Download Foodservice Footprint Issue 9 - January 2011

BRITISH THROUGH
AND THROUGH
Tom Aikens continues to
champion the use of
British ingredients
HALAL
Footprint Roundtable
debates the issues
THE SAVOY
The greening of a famous
London landmark
Appetite for change:
A healthcare food provider
says sustainability drives
good practice
Ironing in sustainability:
A laundry invests for
‘green’ whites
The Footprint Awards.
Get industry
recognition for
your sustainability
programmes
www.footprint-awards.com
Environmental Sustainability issues in the food industry
January October 2011 2008 • £4.50 £2.95

Committed to responsible and sustainable sourcing
We were proud to be the first foodservice company in the UK to offer an MSC approved
product in 2003 and have the largest range of any foodservice company globally with
around 80 products launched
Customer Service 0845 606 9090
www.brake.co.uk

Comment
In the run-up to the Climate Change
Summit in Copenhagen in 2009, Gordon
Brown said that we had 50 days to save
the world. Suffice to say, amidst this
sensationalism very little was achieved at the
conference itself. So, here we are nearly 400
days on and to my certain knowledge the world
is still turning on its own axis. In December
2010, Cancun hosted the same summit,
mustering very little excitement in the press. I
wonder whether it is because the arguments
surrounding climate change are on a more even
footing? Having cast the hyperbole aside are we
now able to concentrate on the real business of
leveraging the industrial, corporate and indeed
domestic excesses of the last decades into a
form of adaptation and alignment with the
modern world? If so, foodservice is arguably
pioneering this effort more than any other
sector of business.
In December the Prince of Wales gave a
speech in which he said that climate science
‘has taken a battering of late’. He was referring,
of course, to the ‘Climategate’ row, which
effectively secured a short-term intellectual
victory for climate change scepticism. However,
when one reads about 2010 being one of
the three hottest years since records began,
and harsh weather patterns around the globe
affecting commodity prices like never before,
the question is whether to believe this is a cycle
or part of a permanently changing paradigm.
Macabre as the thought is, time will tell.
In the meantime, we as an industry have to
continue investing in the future, minimising our
impact and, through efficiencies, work towards
a more sustainable sector; thus achieving true
business wins in every sense. The raw truth is
that the Government, in the cause of improving
our nation’s environmental performance, will
impose taxes, regulations and extra costs. This
brings me back to the Climate Change Summit
in Cancun last month; the effectiveness and
the relevance of it, we may question but I
put it to you, that the sustainability debate is
progressing and it is not going to go away for a
long time to come.
The impact for us? A watchful Government
and an increasingly aware consumer
putting pressure on us to deliver sustainable
foodservice. To survive it we must show we are
making a difference. I urge you to tell us your
sustainable story in the Footprint Awards and
we’ll call it out.
Charles Miers, Managing Director
CONTENTS
NEWS
Contacts
FOODSERVICE FOOTPRINT
4-9 Frozen food is sustainable; Whitbread’s sustainability report; Fairtrade
Fortnight looms.
10 SPECIAL REPORT: Halal in the spotlight.
12 Worldwatch
INTERVIEWS
14 British Through & Through: Chef Tom Aikens could be called an
ambassador for British produce.
18 CESA the moment: Keith Warren, Director of Catering Equipment Suppliers
Association on a new EC legislation on energy efficient equipment.
FEATURES
16 Victorian Beauty gets a Makeover: The Savoy’s ‘green’ transformation.
20 Innovations: The latest development in sustainable technology.
24 Sustainability drives good business practice: a healthcare food provider
explains why.
26 The Green Laundry: Investing in a sustainable future.
COMMENT
22 Europe’s Bad Eggs: There is something rotten in the state of EU egg
production.
CASE STUDIES
28 A Sea of Sustainability: Brake Group’s seafood offering.
32 Waste Not, Want Not: Sodexo’s waste strategy is truly global.
34 Direct Action: Cafédirect’s marketing strategy explained.
36 The Realities of Sustainability: Reynolds’ Head of Procurement on exactly
what he looks for in terms of sustainable product.
38 Evolution – a Success: Dudson’s sustainable range goes from strength to
strength.
40 Putting Milk First: Nestlé’s global milk policy explained.
EVENTS
31 The Footprint Awards to be staged in May recognises the efforts the
foodservice industry is making towards a more sustainable future.
For full details about entering and attending the event please visit
www.footprint-awards.com
News Editor David Harris david@foodservicefootprint.com
Sub Editor Kathy Bowry kathy@foodservicefootprint.com
Associate Editor David Burrows david@groceryfootprint.com
Staff Writer/Reporter Emiliana Silvestri editorial@foodservicefootprint.com
Freelance Contributor Jackie Mitchell jackie.mitchell@btconnect.com
Art Direction Trevor Marshall trevor@foodservicefootprint.com
Events and Online Director Christophe Stourton xtophe@footprintexperience.com
Photography Pantone E
Financial Controller Eve Mahler eve@footprintmedia.org
CEO Nick Fenwicke-Clennell nick@foodservicefootprint.com
Managing Director Charles Miers charlie@foodservicefootprint.com
Footprint Europe Patric Bauer patric@foodservicefootprint.com
News news@foodservicefootprint.com
Advertising advertising@foodservicefootprint.com
Accounts accounts@foodservicefootprint.com
Footprint Publishing Ltd, a subsidiary of Footprint Media Group, cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited
submissions, manuscripts and photographs. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written
permission of the publishers. Whilst every care is taken, prices and details are subject to change and Footprint
Publishing Ltd takes no responsibility for omissions and errors. We reserve the right to publish and edit any letters.
All rights reserved.
Printed on Ability Offset
FSC Mixed Credit.
3

