By Scott Wright
THE owner of North Berwick-based Steampunk Coffee Roasters and Cafe has been named Scotland’s first sustainability food hero.
Catherine Franks is the first winner of the #FoodHeroScot visual storytelling campaign, in recognition of her commitment to positive change and sharing her vision of a more sustainable business model.
Ms Franks has won marketing and public relations support worth £25,000 and is the first winner of 10 awards that will be handed out by the campaign.
The mission of #FoodHeroScot is to put sustainability at the heart of Scotland’s post-pandemic food and drink industry, and connect consumers with ethical and sustainable brands. The campaign is supported by business figures such as chef Nick Nairn, Alan Mahon of Brewgooder, and Carina Contini of Victor & Carina Contini, as well as STV’s Green Fund.
Ms Franks, who founded Steampunk Coffee in 2012, said: “It’s such a fantastic campaign and to get this recognition is hugely appreciated. It just shows everyone can make a difference. Our ethos underpins everything we do – it’s never an add-on.”
At Steampunk, bottled water is not served and Ms Franks promotes re-usable cups, offering discounts to customers who use them. The coffee comes in fully compostable or recyclable packaging.
Ms Franks added: “As a business we are conscious of the waste streams we produce and we want to ensure that at the end of its life the waste from any of our packaging can be recovered and put into the correct waste stream. We also recognise that it is important to give clear information to customers about how to deal with the waste to ensure this happens. During the last year many people had more time to think about the world we live in and how we want to change it as we come out of lockdown. I think that kind of crystallised priorities for a lot of people.”
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