Why do I think restaurants should become more sustainable?
How about lower costs and therefore more profit? Supporting local producers? A cleaner environment? Customer goodwill? Your reputation? Or just generally feeling good about yourself?
Sustainability is much more than a massive trend currently, it's here to stay as sustainable initiatives start to come down in cost and ultimately save the hospitality industry money which has to be a good thing.
People are finding out that you can really get a lot for your money. There are a lot of different ways you can save money in the sustainability world, start small with motion sensitive lights in back of house areas, use recycled paper or even go paperless.
Only a few years ago, many restaurants created menus according to what the chef wanted to cook, and few people considered the seasonality of items or the consequences of importing ingredients from across the planet. Food costs are rising, always and why? One of the reasons is the rising costs of transportation as people demand seasonal produce all year round.
With the massive surge in 'biodynamic' wines and 'fair-trade' spirits you really have to realise that if you don't start to consider sustainability in our industry soon, you'll almost certainly get left behind.
Read more! Check out 6 ways to increase your restaurant sustainability