Bethlehem’s Hosh Al-Syrian listed in Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery: A guide to the truly good restaurants and food experiences of the world

Bethlehem, Palestine: The Hosh Al-Syrian Guesthouse and its Fawda Restaurant are listed in the brand new worldwide guidebook: Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery, a new and unprecedented guide to the “truly good restaurants and food experiences of the world” created in collaboration with fifty of the world’s leading food writers, including Alice Waters, Giles Coren and Jill Dupleix.

Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery feature 1,250 restaurants and food experiences from forty-five countries on the digital platform www.truthloveandcleancutlery.com and in the guidebook.  

Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery aims to identify restaurants and food experiences that go above and beyond exceptional food in the ethical and sustainable ways with which they run their business.

“Of all the qualities that distinguish a truly outstanding restaurant or food experience, perhaps truth, love and care are the most important”, say project creators, Geoff Blackwell and Ruth Hobday. “Those qualities reflect a passion for creating food that is so good that it will never be forgotten, an environment that makes that extraordinary food taste even better, and a care for the ground or water from which that food is derived and the community in which it is served.

“Restaurants that care about these things aren’t just good, they are exemplary. Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery was conceived to identify and shine a light on these inspiring exemplars so that the rest of us can find, support and enjoy them."

For the past decade, chefs and restaurateurs have been placing greater value on sourcing local and seasonal produce, reducing carbon emissions, minimizing waste, supporting sustainable practice by farmers, producers and wine-makers, and being an active part of their own communities.

While it’s clear that Fadi Kattan, owner and chef of the Hosh Al Syrian Guesthouse and Fawda Restaurant, is very passionate about the integrity of his produce and celebrating heritage ingredients, it’s also clear that his restaurant is heavily focused on business ethics, community, and tourism. They pride themselves on having a female majority workforce as well as employing the youth to help transmit and keep alive important knowledge, experience, and values. Hosh Al Syrian also contributes to the rescuing and promoting of abandoned heritage buildings under the leadership of Bethlehem Municipality in cooperation with the Italian government. It’s a win-win for all.

At the same time, more diners want their money to go to restaurants with high standards of ethics, integrity and sustainability as well as high standards of great food and wine and good times. This guide aims to bring everyone together at the table.

Bethlehem Mayor, Adv. Anton Salman says: ”The experience of Hosh Al-Syrian and its restaurant Fawda, encourages us to persevere in our plans to develop and regenerate tourism in the heart of Bethlehem’s historic centre. Fadi Kattan and his team offer outstanding hospitality and gastronomic experiences that attract diverse tourists to the heart of the Old city while promoting values dear to Bethlehem and the Municipality: ethical responsible tourism, fair parity in employment, locally sourced produce and outstanding service.”              

As Alice Waters says in her introduction “Truth Love, & Clean Cutlery provides a roadmap to restaurants that understand the importance of operating morally and sustainably; that treat their workers with compassion and humanity; that value the health and wellbeing of their customers; and that help us all to become good citizens of this planet. It is more critical than ever that we identify these sorts of restaurants around the globe.”