The Benefits of Foraging
By picking from the wild, we are able to bring new, delicious and exciting ingredients to our menu, while making sure we leave the ecosystem as it is, or even better than we found it. These ingredients grow naturally, consuming water only when it rains. And because they’re gathered from wild sources, they contain no pesticides or fertilisers, and don’t generate any plastic waste typically associated with agriculture, which heavily reduces our carbon footprint.
Foraging at ION Harbour
The ION Harbour team, led by our Head of Sustainability Keith Abela, often go on educational foraging trips to learn how to hand-harvest each ingredient sustainably – be it endemic or invasive – and learn more about the individual needs and history of each variety. This educational aspect is fundamental to our ethos at ION Harbour, empowering our staff with knowledge of sustainability, which they can then also share and translate into meaningful experiences for our diners.
Some invasive species, like mother-of-thousands, get transplanted and used as decorations, grown in our own compost, creating space in the wild for native species to thrive. Carob is transformed into molasses for our truffle pudding dish.
By incorporating foraged ingredients into our menu, we hope to connect our guests to the local environment and promote a deeper appreciation for sustainable dining practices.
