Taking it slow with sustainable dining in Napa Valley

Executive chef Peter Pahk of Napa Valley’s Silverado Resort has been a key factor in driving the resort’s numerous sustainable dining initiatives, including the effort to work with Slow Foods Napa and Slow Foods USA – two food organizations committed to identifying, preserving and promoting small agricultural producers and to educate the public about distinctive regional food traditions.

In it commitment as a Slow Foods member, the resort is setting an example in sustainability by procuring and serving locally grown, organic foods to guests.

“Our culture is so used to fast—fast production, shipping and eating—that we sometimes forget about the integral beauty of freshly grown and prepared foods,” said Pahk. “Our guests truly appreciate having a wide array of menu choices using locally harvested food.”

Pahk has been instrumental in a number of successful eco-programs at the resort, including an initiative to recycle food scraps and grass clippings in addition to traditional recyclables. The Silverado food scrap recycling program was a first in Napa Valley, a destination that is normally an environmental leader.

“I believe the hospitality industry was a little slow out of the starting gate when it comes to sustainability, but the industry as a whole has made up for that delay by now taking giant green steps in numerous areas,” continued Pahk. “Recycling food scraps should be a no-brainer for an industry that produces an abundance of the stuff. Turns out, it is incredibly difficult to accomplish, and it takes the commitment of a service provider as well as hotel management and an entire staff to pull it off.”

“We do everything we can to reduce waste, from buying products from local producers to offering meat and seafood that is harvested using the most sustainable practices available.”

The Silverado Resort has also implemented a Foodservice Energy Awareness Program to educate its foodservice employees to participate in energy conservation, green procurement and waste reduction. In 2001, the resort introduced an aggressive seafood policy that promoted the use of sustainable seafood and discontinued serving four species of threatened seafood.

“It didn’t happen overnight, but clearly our efforts are working,” Pahk said. “We have become more successful than I would have imagined when we started truly emphasizing sustainability years ago.”

Silverado Resort was the first resort in Napa Valley to become a member of the Chef’s Collaborative, a national network of more than 1,000 members of the food community who promote sustainable cuisine. Chef Pak also sits on the board for Sustainable Napa County, an organization that promotes sustainable business practices in the Napa Valley hospitality industry. And the resort’s operator, Xanterra Parks & Resorts, was the first U.S. hospitality company to be granted the “Chain of Custody” certification from the Marine Stewardship Council. This important certification guarantees all wild Alaska salmon menu items can be traced to their source, assuring customers that fisheries have met the Marine Stewardship Council’s stringent environmental standards.

The resort’s environmental programs extend far beyond foodservice operations. For example, guestrooms are supplied with rapidly renewable paper products, and housekeepers use sustainable cleaning solutions and separate and recycle all guestroom garbage. Additionally, the resort uses a state-of-the-art water-saving irrigation system to maintain its two championship golf courses.

For more information, visit www.silveradoresort.com.