The Top Five Ways Restaurants Can Be More Sustainable

1) Manipulate your menu  

The menu is the centrepiece, shop window and USP of every foodservice business. What’s on it is also the greatest contributor to its carbon footprint. Food production accounts for about a third of all greenhouse gases. That means any operator serious about being more sustainable should start with their menu. 

The size and composition of the menu should be first up for consideration. Fewer dishes mean less opportunity for waste, reduced strain on stretched kitchen staff and more chance to focus on top quality, local and seasonal ingredients.  

What about the menu make-up? With half of 18-24-year-olds now following a flexitarian or meat free diet (2 3Gem UK 2,000 UK adults who identify as ‘flexitarians’ survey, October 2021), a balanced menu will be kinder to the planet, appeal to a broader range of consumers appeal and potentially add to the bottom line. Wahaca and Wagamama are two popular brands who’ve shifted to menus that 50% plant-based.  

Vegetarian and vegan dishes are too often consigned to the corners of menus where many eyes don’t find them and those of meat eaters presume they’re not for them. Studies have found that simple environmental messages on menus can double plant-based choices, as can placing these options higher up menus and describing them in ways that highlight their flavour, rather than the lack of meat. 

The Sustainable Restaurant Association’s One Planet Plate campaign is another great way to turn your most sustainable dishes into your biggest sellers. 

2) Feed bellies, not bins  

More than one million tonnes of food are wasted across the foodservice sector every year. That’s the equivalent of one in six of the eight billion meals served in the UK annually. For those struggling to picture that, it’s enough to fill the Shard in London, more than 10 times. The good news is that while it’s costing every site almost £20,000 a year, 75% of that waste is avoidable – in other words, it could feed bellies and not bins. 

Even better news for those determined to crack this issue, is that businesses save £7 for every £1 invested in food waste reduction plans.  

Many, like Pizza Hut Restaurants and The Restaurant Group have used a combination of smart ordering systems, inventory monitoring, recipe guidelines and training to drastically reduce their operational food waste. For those just starting out, the message is clear – what are you waiting for? Food waste segregation will soon be mandatory with compulsory reporting expected to follow soon after. So, measure, monitor, set reduction targets, redistribute surplus where possible, offer customers to take home leftovers and of course send unavoidable waste for anaerobic digestion. WRAP’s Guardians of Grub tools are a great way to start. 

3) Switch on to an energy smart future 

With the energy price cap rising 54% in April 2022, the economic incentives for getting energy smart have never been greater. 

According to research by the Energy Efficiency Financing scheme the UK hospitality sector overspends on energy by £180m a year. That’s out of a total spend of £1.3 billion. The environmental cost is pretty eye-watering too – coming in at 8million tonnes annually. Like with food waste, there are solutions with multiples benefits attached. A 20% reduction in energy use can represent the same benefit as a 5% increase in sales. 

Step one, before thinking about reduction plans, is to check out your energy provider. If you’re not already on a fully green energy tariff, why not? While these renewable schemes used to be more expensive, that’s no longer true. Nando’s and Hawksmoor are among those businesses to switch recently and bask in that (more sustainable) warm glow. In fact, Nando’s also uses 100% green gas.  

The first step to reducing energy use is to measure it. Smart meters are the smart move here as they can highlight the energy hotspots. Then you can start setting targets and implementing changes – fitting LED bulbs, regularly servicing equipment, reviewing your kitchen layout and, importantly, involving your staff in the process. Turn-on, turn-down, turn-off procedures and night-time switch-off schedules are quick wins to reducing avoidable energy usage. 

4) Plug into people power 

With one in six jobs unfilled in hospitality, there’s never been a more important time to show prospective and current employees that you’re a good employer. While three quarters of operators are increasing pay to attract staff, there’s a whole lot more that matters beyond the pay cheque. And a stable, engaged workforce are crucial to any business that’s serious about sustainability. What’s more, a 2020 Good Energy survey found 57% of 18-34-year-olds want to work for a sustainable business. 

Forward thinking businesses like The PIG hotel group and Yo! have implemented a host of initiatives to boost the wellbeing of their staff. Yo!’s team of mental health first-aiders helped it slash staff absences by 40% and turnover by 10%.  

Food waste and energy reduction targets will be achieved far more easily and quickly with a contented crew. Your workforce can also be the best salesforce for your menu IF you engage them in the process and provide them with the skills to describe the most sustainable dishes in an appealing way, providing supplier visits and regular training. 

5) Engage with the SRA 

Last but by no means least, any restaurant serious about sustainability and looking for expert advice and support as well as credible third-party certification should look no further than our trusted advisor the SRA. Its Food Made Good programme, centred around its industry leading sustainability rating provides the ideal for framework on which to build a reliable action plan.  

In addition to the sustainability rating, the Food Made Good Community is an online platform for like-minded hospitality professionals sharing challenges, hacks and opinions – all with one goal in mind – driving the industry forward, faster. 

For those restaurants wanting to take an even bigger bite out of climate change, the SRA also offers a full, practical climate solution using the Net Zero Restaurant protocol. It’s an affordable, accessible and achievable means of making your restaurant net zero.