Umami House, a new “stealth-impact” restaurant in Sydney, Australia, has announced a partnership with FarmKind, a nonprofit working to end factory farming.
Through the collaboration, Umami House will make a donation to high-impact farming reform charities each time a beef or bacon order is sold. FarmKind’s Compassion Calculator has been used to determine the donations needed to account for the welfare impact of each order, and the costs are paid entirely by the restaurant without being passed on to the consumer. Each donation is directed by FarmKind to expert-recommended causes.
The model is said to provide a solution for restaurants that want to help move the food system in a more ethical direction, without compromising on providing consumers with their favorite products.
“Umami House is in the business of meat, and we hope to make meat even
better by infusing grass-fed and finished beef with shiitake mushrooms, unleashing delicious umami flavours,” said Amit Tewari, an impact food entrepreneur and the founder of Umami House. “Partnering with FarmKind helps us improve the animal industry by funding organizations that drive real change to improve the lives of animals.”
“Restaurants can help transform the broader food system”
Umami House claims to be the first Australian restaurant to enter a partnership of this kind. However, FarmKind is encouraging other restaurants, food‑service providers, and conscious consumers to follow Umami House’s lead and make donations when selling or consuming animal products.
Offsets are said to be very affordable, starting at 1¢ for pork, 2¢ for egg, 3¢ for beef, and 17¢ for chicken per serving.
“While Umami House already sources the highest-welfare meat options
available, their commitment to funding systemic change in animal welfare
demonstrates how forward-thinking restaurants can help transform the
broader food system,” said Aidan Alexander, co‑founder of FarmKind. “For just a few cents per serving, food and hospitality organizations can spare thousands of animals from the worst suffering.”
