‘Hyper-local’ produce at The James Monro restaurant in Liverpool

13th August 2010, 7:54am

At first restaurants went organic, then they went locally sourced, but now The James Monro on Liverpool’s Tithebarn Street is going one step further and sourcing ‘hyperlocal’ produce from the garden of its very own Sous Chef.

Paul Guest owns an allotment in Walton just a few miles away from the city centre gastropub, and has recently started supplying the restaurant with organic, fresh herbs and vegetables when they come into season.

He says: "I've been 'growing my own' for nearly four years now and what I love about it is the connection between planting a seed in the ground, and then using it to create a beautiful dish on the menu a month or so later. For me it's about quality control – all my vegetables are organically grown and I tend to them whenever I can in my spare time so I know they're going to taste fantastic."

Paul grows everything from beetroot, lettuce, sweetcorn, potatoes and tomatoes to all his own herbs, depending on the season. The James Monro Group Manager Ian Price says:

"At The James Monro we're keen to promote sustainability, local sourcing and responsible land development. It just doesn't make sense to buy produce that has travelled thousands of miles before ending up in our kitchen when Paul is doing a great job of producing some fantastic veg in his own garden. 'Locavores', those who prefer to eat locally grown and produced goods, demand that produce is obtained within a 100 mile radius but sourcing from Paul means our food travels less than three miles from the garden gate to the plate. We're cutting down our carbon footprint whilst also maximizing on taste."

The James Monro's sister venue, The Monro on Duke Street, will also be supporting the National Wildflower Centre's 'Get Growing' project with a new 'Grow your Own" facility in the venue's beer garden, where The Monro's team of chefs will grow wildflowers, along with herbs and vegetables to use in dishes at both venues.

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