Sustainability is at the heart of our core values at The Three Fishes and whilst carefully treading as light as possible on the planet we promote delicious ingredient-led, home grown seasonal food for our customers to enjoy and if we can’t source anything from our kitchen garden then we have close relationships with hand picked local ethical suppliers who support our remaining needs.

The Kitchen Garden

We grow as much as we can in our two acre kitchen garden. Using a ‘no dig’ method with no chemicals whatsoever we are self sufficient in micro salads and herbs, baby vegetables and edible flowers and we grow a large range of other vegetables including heritage tomatoes, peas, beans beetroots, carrots, various winter vegetables and many more, all combining to reduce food miles and allow us to serve only the freshest of seasonal produce.

By taking an organic approach to growing, without the use of pesticides and herbicides, we aim to advance our biodiversity through encouraging hedgerow birds who are a natural form of pest control. Equally our wildflower area and maintained wild space act as a boost to insect life and the bees which pollinate our crops and provide a crop of delicious honey for our kitchen.

Composting & No-Dig

The health of our soil is key to a productive vegetable garden. The vegetable and fruit waste from our kitchen is composted using the Ridan Food Waste Composter system, turning it into a rich feed for our plant beds. Furthermore we have collaborated with our suppliers to limit the use of single use plastics, with most of our delivered produce arriving in cardboard, which is in turn composted to limit the use of landfill.

When making new beds and topping up old ones we use ’no dig’ and minimal release of carbon principles. We apply a deep layer of our compost which eliminates weeds and promotes micro organisms, soil fertility and plant nutrition.

Energy Efficiency

The Three Fishes kitchen is one of the very few in the country to have its electricity usage controlled by the Sicotronic Energy Management System. This computerised apparatus allows every item of equipment to be optimised and energy costs to be visible by the minute, hour and day. Anything not in use automatically goes into ’standby’ mode.

Local Artisans and Repurposing

When setting out the business plan for The Three Fishes we chose the most sustainable options possible. The vast majority of the furniture in the restaurant has been selected from a nearby furniture warehouse specialising in used hospitality furniture and then renovated and reupholstered to our specification. Also many of the plates and bowls we use are made to order by a local potter.

Community and Volunteers

Nigel Howarth- Chef Patron is a actively supportive of the Lancashire based Young Chefs Competition which is held in tandem with Blackburn College and local schools and targeted at 13-14 year old young people with the aim of assisting them in their career choices. Separately we hold several kitchen garden tours a year with a view to passing on information to our customers and garden volunteers about our organic ’no dig’ aspirations and achievements.