Ocean Basket – The globally loved and respected restaurant brand

‘To ensure long-term sustainability, every business must put aside its differences for the greater good’

As an affordable seafood restaurant with an unmistakable Mediterranean spirit, where each guest is welcomed like family, Ocean Basket has placed generosity and sustainability at the core of everything it does. Their commitment to everyday value for money, responsibly sourced seafood, and a warm, welcoming environment underpins everything they do as a globally loved and respected restaurant brand.

Building sustainability into the brand does not only help the environment, but it also helps businesses that want to cultivate company longevity. Does your organisation have a sustainability programme in place that helps support your overall mission?
“To achieve true sustainability, we need to balance economic, social and environmental factors in equal harmony. Ocean Basket is passionate about improving the lives of our employees and their families as well as the communities in which our restaurants operate. We are also committed to serving seafood and fish products that are located from responsible fisheries. By sourcing quality, sustainable products from credible, certified suppliers, we show that we care deeply about where our products come from and how communities and the environment are impacted.
Sustainable seafood means it has been caught in a way that means there’s plenty more fish in the sea. Choosing sustainable seafood recognises and rewards sustainable fishing practices, which in turn support livelihoods, communities, food security and healthy oceans teeming with life.
Essentially, when it comes to sustainability, we at Ocean Basket take three different approaches:
Protecting our oceans (Sourcing our products responsibly)
Activities that make our business sustainable (Expanding our business in different regions)
People philosophies that drive sustainable business (For business today to be sustainable employees need to grow and take responsibility. The Ocean Basket brand believes in creating opportunities through an unusual company structure which encourages leadership and discourages hierarchy. This is done by providing boundaries and principles on which work is approached.)
Our simple set of principles serves as the foundation for our work. We are already seeing amazing results with this; the business is moving forward faster, management’s pressure is reduced, allowing them to focus on the management of the brand and business rather than managing their teams’ decisions, and the team is much more motivated because they can make their own decisions.”

What initiatives and events has your organisation undertaken to ensure its positive impact socially, environmentally, and economically?
“Since opening our doors in Cyprus, Ocean Basket has made significant contributions to the local economy and has engaged in numerous pro-environmental practices, ranging from using eco-friendly products in our restaurants to beach clean-ups and philanthropic causes. Our most significant initiative to date has been the brand’s expansion into the United Kingdom. Our first Ocean Basket in Bromley opened on February 16th, and we have received a wonderful and heartwarming response from our customers, employees, and partners. This is a strong indication that the work we do will contribute to the brand’s long-term sustainability.”

What sustainability challenges does your organisation face?
“There are no specific sustainability challenges affecting our brand alone; the global pressure on pricing and logistics has really put pressure on the brand to maintain its value proposition; at the same time, we have always put in place contingency plans to ensure we keep our promise to the customer, through correct purchasing and saving plans. The most difficult challenge is not knowing when the global economic uncertainty will end, and the economy will be able to reset and stabilise again.”

Why, in your opinion, is sustainability the future of business?
“To ensure long-term sustainability, every business must put aside its differences for the greater good. Today’s sustainable businesses are likely to become industry leaders tomorrow. Indeed, failing to address global issues such as climate change may ultimately be detrimental to a company’s bottom line. Every company has the potential to make significant, lasting changes in their organisation, to build a better future for all.”

Watch the full video on Cyprus Mail’s YouTube Channel: Ocean Basket (Cyprus)