4
FOOTPRINT NEWS
NEW REPORT
SHOWS FROZEN
FOOD IS
SUSTAINABLE
Frozen food is sustainable, says a new
report, as there have been significant
gains in terms of improving manufacturing
efficiency, conserving energy and reducing
greenhouse gas emissions. It is also cost
effective as it reduces labour costs and
waste. It contributes to nutrition as frozen
food is frozen at the source and retains high
levels of nutrients.
These were just some of the points
made by Charlotte Harden from the
Centre of Food Innovation at Sheffield
Hallam University, at the launch of the
report, ‘British Frozen Food Industry –
A Food Vision’, by the British Frozen
Food Federation (BFFF) at the House of
Commons.
Austin Mitchell, MP for Great Grimsby
said: “I welcome this report. It is widely
recognised that our country needs to work
towards a sustainable, secure and healthy
Sustainability Live at ScotHot
For the first time, ScotHot, the Scottish
hospitality, tourism and catering show, will
feature a dedicated area on sustainability
providing practical information for
foodservice businesses. The show will
be held from 28 February to 2 March at
SECC Glasgow.
Seminars on sustainability issues will
take place, run by organisations such as
Scottish Business in the Community, Zero
Waste Scotland, Princes Mayday network
food supply. To achieve this we need to
ensure fair prices, choice and access to
food, along with a continuous improvement
in food safety, changes to deliver healthier
diets and a more environmentally
sustainable food chain. It is clear from the
evidence presented that frozen has a key
role to play.”
Brian Young, director general of the BFFF,
said: “Reviewing 120 academic papers
from around the world, we believe that this
is the world’s first report bringing together
the evidence for frozen food. I believe this
report heralds a new era for the industry.”
Young went on to say that frozen food has
been the ‘poor relation’ to chilled and fresh
foods for many years. “Misconceptions,
stigma and snobbery have prevented
consumers and chefs from buying frozen.
But the tide is changing. New research,
evidence and campaigns demonstrating the
‘freshly frozen’ quality of raw ingredients
and their nutritional benefits are prompting
frozen to be reconsidered. And frozen sales
are growing.”
Anyone reading this report will be struck
by how much frozen has to offer and how
far it has come in the last 90 years, said
Young. “Frozen offers competitive prices,
year round price stability and availability
and opportunities to improve portion control
and reduce waste.”
and Scotland. Topics will include case
studies and information on the Green
Business Tourism Scheme. Sessions will
inform businesses on support available
to help them contribute to the Scottish
government’s target of 42 per cent
reduction of carbon emissions by 2020.
The show has several ‘green’ exhibitors
giving advice not only on how to
implement sustainable initiatives, but also
on environmentally friendly products.
At the launch, Andrew Green, National
Chairman of The Craft Guild of Chefs,
told Foodservice Footprint: “As a judge of
the BFFF Awards for ten years, I can say
frozen produce has got better not just in
appearance, but in taste, variety, quality
and packaging. With frozen products,
there’s no wastage, you don’t have to start
peeling a huge bag of potatoes.”
The report was compiled by researchers at
the Centre for Food Innovation (Sheffield
Hallam University) and the Refrigeration
Developments and Testing Ltd (Bristol).
Key findings include:
• Utilisation of frozen food is likely to create
a more sustainable use of seasonal foods
that are consumed out of season
• Reduction of food waste and improved
dietary portion control is likely to be
realised with the effective use of frozen
food in food service and domestic sectors
• There is no significant evidence that the
nutritional quality of food is compromised
by freezing
• Three quarters of caterers recognise
frozen offers all year round availability,
minimises waste, is less likely to
deteriorate in transit and has longer
storage life.
For further information and to download a
copy of the report, please visit
www.bfff.co.uk

THE BEST TASTING ETHICS
IN FOODSERVICE
foodservice@cafedirect.co.uk
0207033 6000 cafedirect.co.uk

Whitbread launches
sustainability hospitality report
Whitbread, which owns the Beefeater, Costa Coffee and Premier Inn brands,
launched its ‘Future of Sustainable Hospitality’ report last month aimed to help it play
a part in driving the industry forward. The report was put together following a debate
with sustainability leaders at the group’s low carbon hotel the Premier Inn, in West
Sussex.
The report identifies 10 key areas for improvement including taking proactive action
on education, producing high calibre industry leaders, engaging with its customers
and doing more to attract the ‘green pound’.
The 10 Recommendations for Action are included within a full Debate Report which
is being issued to stakeholders across Government, the hospitality industry and within
the wider industry supply chain.
1. Sharing is the solution for improvement.
2. Talk the same language.
3. Educating employees is vital.
4. Retro-fitting the estate is where the real gains can be made.
5. The UK hospitality industry needs its leaders to step up.
6. Sustainable hospitality does not mean living in a ‘yurt economy’ nor is it ‘eco
bling’.
7. The UK hospitality industry has an essential role to play in raising awareness of
sustainability.
8. Consumer care.
9. Management needs to move away from simple forecasting strategies for business
growth and embrace ‘back-casting’.
10. There is a ‘green pound’ and more should be done to help consumers make
informed choices.
The key areas were identified following a debate led by Simon Calder, travel
editor for The Independent which heard from Will Day, Sustainable Development
Commissioner, Jan Peter Bergkvist, Sustainability Advisor at SleepWell and director
of the board of Green Meetings Industry Council and Dominic Burbridge, Senior
Manager for Hospitality at the Carbon Trust.
Mark Anderson, Commercial & Property Director for Whitbread Hotels & Restaurants,
said: “We’re serious about sustainability at Whitbread and we’re not only applying the
expertise that we already have in the business but are keen to reach out and grasp
new ideas too...the challenge is finding the right solutions. We want to get better and
we are confident that we can also use the power of the Whitbread network to drive
improvements across our industry as a whole.”
Soil
Association
annual
conference
February
9-10
“Food and the Big Society”, the Soil Association’s annual
two day conference, to be held in Manchester Town Hall
from Wednesday 9 February to Thursday 10 February, will
debate how food and farming can provide a mechanism for
combating climate change, health inequalities, building social
cohesion and re-shaping the economy.
The Soil Association will be bringing together
experts from across the food, farming,
education, public health, political and civic
realms to debate the most sustainable way
to produce food now and in the future.
For a more detailed programme of events
and to buy tickets online please visit:
www.soilassociation.org/conference.aspx
FOOTPRINT NEWS
GREEN
movers
Stefan Barden has been
named the new UK Chief
executive Officer (CeO) of
Brakes Group. He joins from
northern foods, where he
is currently CeO. Stefan’s
experience includes holding
senior roles at Iceland frozen
foods and Heinz UK, as well
as five years at northern
foods, four of which were as
CeO. Stefan began his career
at Unilever.
Helen BrOwnInG has
been appointed by the
Soil association as its new
director. Prior to this, she was
director of external affairs
at the national trust and
before that, she was food and
farming director at the Soil
association for many years.
rOB Mcfarlane joins the
board at dBC after leaving his
previous position as director
of Meat and Poultry, Brakes.
County food group Hampshire
fare has appointed
MICHael wrIGHt as its
new Chairman. He takes
up his new role as the
group celebrates its 20th
anniversary this year.
davId BUrrOwS joins
footprint Media Group to
work on Foodservice Footprint
and edit new launch Grocery
Footprint. He was at wwf
and has written for the Grocer
and Marketing Week.
PIerS ZanGana has moved
from Senior Press and
Public relations Manager at
sodexo to become Head of
Communications at the Crown
Group.
7

