and our used oil which is turned into paint and polish.
Organic matter (all vegetable off cuts and egg shells) is turned into compost and fed to the garden, but our latest addition is definitely the most exiting – our worm farm. Anthony Roberts, Director of Operations, and Chef Maria Radcliff setup two worm farms and after fighting off fruit flies and other natural enemies the little red wrigglers are finally turning our egg boxes and vegetable off cuts into “worm tea” that is used as fertilizer in our herb gardens.
Apart from recycling we also try to make sustainable and environmentally friendly menu choices. We choose local where the quality is good, especially in products like olive oils, cheeses and fresh produce. We now have grass fed beef on our menu and where possible we try not to help deplete the oceans, so local farmed trout is a regular feature.
Community
To chefs food signifies pleasure and creativity. It is an art medium and a way to express ourselves, but at Prue Leith Chefs Academy we don’t forget that to those less fortunate it is simply a life line and we reach out beyond the environment and the Academy to lend a helping hand to those in need.
Every Saturday night we turn vegetable preparations from the restaurant that won’t last until we open again on the Wednesday into a soup. It is collected by the charity SMILE and is combined with other donations to feed 25-35 youngsters three times a day. Last year the Academy donated over R7 000 through our charity soup.
The Academy also joined hands with other chef schools and sponsors in October last year celebrating International Chef’s Day by collecting food and money for New Beginningz Orphanage and Children’s Home in Laudium. Apart from volumes of non-perishables foods R3 000 was raised.
One of the most noteworthy contributions from our staff and students is through our regular SANBS blood drives. This year we will be inviting other chef schools in the neighborhood to join our blood drive so that we can donate even more. The next blood drive will be 22 March and members of the public are welcome to join.
Another SRC initiative was a R500 donation from the student tip-fund to C&G external moderator Less Sutcliff, who races the 94.7 Cycle Challenge in a cow suit as part of the CHOC COW charity when he is not keeping schools in line with the C&G teaching policies. The money was raised to upgrade the pediatric oncology ward of the Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital.
At Prue Leith Chefs Academy we believe that we have no choice but to work and cook with a conscience. Limit waste, make responsible decisions, try to give back more then what you take and make sure that the trail you leave behind is not one of destruction.
