Sustainability to Sustain a Resort Town
In an industry fueled by consumption, sustainability is often not the first thought of a thriving restaurant industry. From food waste, to plastic drinking cups and straws; dumpsters and landfills find themselves overflowing as a byproduct of well fed and happy customers. So the question remains, how do you support Vail’s green initiative while also delivering a fine dining experience?
Two Vail village restaurants have figured it out. Sweet Basil and Mountain Standard have the most unique sustainability initiatives in Vail valley. They are able to make an industry of consumption and waste, one of second chances and renewable resources. Chef Will Edwards of Sweet Basil was the originating force of restaurant composting in Vail. Fostering a passion for sustainability, in the spring of 2021 he impressively established the first commercial composting program, with help from the Town of Vail and Vail Honeywagon. The effort was not only with the intent to be stronger stewards of the environment, but to also lead the way and establish a green restaurant program that can be replicated and embraced by the rest of the community.
“Within 6 months, we had effectively cut our traditional waste in half”, Chef Edwards says “the rest being compost. It was more than we ever imagined.”
Training the staff on what is compost, what is recycle and what went into the trash bin was a steep learning curve, but they all figured it out quickly and all pitched in to do their part.
As a child visiting Vail annually, Chef Edwards and his family would always celebrate his dad’s birthday with dinner at Sweet Basil, unaware that one day he would be running the whole culinary show. After progressing through the ranks in New York City’s restaurant industry, Chef Edwards landed in Vail for a Sous Chef position at Sweet Basil in March of 2020 and was promoted to Chef de Cuisine in 2021.
Driving a diverse palate in the kitchen while simultaneously striving for better sustainability practices in the Valley, Chef Edward’s passion reaches beyond his restaurant. Last month he presented a workshop through the local non-profit Walking Mountains Science Center on waste diversion for sustainable business practices. “It’s important that we’re setting the example for other restaurants to follow” he explains “not just with the food and service, but with how we operate holistically.” Only eight months after launching the composting program at Sweet Basil, Chef Edwards brought the same practices to their sister restaurant in Vail village, Mountain Standard.
They call him the Dirt Daddy
Chef McLean Hyde of Mountain Standard is another man passionate about the zero waste initiative, earning him the moniker DirtDaddy. “If it used to be alive, but is not anymore, it is most likely compostable.” he says while training the kitchen and waitstaff on best practices between waste and compost. Common compostable items from the restaurant include; animal by-products including shells and bones, biodegradable cups and straws, remains from enjoyed meals, kitchen prep leftovers, and more. By emphasizing a successful composting strategy at Mountain Standard, Chef Hyde is keeping excess waste out of plastic garbage bags and landfills, also seeing a reduction in traditional waste by over 50%, like Sweet Basil. Not only does Mountain Standard take the extra care mile with compost, but the restaurant itself was built upon the premise of sustainability. From water glasses made from recycled wine bottles, utilizing reclaimed wood from beetle kill trees, and dining room chairs made from recycled coke bottles, Mountain Standard believes in a green initiative.
Where does the compost go?
The nutrient rich by-products created by composting, enriches an outdoor environment as well as maintaining a thriving ecosystem. The compostable material is used for different regeneration projects around Vail including hiking and mountain biking trails on Vail Mountain as well as use in gardens throughout the valley. Vail Honeywagon creates a great compost that is then sold by local garden supply companies for consumer use.
THE WILDFLOWER FARM 970-926-5504
Customers who want a small amount of compost or boutique potting soil
VAIL VALLEY LANDSCAPE SUPPLY 970-390-6545
Customers who need large amounts of compost delivered or that would like to pick up a truck or trailer load
MT2030
Sweet Basil and Mountain Standard are among a growing number of businesses in the Vail Valley to make sustainability a priority. The Vail Valley Partnership will be partnering with Mountain Towns 2030 (MT2030) and will be hosting a Climate Solutions Summit October 18-20, 2023 in Vail. “Hosting MT2030 is a great opportunity for Vail and reinforces our resort community leadership position. Collaboration among mountain communities to help share best practices and achieve its individual and collective sights on achieving sustainability goals is an ambitious and necessary effort, and MT2030 is the format to initiate and develop those solutions.” says Chris Romer, CEO of the Vail Valley Partnership “We are thrilled to host the program in Vail and look forward to sharing our business and community successes with others and learning from our peer communities.” Sustainability is a growing effort within the community that is not backing down. The threads that hold this community together and build a thriving economy are built upon this ecosystem and outdoor environment that create a world class resort for all to enjoy. Thanks to these devoted chefs, Sweet Basil and Mountain Standard provide an exceptional dining experience for all who visit while also taking care of the world we live in.
For more information about Sweet Basil or Mountain Standard visit sweetbasilvail.com or mtnstandard.com
