A taste of tomorrow
At BM’s round table lunch we explored innovative ways to create low impact catering. Hosted by Antony Prentice and Angus Brydon, with Annelie Selander our Chief Sustainability Officer and Mike Hanson, our Director of Sustainable Business we discussed how we can collaborate to lead the way in sustainable food service practices.
BM’s first ESG round table lunch with 25 guests including sustainability, procurement and facilities experts from leading UK companies was an insightful and thought provoking discussion focusing on sustainability, carbon reduction, the role of the catering industry, and how we can collectively push for meaningful change. Here is a summary of the key discussion points, followed by a section highlighting the critical takeaways.
Annelie Selander, Chief Sustainability Officer kicked off the event by pointing out that 22 July 2024 marked the hottest day ever recorded, highlighting the urgent need to address climate change.
1. Business impact
Companies in the food industry, including catering, are significant contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions. The food sector alone accounts for about a third of global emissions, with food loss and waste being major concerns. This reality places a strong responsibility on us to drive change.
2. Industry responsibility
Global warming exacerbates social inequalities, and some research suggested this could displace over 140 million people by 2050. Our industry must not only acknowledge its role but act to mitigate the damage and help level social inequalities.
The discussion emphasised the importance of being part of the solution, both in addressing environmental concerns and promoting social equality.
3. Second Nature ESG platform
The Second Nature platform was introduced by WSH (our parent company), focusing on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles, including diversity, equality, and inclusion (EDI). The next sustainability report is due in April 2025, outlining the progress made and the challenges ahead. The WSH Task Force for Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) was successfully completed, providing critical insights for the executive board on climate risks.
As we deliver towards our ESG targets, the benefits will ripple across the business, impacting both our operations and client relationships.
4. Challenging current norms
Shift in food storage standards
One idea presented was moving from freezing food at -18°C to -15°C. This shift could preserve food equally well while reducing energy use and emissions.
The round table discussion centred around identifying which industry ‘rules’ need to be challenged to inspire innovation and implement better practices.
5. Collaboration and decarbonisation
Packaging & single-use materials
How do we address the use of disposable/single use in catering without limiting choice/convenience?
There was a focused discussion on moving away from the “take-make-waste” mindset, reinforced by new regulations like extended producer responsibility (EPR) and the consultation just launched in Scotland to put a levy on single use coffee cups. EPR regulations are coming into force, aimed to drive down the environmental impact of single-use materials and boost recycling targets. It will significantly impact how businesses manage waste, as there will be financial implications tied to the type and amount of materials used. Extended producer responsibility is a policy approach that makes producers responsible for their products along the entire lifecycle, including at the post-consumer stage. At the same time, EPR generates funding from producers that help to pay for the collection, sorting and recycling of waste products, as well as generates detailed information on production, products, waste generation and treatment.
Decarbonisation strategies
Strategies for reducing emissions were a key topic, particularly the importance of transforming the food supply chain and influencing consumer habits towards more sustainable choices. This year, BM reduced food waste by a further 16%. Although there’s a limit to how much more it can be reduced, opportunities remain to redistribute surplus food and find innovative uses for food that would otherwise go to waste. Reducing food waste not only saves money but also reduces energy used, environmental emissions and labour costs.
There is consensus that carbon labelling does not really change behaviour at point of purchase as the customers either don’t understand or don’t want to understand the carbon intensity of a dish. Customers are looking for simplicity and just want to know that the food they are buying is healthy for them and for the planet. Sensitive choice editing is key, it is our responsibility to only provide food that is good for people and the planet.
Positive social impact
We must also focus on the social side of sustainability, supporting local communities and fostering equity through initiatives like buying from diverse suppliers (for example minority owned), buying what’s in season and readily available. General agreement that senior leadership in their businesses would accept seasonality in terms of ‘no fresh blueberries in December’ as an example if they knew why, rather than it just being restricted.
6. Commitment to net zero
Mike Hanson, Director of Sustainable Business said the decision to serve grass-fed beef as the amuse bouche was deliberate to provoke discussion about the ‘less and better’ approach to meat consumption. The beef was sourced from Lake District Farmers who are working to implement lower impact farming practices, farming with not against nature.
WSH commitment
BM reaffirmed its commitment to net zero by 2040, a decade ahead of government targets, as announced by chairman Alistair Storey in 2021.
SBTi approval
In March 2024, our net zero target, including forestry, land, and agriculture (FLAG), received approval from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). SBTi is a global organisation that helps companies set ambitious climate goals in line with the latest climate science. It provides a framework for companies to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in alignment with the goals of the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global warming to well below 2°C, with efforts to keep it to 1.5°C.
7. Progress on carbon reduction
BM’s carbon footprint is largely in Scope 3, with 87.5% of emissions coming from purchased goods and services. Despite growth, we have reduced our overall carbon footprint by 3.6% from the 2019 baseline, thanks to improved data accuracy and targeted action.
8. Waste management and circularity
Waste streams & responsibility: The discussion emphasised the importance of only purchasing products for which there are appropriate waste management systems in place, aligning with the principles of extended producer responsibility.
BM adheres to the waste hierarchy: ‘prevent, reduce, minimise, reuse, recycle’. Mike stressed the importance of using materials with proper waste streams, as simply replacing one single-use material with another is insufficient without the right infrastructure.
Looking ahead
Financial incentives have proven effective in shifting behaviour, such as the levy on plastic bags. We should explore similar mechanisms for lower-impact food choices, like adding a surcharge for single-use cups, which has been shown to be more effective than offering discounts for reusable alternatives. BM was the contract caterer used for this reducing single use plastics research in 2017.
Balance between reporting and action: Many sustainability teams are preoccupied with data reporting, which could delay actionable steps. We must avoid using data quality as an excuse for inaction, perhaps by splitting teams into those focused on reporting and those driving execution.
Common definitions needed
The lack of clear, industry-wide definitions (e.g., for ‘single-use’ or ‘regenerative farming’) often hinders progress. There’s an opportunity for industry bodies to step in and establish these definitions while governments catch up.
Challenging norms – meat as the hero?
Cultural resistance to changing diets is strong, but rethinking how we label and structure menus can help shift the focus away from meat and reduce some of the controversy around plant-based vs. meat-based choices. For example, the way we position plant-based dishes and name them on menus has a significant impact on customer choices. Instead of segregating menus into categories like meat, fish, and veg, we should present options in a way that encourages more balanced and diverse selections.
Hospitality vs. abundance
We often equate hospitality with abundance, but shifting perceptions towards mindful consumption—where ‘less is more’—could foster more sustainable practices.
Continued dialogue
The event closed with a commitment to maintain quarterly discussions. It was acknowledged that organisations will only be able to achieve their sustainability goals by aligning and collaborating.
Further information and links to topics discussed at the round table.
EcoVadis is a third party sustainability assessment platform, which helps companies to better understand and benchmark the sustainability performance across their own operations and supply chain. Since EcoVadis was launched in 2007, it has rated over 100,000 companies on its platform. Receiving a gold medal puts us in the top 5% of the 100,000 companies rated by EcoVadis. We has been working with EcoVadis as part of a client contract since 2016, which has also been gold-rated for the last two years.
Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi)
Round table presentation slides