8
FOOTPRINT NEWS
green
tweets
...and blogs
@sustainableprof
Special Invitation for Sustainability Professionals
http://conta.cc/dhIZ2E via #constantcontact Year
End Sale | build your competencies
@CSRwire
Stay up-to-speed on top #greenand #CSR issues:
http://bit.ly/9stXeD
@ Picowstwit
Read my story on issues surrounding palm
oil in Green Prophet news blog : http://www.
greenprophet.com/2010/10/palm-oil-rainforest/
@anthonynorth
Green issues seem to be going out of fashion.
Here’s a reminder: http://beyondtheblog.wordpress.
com/2008/04/09/tt-6-how-to-save-the-planet
www.blog.businessgreen.com
“Do you really need a lawnmower?”
Blogger James Murray: “I’ve written before on
the manner in which the scale and reach of the
climate change threat is prompting companies
to collaborate in a manner that would have been
alien to them a decade ago. Growing numbers
of firms are signing wide-ranging technology
and commercial partnerships, while some are
even willing to open up their intellectual property
in an attempt to share their knowledge and
accelerate the development and rollout of lowcarbon
technologies. But could this new ethos
of cooperation work at a more mundane level
and help to deliver major cuts in greenhouse gas
emissions and environmental impacts? In other
words, do you really need a lawnmower? Speaking
to WWF’s Dax Lovegrove, he revealed that many
of the entries to Sony’s Open Planet Ideas design
initiative have been based on the realisation that
communities and businesses can slash their
environmental footprint by sharing resources that
they use infrequently.”
www.green-blog.org
Britvic trials eco
technology to save cost
and carbon
Leading soft drinks company, Britvic,
has announced that it is trialling the
latest in eco-friendly technology in its
chilling solutions that will offer the
potential to save 3,800 tonnes of
carbon emissions each year and save
Britvic’s customers over £1.9 million
every year.
Britvic is introducing a new range of
hydrocarbon chillers that utilise R290,
a naturally occurring hydrocarbon
refrigerant (propane), which generates
CO2 emission savings of up to 32
PepsiCo UK and Ireland has today
announced plans to cut carbon
emissions and water usage across the
farming of its core crops in the UK by
50 per cent over the next five years.
Its first Sustainable Farming Report
published today, details how the
company will be working in partnership
with 350 British farmers to reach its
aim of ’50 in 5’.
The parent company of Walkers,
Quaker, Tropicana and Copella is the
largest buyer of British potatoes since
switching to 100 per cent British
potatoes in 2007 for Walkers crisps.
The company is also one of the UK’s
largest purchasers of British oats and
apples, using 100 per cent British
per cent. Based on an average rate of
energy consumption of 13p / kWh,
the Green Chillers have the potential
to save retailers £112.32 per year
per chiller. This is the equivalent of
10 cases of 500ml product at cost
price, which could make the retailer
an additional £135 in profit over the
course of a year.
To further address the needs of
its wide-ranging customers, the
hydrocarbon refrigerant and EMS
technology can also be integrated into
equipment used in pubs and bars. A
new range of coolers are being trialled
that offer up to 43 per cent energy
savings over standard equipment.
PepsiCo pledges carbon reductions
Insects zapped
produce in Copella English Apple juice,
Quaker Oats, Oat So Simple and Scott’s
Porridge.
Initiatives detailed in the report
include: new i-crop ‘precision farming’
technology - a revolutionary web-based
crop management tool developed in
conjunction with Cambridge University
and currently being trialled by a
number of PepsiCo potato farmers;
trials of new low-carbon fertilizers with
Spearhead farms, one of Walkers’
largest suppliers; and plans to replace
more than 75 per cent of PepsiCo UK’s
current potato stock with varieties that
will significantly improve farmers’ yields
and decrease wastage by 2015.
www.pepsico.co.uk/farming
Lincat, the UK’s leading manufacturer of commercial catering equipment, has
introduced a new range of energy efficient insect control units. The new units,
which use 70 per cent less energy than conventional models, provide effective
control of wasps, mosquitoes and other flying insects.
The four new models provide more than double the coverage of their
predecessors, ranging from 80 to 240m 2 . Three of the new units are equipped
with energy-saving Ecolite tubes while the fourth, the IC10, is equipped with
tubes that have an operating life three times that of conventional tubes.
Winning kit
The winners of the prestigious FCSI Sustainable Catering Equipment Awards
were announced at the recent CESA Conference held at the Celtic Manor Resort
in Newport.
Falcon Foodservice was the overall winner for its Induction Range E2491i
while Induced Energy was highly commended for the iPlate IE/IUS/2010 and
Mechline was highly commended for its Waste Digester Waste 2.0.

