Welcome to the first Monthly FED Feature! Learn about food and sustainability through the lens of local restaurants.
How it Works:
The Food Eco District (FED) works with members to create a sustainable feature dish or item to be served for one month. Each time a customer orders the FED Feature, $1 will go towards helping us expand urban agriculture in Victoria!
March Details: Zambri’s
Where: 820 Yates St
250-360-1171
info@zambris.ca
Hours:
Lunch: Tuesday – Friday:
11:30 am – 2:30 pm
Brunch: Saturday:
10:30am – 2:30 pm
Dinner: Tuesday – Thursday:
5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Friday & Saturday:
5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Zambri’s Feature Food
Local, organic baby carrots from Littlest Acre Organics that will be featured in various dishes throughout the month.
Why buy local?
With so many amenities at our fingertips, it is easy to forget that we live on an island and are vulnerable to transportation disruptions. In the face of fuel shortages, natural disasters or conflict, the food supply in our communities would be seriously impacted. Most communities on the island only have a three-day supply of fresh food in light of an emergency. In addition, importing our vegetables from warmer countries comes with a heavy carbon footprint. With the advancement of climate change in the form of record-breaking windstorms, forest fires, heatwaves, and droughts, the regions we depend on for our food supply are already heavily impacted. Their ability to produce the food we import is being affected. For us, that means higher-priced groceries and puts up barriers for low-income families.
Support local farmers and businesses by buying locally. Buying from your local farmer allows you to support local agriculture and the local economy. Buying from your local farmers also provides the opportunity for cheaper organic produce, greater variety, and better taste. The Vancouver Island Economic Alliance recognized the desire that many islanders have to support local and developed the Island Good initiative to help consumers easily recognize what products are locally grown or made on the island. Next time you’re in the grocery store, keep your eyes peeled for an Island Good logo next to your produce, dairy, or meat.
Littlest Acre Organics:
The team at Zambri’s has been working with Emily from Littlest Acre Organics for over 4 years. They are a small-scale family farm producing over 50 crops on 2 acres in rural Saanich who specialize in high-quality vibrant produce while maintaining an integrated farm system. They grow food for the community naturally, by hand, with passion.
Zambri’s:
Opened in 1999, Zambri’s has become one of the top Italian restaurants in the city. They have been a FED member since 2015 (one of the first!) and they continue to push themselves to become more eco-friendly each year. They currently hold a GOLD level certification with the Vancouver Island Green Business Collective (VIGBC) and are Surfrider approved.
zambri’s sustainability highlights:
- They measure their emissions, have created reduction plans and targets to address this and offset their emissions with verified carbon credits with Synergy Enterprises
- Annual donations made to local environmental or community-related charities of ≥ $50 per full-time employee
- Environmental sustainability is incorporated into the hiring process, employee orientations, and training programs
- The seafood used is Ocean Wise™ Certified
- Focus on using local food where possible
