ASIA’S 50 BEST SUSTAINABLE RESTAURANT AWARD 2022
Taiwan restaurant MUME is the well-deserved winner of the 2022 Sustainable Restaurant Award in this year’s Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants and was judged by our very own London team at Sustainable Restaurant Association. The driving force behind MUME is founder and Head Chef Richie Lin who champions local and seasonal ingredients. Passionately committed to giving back to the local community, Head Chef Richie made sustainability central to the restaurant from the day it opened.
MUME champions local and seasonal ingredients
IN LOVE WITH LOCAL PRODUCE
An impressive 90% of the ingredients used by MUME are locally-sourced with a focus on the fresh seafood which is plentiful in Taiwan. Moreover, the restaurant adapts its menu to incorporate whatever delights local fisherman have caught on the day.
MUME only uses Taiwanese beef and small portions of native-breed beef that’s sourced from a local farm powered by renewable energy. This is then featured on their delicious tasting menu. The restaurant adopts a nose-to-tail approach to both meat and fish, using the trimmings to make a tasty stock that forms the basis of many of its dishes.
All tea, coffee, sugar, chocolate, rice and soy are also locally-sourced, with the team regularly visiting producers. The restaurant values its close relationship with suppliers, and collaborates with them on sustainable-farming methods, environmentally-conscious packaging & delivery practices, and waste minimisation. The team at MUME even hosts educational events to promote their suppliers, and encourage other local restaurants and retailers to celebrate Taiwan’s wholesome ingredients.
Native-breed beef that’s sourced from a local farm powered by renewable energy
CARING FOR STAFF, PARTNERING WITH SUPPLIERS
Founder Richie Lin has developed a ‘staff-centric’ culture in which the health and wellbeing of his team is key. Drawing on his background in nutrition, Head Chef Richie ensures employees are offered nutritionally-balanced meals during each shift, with less healthy cooking methods such as frying limited to once weekly.
Other benefits include paid training opportunities, supplier visits, sustainability training, and a 4.5-day working week. MUME also promotes careers in hospitality by partnering with Taiwan’s top hospitality college – and offering internships and career opportunities to students.
MUME’s connection with the local community is apparent in its cooking philosophy which puts flavorsome local ingredients center stage. There’s an emphasis on lighter foods and healthier eating. For example, by using high-quality local fruits in desserts the volume of sugar can be reduced, or how the restaurant’s homemade bread has a high nutritional value. Even the cocktails it serves has a lower alcohol content, so guests can enjoy a drink without feeling overly intoxicated.
MUME’s cooking philosophy puts flavoursome local ingredients center stage
Head Chef, Richie Lin
SUSTAINABILITY WITHOUT BOUNDARIES
Beyond his sustainability commitments at MUME, Head Chef Richie also co-founded Chefs4Farmers, a charity that support small-scale farmers around the world, and encourages chefs to create dishes that celebrate local produce.
Eco-awareness is at the heart of MUME’s everyday operations. The restaurant’s light bulbs and most of its electrical appliances are energy-efficient and always switched off when not needed, thereby reducing electrical consumption by 20-30%. MUME also reuses water whenever possible, for example, to rinse vegetables or to clean floors and drains. Eco-friendly detergents and energy-efficient washing machines are used for the restaurant’s laundry needs, and the kitchen limits single-use plastic, for example, by using locally-sourced biodegradable sous-vide bags.
Suppliers are required to use reusable baskets and cardboard for deliveries which are carefully scheduled to minimize the number of car and van trips. They’re also encouraged to email invoices to minimize paper wastage, with the restaurant aiming to produce no more than two bags of rubbish each day. Finally, MUME has set strict food-waste targets and implemented innovative methods to reach them, for example using edible by-products as garnishes and serving any surplus from the kitchen in staff meals.
When it comes to sustainability, MUME ticks almost every box – making it a worthy winner of the 2022 Sustainable Restaurant Award. Hearty congrats to Head Chef Richie Lin and his passionate team!
Find out more here and maybe even book a table to treat yourself!
This content was created prior to our rebranding to Future Green, as of 28/11/22, when we were known as Food Made Good HK.
Interested in more?
2024
MEMBERS MONTHLY MEETUP – REDUCE, REUSE AND RECYCLE MARCH 2024
21st February2024
MEMBERS MONTHLY MEETUP – PLANT-FORWARD AND LESS AND BETTER MEAT FEBRUARY 2024
30th January2024
Marketing Coordinator
8th May2024
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT – BELU
24th April2024
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT – MINERVA FOODS
12th April2024
MEMBERS MONTHLY MEETUP – SOURCE SEAFOOD RESPONSIBLY APRIL 2024