Show off
your label
‘Show Off Your Label’ is the theme of this
year’s Fairtrade Fortnight, 28 February
- 13 March, the annual campaign
organised by the Fairtrade Foundation to
raise awareness for products bearing the
Fairtrade logo.
During the Fortnight, several farmers
of tea, bananas and other produce will
visit the UK to tour around the country
attending events and talking about the
healthcare, education and other projects
they have been able to achieve because of
their sales on Fairtrade terms.
This year the organisers are encouraging
everyone to promote or ‘show off’ about
Fairtrade. Last year over 12,000 events
were held to mark Fairtrade Fortnight
including chocolate and wine tastings,
Fairtrade tea dances and debates.
Here are some ways you can get involved:
• Talk about the producers behind products
• Hold a fun event to get talking about
Fairtrade
• Download banners and badges
• Order promotional materials from the
Fairtrade Foundation web site
The Fairtrade Mark is the only label which
gives groups of farmers and producers
the means to improve their livelihoods
Cutting down on food miles and sourcing
food locally is what most responsible bars
and restaurants do today. But at The Horse
& Groom in Charlton, near Malmesbury,
Wiltshire, guests are invited to the back
through the guaranteed minimum price
and premium for social, environmental
and business projects. Around 7.5 million
people (farmers, workers, their families
and communities) across 58 developing
countries in the developing world benefit
from the international Fairtrade system.
(Source: Fairtrade Foundation).
www.fairtradefoundation
Going the ‘eggs’tra mile
garden to search for their own freshly laid
eggs at breakfast, as this popular inn has
added a dozen chickens to the team. The
staff are on hand to fetch the free-range
eggs, but nevertheless some guests have
embraced the idea with gusto. Every day,
the chickens lay enough eggs to cater for
breakfast, with eggs left over to be used in
the preparation of other dishes.
Raising chickens is the brainchild of
resident manager Emma Dall who says:
“These are super healthy chickens
because we feed them our own fresh
vegetable leftovers from the kitchen, and
we also waste less by recycling some of
our food waste organically.”
Emma has already planned a herb garden,
which will be fully ready in Spring, and a
vegetable patch is also planned.
www.bespokehotels.com
FOOTPRINT NEWS
GREEN
watch
KeepCup, which is described as
the ‘world’s first barista standard
reusable cup’ is being trialled at Pret
A Manger in London’s King William
Street. It features a ‘plug’ which seals
the beverage. The idea is that the
customer keeps the cup and reuses
it on each visit. If successful, it will
significantly reduce the 250 million
disposable cups used by Pret customers
annually. www.keepcup.com
Twenty ways to reduce costs and
negative impacts to the environment
for under £20 – a series of lively
two-minute presentations introducing
new and affordable technologies will
be presented by Professor Rebecca
Hawkins of Oxford Brookes University
on 25 January at 11am at Hospitality
2011. The show takes place at NEC
Birmingham from 24 to 26 January.
www.hospitalityshow.co.uk
Brita, the water filter company,
has achieved Carbon Neutral
Certification for its UK headquarters at
Bicester including all related business
travel. It achieved this by monitoring
greenhouse gas emissions using the
Best Food Forward system and working
with the Carbon Neutral Company.
The Fairyhill Restaurant with Rooms
in Gower, South west Wales won a
‘Wales the True Taste’ Award. It offers
a ‘10 mile menu’ where the majority
of ingredients are sourced within a 10
mile radius. This includes Gower Salt
March Lamb just down the road.
www.fairhill.net
Last year’s Abergavenny Food Festival
aimed for maximum recycling and
composting rates across all its sites,
collecting plastic, cardboard, glass,
cans, food packaging and waste. Three
tonnes of these materials were picked
up and screened for quality before
being sent to recycling companies. This
equates to over two tonnes of carbon
dioxide emissions saved compared to
landfill.
9

10
FOOTPRINT NEWS
NEWS SPECIAL
Halal in the spotlight
Even snowy conditions couldn’t keep Government officials, global
meat producers, Muslim groups dealing with Halal Accreditation
and other industry representatives from this special Footprint Media
Roundtable to discuss the hot topic of Halal.
It’s been almost two months since the
Mail on Sunday (MoS) published its
Halal expose: ‘Britain goes Halal...
but no-one tells the public’.The
paper’s investigation was based on the
vague labelling laws surrounding Halal
meat. It claimed that schools, hospitals,
pubs and famous sporting venues
are “controversially serving up meat
slaughtered in accordance with strict
Islamic law to unwitting members of the
public”.
Indeed, the MoS piece featured a series
of spokespeople – from companies like
Whitbread to venues such as Wembley –
caught, it seems, responding ‘on the hoof’
to the accusations. Almost overnight this
became a live issue for the foodservice
industry.
With consumer media only serving to
heighten the confusion, Footprint was asked
to bring the parties concerned together for
a Footprint Roundtable. The idea? To cut
through the confusion and provide guidance
on how to tackle this issue head on.
Delegates battled through the snow
induced chaos to gather at the Coopers Hall
in the City of London, generously donated
for the event by contract caterer CH&Co.
The parties represented included EBLEX
(English Beef and Lamb Executive), Defra,
Universal Halal Agency, British Poultry
Council, Freedom Foods, European Halal
Development Agency (the only accreditation
to be ratified by the Olympic Committee),
Local Government, as well as global
meat producers, contract caterers, and
procurement agencies.

The timing couldn’t have been better:
the first authoritative study of the Halal
red meat industry had arrived hot off the
press from EBLEX that very morning. The
report is valuable – and certainly worth a
read (for a copy of which please do contact
editorial@foodservicefootprint.com). For the
first time it’s given the foodservice industry
the basis for an understanding of the Halal
market. Footprint Roundtable, similarly
game-changing, offered the first opportunity
for us all to sit down and discuss the issues
at hand.
This was a chance for everyone
to convene, quiz, challenge and
communicate. This was a chance for our
industry to face this challenge as a team.
This was a chance for voices to be heard.
This was also a chance for the other side of
the story to be told. After all, the challenge
for foodservice is not only about preventing
Halal being supplied to those who don’t
want it, but also supplying it to those that
do.
Alas, three hours, 22 people and a round
table does not a future policy make. But,
we got the bull running and found some
UK direction. Not least, we had general
agreement on what can be done to reassure
foodservice customers. It all boils down
to whether their concern stems from a
religious perspective or through concerns
over animal welfare.
The first thing to understand is the law.
Halal had hit the headlines because
there is no UK labelling scheme for meat
slaughtered in this way. We’ve already
had stories about meat being labelled
that wasn’t actually Halal. This time, the
papers used the notion of secrecy and poor
labelling laws, combined it with the idea
that Halal meat was from animals that were
not stunned pre-slaughter, and arrived at a
scare-story about lots of people unwittingly
eating Halal.
Everyone agreed that the media never
helps a situation like this. There’s been
a plethora of coverage and comment,
ranging from the radical to the (relatively)
reasonable. But one thing remains
constant: confusion.
Here are the facts. There is currently no
UK labelling scheme for Halal. However,
there is the Animals Slaughter and Killing
Regulations, which require that animals
be stunned prior to slaughter. There is a
caveat: where there is a religious need
for the animal not to be stunned that the
animal be rested at the point of killing for a
period of not less than 20 seconds post cut.
Some Muslims argue that only meat
that is not pre-stunned can be Halal. This
is a debate that those present agreed
would not go away anytime soon. But
supporters of ‘no stun’ are fading. Many
Muslim countries now slaughter using
stunning, including Malaysia which has
its own standard – Malaysia being very
much a beacon of halal best practice. All
New Zealand meat is pre-stunned. The
majority of Halal meat in our country is
pre-stunned too – the same as any other
UK slaughter method.
Acceptance of pre-stunning is based on
the animal still being alive when slaughter
takes place. For that reason, Halal differs
from non-Halal in just one way: the knife
is held by a Muslim who recites a blessing
as the animal is slaughtered.
So, if your customers are asking for
non-Halal meat on grounds that Halal
meat isn’t pre-stunned, you can reassure
them 100 per cent by offering to source
accredited meat from schemes like the
Red Tractor, EBLEX’s Quality Standard
Mark or the RSPCA’s Freedom Foods. The
animal may have had the blessing, but it
will definitely have been pre-stunned.
Of course, if your customers want
Halal, and they want to be sure it is
pre-stunned, then you can source meat
with a recognised Halal certification label
alongside, say, the Red Tractor. There are
sources of information that can help you
develop your strategy, and a good place
to start is EBLEX’s video on the process
(which was shown at the start of the
Footprint Roundtable). Defra, the Universal
Halal Agency and the Muslim Council
of Britain also have information on their
websites. Use those for guidance, rather
than what’s in the papers.
While you may be able to reassure
customers concerned about Halal on
welfare grounds, it’s trickier if they are
asking for non-Halal for religious reasons.
Muslims may represent only 3 per cent
of the UK population, but they eat 20
per cent of the lamb, and the demand
for Halal here is set to rise further. We
also source from countries where Halal
is commonplace (New Zealand and
Thailand). Hence, buying non-Halal will
probably push your costs up (one reader
said by 40 per cent in their case). Equally,
if your customers want accredited Halal
meat, then they will have to be willing
to pay the price. According to the EBLEX
report, Muslims are happy to take the
word of another Muslim on the issue of
FOOTPRINT NEWS 11
whether the meat is Halal or not. This lays
the system open to abuse, but if Halal
is requested, then your customer should
either put their trust in the certification of
the meat you supply or specify what they
require.
Waitrose is pushing for Government to
lead on a consistent approach to labelling
for Halal, to include retailers, butchers,
restaurants and the food production
and catering industry as a whole. This
would ‘take into consideration the current
situation which allows the term Halal to be
used for meat that has been pre-stunned
before slaughter and that which has not’.
A global standard for Halal would also help
(as EBLEX’s report concluded). But as
yet there isn’t one. There are discussions
on labelling laws progressing in Brussels,
with the European Parliament this summer
voting to introduce regulations that mean
meat will be labelled specifying the
method of slaughter used. However, it’ll
take some years to transpose into UK law.
For this reason Footprint Roundtable
proved so dynamic. It tackled the issues
head on, parking elements that have
been ongoing and were likely never to
be resolved (for example the stun versus
no stun debate among the Muslim
community).
Halal is a complex issue, of that there is
no doubt and certainly within the context
of foodservice. But if the progress at our
first meeting was anything to go by, there
is no reason for the industry to stand still.
Consumer choice should be at the heart
of everything you do; your customers
can, after all, choose from myriad ethical
‘labels’ including organic, vegan, non-GM
and low carbon, so they should be able to
choose between Halal and non-Halal. At
the moment, it will cost the operator more
to do so. However, once the situation is
explained, as we’ve outlined, there may
be less costly ways forward until universal
labelling laws are agreed.
www.eblex.org.uk
www.defra.gov.uk
www.universalhalal.com
www.rspca.org.uk/freedomfood
www.ehda.co.uk

