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Running a restaurant is demanding, and tackling sustainability can feel like just another thing on an already long to-do list. But overlooking it could mean missing out on cost savings and a competitive edge for your business.
In this guide, we share practical tips, explain why sustainability matters more than ever, and highlight the restaurants already leading the way, showing how your restaurant can be more sustainable too.
There’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to sustainability, but in short, a sustainable restaurant is one that operates in a way that consciously minimises its impact on the environment. They may also promote social responsibility in other ways, such as treating staff fairly with ethical labour practices, and supporting local communities.
Some of the key principles seen in the best sustainable restaurants include reducing energy and water consumption, sourcing local, seasonal produce with low supply chain emissions and reducing both food waste and energy waste.
There are around 43,000 full-service restaurants in the UK, add all other food outlets to that total, and the number is closer to 88,000. This is great for local economy but can present challenges when it comes to sustainability.
The restaurant sector has a large carbon footprint, and when factoring in the emissions released and water used during the production of ingredients, the transportation emissions in ingredient supply, and the energy used to cook and prepare meals, the carbon footprint associated with the resulting meal can be as much as 8kg of carbon dioxide. In addition to this, the entire food service industry combined is responsible for more than 400,000 tonnes of avoidable waste every year.
Significant culprits of the environmental impact of restaurants include energy-intensive operations, with commercial kitchens, refrigeration, heating and lighting all adding to high energy usage.
In addition to this, single-use plastic, non-recyclable packing materials and unnecessary food waste remain common, and long supply chains impact scope 3 emissions, further reducing restaurant sustainability.
Sustainability in restaurants is gradually becoming a key part of daily operations for many businesses, with environmental considerations impacting menu planning, produce sourcing, and even branding decisions.
Studies have suggested that diners are beginning to place greater value on sustainability when it comes to choosing where to eat, with one survey finding that a whopping 90% of diners preferred sustainable restaurants with more environmentally conscious practices. This suggests that if you’re not already working on sustainability, you may be missing a valuable opportunity.
Despite the perception that ‘going green costs more’, this may not always be the case, with opportunities for cost savings presenting themselves with lower and more efficient energy use, onsite energy generation and home-grown goods. Further to this, a study by Lightspeed Commerce found that 70% of diners surveyed said they would be willing to pay more for a dish if it was made sustainably.
This gives restaurants a great opportunity to open guests’ eyes to how sustainability can taste good, as well as being good for the environment.
With emphasis on sustainability becoming a growing priority for restaurants and diners alike, it’s no surprise that we are starting to see more and more top restaurants going green.
In 2021, the Michelin Green Star award was introduced, recognising the best sustainable restaurants, combining culinary excellence with outstanding environmental commitments. So far, there are 291 restaurants worldwide holding this award, with 36 of them based in the UK. These restaurants focus on ethical sourcing, waste reduction, and energy efficiency in their operations, as well as supporting local communities, displaying sustainability built into the fabric of their business, and acting as an example for others in the industry.
Some examples of the best sustainable restaurants already leading the way include:
This farm-to-table rustic eatery was awarded its Michelin Green Star in 2021 and has retained this award through their emphasis on local, home-grown produce on the farm just a stone’s throw away from its flagship restaurant. The main dining room, called the Trough, looks like an elevated barn as a nod to the working farm which provides their meat, fruit and vegetables. The restaurant is also powered by renewable energy from over 2,000 solar panels on the farm.
This zero-waste restaurant in Thailand’s capital is home to an aquaponic system that breeds fish and grows forty different herbs and plant species using irrigated rainwater, which is collected throughout the year.
To give guests a taste of how Haoma operates as a sustainable restaurant, they are invited to take a walk through the garden, sample the home-grown vegetables, and look at the fish, to experience up close what environmentally friendly dining can look like.
Surrounded by 66 acres of meadows and woodland and set on a working farm, where much of its produce is grown and reared, this sustainable restaurant boasts a no-dig vegetable garden, using compost from the restaurant’s food waste. The cooking techniques include curing, pickling, grilling over open fire, and making home-baked sourdough.
They even make soap out of lard from the farm’s pigs which is then used in the guest rooms in their cosy farmhouse.
Eating out shouldn’t cost the earth, and neither should implementing effective sustainability measures. Our tips cover everything from the food on your plates to the leftovers in your bins, so you can create an approach to sustainability that works for you.
