Tackling Food Waste – What’s Working?
Reducing food waste in corporate hospitality is a challenge, but FOH teams are finding innovative ways to cut down on excess while maintaining high standards.
Here’s what’s working:
🔹 Tracking Trends & Adjusting Orders – Many teams monitor leftover food from meetings and events, spotting trends in uneaten items and portion sizes. Regular discussions with caterers help adjust future orders.
🔹 Better Communication with Bookers – Some companies confirm attendance numbers in advance with meeting hosts and training departments to ensure accurate portioning.
🔹 Repurposing & Recycling – Kitchen teams safely reuse food where possible, and some offices even turn coffee grounds into logs for fireplaces! Others send food waste for anaerobic digestion, converting it into energy.
🔹 Charity Partnerships – Donating excess food to local homeless charities and food-sharing platforms like Olio is becoming more common, though consistency of collections can be a challenge.
🔹 Policy Changes – Some firms have stopped providing meals for internal meetings, significantly reducing waste, while others offer discounts on surplus food at the end of lunch service.
🔹 The Balancing Act – While reducing waste is a priority, some teams find resistance when trying to cut back, with concerns that leaner catering might look like cost-cutting rather than sustainability.
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