12
FOOTPRINT INTERVIEW
W RLDWATCH
Canada:
A study has shown that the
world’s fishing industry is
fast running out of ocean
fishing grounds to exploit
USA:
Officials criticise Europe’s
refusal to embrace GM
technology
Corn prices have surged
following a federal
government report on
reduced crops due to
weather extremes in the
corn belt fluctuating
between too much rain
and too much heat
Mexico:
The UN has said
that 2010 is set to
be declared among
the three warmest
years since
records began
Cancun:
Richard Branson
calls for global
carbon taxes to
remove 17 billion
tons of emissions
by 2020
Brazil:
Leading agriculture lobby
recommends that farmers
plant trees to boost financial
returns while off-setting
carbon emissions
UK:
Norfolk: Bernard Matthews,
criticised by the anti factory
farming lobby, dies aged 80
London: Food Standards
Agency Advisory Committee
confirms that meat and milk
from cloned cattle show no
substantial difference to
conventionally produced
meat and milk
Isle of Man: Scallop catching
has been banned for large
trawlers in its waters amid
fears of over fishing
London: In a speech,
the Prince of
Wales warned of
the ‘battering’
that climate
science has taken
and spoke of the
threats that the
planet faces for
many decades. The
Prince, in a separate
speech, also warned that
industrial farming puts ecosystems
at risk of collapse
England: A law banning the
shooting of ducks with lead shot is
being widely ignored throughout
England, according to the WWT

UK:
Celebrity chefs
are backing
the Sustainable
Livestock Bill
to reduce the
UK meat and
dairy industry’s
dependence
on imported
soy, which is
contributing to
deforestation in
South America
Britain is setting
a global carbon
emissions cut
target of 60
per cent by
2030 requiring
modernisation of
energy, farming
and motoring
Ghana:
On track to halve
hunger by 2015
UK wholesale
food prices shot
up and were 9.8
per cent higher at
the end of 2010
than they were in
Q4 2009 due to
soaring wheat and
other commodity
costs on the world
market
Paris:
An International conservation
conference has successfully managed to
progress protection of sharks but leaves
Bluefin Tuna largely unprotected
The Institute of
Economic Affairs
has launched a
130-page report
on fair trade
describing it as
‘costly, opaque
and substantially
unproven’
Pakistan:
Demand for sugar
has outstripped
supply, doubling
the price since
2008
Israel:
The cost of tomatoes has
risen sevenfold due to an
unusually hot summer
Egypt:
Increasing demand for
meat is leading to more
intensive farming with
consequences on food prices,
the environment and animal
welfare
A report by the
International
Food Policy
Research Institute
concludes that
climate change
could lead to
shortages that
could push staple
food prices up by
130 per cent in
our lifetime
FOOTPRINT INTERVIEW 13
Defra has had its
budgets cut by 30
per cent compared
to the Government
average of 19 per
cent
Russia:
The UN has urged
a global phase-out
of old style light
bulbs and a switch
to low energy
products
Prices of bread rose by at
least 20 per cent in Q4 2010
Vladimir Putin has
commented that wind power
poses environmental risks
South Korea:
A frosty spring, hot summer
and autumn floods have
ruined this year’s cabbage
crops
China:
Garlic was 2009’s best
performing commodity.
Demand has far outstripped
supply making it a luxury

14
FOOTPRINT FEATURE
BRITISH
THROUGH & THROUGH
Tom Aikens could be called
an ambassador for British
produce. Kathy Bowry finds
out about his philosophy.

