Lily’s Restaurant serves food based on ‘climate kilometre ideology’

There is a new environmental conscience within the hospitality industry, known as the Climatarian. And a Toowoomba restaurant owner is living by this new climate kilometre ideology.

There is a new social and environmental conscience within the hospitality industry, known as the Climatarian.

And a Toowoomba motelier and restaurant owner is living by this new climate kilometre ideology.

This means he cooks dishes based on the carbon footprint of different foods; serving locally sourced ingredients produced as close as possible to his business.

Bruce Ryman operates the Highfields Motel and the adjoining Lily’s Restaurant.

Lily's owner Bruce Ryman making fresh pasta. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Mr Ryman has been part of the industry for 30 years and is a huge advocate for the region, being passionate about the accommodation, hospitality and tourism sectors.

He said being a Climatarian involved working out how many kilometres his food had travelled before ending up on the plate.

“I want to eventually work out each of my dishes and have the kilometres displayed on the menu,” he said.

“For example, I’ll get my meat from Bannock Brae just here in Meringandan and my vegetables from the Lockyer Valley so a standard meal might travel less than 50km to the plate, whereas other restaurants might ship their meat from Victoria so it’s in comparison to a 1500km paddock-to-plate journey.

Lily's owner Bruce Ryman making fresh pasta. Picture: Kevin Farmer

“By reducing the kilometres our food has to travel, we are in-turn doing something positive to help the environment.

“This doesn’t make my food any more expensive either, I am the same if not cheaper as other places in town, but the difference is doing this is helping the environment.

“It’s something I’ve been doing for years and didn’t know until recently that there was a name for it.”

Mr Rayman also spoke at the national No Vacancy conference in Sydney earlier this month where he was asked to share his expertise on the motel and hospitality industry.

Lily's owner Bruce Ryman holds pasta made by the restaurant and other fresh local ingredients. Picture: Kevin Farmer

He was approached due to the work he does with individuals and organisations mentoring them to maximise their business potential.

“I was there to speak about small business profitability, as well as the relationship small hotels and motels have with food,” he said.

“Some moteliers have given up running restaurants, but I told them it’s so important to them and the local communities.

“I was there to emphasis the importance of them buying locally within their restaurant too, so they’ll have a story and conversation starter linked to their business.”

For more information, search Lily’s Restaurant on Facebook.

Lily's owner Bruce Ryman and school-based apprentice Jorja Flynne hold pasta made by the restaurant and other fresh local ingredients. Picture: Kevin Farmer