“Sustainability is a journey, not a destination. We're not perfect, but we care enough to do a little better every day than the day before.”
Andrea Foulkes, CEO & Founder
Our Responsibility
We believe that exceptional hospitality is inseparable from a profound respect for the earth and its people.
The privilege of gathering around a table brings with it a collective duty: to ensure that the land which feeds us today remains resilient, fertile, and capable of sustaining the generations of tomorrow. This conviction shapes every layer of our kitchen, from the mindful relationships we cultivate with local growers to the conscious choices we make to minimise our environmental footprint.
For us, sustainability isn’t an abstract ideal; it is a daily practice of honouring our community, sourcing with absolute integrity, and leaving the world a little lighter than we found it.
Our Community
Our approach to sustainability starts with our people. We’ve built an environment where the team feels supported, where mental wellbeing is taken seriously, and where people are given the space to grow into their roles over time. It’s important to us that Dish is not just a place to work, but a place where people want to stay. That consistency is reflected in our high staff retention and the strong, grounded culture that underpins everything we do.
That same thinking extends beyond our kitchen. We prioritise long-term relationships with our suppliers, working with partners we know and trust, and growing those connections over time rather than constantly replacing them. At the same time, Dish plays an active role in the wider industry, often serving as a starting point for interns, culinary students and young professionals. Many begin their journey here, gaining the experience and confidence to build lasting careers.
Our Sourcing
Dish designs menus around seasonal ingredients, with a focus on sourcing locally. This supports South African producers while ensuring ingredients are used at their best.
We build menus around what’s available locally, sourcing all our meat, poultry, dairy and eggs within South Africa and prioritising local fruit and vegetables wherever possible. When out-of-season or imported items are requested, we guide clients towards strong local alternatives.
Our approach to seafood is equally considered, with a focus on responsible and sustainable sourcing. We prioritise locally sourced species such as yellowtail, hake, kingklip and farmed trout, alongside responsibly caught tuna and low-impact options like local squid. Certain species are avoided, while others remain under review as we continue to improve traceability and make better long-term sourcing decisions.
Our Environment
Dish prioritises responsible food practices that reduce waste, maximise ingredient use and ensure surplus food is managed with care.
We limit waste by controlling portions, avoiding excess at events and using ingredients as fully as possible. Surplus produce is reused across dishes, preserved, or repurposed for staff meals, while suitable unserved food is donated where possible. Organic waste is separated and composted, and non-organic waste is sorted into recyclable streams through trusted partners.
These practices extend to our events, where we aim to separate and return waste for proper processing. In our kitchen, systems like grease traps help manage water use and reduce environmental impact.
It’s a straightforward approach - reduce what we can, reuse where possible, and handle the rest responsibly.