Self confessed ex-wild child Tom
Aikens has had a career like
a roller coaster since he first
started cooking seriously at the
age of 16. He has been through the mill
lately, seeing his flagship restaurants
being taken into receivership but has
bounced back with a vengeance: there is
something about Aikens that makes him
super resilient. Tom’s Kitchen and the
Michelin-starred Tom Aikens in London’s
Chelsea were acquired in a management
buy out by TA Holdco Ltd but Aikens
remains in control in terms of the culinary
side of the business, though the new
company has promised to put in stronger
business and financial controls.
He is still beating the drum for British
produce, and has kept most of his
suppliers on board as he branches out
into a new venture, opening another
Tom’s Kitchen and the new Tom’s Terrace
(open March to October) overlooking the
Thames at Somerset House, in London’s
West End: a new partnership with
Compass’s Restaurant Associates group.
Born into a family of wine merchants
in Norfolk, Aikens and his identical twin
brother spent school holidays in France
where they first tasted, and became
hooked on, regional French cuisine so it
is apt that his two mentors are French
legends Joel Robuchon and Pierre
Koffman and explains why Aikens can
change gear in a heartbeat between
simple and elaborate dishes. He was
first infuenced by Robuchon’s complex
preparation when working at his Paris
restaurant, but later came to value
equally the more simple style of Koffman
under whom he worked at the famous La
Tante Claire in London.
In April 2003, Tom Aikens Restaurant
was opened in Chelsea. The 60-seat
restaurant has earned a Michelin star in
2004 (and a ‘rising two-star’ status in
January 2009), 8/10 in the Good Food
Guide 2010 and five rosettes in the AA
Restaurant Guide since 2009 as well
as wide critical acclaim. Tom’s Kitchen
followed and again was lauded by the
critics and public alike.
Aikens is, and always has been,
committed to using only the finest
ingredients he can find for his restaurants
and passionately champions British
products. “I have noticed over the past
12 years or so how much better the
quality and consistency of British produce
has become. When I had my first head
chef job, the majority of the food was
continental: now it is mostly British,” he
says.
Fish is bought from three different
suppliers in Looe, the Helford estuary
and Newlyn in Cornwall. But what about
MSC certified fish? Does that have a place
in the Aikens kitchens? “Most of the MSC
offering is frozen,” says Aikens, “and a
lot is brought in from around the world
which doesn’t really sound sustainable
in my opinion. The suppliers I use are
fishing locally and in a sustainable
manner from fleets using 10 metre day
boats. I have access to wonderful fish
which is delivered to me no more than
14 hours after it is caught.
“I buy meat direct from British farmers
– I have been to the farms and know
what they do. I also think it is important
for kitchen staff to visit the producers – it
is an education for them and helps to
pull standards forward. Lamb comes
from Dorset and North and South Wales
and game is from game expert David
Hammerson. It is not that the customers
demand British produce as such, I just
feel it is important to do it, but people are
concerned about animal welfare and in
the provenance of what they eat.”
Fresh fruit and vegetables come from
Covent Garden because Aikens reckons
he hasn’t found anywhere else that can
supply what he needs. “I am thinking of
finding a patch of land in Chelea where
I could produce my own consistent and
quality produce. A lot of chefs do grow
their own nowadays – some grow herbs
on the roof of their establishments in
planters. When you think you can pay
£1-£2 for a bunch of herbs – if you grow
them yourself it is very cost effective as
they would only cost a few pennies.”
Aikens hasn’t had any British wines
on the menu for a while but they will
FOOTPRINT FEATURE 15
Menus
The classic menu at Tom Aikens
restaurant lures diners with dishes
such as Roast John Dory, chestnut
ravioli, baby gem; Devon Rose Roast
Suckling Pig, apple shallot sauce (for
two); Roast Partridge, truffle mash,
caramelised pear; or Roast Rack of
Romney Marsh Lamb, roast garlic, red
pepper. The á la carte version tempts
with John Dory Fillet, roast cauliflower
purée, brown butter, smoked eel;
Sea Bass poached in black olive oil,
pickled fennel and artichoke, black
olive crumb; Red Mullet, pistachio
risotto, courgette purée, black olive
crumb; Smoked Sirloin of Swaledale
Beef, bone marrow, Guinness braised
beef shin, smoked ratte potato purée.
reappear this month. “We used to serve
a pink champagne-style wine from
Nyetimber which was popular,’ he says.
“I do understand that it is easier for
top end restaurants to purchase the best
produce available and of course it is
harder for restaurateurs who aren’t able
to charge top-end prices but what Red
Tractor is doing makes it far more viable
for all outlets to serve sustainable British
food. However, some product needs to
be looked at in terms of pricing.” Aikens
deplores the fact that we cannot all have
the assurance of quality of product we
had 50 years ago admitting there wasn’t
a lot of choice “but it was good food, not
mass produced and pretty much organic.
“I do think the supermarkets are doing
a good job promoting sustainable, British
produce. You could say it is a big PR
thing for them, but it is good to see and
shows they are listening to what the
consumer wants,” he says.
The menu at Tom’s Kitchen says:
’Classically simple or a little more
elaborate…you choose’ and offers a
choice of Tom’s Classic Menu featuring
outstanding seasonal ingredients cooked
and presented very simply, which
concentrates on a single ingredient of
the finest quality, or choices featuring his
signature style of cooking that is ‘a little
more intricate and complex in both taste
and presentation’.
Classic, intricate and complex…this just
about sums up Tom Aikens.

