You might think that the issue of sustainability in commercial kitchens doesn’t apply to your kitchen, when in fact, it’s one of the places that can have the biggest impact on our environment.

What Does Sustainability Mean for Commercial Kitchens?

We’re all looking for ways to help our planet and with consumer consumption being determined by business’ values, sustainability is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’, but a necessity for your business, your customers and our planet.

At Midlands Catering, we want to limit our environmental impact where we can and support others on their journey. We’ve therefore pulled together some of the benefits of sustainability in commercial kitchens and the ways you can effectively achieve it.

The benefits of sustainability in commercial kitchens

Not only is this a great way to future-proof your business, but it also brings with it many benefits. Here are our top 6:

Reduces your environmental Impact

We’re all making changes to reduce our impact on the planet, and businesses can achieve more for themselves and their customers by looking at multiple factors such as:

  • Using sustainable suppliers and farming
  • Reviewing your supply chain
  • Being mindful of food wastage
  • Storing food correctly
  • Watching your water and energy consumption
  • Using recyclable products
  • Setting up a recycling system

Long-term cost-cutting

Updating your kitchen to be more sustainable may appear costly to begin with, but in the long-term, it will save you money and protect the environment through:

  • Using reusable containers and catering equipment
  • Setting up processes such as a recycling system
  • Maintaining your equipment to avoid costly breakdowns
  • Educating your staff on how to be more sustainable
  • Turning off lights and equipment when not in use

Reduces your overall waste

With the right sustainable solutions in place, you’ll not only reduce your costs but other wastage areas such as:

  • Food waste – store food correctly with energy-efficient equipment
  • Energy waste – turn off lights and equipment when not in use
  • Carbon footprint – using sustainable suppliers and equipment

Widen your customer base

Customers appreciate businesses whose values match their own. By pro-actively making sustainable changes and marketing them, you can reach a wider audience. It also:

  • Helps influence diner’s decisions
  • Allows customers to feel involved as they’re supporting your mission too
  • Promotes your values
  • Increases your profits

Increases customer loyalty

A business that shows they care about their staff, customers and the environment go a long way with consumers. It also:

  • Increases advertising through positive word of mouth
  • Instils trust that you’re actively reducing your impact on the planet
  • Provides a more fulfilled and enjoyable experience
  • In turn, increases your profits

Increases awareness of your business

Sustainability not only helps protect the planet but helps promote your business priorities. Ensure you share how you’re changing for the better to:

  • Provide a positive and inspiring example
  • Help educate others
  • Demonstrate you understand your responsibility as a business
  • Illustrate the impact through facts on menus, social media, posters etc
  • Introduce new ideas, stats and changes

Find out more about our preventive maintenance packages to see how we can help

How Can I Make My Kitchen More Sustainable?

There are some big and little changes you can implement in order to make your kitchen more eco-friendly. Here are a few starter points:

  • Upgrade your equipment
  • Maintain your equipment regularly
  • Cut down on water and energy waste
  • Start with small changes by swapping to recyclable or reusable
  • Introduce a sustainability plan and stick with it

How Can Midlands Catering Support Your Sustainability Mission?

We’re dedicated to achieving sustainability in commercial kitchens by implementing services that will lower the UK’s energy consumption. We see this as a worthwhile investment and have the experience and expertise to help you succeed in this investment too. Read more about our own sustainability mission here or for more information, get in touch.

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