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Changing Tides

How The Luxury Hospitality Sector Is Leading Sustainability

The success of any business depends on the strength of its relationships with other, likeminded organisations. One of the JAN brand’s closest and most enduring partnerships has been with Ellerman House, a truly unique and special boutique hotel on the slopes of Bantry Bay in Cape Town. Over the years, Ellerman has featured in every volume of JAN the Journal, and has often been used as a shoot location for editorials – most notably, as the location for the cover of Volume 10. But our partnership with Ellerman extends beyond its breath-taking setting and old-world charm. As a member of the Relais & Chateaux Group, this Cape Town landmark is one of the city’s leaders in sustainable hospitality, and in 2023, is drawing attention to World Oceans Day.

THE RELAIS & CHATEAUX ETHOS

In 2014, Relais & Chateaux – an association of 580 unique hotels across the globe – announced its vision for a more sustainable future in the hospitality sector: “Hospitality in harmony with the natural world.” As part of its action plan, the association set about gathering data in 2021 about its worldwide activities, publishing its first sustainability report at the end of 2022 based on their findings. The report highlights the positive contributions made by the group’s chefs, hoteliers and restaurateurs to the environment, diversity, local communities and economies.

THE THREE MAJOR PILLARS OF SUSTAINABILITY

In recognising the complexity of sustainability, organisations like Relais & Chateaux build their approach on three categories:

  1. ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION – includes all matters surrounding climate change, water use, biodiversity and plastic use.
  2. SUSTAINABLE CUISINE – relates to the life cycle of dishes, prioritising local suppliers and supply chains, as well as the preservation of local cultural heritage.
  3. SOCIAL AND SOCIETAL EMPOWERMENT – delves into issues surrounding gender parity, diversity, working conditions, geo tourism and local activism.

WORLD OCEANS DAY

The United Nations General Assembly designated 8 June to World Oceans Day, creating an opportunity to raise global awareness of the benefits we derive from the oceans, and that we have a duty to use its resources responsibly. It’s a celebration of the ocean’s bounty, which is not limited to seafood, but includes oxygen and inspiration as well. As part of their sustainability action plan, Ellerman House is celebrating seafood seasonality in response to the United Nations theme, Planet Ocean: Tides are Changing. In 2022, the event (which anyone can join) succeeded in a social media reach of 72 million, a livestream audience of 86,000 viewers, and secured 30 international speakers.

JOIN THE WORLD OCEANS DAY EVENT HERE.

A SEASONAL GUIDE TO SOUTH AFRICAN SEAFOOD

When visiting a hotel or restaurant that serves seafood, you’ll often find a SASSI list close at hand, and while it’s very good at informing you of a species’ endangered status, it’s only relevant at its time of publication. When visiting the SASSI website, you get a an overwhelmingly thorough list of seafood that’s great for chefs, but for the rest of us (who wouldn’t know what to do with a Jumbo Flying Squid), let’s narrow it down to the 10 most popular species on South African menus.

ANCHOVY
Where is it from: the Cape West Coast and South Coast of South Africa.

Status: Green list (South Africa).

Season: Spring (September-October).


BLACK MUSSELS
Where is it from: Saldanha Bay.

Status: Green list.

Season: Early summer.

DEEPWATER CAPE HAKE
Where is it from: The west coast of South Africa.

Status: Green list (South Africa).

Season: Not fixed but off-limits from September-October.


HOTTENTOT
Where is it from: West and southwestern Cape coasts.

Status: Green list (South Africa).

Season: Spawning peaks over the summer and autumn (January-May), although they spawn throughout the year.

KINGKLIP
Where is it from: Around the Agulhas bank off South Africa’s south coast.

Status: In South Africa, kingklip is currently on the green list if caught using longline methods, and on the orange list when caught using demersal trawling.

Season: Autumn to spring, with peak spawning occurring between June and October.


ROCK LOBSTER
Where is it from: Found in shallow waters from Walvis Bay (Namibia) to East London.

Status: Red list (don’t buy)

Season: Summer to autumn.


SARDINES
Where is it from: Caught mainly off the western Agulhas Bank, the south and west coasts.

Status: Orange list.

Season: May to July.

SNOEK
Where is it from: From the Namibian border to Algoa Bay.

Status: Green list.

Season: April to July.


YELLOWFIN TUNA
Where is it from: The open waters of the Indian Ocean.

Status: Green list when line caught (South Africa).

Season: Mid-October to June.


YELLOWTAIL AMBER
Where is it from: Japan and China, imported to South Africa.

Status: Orange list.

Season: September to December.