16
FOOTPRINT FEATURE
Victorian
beauty gets
a makeover
The Savoy has had a £220
million makeover and
is now one of the most
environmentally friendly
luxury hotels in the world
– it’s enough to make the
competition green.
Jackie Mitchell reports
The Savoy hotel in London’s Strand
reopened its doors last October
following a three-year £200 million
refurbishment. The landmark hotel,
built by impresario Richard D’Oyly Carte
with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan
operas staged at the adjoining Savoy
theatre, opened on 6 August 1889. It was
the first luxury hotel in Britain with electric
lights throughout, electric lifts, bathrooms
inside most of the lavishly furnished rooms
and constant hot and cold running water.
The latest refurbishment included the
whole building – the iconic entrance, the
American Bar, the Savoy Grill and the 268
guestrooms and suites. A vital part was
the installation of £2.4 million-worth of
green technology which could reduce the
hotel’s energy bills by 40 to 50 per cent.
The hotel’s green initiatives, supervised by
Debra Patterson, the Savoy’s Environment
Manager, includes
the appointment
of its first Green
Butler, with an
in-depth knowledge
of ‘all things green’
around London.
The Savoy’s
Debra Patterson
strategy is to recycle
up to 90 per cent of waste from the hotel
which includes both in-house recycling,
donation schemes and the services of
several external specialist waste contractors.
Through a comprehensive programme of
recycling, reusing and reducing, the Savoy
manages to divert hundreds of tonnes of
waste from landfill. In-house schemes have
been introduced for recycling the more
unusual items like candles, spectacles and
stamps. “If the item has a second life, we
donate it,” Patterson says. “We support so
many charities.” Items that are donated
include Christmas decorations, slippers,
linen and bath items. Its waste contractor,
Brewsters, recycles any material which the
hotel can’t, as well as providing data so it
can monitor its carbon footprint. The Savoy
also works with Thames 21, a charity
that keeps London’s rivers clean. Staff are
encouraged to volunteer to pick up litter on
the stretch of river bank behind the Savoy.
In an effort to reduce excess packaging
waste, the Savoy has joined with UKOS plc,
its office stationery supplier in the launch of
the Box4Life Project, a sustainable reusable
packaging option. Under this scheme,
stationery is delivered in a corrugated
polypropylene box instead of the standard
cardboard box. The reusable box simply
folds flat after delivery and is collected by
the UKOS driver on their next visit.
Food waste
The Savoy works with PDM Group on
recycling food waste from both the hotel
and its famous restaurant Simpson’s-inthe-Strand.
In the kitchen, food waste is
separated into designated bins, which are
collected daily and taken to PDM’s facility
in Silvertown, East London. There it is
bulked up with other commercial catering
waste and transported to the company’s
energy renewable power plant. It is
estimated the equivalent energy generated
provides sufficient power to light 20 per
cent of guest rooms.
Cooking oil from the hotel restaurants
is recycled and turned into biodiesel via
PDM’s oil management system, Oilsense.
Patterson says: “At this stage, it is too early
to say how much biodiesel we are currently
generating, but we anticipate processing
approximately 1,000 litres of used cooking
oil per month.”
Energy and water conservation
The hotel’s energy consultant, Evolve
Energy, has implemented a carbon
reduction strategy which will reduce the

hotel’s carbon emissions in the long term
by 3,000 tonnes of CO 2 per year and its
energy consumption reduced by at least 40
per cent. Major initiatives have included
replacement of four 35-year-old boilers with
new high efficiency, low temperature hot
water boilers. A combined heat and power
(CHP) plant has been installed to reduce
the hotel’s reliance on the national grid
by about 50 per cent. Patterson explains:
“Basically the CHP plant becomes the lead
boiler and uses natural gas to produce
electricity, with the bi-product being hot
water which is used to heat the domestic
hot water and the building.”
Another initiative is the Inncom system
which is designed to switch off the lighting
in guest rooms when guests are out of
the room. “When the guest returns the
lighting is restored as the guest left it,” says
Patterson. “It also allows the temperature
in the guest room to deviate by up to 3°C
each side of the preset temperature of 21°C
when the room is not rented.”
Another innovative system reclaims the
heat from all kitchen appliances to preheat
hot water. “The central compressor plant
for all kitchen fridges and freezers releases
the heat drawn off the refrigeration cycle to
preheat the domestic hot water through a
heat exchanger,” explains Patterson.
The Green Butler
Nicolas Ollivier is the hotel’s first Green
Butler. His services are part of the new
environmental package ‘Elements’ enabling
customers to experience the ‘green’ side of
London. “The butler is there to offer advice
on interesting ‘green’ areas of London,
the best eco restaurants and eco bars,
environmental architecture and eco retail,”
she says. “He is also able to talk about The
Savoy’s own environmental initiatives.”
There’s been so much interest in the
Green Butler concept, that Patterson is
devising a training programme for all the
Savoy’s 14 butlers. “I’m compiling it at the
moment and then it will be rolled out to all
Fairmont hotels,” she says.
Green Partnership Scheme
Patterson has worked for the Savoy for
13 years as PA to the general manager.
When the Fairmont Group took over the
Savoy in 2005, it gave a presentation
and mentioned its green partnership
programme. This was something that
caught Debra’s attention, so she asked the
general manager at the time if she could
run it, becoming the hotel’s Environment
Manager, an additional role.
She says: “There was an enormous
learning curve and it took a year to launch
with lots of trial and error. One of the
biggest problems was finding suppliers with
an environmental background – this was a
huge hurdle. In the last three years, there
has been an explosion in awareness.”
Under the green partnership programme,
Fairmont encourages all its properties to
adopt environmentally-friendly practices to
GREEN ADVICE
FOOTPRINT FEATURE 17
help reduce the carbon impact of the local
environment. All of its hotels are audited on
a quarterly basis.
Green Team
An integral part of the hotel’s environmental
programme, says Debra, is the Green Team.
This has a representative from every hotel
department who has a passion and interest.
“In the early days I was lucky to get anyone,
but now the interest is overwhelming and
we have up to 15 members – sometimes
two people from one department,” she says.
The Green Team holds meetings and goes
through projects such as the herb garden
which will be launched in March 2011. “It
depends on where people’s passion lies – it
could be admin, ideas, poster campaigns,”
she says. “Without the Green Team I couldn’t
manage it. You need a team – it can’t be
a one person job. The Green Team has to
ensure a department acts responsibility and
feeds back information, carrying out training
if necessary. Each team member has a
different role and teaches the rest of their
colleagues.”
She adds that as part of job descriptions,
staff must follow the hotel’s environmental
policy and best practise. Patterson holds staff
inductions where she talks about the Green
Team and the hotel’s environmental policy.
Here is Debra Patterson’s advice on how to be more sustainable and green
• For businesses planning substantial financial investment into carbon reduction
strategies and programmes, my advice would be to engage the services of a
leading environmental consultancy, who will also provide advice on legislation and
regulation.
• At colleague level, every company needs a champion so find who in your company
has a passion for the subject, make them your champion and give them all your
support, including financial where needed. The Engineering or Technical Services
Director is a must on the team as they have the energy usage data.
• Have a small team of representatives from all departments and support their
involvement. Have them set achievable targets and aims.
• Encourage colleague ideas and solutions and act swiftly to solve problems to keep
momentum and interest.
• Keep your colleagues motivated, as they are what makes any programme a
success, so reward successes and make it fun.
• Culture – The Savoy includes environmental-responsibility in job descriptions and
introduces the theme at the induction stage and in departmental training – this
builds awareness of best practices into the culture and daily operations.
• It is important to keep records and data for auditing purposes as this will help you
to monitor your progress year on year and highlight areas that need attention.
Further information: The Savoy www.fairmont.com/savoy
www.brewsterswaste.co.uk www.pdm.group.co.uk www.ukosplc.com
ww.thames21.org.uk www.evolveenergy.com

