OUR ROLE IN PURSUING SUSTAINABILITY
At Lee, we recognize that the private sector of gastronomy has a history of unsustainable practices, and the pandemic has shown us that things need to change.
Though we don’t necessarily think that sustainability is the best word to describe what we are doing at our restaurant, we believe it is our responsibility to look for ways to better serve our team, our guests, our community, and the environment.
Our priorities have always been relationships first. Whether it’s building deeper connections with our suppliers or sharing our story with our guests, we believe that the human connection is a powerful tool to inspire, learn, and grow together. We invest deeply into our staff, through leadership courses, in house mentorship programs, and a hands on management team. Providing fair wages and a comfortable work environment are base level expectations we have for ourselves.
Being involved in our community is also important, as we believe we are in a fortunate position to have the resources to give openly with both hands. We do our best to work with different organizations around Tallinn to help those who are less fortunate. We also want to support the Estonian food system, buying from local and small scale farms and producers whenever possible.
Our core mission with our food is to showcase Estonian ingredients at the centre of the plate. We also take part in Estonia’s Green Tiger initiative, doing our part by collaborating in creating a video series where we demonstrate how to utilize some common leftovers in the household kitchen.
Finally, our kitchen is working hard to minimize the waste it produces. Minimizing or reusing single use plastic, as well as utilizing byproducts from ingredient preparation are high on our priority list. Turning bread ends into misos, preserving lemon peels and rinds, or even just using more of the vegetable in the final dish (such as peels, and stems) are ways that we try to throw away less. We also have strict protocol for our bio waste, and are proud to take part in our country’s initiative to turn our bio waste into fertiliser. In regards to our energy consumption, our entire restaurant works 100% on solar, wind, and hydro energy.
We recognize that we have a long way to go, but we believe that walking this path will lead to a more creative and inviting experience for our guests. As we explore further in this journey, we hope that you will follow along, and please feel free to touch base with us if you have any suggestions.
