Blackfriars restaurant has been honoured with a silver classification by the Green Tourism Business Scheme and is the only restaurant in the North East to be awarded this honour. The Newcastle restaurant says it is committed to providing quality local and organic food sourced from the North East Region and follows this through with a strong commitment to environmental friendly policies. Marian Wallace, membership co-ordinator of Green Tourism said: "I was impressed by the strong ethical purchasing policy that is in place at Blackfriars as well as the comprehensive 'producer map' detailing where all ingredients are sourced from. The restaurant places a strong emphasis on waste recycling including composting of organic waste on an off site allotment." Andy Hook, owner said: "We are delighted that our hard work in developing a strong environmental policy has been acknowledged. I have worked closely with the staff to implement these policies and it is great to have this effort recognised." Andy plans to continue developing Blackfriars green policies, concentrating on developing a Responsible Visitor Charter and extending the use of eco-friendly products.