Hospitality Assured Director, Graham Walker states, there is an ever-increasing level of interest from customers regarding food provenance and sustainability initiatives that have been adopted by hospitality organisations. As an industry we have responded well but there is still more that could be done. The more we can promote such initiatives to our customers the more we enhance their feel-good factor. There is also a strong business case in favour of adopting eco-friendly design principles and operating practices in respect of revenue gains and operating efficiencies. Some of the main areas for consideration are;
- Food
- Waste Management
- Energy Consumption
- Equipment Design
- Procurement Practices
We all ‘do’ sustainability, in some form or other, in many Hospitality Assured assessed organisations. Although there is significant activity, however there is often little consistency, cohesion or customer engagement. The following is offered as food for thought to provoke local organisational review.
Firstly there needs to be discussion as to what needs to be done, why and what are the potential benefits? Secondly set out a basic statement of intent. Then publicise targets and achievements. The most important premise is ‘say what you will do and do what you say’. All initiatives can be measured using the Hospitality Assured criteria. These criteria are – is it happening? Is it systematic? and Is it effective?
Subject Considerations
What is possible Practicalities, cost, measurement
Produce a simple statement Publicise to all stakeholders
Benchmark current position and activity Set year on year improvement goals
Engage with Suppliers and team What are they doing already, is it compatible? Images of producers
Engage with customers Poster, e-zine, web site, display activity, targets and progress, customer commitment.
Ask for volunteers to form a sustainability group Time, monthly meetings, action notes, progress tables
with a nominated champion
Packaging Non-Plastic, returnable crates,
Recycling Segregation of waste at the point of production and or consumption
Procurement Is sustainability featured in the specification and part of the scoring mechanism for contract award
Local metering Benchmark the set local targets for consumption savings
Food Thoughts Considerations
Food miles, National & International Food source, consolidation of deliveries, use of bio diesel, consolidation of supplier community
Locally sourced foods Knowledge of and communication with local producers
Sustainably sourced fish MSC approved
Organic milk, meat, fish and vegetables Source directory of local suppliers in your area
Free range eggs Local if possible
Red Tractor foods Stipulation of supply
Home grown produce, fruit, veg, herbs etc Possible in some locations
Fruit and veg supplies with county of origin Discuss requirements with fruit & veg supplier
Food Waste Thoughts
Standardised recipes Computerised, reduction of ingredient usage, consistency of product output
Production planning Computerised, man-power planning, optimising equipment usage
Food waste Segregated, wormery, composting
Portion control Reduction of service waste
Equipment Design
Refurbished equipment Energy consumption
New equipment Induction Hobs, pressure cookers
New facility Check all equipment for energy rating, LED lighting
Procurement Practice
Ethical Procurement Fair trade, Free Range, Rainforest Alliance, Freedom Foods
Rationalised deliveries Multi temp vehicles, Vehicles running on bio diesel
Rationalised supplier portfolio Work towards a one stop shop
Supplier Credentials Check their sustainability arrangements, make sustainability part of the scoring mechanism for new contract awards
Plastics Work towards zero plastic
Often there are recognised organisations that can certify an organisation’s credentials. These include the Soil Association, the Restaurant Association, ISO and Carbon footprint. (web site research will be required)
The Sustainability arena is considered in Hospitality Assured criteria 7.8 and 9.4. Assessors will be very keen to see benchmarking, target setting and promoted achievements.
For further information on how Hospitality Assured, the Standard for Service and Business Excellence, visit our website www.hospitalityassured.com
About the Author: Graham Walker
Graham, Director of Hospitality Assured, has recently been elected to Fellow of the Institution of Hospitality (IOH) after graduating with a membership of the IOH and the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management. He has an independent business offering training, relief management and consultancy, and has over 50 years of experience working in both the private and public sectors of the hospitality industry.
