The words ethical, free-range, environmentally responsible and sustainable are more than just trendy catchphrases – they show a determination to do what is right even though it’s often more difficult. In an SA first, Eat Out and Woolworths are recognising restaurants that are implementing environmentally and socially responsible practices with the inaugural Eat Out Woolworths Sustainability Award.

“We recognise that achieving sustainability is an ongoing process, but we want to showcase restaurants that are making great strides to promote good practices,” says Eat Out editor Abigail Donnelly. These practices include responsible sourcing and menu design, responsible farming, ethical treatment and slaughter of animals, fair labour practices, community impact, and energy, water and waste management. The serving of foie gras, veal, suckling pig, rabbit and SASSI red-listed fish is grounds for elimination.

The judging panel for this new award comprises Abigail Donnelly, Pavitray Pillay of WWF-SASSI, Lynsay Sampson of Fairtrade South Africa, Sonia Mountford of Eategrity and Karen Welter of Longtable Project. Eat Out has worked with these partners to develop robust criteria for evaluating restaurants for this award.

Interested South African restaurants are invited to complete an entry form to enter, will be required to show proof of claims, and will be subject to a site visit if shortlisted. All criteria need to have been met for six months or longer in order for a restaurant to qualify. The winner will be announced at the 2016 Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Restaurant Awards in November. The closing date for entries is 15 August 2016.

To enter, download the form here. Once it is complete, email it to awards@eatout.co.za. Contact Julie Potgieter at Julie.Potgieter@newmediapub.co.za or 071 375 2220 for more information or to request an entry form if you have problems downloading it. You can also read the glossary here for explanations of the terms used in the form.