For this new award in partnership with Woolworths, we recognise a restaurant that’s making progress towards a truly sustainable business, with the hopes of inspiring the food community and creating awareness.

Our inaugural winner, The Table at De Meye in Stellenbosch, is doing just that with its abundant garden, ethically sourced meats and support of small local producers.

The commitment

Luke Grant and Jessica Shepherd are passionate, hands-on owners who go out of their way to procure sustainable ingredients and support local producers where they can. They impressed the judges with their transparency about the origins of their ingredients, whose stories are shared with customers at the table. Visitors are also invited to walk through the garden that inspires the menu each day.

The unique touch of The Table at De Meye. Photo supplied.

The food

Luke and Jessica’s menu features meat from Ryan Boon Speciality Meats in Elgin and poultry from Farmer Angus and Farmer Rico; fresh fruit, herbs and vegetables from the garden or local producers; and dairy from small farmers. Dishes are cleverly comprised of what’s seasonal and fresh, without any waste. Fare like home-grown cauliflower soup, Schoon de Companje bread with Hijk butter, grass-fed beef ribs or the crêpe Suzette with Farmer Rico eggs all speak of the thought that goes into the menu.

The judging

Restaurants were invited to enter this award by submitting an in-depth form about their procurement and practices. Their suppliers were also subjected to site visits. The judging panel – Eat Out editor Abigail Donnelly, Pavitray Pillay of WWF-SASSI, Lynsay Sampson of Fairtrade South Africa, Sonia Mountford of Eategrity and Karen Welter of the Longtable Project – worked together to develop detailed criteria.

Sonia Mountford admired the approach at The Table: “The menu shows that sustainability is at the heart of their procurement, and speaks to their understanding of the concerns in our food chain and the need to inform customers through menu choices. It’s particularly noteworthy that they support SA’s small dairy farmers, which is tricky due to consistency requirements.”

Click here for more information on this award.