Members get sustainability 101 from Food Made Good
The latest Academy seminar introduced sustainability in foodservice, with practical tips for reducing a business's footprint.
In the latest Academy seminar, members were given a thorough introduction to making foodservice businesses more sustainable from an expert in the field: Louisa Dodd from the Sustainable Restaurant Association and its sustainability community Food Made Good.
The community, which counts 12,000 sites currently, largely in the UK, is the world’s largest hospitality sustainability program.
In the seminar, entitled Sustainability 101, Dodd explained the SRA’s sustainability framework, as well as the tools and resources available to Food Made Good members, before sharing tips for businesses.
“It’s really important to get ahead of the sustainability agenda because it’s only a matter of years before these things will become mandatory,” she said.
Dodd identified a series of quick wins for businesses, including responsible sourcing, better human resources practices and appropriate food waste disposal.
“There are many opportunities to bring these ideas to life, many of them start with your menu,” she continued, before laying out the business case for efficiency and investment in sustainability. “There can be the stigma that sustainability can cost money. But it can be cost-saving.”
After a presentation, Dodd was available to answer members’ questions on issues of sustainability in foodservice, which included how to encourage sustainable practices within a team and reduce reliance on single-use materials.
The seminar was the first of two planned with the Sustainable Restaurant Association and Food Made Good, with the second focusing on supply chain sustainability. Both will support the Academy’s goal of educating the next generation of culinary talent in areas that will help them become the game-changing chefs of the future.
The educational program is available exclusively to members in the Academy’s private Facebook group and soon, in a reserved area of the website. Previous seminars have featured some of the most influential figures in gastronomy, such as chef Massimo Bottura, as well as representatives of the likes of Google and Facebook.
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