Nourish Sequim Becomes the First Platinum REAL Certified Restaurant in Washington

Nourish Sequim in beautiful Sequim, Washington,  has undergone the Eat REAL® Certified Audit and become the first in the state to qualify for Platinum level certification. Nourish Sequim minimizes their environmental impact through sustainable practices and sources many ingredients from small neighboring farms, to create beautiful, organic dishes meant to highlight the bounty of the Pacific Northwest.

“The vision for Nourish was to create a place where everyone could eat delicious, clean, real food – it wouldn’t matter their dietary restrictions or choices – we would accommodate them” explains owner Tanya Rose. “Unfortunately today, so many people have challenges with food, so dining out can be a real challenge for them when it should be a pleasure.”

This certification incorporates responsible food preparation, sustainable produce sourcing, and a tiered (Silver, Gold, and Platinum) system for scoring restaurants that go above and beyond in their operations.

By becoming Platinum certified, Nourish Sequim is leading the highest ranking REAL Certified establishments representing the top 1% of nutrition and sustainability best-practice nationwide. On top of the REAL Certified audit standards, Platinum restaurants must also meet the following prerequisites:

• A minimum score of 90% on the REAL Certified audit

• 100% of meat and poultry products are sourced from non-CAFO farms.

• 100% of seafood must be “green” according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Consumer Guide.

• At least 50% of all oils used in food preparation are non-GMO.

• 100% of entrees contain at least one serving of vegetables that is not juiced, deep-fried, or sweetened.

• None of the pre-packaged food items sold include ingredients from Eat REAL’s list of unacceptable ingredients.

Additionally, Nourish Sequim currently sources all lamb from Certified Humane farms, and chicken from farms certified by Global Animal Partnership (GAP) Step 3 or higher and is further recognized by REAL Certified and the ASPCA® Shop With Your Heart program.

“It was such a pleasure working with Tanya,” says Kristin Zellhart, Nutrition, Standards and Certification Manager at Eat REAL. “She is committed to driving positive change in the restaurant industry, and uses Nourish Sequim to showcase local, nutritious, sustainable REAL food in creative and delicious ways.”

The highly-coveted REAL certification has been achieved by over 500 restaurant and foodservice providers. Utilizing a points-based audit, third-party registered dieticians evaluate establishments through interviews and menu, supply chain and operations analysis. Those that earn sufficient points in the areas of Responsible (nutrition), Epicurean (preparation), Agricultural (sourcing) and Leadership (going above and beyond) are able to become REAL Certified.

For more information on Nourish Sequim, visit their website.

About Eat REAL

Eat REAL® is a 501(c) (3) Public Health nonprofit organization based in Richmond, California. Eat REAL is dedicated to transforming food in K-12 schools, creating a healthier next generation and planet. Launched in 2012, Eat REAL Certified is a nutrition and sustainability best practices certification program working with school district food service leaders to raise the bar and make food in schools more nutritious and sustainable. Eat REAL’s core program currently supports 237 schools, reaching over 116,000 students.