5 tactics to strengthen sustainability in your business

Sustainability is increasingly seen as a vital component of businesses’ long-term resilience. Here’s how you can inject some life into your goals – by attending The Caterer’s Sustainability Summit on 11 September.

 

The Summit will explore how leaders can champion meaningful environmental change when faced with rising operational costs, recruitment pressures and shifting guest expectations.

 

With insights and relatable case studies, you’ll leave with an understanding of how to drive sustainable change under financial pressure.

 

Here are some tactics you can use to drive your sustainability journey, that this Summit will provide – sponsored by Compass UK & Ireland.

 

1. Hear from a panel of experts

From expert ESG strategists to sustainability officers, and business founders and owners, there will be a plethora of advice, guidance and tips from those who are on a sustainability journey.

 

As expert sustainability strategist and session speaker Dr Kirstie McIntyre said: “Sustainability is a huge topic with a confusing alphabet soup of acronyms,” before adding that her session will focus on questions, including “where does a business start, how do you know what’s important and how do you build support across the organisation?”.

 

And, even better, all this advice is free.

 

2. Learn how to question everything

Ed Walker, founder and chief executive officer at Fika Catering which won Boutique Caterer of the Year at 2024 Foodservice Cateys, has a mantra that has served him well: challenge every single little thing.

 

Walker will share how he looks at the smaller picture when it comes to sustainability, questioning every buying decision, from uniforms to banking, and purposefully not following the herd.

 

3. Find out how green initiatives can enhance the guest experience

Sustainability is sometimes seen as a threat to guest satisfaction, but it can, in fact, enrich it.

 

As Samantha Wilson, sustainability officer at Red Carnation Hotels, told The Caterer ahead of her appearance at the Summit: “Some parts of luxury actually fit organically and naturally within sustainability, like shorter supply chains and more thoughtful, slower experiences.” She will share how the luxury hotel group combines sustainability with high-end service, offering guests a richer, more holistic stay.

 

4. Learn how to prioritise green initiatives

With so many sustainability goals, priorities, and initiatives to choose from, knowing which to tackle first can be a challenge. It’s a dilemma Charmaine McHugo, co-owner of green Michelin-starred restaurant Chapters in Hay-on-Wye, Herefordshire, knows well.

 

Running the business with a small but dedicated team of just two chefs, two kitchen porters, and herself, means time is always in short supply. Her solution is to focus on what truly matters. “You don’t have to do it all at once,” she says. “Get the key priorities in at the beginning, make sure your core policies are in place, and then work on the other things as you go along.”

 

5. Discover strategies to get buy-in from stakeholders

When driving change in a business, winning over stakeholders, from employees and clients to suppliers, can be time-consuming but essential. So, what are the most effective ways to secure their support? At the Summit, speakers and panellists will share proven strategies for gaining buy-in and building lasting commitment.

 

Wherever your business is in its sustainability journey, join The Caterer’s free Sustainability Summit to gain strategies and insider insights to help take your business’s green goals to the next level.