Restaurants jump on new ethical certification
A restaurant on the Mornington Peninsula has become the first hospitality business in the nation to receive B-Corp classification.
The certification means Red Gum BBQ has met standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.
To get B-Corp certified, companies must go through an independent assessment that examines their environmental and social impact, backed by documentation which benchmarks them against 40,000 other businesses.
Speaking to The Age, Red Gum BBQ owners Martin and Melissa Goffin said they wanted their business to be “something more than making money”.
It took the couple around six months to achieve the certification.
"Neither of us had any real hospitality experience nor had we owned a business but I am not one to shy away from an adventure," Melissa Goffin said.
"The thing that excited me about B-Corp was it spoke to a holistic approach to ethical practices in business.
“We wanted to be more than just environmentally conscious but to do good work with employees and be a good place for people to work and to represent the restaurant industry differently than what you often hear, which is that it takes advantage of employees."
A further 80 restaurants in the process of applying for certification which would allow them to place the small B sign on the premises for an annual fee starting at $500.
B-Lab spokesperson Gaya Subramaniam said the certification can help hospitality businesses decrease staff turnover.
"When you're building a business that is focussed on ensuring there are mechanisms and programs in place to ensure their wellbeing, this translates into both attracting and retaining staff for the long haul," Subramaniam told The Age.
9th December 2019
