Eco-friendly Practices in Bermuda’s Restaurant Scene

“It’s so important that we all embrace the concept of eating locally,” says Timothy Morrison, General Manager of the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club, a historic City of Hamilton resort that’s at the forefront of the island’s sustainability initiatives. “We need to make sure that we're thinking about the future of our island,” says Morrison. “That starts with simple practices like buying from local farmers and fishermen, reducing single use plastics and eliminating as much food and glass waste as possible."

“By reducing the level of single use glass in our hotel this collaboration embraces our commitments to the hotel’s sustainability program, reduces our carbon footprint, and aids in protecting beautiful beaches through the ocean waste recovery program,” says Morrison. “We’re so proud to be leading the way for restaurants island wide.”

Another eco-friendly practice that has been taking hold of Bermuda’s hospitality scene is the elimination of single use plastics, including take out containers, utensils, drinking straws and point-of-sale bags given to diners who want their meal to go. For local restaurant groups like Take Five Ltd., owners of the much-acclaimed farm-to-table eateries Devil’s Isle and Village Pantry—plus Buzz, which is a popular fast casual concept with locations across the island—the transition away from single-use plastics was easy. “It’s at the heart of our philosophy,” says Take Five Executive Chef Matthew Pridham, who builds his restaurant’s menus using locally foraged ingredients like sea spinach, prickly pear, wild fennel, and Surinam cherries in addition to sourcing sustainably harvested coffee beans, which are roasted and ground locally for one of the best cups of coffee on the island. “Folks in Bermuda are much more eco-conscious since we live in such a fragile ecosystem,” says Pridham, “so we all have to do our part to protect the local marine environment, which is a massively important on a small island.”

“Three words stand out in our restaurants: Local, seasonal and sustainable,” says Andre Roberts, who is the Director of Food and Beverage at The Loren, a chic boutique hotel on the island’s east end featuring a dreamy, waterfront restaurant called The Pink Beach Club. “We also like to say, what grows together goes together, so everything that we source locally we like to pair with something else in season, which is going to make your dining experience that much more pleasurable.” That means in summer you can enjoy local kale salads with Tucker’s Farm goat cheese and in winter, hearty root vegetables like sweet potato and beets plus vibrant jams and jellies made with golden loquats and sweet Bermuda strawberries. 

But no matter where diners eat, they’re sure to get some of the finest locally sourced cuisine that’s prepared with aplomb by a devoted team of chefs who aim to please. Says Damion Griffith, head chef at Huckleberry—a popular ocean-to-table restaurant in Hamilton that sources produce from its own orchards and gardens while employing environmental practices like creating solar hot water, composting food waste, and providing biodegradable containers: “At the end of the day, the best part about being a chef is seeing your customers smile and enjoy your food. And fortunately for us here in Bermuda, there are so many amazing flavors that we can put on people’s plates.”