Left: Restaurant Pearl Morissette's Regenerative Farm, 'Garden Pearl Morissette.' Right: White Lily Diner's Organic Farm, 'White Lily Farms'
(Credit: @restaurant_pearlmorissette + @whitelilyfarms)
You know all about the Michelin star, but have you ever heard of the Green Star?
Recipients of a Michelin Green Star are true leaders in their industry, championing sustainable culinary practices and upholding the highest ethical and environmental standards. They prove that being green and delicious are not mutually exclusive.
Last month, two restaurants in Toronto and the surrounding region were awarded the Green Star - both of which are Certified 100km businesses!
Photo Credit: Restaurant Pearl Morissette
First up: the incredible Restaurant Pearl Morissette was awarded both the Michelin star and also a Green Star, recognizing their steadfast commitment to sustainability!
Located in the picturesque Niagara region, Restaurant Pearl Morissette offers an ambitious destination fine dining experience in the heart of agriculture, featuring an ever-changing menu of regional ingredients.
The impressive 42-acre destination includes their restaurant, bakery, winery and a 2-acre regenerative farm. Sustainability is infused in everything that they do. From their efforts in preservation and local foraging, through to running educational workshops and tours, Restaurant Pearl Morissette's team promotes a holistic approach to regenerative practices and processes, significantly reducing their footprint on the land in the process.
Photo Credit: White Lily Diner
The only other restaurant in the region to receive this prestigious award is White Lily Diner!
Established in 2016 in Toronto's Riverside community, White Lily Diner is a humble neighbourhood comfort food joint serving up breakfast, lunch and dinner. Their program is simple: buy the best of what the region has to offer. Through small details like baking their own bread, smoking their own meats and showcasing their preserves both on their menu and on the shelves, their intention is to offer approachable fare with integrity and seasonality.
Beyond the restaurant itself, their team took the farm to table movement to new heights when they established White Lily Farms! Based in Uxbridge, Ontario, co-owners of White Lily Diner Ben Denham and Ashley Lloyd now live on an organic, no-till farm, supplying produce to their restaurant, the community, and 15 other establishments!
Both Restaurant Pearl Morissette and White Lily Diner are also Certified 100km Restaurants! What is Certified 100km? To receive this accreditation, businesses must have proven to be committed to sourcing the finest quality regional ingredients, helping build a more sustainable and equitable food system. We set up this program as a guide - a way to help members of the public find local food on the menu and support those businesses. Through Certified 100km we validate these participating restaurants and partners as local food champions, who are using their purchasing power to prioritize sourcing local food from our network of farmers and producers.
You can check out the full list of our Certified 100km Restaurants, Hotels, Retail Partners and Community Organizations here!
Congratulations to the teams at Restaurant Pearl Morissette and White Lily Diner for their incredible dedication and passion as they champion a fairer, greener food system. We are so thrilled to see them recognized for their efforts and unbelievably proud to have them in the 100km Foods Family.