Ethical fine dining restaurant Mara launches new concept

Mara, an ethical fine dining restaurant, has launched a new concept at Links House, Royal Dornoch, amid a longstanding charity initiative since opening in May 2021.

Each diner choosing the restaurant’s tasting menu will have £3 donated on their behalf to Trees for Life, a Highlands-based charity dedicated to rewilding Scotland’s forests.

The restaurant said it has sold nearly 500 menus, allowing a donation of £1.64k to be made to the charity.

In addition, Mara also said a total of 237 trees can be planted with the money raised so far.

According to the restaurant, its menus focus on presenting the “gifts of Scotland’s waters, fields, forests and skies with minimal interruption,” with the effort to help revitalise the wild forests of Scotland.

Mara has also joined the Slow Food Network, an organisation which works to protect local food cultures and traditions, as well as to encourage interest in food and its origins.

Phil Scott, managing director at Links House, said: “Alongside curating and producing the best experience we can for our guests, we are very mindful of our external responsibilities too.

“The whole philosophy of Mara has been to showcase the best that Sutherland, the Highlands and Scotland has to offer and supporting the areas in which we procure this from is paramount.”

Craig Byiers, executive chef, added: “It is always our desire, across the board, to procure and deliver regional, seasonal, sustainable and ‘slow’ food while working toward a policy that promotes a ‘zero waste’ mentality. Essentially these values are those learned and practiced by the vast majority of chefs.”