Fountain Restaurant Refines Roof-to-Table Dining
As early adopters of the “farm-to-table” philosophy, the kitchens of Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia do not go far to source food. Branch Creek Farms in nearby Bucks County provides summer vegetables and winter squash, for example. We have also taken other steps towards sustainable dining – about eight storeys' worth – by embracing the “roof-to-table” movement.
Up on the roof, an expansive garden comprising nine raised beds supplies Fountain Restaurant with the freshest herbs around, including four types of oregano, sage, thyme and rosemary. What’s more, the bok choy, peppers and peas that add excitement to your meals are also grown in our rooftop garden.
For most restaurants, that would be enough. But this was Benjamin Franklin’s hometown, and we are ever mindful of his words: “Waste not, want not.”
Over the course of a year, we compost 128 tons (116 tonnes) of leftover food from our restaurants, banquets and in-room dining. The kitchen scraps we send to a local composting farm come back as incredibly rich fertilizer for our garden beds and landscaped grounds.
The eco-friendly initiatives of the kitchens also affect the rest of the Hotel. The flames that cook your entrée to perfection also heat the hot water in your room, and in the indoor pool. A rooftop heat recovery system installed near our herb and vegetable gardens takes the heat out of the kitchen literally and stores it until it is needed. Also supplying sustainable energy are three micro-turbines, delightfully landscaped with edible vines of native flowers.
Should you wish to visit our rooftop garden, please ask. Our Concierge will be delighted to arrange a tour, while pointing out all the other ways the Hotel is becoming greener.
