The Restaurant at JUSTIN has achieved what many culinary establishments struggle to balance: Michelin-starred cuisine alongside rigorous sustainability standards. As the only winery restaurant to receive both a MICHELIN Star and a MICHELIN Green Star, the Paso Robles, California establishment has become a model for environmentally conscious fine dining.
Executive Chef Rachel Haggstrom attributes this successful balance to a strong foundation of standardized recipes and techniques that allow for seasonal adaptation. “We are constantly trying to push ourselves creatively and technically to improve our dishes and grow individually and collectively, this naturally coincides with the passion and interest of constant change and innovation within strict sustainability practices,” Haggstrom explains.
Commitment to local ingredients
The restaurant sources 95% of its produce locally, primarily from its 26-acre estate garden and neighboring producers. This farm-to-table approach is a cornerstone of their culinary philosophy, requiring adaptability and creativity in menu planning.
“Our menu is based on a farm-to-table format using many locally produced in-season ingredients, either from within our own estate garden or with other local producers,” says Haggstrom. “With this strong foundation, we are able to pivot and manipulate recipes and concepts based on seasonality.”
Being situated in California, however, often presents unique challenges that can limit access to such ingredients. “We are still known for experiencing unexpected frost or a quick heat wave which may both completely halt or limit the availability of something on a moment’s notice,” explains Haggstrom. Strong relationships with vendors have helped counter this issue — and with this, the opportunity to pivot to recipes utilizing other available ingredients.
This commitment to local sourcing is guided by Haggstrom’s approach to the culinary craft. “I have a saying within the kitchen that each of us must work with integrity. With integrity as the guiding principle extended to all aspects of the experience from flavor to the ingredients and sourcing and ultimately to how guests enjoy and experience their visit.”
Water conservation in practice
Water conservation, too, is a priority at JUSTIN — evidenced by water conservation systems put in place to support the estate’s extensive gardens. “Water in California, and especially Paso Robles, is a precious resource,” notes Molly Scott, Senior Director of Grower & Community Relations.
“At our farmstead we capture rainfall and store it in large vats to irrigate our greenhouse and one of our smaller orchards,” explains Haggstrom. “Separately, we also have a pond that captures rainfall and a solar pump that feeds water back to the greenhouse and orchard area. Additionally, one of our garnishing and herb gardens is next to a runoff area which can be used for strategic watering during the rainy season.”
More significantly, the winery built a recycled wastewater system decades ago. “We built a recycled wastewater system at our estate decades ago for our operations to be more sustainable,” Scott explains. “Water used within the winery for cleaning and sanitizing tanks and barrels is captured and directed to our wastewater pond. We then prep and recycle the wastewater through aeration and dilution with groundwater from our wells to then irrigate our vineyards and gardens. This winery wastewater is supplemental to the rainwater Chef collects and primarily uses.”
Regenerative agriculture through sheep grazing
Recently, JUSTIN introduced 1,700 sheep to graze at their Starr Ranch property, an opportunity that Scott describes as “serendipitous.” “There was a local sheep herder whose herd was grazing a neighbor’s property. When the job was nearly complete, he phoned our Vineyard Manager, eyeing our tall, lush cover crop across the street, and asked if he could move his herd over to our property. We said, ‘Absolutely!'”
“This was our first time implementing animal grazing and we intend to do it again,” Scott continues. “We had talked for a few years about grazing in our vineyards but funny enough, the demand for sheep in our area became so high it was a challenge to secure a herd or manage the timing just right. We were so impressed with the grazing at our Starr Ranch that we just kept the herd moving across our property, eventually making its way to our estate where of course all our guests enjoyed wine tasting on the patio with views of sheep frolicking across the vineyard. We look forward to measuring soil health benefits after at least another year or two of grazing.”
Of course, animal welfare is a priority in this initiative. “It is in everyone’s best interest to ensure the safety and welfare of the sheep. It’s a team effort between us as the landowner, the Sheep Herder, and his guardian dogs. We ensure the perimeter fencing is always well maintained, which protects the sheep from predators while they openly graze across our vineyards,” explains Scott.
This commitment to animal welfare extends to the restaurant’s sourcing practices, where Chef Haggstrom states: “In the kitchen, we are interested in sourcing animal products where the animals feed and roam in their natural environment and pastures.”
New sustainability initiatives at JUSTIN
Looking ahead, JUSTIN has enrolled in the “One Block Challenge,” an initiative led by the Regenerative Viticulture Foundation and local Paso Robles growers. “The concept is for growers, for one year, to enroll one vineyard block into the program and implement regenerative farming practices. The collective group meets monthly to measure benefits and discusses challenges all aimed at ‘de-risking’ the transition,” explains Scott.
Additional sustainability plans include expanding their bee population. “We are planning to integrate more bees for honey and pollination,” says Haggstrom. “Onsite we have added more electrical car ports for guests in the parking lot of the estate. We are also increasing our team size in an effort to improve the balanced workforce within the restaurant to make our workforce more sustainable.”
This holistic approach to sustainability — from vineyard practices to water conservation to culinary operations — demonstrates how fine dining can achieve excellence while prioritizing environmental responsibility.
