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Michelin-Starred Armani Ristorante sources ASC certified fish from Croatia
A Michelin star speaks of the highest quality cuisine. Excellent ingredients are a requisite.
At the Michelin-starred Emporio Armani Caffé & Ristorante in Paris, Manager Matthieu Mori and Executive Chef Massimo Tringali set their measure of excellence not only by freshness, taste and texture, but environmental and social responsibility.
Fruits and vegetables are sourced from a local permaculture garden, ensuring seasonal produce that is fresh, flavourful and supportive of local biodiversity. Meat and seafood are also sourced responsibly, and for farmed seafood Matthieu and Massimo prefer fish from ASC certified farms.
“ASC’s work allows us to select top-level suppliers,” says Massimo.
One of their carefully chosen suppliers is Cromaris, which operates ASC certified sea bass, sea bream and meagre farms in the crystalline waters of Croatia’s Adriatic Coast.
“The Cromaris product has low percentages of fat and a very delicate taste,” says Massimo. “It’s an excellent fish, and it is ASC certified, so we know it is responsibly farmed.”
Manager Matthieu Mori says, “We decided to source ASC certified fish first because we believe it is important to integrate aquaculture into our sourcing, as wild fishing is suffering from overexploitation. At the same time, it is important for us to choose sustainable aquaculture. That is why we need the support of the ASC organization to help us identify responsible farms.”
When Matthieu and Massimo committed to sourcing fish and shellfish from ASC certified farms for all farmed seafood on their menu, they set about having the restaurant achieve ASC Chain of Custody certification.
“Our ASC certification is an added value for our restaurant and an assurance for our customers that the fish we serve comes from a responsible, ASC certified farm. To obtain it we had to follow different rules to prove the fish we claim to be certified actually is,” says Matthieu. “For instance, we had to install separate refrigerators and train the teams to properly set the certified products apart from the other products. Then we had to do an audit by a third independent party to confirm that we were complying with these rules.”
Fish from Cromaris are perfect for the Armani restaurant because of the Cromaris farms’ ASC certification, combined with the exceptional freshness of the product.
Cromaris provides this freshness through a distinctive delivery system. A buyer can place an order one day, and the fish is harvested the next day. The same day as harvest, or possibly the day after, the fish is delivered – fresh, unfrozen – to the buyer’s door. Within Europe, the Cromaris fish on your plate at dinner may have been caught earlier that day.
This first-class delivery service is just the final step in Cromaris’ commitment to providing premium fish across Europe. Like Paris’ Armani restaurant, Cromaris believes firmly that good quality and good responsibility go hand in hand.
As a precondition for both quality and environmental sustainability, Cromaris’ farm locations are chosen for the exceptional purity of the sea. Excellent seawater quality is a baseline upon which Cromaris has carefully crafted numerous responsible farming practices for their fish, which are all native species in the region.
Because of those responsible practices – how they care for the environment, the fish, their employees and the surrounding community – Cromaris has been able to earn ASC certification for all seven of their farms.
“The ASC certification plays into everything that we do on the farm,” says Ivana Šimunović, marine biologist at Cromaris. “We’re already working to extremely strict standards, but it adds an extra check and balance, and if we fail to comply with any of the ASC requirements, we risk losing our certification.”
By carefully maintaining water quality and animal welfare, the farms do all they can to keep the fish healthy. Fish pens are cleaned every day and given fallow periods in which they are kept empty to allow the marine environment to rest. Nets are not treated with antifouling agents and are carefully cleansed with sea water rather than chemical detergents. And the feed for Cromaris’ fish comes from non-GMO, sustainable sources of the highest quality.
“We pay a great attention to fish feed,” says Ivana. “Years of hard work and perfecting of the feed formulation has resulted in fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids and a positive ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. It’s like a curated diet for athletes. These fish are getting the best nutrition possible!”
If healthy, fresh fish coming from a responsible farm sounds like a great idea to you, why not try out one of Cromaris’ favourite recipes below?
While Cromaris’ fish are worthy of a Michelin star kitchen, they’re also easy to cook in any kitchen — and can provide a bit of flair that suits adults and children alike.
Look for the ASC label to be sure the fish you buy is environmentally and socially responsible!
Cook with ASC labelled seafood
Learn more about farmed seafood
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