Sustainable restaurants and consuming is more than a fad. More of us than ever are living our lives in a way that impacts the planet as little as possible. We have put together our top five tips to create a more sustainable restaurant, let’s get started!

1. Seasonal Menu

It makes sense to start with the menu… Seasonal menus are the simplest, most effective way of creating a more sustainable restaurant. Creating at least four menus throughout the year to make the most of each seasons offerings is one way to begin on a seasonal menu journey. You can then explore seasonal monthly menu changes which will also allow your kitchen team to get creative with ingredients. Your healthy seasonal menu may even attract groups of new customers.

2. Buy Local

Buying ingredients from local suppliers can be more cost effective for your restaurant as well as being better for the environment. Ingredients will not need to travel as far to reach you, reducing carbon footprints. Get creative with your menu, cull items that are not in season or can’t be sourced locally, and find suppliers close to you. Changing purchasing patterns to accommodate for local, seasonal produce might get your creative juices flowing while also building your brand awareness in the local area.

3. Waste Management

An eye-watering amount of food is wasted by restaurants each and every day (read just how much here). There are so many ways you can reduce or reuse the waste coming from your kitchen, but you can start simply with the two below.

Food Waste:

Inedible food waste can be recycled into compost either at your restaurant or you can donate your food waste to local businesses to use as compost. You could also try speaking to local shelters and charities who can use edible waste to feed those in need.

Packaging & Rubbish:

You can recycle any cardboard and glass packaging, find out how from your local council. Ask your supplier if they have a packaging collecting scheme, where they collect the non-recyclable packaging from your last delivery when delivering your new stock.

4. Sustainable Supply

A clean supply chain is important when thinking about your sustainable restaurant. Knowing exactly where your ingredients have come from, how protein was reared, what they have been treated with and where they originated from can help you avoid suppliers with a negative impact on the environment and society.

5. Green Design

The design of your commercial kitchen and the equipment you have chosen to fill it can have an impact on the environment. If you are in the design stages of your restaurant or have the equipment to replace, you can think about sustainability while sourcing what you require. Ceba has long been forerunners in promoting sustainable foodservice concepts. To find out more about our sustainable options click here. ?