Restaurants accused over source of food

According to the newspaper Guardian, a report by Ethical Consumer magazine showed that locally run, independent restaurants such as the Loch Fyne fish outlets scored higher than the larger national outlets on the high street.

The restaurants were rated according to their approach to organic sourcing, local suppliers, vegetarian provision and fair trade alternatives, along with policies on animal welfare. But according to the newspaper, the research found that many menus make vague and meaningless ethical claims such as local and natural without giving customers detailed information. Where restaurants labelled individual dishes or items organic or local, this policy was erratic and rarely applied across a whole menu.

The chain that came out best in the report was Loch Fyne, which is the only one with a sustainable fish-buying policy to cover its entire fish range.