El Pastor, the Harts Group’s Mexican taco concept, has launched what is believed to be the UK’s first “cartel-free” avocados on its menus.
The small chain, which has restaurants in Kings Cross, Soho and Borough Market, now sources its avocados from Avocargo, a company which imports sustainable and ethical avocados from Jalisco and Michoacan, in Mexico, to the UK.
The taqueria advertises its guacamole as made using “perfectly ripened, cartel-free avocados”, The Telegraph reports.
The superfood, which has become synonymous with millennial trends such as smashed avocado on toast, has soared in popularity in recent years and created a lucrative market in Mexico.
Often referred to as “green gold”, the fruit has become caught up in escalating violence between drug cartels in Mexico, with questions raised over the ethics of serving the product.
Avocargo was founded in 2018 by a British entrepreneur named Stewart Browne.
It traces all of its payments “from seed, to fruit, to picking, packing, shipping and to delivery to our customers”, to ensure no money passes through the hands of cartels.
El Pastor was awarded a Food Made Good star from the Sustainable Restaurant Association in July this year – a recognition of “outstanding eco-friendly commitments” in the food industry.
A spokesman for the restaurant said: “We were commended particularly for our support of global farmers, citing our producer relationships with Tamoa, who source our heritage maize from Mexican farmers prioritising biodiversity, and Avocargo, who source sustainable, cartel-free avocados from Jalisco and Michoacan.”
El Pastor is not the first restaurant to grapple with the ethics of avocados.
Wahaca launched an alternative dish in 2021 called ‘Wahacamole’, made with locally-grown organic British broad beans, blended with fresh lime, coriander leaf and green chilli.
