The Caterer's Green Community webinar, sponsored by Nespresso Professional, saw operators who are championing sustainability discuss best practice to get everyone on board with green initiatives
A s the need to future-proof our planet becomes increasingly evident, a growing number of innovative businesses are putting sustainability at the core of their operations.
But for sustainability efforts to create real change, there needs to be collective action. Operators must communicate strategies successfully with their teams, as well as with suppliers and their customers – effectively creating communities of sustainability champions.
Nick Stevens, out of home commercial director at Nespresso Professional, says: "A key thing we look at as an industry is educating ourselves on what sustainability really means. It's not about after consumption – it starts at the very beginning. We have to work with partners and we have to work at the source.
"It's still a journey we're on. We've started to implement carbon calculators into our commercial strategy and we're also looking at how we can work with customers to educate them and educate ourselves on how we can better ourselves. Collaboration is the key to driving positive impact and effective communication is central to that."
For operators, creation of a green community begins with forging a brand identity centred around sustainability and setting out a purpose. This rings true for Maria and Scott Hunter, the couple behind Antidote Projects and the ‘pro-plant' Pig's Head pub in Clapham, London. The pair – who previously owned the London pub group Noble Inns, which included the Princess of Shoreditch – are in the process of converting and extending a Grade II-listed building in Hawkhurst for the spring 2024 opening of the Oak and Ivy pub.
The adjacent field on the 3.5-acre site is being transformed into a plot to grow organic vegetables to supply both pubs. The pair also plan to incorporate a zero-waste farm store on the site to sell produce from the land.
Get the whole team on environmental targets
Maria Hunter says starting out with a very distinct sustainability focus means people are typically already aligned with the company's mission when they apply to join the team.
"Anybody who joins our business is already passionate about sustainability, so it's not a big fight. I think they all take a lot of pride in what we do and the systems that we have in place.
"Being sustainable is not easy," she says.
"It takes more time and our people have to think about new ways of doing things, so it actually requires more effort. But we're finding that they're along for the journey."
"We have a full team," Scott Hunter adds. "We don't have any problems with recruiting and we are inundated with people applying. I think the reality is, if you're in your early 20s and you're looking for a job, sustainability is at the forefront of what you're looking to be part of."
Kevin Brooke, general manager at luxury Hampshire hotel Heckfield Place, agrees that having a clear identity and conveying this in the right way helps attract the right people. Heckfield Place, which won Sustainable Hotel of the Year at the Hotel Cateys last year, has an array of initiatives to support its sustainable ethos. Surplus kitchen oil is converted into biodiesel on-site for use in vehicles and farm equipment, lighting has been switched to a central system that uses timers and motion, and it has an organic home farm and market garden on-site that achieved biodynamic certification in January 2021.
Communication around identity and best practice doesn't stop after the recruitment process, Brooke says, adding that educating staff on why you're taking certain actions is key to getting them on board with processes.
"It's actually engaging people that are going to add to what you're doing, join you on the journey and help to take the whole thing forward," he says.
Brooke adds many of the best sustainability ideas for Heckfield Place come from across the company; a ‘green team', made up of a representative or ‘green champion' from each department, meets every two weeks to exchange ideas.
"We get around a table, look at what we're doing across the business and what's working well, what's not working well and at any new ideas we can incorporate to get better and better," he says. "We find that's an effective way of doing things. As team members have ideas over the course of the day, they can relay them to the green champion of their respective team and they then come to the group meeting well-prepared."
Find sustainable suppliers
In order to get sustainable systems in place, it's crucial to find the suppliers with the same climate-friendly ethos. Maria Hunter says developing a sustainable supply chain is the "single biggest journey" operators face. While the business has an array of independent, sustainably-minded businesses on its books, she says a lot of companies have a "long way" to go.
"We work with some wine suppliers that deliver in electric vans powered by renewable energy, but the majority of our suppliers do not, and they're adamant they can't," she says. "And there is definitely a green tax. If you want to buy sustainable, it's more expensive."
But the Zero Carbon Forum chief executive and founder Mark Chapman says operators shouldn't feel a victim to the emissions of their supply chain, as this is largely driven by the menu they choose to run, pointing that those who source local produce will immediately reduce their emissions significantly.
"In terms of engaging your suppliers, you can do everything from a very detailed survey of every supplier, get them to answer your questions and put it online, down to the very simplest thing of asking suppliers: ‘what do you think your climate impacts are and what are you doing about them?'
"If you get a blank look, you know they're probably not doing a lot and then you need to think, could you perhaps find another supplier?"
Stevens says Nespresso Professional, which was certified as a B Corp last year, works with more than 140,000 farmers through its AAA Programme. The scheme supports regenerative agriculture to enhance community resilience and farmer welfare.
"Closer to home, we're working with industry peers and partners to make recycling our capsules as easy as using a Nespresso machine," Stevens says. "Despite the challenging economic environment, our community is innovating to make progress on sustainability, and the Pig's Head and Heckfield Place are testament to that," he adds.
Get customers curious about your eco credentials
Once a green operation has been established, communicating authenticity of the company mission to customers is key in tapping into a climate-conscious consumer base.
Chapman spoke of the importance of operators showing what steps they're taking via menus and through other means.
"You can really see as a customer what action a business is taking," he says. "You really do have to walk the walk, and not just talk the talk."
Scott Hunter says Antidote Projects doesn't have a marketing budget, opting for "subtle messaging" as opposed to "lecturing from a soap box".
"We have two young kids and those kids have taught me so much in how to get a message across. They don't listen to a word I say – I have to try so hard to get them to listen," he says. "We show a lot of what we do via social media. We just brought the team down to Kent and we've got lots of videos of the farm. We went to see a pig farmer… getting that stuff on social media to show what you're doing is a good form of soft marketing.
"It's things like putting little posters throughout the loos to show where we got the toilet roll from; it is recycled, it doesn't come in plastic. The hand towels get put into the compost. We have little illustrations to show that process."
Maria Hunter adds: "A big part of being sustainable in hospitality is being seasonal. It's about making sure you buy seasonal produce and write this on the menu. We also work a lot with small farms so we write their names on the menu to include traceability there."
Brooke says we all have a responsibility to do our part and communicate it at every opportunity: "It's about building up this community where we can interact and swap ideas and leverage off each other for the greater good," he explains. "Given the state of the world and what's going on, it's important for the future generations."
About Nespresso Professional
Nespresso Professional is the pioneer for highest-quality portioned coffee, providing businesses with barista-level solutions to suit their needs. Nespresso's range of 17 coffees and variety of machines answers the needs and preferences for employees and customers, whether in the office, at the restaurant or during hotel travels.
Sustainability is at the core of Nespresso's business, from sourcing coffee beans through to recycling. The business sources 95% of its coffee through its AAA Sustainable Quality™ Program with over half also certified with Rainforest Alliance or Fairtrade. At the other end of the supply chain, Nespresso capsules are created from aluminium, an infinitely recyclable material that is recirculated into the aluminium supply chain.
