Australian_Gourmet_Traveller_2017

“I like to know where the food is from and the process by

which it was made, or how it grew. That’s very important.”

PASSION POINTS

James’ approach

to a greener plate

om and the process b

TThhat’s very important.ats very important.”

by

t”

Biota kitchen garden

where James farms

his own produce.

SEASONALITY

Biota’s degustation

is based on what local

suppliers have brought

that week; diners don’t

even know what they’re

getting until it lands

on the table.

LOCAL PRODUCE

As an extension

of Viles’ commitment

to local food, three

years ago Biota began

serving Australian

wine exclusively.

GROW YOUR OWN

Even if you are just

growing your own

lettuces, Viles says

it’s a good start towards

sustainability: “They’re

easy to grow.”

WASTE REDUCTION

The Nespresso machine

at Biota obviates the

need for tamping which

wastes coff ee. “Benefits

for a restaurant like this

[are less] wastage, less

cleaning, consistency,

and speed.”

ingredients brought each week by

trusted local suppliers. Sustainability

is also about the long term, stresses

Viles. In this he’s aligned with

Nespresso’s commitment to building

and assisting the communities and

farmers who grow its coffee, as well

as the company’s commitment to

using aluminium, a material which

is infi nitely recyclable while protecting

the freshness and aromas of the coffee

inside the capsule. The important

last step of the sustainability journey

for Nespresso is the recycling process,

not only of the aluminium, but also

transforming the coffee grounds

into compost. “That’s a big thing.

It happens from start to fi nish,” says

Viles. “It’s about committing to that

way of life and building on it over the

years. That’s what sustainability is.”

JAMES VILES Biota Dining

THE GREAT AND SMALL

Nespresso coff ee farm

partner in Brazil and below

the kitchen garden at Biota.

THE GREAT AND SMALL

Above: Biota’s kitchen garden and

right: the green hills of a coff ee farm,

one of Nespresso’s AAA Sustainable

Quality™ Program partners in Brazil.

The importance of sustainability

in fi ne dining fi rst occurred to

James Viles when he was setting

up his restaurant Biota in Bowral

some six years ago, complete with

kitchen garden, chicken coop,

greenhouse and on-site composting.

“Sustainability’s one of those things

where one thing leads to another,”

he says. “So recycling, composting

and all of that is good for the garden.

You feed the soil and you get nice

plants, you use what you want and

[the waste] goes back into the

garden. Sustainability’s just about

processes that link.” At Biota, the

gardens are fed by natural springs

and the constantly changing menu

is dictated by the different seasonal

LOCALLY GROWN

JAMES VILES

Biota Dining

PA SSION POINTS

kitchen garden

Jamesfarms

wn produce.

BIOTA GREENHOUSE IMAGE RIGHT: JASON LOUCAS

http://www.nespresso.com/prochefs

AN AUSTRALIAN GOURMET TRAVELLER PROMOTION