Most restaurants aren’t lucky enough to have their own onsite farm at their disposal, but that doesn’t mean you have to import ingredients from far away. By working with local businesses and farmers, you can strengthen your community relationships and significantly lower your transport emissions.
Using in-season foods can offer better flavour, nutrition, and freshness, as well as reduce import costs and emissions and keep your menu diverse and interesting, as well as sustainable.
Veganism and vegetarianism are on the rise, and for good reason; plant-based options can produce around 52% less GHG emissions than meat options. By including more plant-based meals in your menu, not only do you open the doors to a wider customer base, but you can also make significant strides towards your sustainable restaurant targets.
By making use of vegetable trimmings for stocks or sauces, this can help you maximise the yield of your ingredients, saving you money and reducing waste.
By labelling the more sustainable options on your menu, not only do you help your guests make informed choices, but you also reinforce your restaurant’s sustainability credentials. You could even go one step further and calculate the carbon footprint of your dishes.
Energy audits are a great starting point to understanding where the most energy is being used across kitchens, dining areas, and back-of-house spaces. Once you have established a starting point, you should continuously monitor progress to track how effective your restaurant sustainability initiatives are.
To prevent unnecessary energy use, you could invest in smart controls for lighting, heating, and ventilation. These low-cost additions are easy to use and have a big impact.
LED lighting uses 70% less energy than fluorescent alternatives and have much longer operating lives. By installing LED lighting throughout your restaurant, you can reduce electricity consumption and maintenance costs.
Opting for appliances such as induction hobs, high-efficiency ovens, and Energy Star–rated appliances can drastically decrease the amount of energy used. You should also ensure appliances are regularly serviced and repaired so they operate efficiently and avoid excess energy consumption.
If you don’t have the facilities or space to feasibly generate your own renewable energy, including green electricity tariffs in your energy procurement strategy can help boost your restaurant’s sustainability.
Keeping the fabric of your building in good condition and incorporating eco-friendly insultation materials will reduce heating and cooling demands, particularly in older buildings, and can lower your energy consumption and overhead costs.
Keeping track of the waste you generate and what happens to it is a great way to find out where to target your reduction initiatives.
One of the most significant ways to reduce food waste is to avoid overloading plates that will end up being scraped into the bin. If you find that food is often left on plates, it may be a sign to cut your portion sizes or offer leftover takeout options.
If you regularly end up with edible leftovers, such as ingredients close to their use-by dates or excess food that you won’t be able to use, you can donate it to local charities or redistribution schemes where regulations allow.
Operating first-in, first-out systems for your ingredients will help to minimise spoilage and expired ingredients, and being careful not to over-order stock can also prevent waste.
Ensuring your restaurants’ sustainability efforts are embedded into daily operations means you can bring your team together to reduce instances of waste and inefficiency.
Working with sustainable suppliers, such as those offering recyclable or returnable packaging can tackle supply chain waste.
Being mindful about what happens to the waste you do create can help to divert organic waste away from landfill and reduce methane emissions. Whether you compost on-site or organise waste collection you can reduce the impact of your waste.
Separating into general waste, recycling, food waste, and glass will increase recycling rates and reduce landfill reliance.
At Consultus Sustainability we have a range of solutions and services designed to help your restaurant become more sustainable, so no matter where you are on your sustainability journey, we can support you.
Our Net Zero Pathway service is designed to meet you on your sustainability journey, developing an action plan tailored to your restaurant. With four different packages to choose from, whether you’re just starting your sustainability journey, or already making progress, we can help support you.
We offer a 3D interactive tool to help strengthen your team’s understanding and confidence in sustainability in your restaurant. The tool allows you to walk through a digital version of your restaurant, identify areas of energy consumption, and learn best practices for energy saving. You can also access fun and engaging quizzes, helping to make learning fun and memorable.
Our sister company, Ennovus, can help implement your sustainability plans, including carrying out detailed feasibility studies, helping you secure renewable energy funding, and full turnkey implementation of renewable energy generation infrastructure.
If you want to make your restaurant more sustainable, Consultus Sustainability can help. Whether you need support with reporting, or a full sustainability strategy, get in touch, and a member of our team will be able to talk you through the best options for your business.
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