Cornwall LivingIssue #70
Going green
While there isn’t usually much left on a plate after a meal at Catch Seafood Bar & Grill, Mawgan Porth, what is leftover is being put to good use.
Set within a magnificent natural environment right on the sand, nestled between the cliffs of Mawgan Porth beach, the team at Catch does its utmost to value the surrounding landscape, keeping it green by recycling and sustaining everything possible.
“It’s a little known fact that food waste poses more of a problem than packaging…”
Many of us aspire to do as much as we can to protect our seas. For the team at Catch, that means challenging themselves to even more of an eco-drive in 2018, aiming for ‘zero to landfill’. Head Chef and owner Pat tells us: “It’s a little known fact that food waste poses more of a problem than packaging, with the root cause being us as consumers. We at Catch are attempting to help tackle this by ‘ploughing back in’ even more bio-degradable waste like fruit peel, fish shells and paper napkins.”
As part of the same effort, Pat who has been lucky enough to work with Raymond Blanc, James Martin and Angela Hartnett, is also bringing style to unfashionable fish like pouting and dab, by creating wonderful dishes with these plentiful Cornish gems at the forefront. He explains: “We cook what the local fishermen catch. Brill is brilliant, cuttlefish can cut it; we just need to be brave and try these ‘uncool’ species to get the ball rolling.” Keeping waste to a minimum and cooking fresh, seasonal and locally sourced sustainable produce to order is how Pat likes to run his operation. As a small business operating in Cornwall, Catch has already been applauded for its green ethos in a multitude of ways, including accreditation by the Cornwall Good Seafood Guide for buying and supplying sustainable fish. The team also supports the Padstow Lobster Hatchery with its ‘buy one, set one free’ scheme and, most recently, the team proudly joined The Final Straw – a scheme aimed at eliminating single-use plastics, such as straws.
When it comes to food, Pat tells us how “the fare we offer ranges from hard-to-beat Cornish seafood and fish to succulent steaks and crispy veggie bhajis.” Catch is family, as well as dog-friendly and currently open at weekends, then all day every day from the Easter hols.
"It’s a little known fact that food waste poses more of a problem than packaging..."