SingleThread Wins North America's 50 Best Restaurants Sustainability Award

We’re delighted to share that our team of Sustainability Consultants selected SingleThread in Healdsburg, California as the winner of the Sustainable Restaurant Award at the first-ever edition of North America’s 50 Best Restaurants! The inaugural ceremony was hosted last night in Wynn Las Vegas. 

Founded on the principle of living in harmony with the land, SingleThread’s operations are centred around its 24-acre farm, which produces the majority of the ingredients used in its kitchens. Sustainability is embedded into the core of its philosophy, with both farm and restaurant celebrating regenerative agriculture, ethical sourcing, circular practices and a deep respect for seasonality, soil health and biodiversity. With provenance front and centre, every dish offers a true taste of the locality. 

Read on to find out how sustainability is threaded throughout every part of operations at this very special establishment.

How SingleThread approaches sourcing 

SingleThread’s menu is driven by what’s available on the farm, which supplies around 70% of the restaurant’s produce throughout the year. This ensures maximum freshness and keeps food miles at a minimum. At the same time, it gives the SingleThread team control over how their food is produced, and soil health is carefully cultivated through composting, cover cropping and protecting biodiversity. 

Past the farm gates, SingleThread has built relationships with numerous like-minded producers, including California abalone farmers, sea urchin divers engaged in ecological repair projects, and Knights Valley Wagyu, who raise 100% grass-fed, heritage-breed cattle with an emphasis on animal welfare and regenerative land management.  

SingleThread menus celebrate ingredients that carry rich historical, agricultural and ecological significance in their region, incorporating heritage and specialist varieties and drawing from Japanese traditions translated through the lens of Californian produce. Depending on the time of year, dishes may feature include Gravenstein apples, Bodega Red potatoes, Sonoma Coast black cod, Luna Koshihikari rice or California prunes. 

Social sustainability at SingleThread 

SingleThread supports its team through structured professional development, mentorship programmes and recognition of staff achievements, including long-service awards. Staff wellbeing is strengthened through regular reviews, access to mental health support and team-wide events such as the annual harvest celebration at the farm.  

Wider community engagement includes support for Russian Riverkeeper, Sonoma Family Meal and the Chill Foundation, as well as collaborations with the Culinary Institute of America, where SingleThread helped to establish a free Master’s programme in culinary arts. They also celebrate craftsmanship by sourcing ceramics, knives and textiles from local and regional artisans, helping to preserve traditional skills and livelihoods.  

Environmental impact at SingleThread 

Environmental responsibility is a key theme running throughout SingleThread’s operations. Their LEED-certified restaurant, inn and farm are designed with energy and water efficiency in mind, relying on smart systems, passive climate control and exclusive use of well water for irrigation — particularly important in drought-prone California. 

In the kitchen, resourcefulness is paramount, with all food scraps, trimmings and by-products either composted or repurposed for use in either the restaurant or farm. For example, brewing and bar trimmings (such as cherry pits and apple skins) are infused into beverages, and trimmings from garlic and onions are fermented to create a natural pest repellent. In fact, the team at SingleThread has reduced non-organic waste by 20% over the past year, significantly decreasing their reliance on single-use plastics by switching to reusable containers for storage and service. Back-of-house uses 100% compostable paper, and the team is preparing to launch a fully digital menu system to further cut paper waste.  

Huge congratulations to the entire team at SingleThread for this incredible achievement.

Lead image from SingleThread's Instagram page.

You can find more information about SingleThread on their website, and learn more about our work with 50 Best here.  

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