Silo’s Doug McMaster to headline The Caterer’s Sustainability Summit

Chef-owner Doug McMaster of zero-waste restaurant Silo will kick off The Caterer’s virtual Sustainability Summit on 21 September.

McMaster will join fellow speakers including Michelle Devlin, general manager at Red Carnation Hotels and Lauren Woodhead, interior design manager at Lamington Group, to talk about the challenges of securing a sustainable supply chain in the world of hospitality.

The event, sponsored by Compass Group UK & Ireland, Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute and Dynamify, will kick off on 21 September with a Q&A with McMaster talking about a more unusual way to bolster a sustainable food supply chain – by including invasive species such as Japanese knotweed or grey squirrel on restaurant menus.

“There’s a hysteria around Japanese knotweed,” said McMaster. “And we spray it with deadly toxic chemicals to kill it, but with a fresh pair of eyes we can see potential in the waste and get creative making things like sour beer, umeboshi pastes and cocktails.”

McMaster, who has run a series of dinners using invasive species at his restaurant this year, added: “We need to be aware of what isn’t in abundance and stay away from that, and when we find something that is we can forage that and make sure it’s a pro and not a con – invasive species are in abundance so it makes sense.

“I think quite deeply about how to effect change,” he added. “Before education comes awareness – and part of the process is coming out with a bunch of ideas and learnings which are half baked, but that’s OK because it is a group effort about connecting with the community and allowing people to contribute and spark their own ideas.”

Alicia Parker, Northern Europe marketing representative at Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, Harinder Singh, associate director group purchasing and responsible sourcing at Compass Group UK & Ireland, and Maxwell Harding, founder and CEO of Dynamify, will also join the conversation as sponsors of the event.

The event aims to question traditional supply chains to ensure the hospitality industry sources its ingredients and materials from responsible businesses. Join the event to hear from various sessions, including a panel debate where we will learn how green operators are planning their sustainable sourcing strategies.

Sign up to the virtual event here.