18
FOOTPRINT INTERVIEW
CESA the moment
Keith Warren, Director of the Catering
Equipment Suppliers Association (CESA), says
operators and equipment suppliers must work
together to ensure the sustainable kitchen is
what the industry needs and not what the EC
legislators impose on us.
Like all good trade associations
the world over CESA exists to
protect and further the interests
of its membership. However
it would be a big mistake to think it’s
raison d’etre begins and ends solely
with manufacturers and suppliers of
catering equipment: CESA is actually an
important industry watchdog lobbying
hard to stop the legislators get ahead of
themselves when making decisions about
the foodservice industry. It is an effective
champion for operators in all sectors.
According to Keith Warren, Director
of CESA, when EC directives are
implemented, CESA’s involvement in
European affairs becomes increasingly
important. Much of its work is
undertaken in conjunction with EFCEM
(European Federation of Catering
Equipment Manufacturers) a body of
eight national associations, similar to
CESA, collectively seeking to create a
favourable climate for the foodservice
equipment industry in Europe.
“Right now, operators and suppliers
need to be aware that Europe is pushing
to improve sustainability and energy
efficiency of products in line with its
drive to cut C0 2 emissions. A European
Parliament Directive, the Ecodesign
Directive, looms that includes a series
of implementing measures to manage
catering equipment to be put on the
market. This Directive has the potential
to have a major impact on the industry
which will shortly only be able to buy
based on what the EU decides is energy
efficient equipment.
According to the European Commission:
“The Ecodesign Directive provides with
consistent EU-wide rules for improving
the environmental performance of
energy related products (ERPs) through
ecodesign. It prevents disparate national
legislations on the environmental
performance of these products from
becoming obstacles to the intra-EU trade.
This should benefit both businesses and
consumers, by enhancing product quality
and environmental protection and by
facilitating free movement of goods across
the EU.” All well and good but there is a
danger that foodservice needs could be
steamrollered if the industry doesn’t take
this on board now, says Warren.
“This is likely to have a far reaching
effect on operators as implementation
of the Directive for catering products
is 2011. There are a large number of
different commercial products by different
manufacturers on the market now and
operators have their favourites. We
have a fragmented operator chain and
a fragmented supplier chain. The EU
Directive affects the equipment that can
be put on the European market for all
operator sectors. It will also apply to all
manufacturers regardless of their size and
will include the multinationals as well as
the many smaller suppliers of individual
specialist equipment.
“So how do we pull all the threads
together? This is where CESA can help,”
says Warren who emphasises that it is
of paramount importance that operators
are aware of this impending legislation or
they will suddenly find themselves unable
to source the equipment they want and
need to do the job. Operators must do
their own lobbying and research into this,
he says, and they must be aware of what
is going on so they are not disadvantaged
by product previously used not being
available – they may well have to find
an alternative but how can they do that
without the right information?
“At the moment manufacturers can say
their new energy efficient products will
save so much a day – but compared
with what? The EFCEM energy efficiency
standards group is drafting standards
on all main categories of equipment.
It is developing a test methodology
programme against which equipment
will be able to be tested, declaring an
energy figure to provide a level playing
field for operators to judge and compare
equipment like for like based on the
Directive standard.
“We also work closely with EFCEM’s
North American counterpart NAFEM and
have considered their standards for our
work but we cannot take on board all
their findings in Europe. The problem
with adopting the US standard is that
most parts of Europe manufacture to
different standards of efficiency to that
required in the US. Availability and
cost of energy is different in the US so
standards are not necessarily as vigilant
as current best practice in Europe. Which
is why CESA and EFCEM are developing
a different set of European standards.”
CESA chairs the EFCEM Technical
Committee, which has drafted
evaluations on refrigeration and
dishwashing and is currently working on
ovens, hobs and grills. It is now in the
middle of the Commission consultations,
evaluating energy use of products to
establish baselines for efficiency. The
evaluation also takes in materials used in
construction and life cycle assessment.
“How do you measure the life of
commercial kitchen equipment? You

could say by a rule of thumb that pub
groups plan for three years while in the
public sector the life cycle could be as
much as 20 years. If you have 20-yearold
equipment in place now, whatever
sector you are in you need to replace it
now to start saving energy,” says newly
elected CESA Chairman, Mick Shaddock
of Victor Catering Equipment
“Unfortunately, operators don’t
always want to buy into whole life
cycle assessment: they don’t look at
whole life costs and capital cost can
be the overriding decision on what is
purchased. However, there is the need
for a holistic approach to equipment,
water and consumables over the life of
the equipment.”
The Carbon Trust is working on
empirical data with the learning used
across the whole industry. CESA and
the British Hospitality Association are
collaborating with this.
“At this stage, where the European
Commission sets the parameters for the
future we do not know – the Commission
must ultimately decide,” says Warren.
“In the meantime lobbying activity
is ongoing across the breadth of the
industry. We are all presenting a common
message and are all after the same goal
– achieving carbon savings. CESA and
EFCEM will keep operators appraised of
developments and we are asking them
to engage with CESA on this matter. We
must all share information and openness.
• Keith Warren is keen to hear from
operators who may have identified issues
that need to be flagged up and invites
them to engage with CESA, saying that
the start of the lobbying process is ideally
five years ahead of impending legislation.
CESA is the largest, longest established
and most influential trade association
active in the UK foodservice equipment
industry. The association represents
the industry’s best known companies,
from the small, independent firms with
specialised equipment lines to the
major league, global players, geared
for entire kitchen installations. Their
common link is an aim to serve the
hospitality industry in the most dynamic
and responsible way.
Founded in 1994, CESA is the
amalgamation of CEMA, founded in
1938 to represent the UK’s catering
equipment manufacturers, and the
CEIA, formed in 1984 to cater for the
needs of importers. Its objectives are:
• Effective collaboration between all
suppliers engaged in foodservice
equipment supply.
• Active co-operation with other likeminded
trade associations worldwide.
• To further the interests and raise
the standards of the industry and
promote the welfare of its members.
• Sustained representation on all
matters affecting members to
relevant Government departments
and regulatory authorities locally,
nationally and internationally.
CESA representatives also serve on
BSI, CEN and CENELEC Technical
Committees dealing with standards
relating to food service equipment.
Tel: 020 7793 3030
E: keith.warren@cesa.org.uk
www.cesa.org.uk
FOOTPRINT INTERVIEW 19
Essential reading for operators:
CSFG White Paper on Climate Change
CIBSE GUIDE: Energy Efficiency in
Commercial Kitchens Industry Guide
www.csfg.co.uk
Energy monitoring
As the Government pushes to reduce
carbon emissions CESA, along with
the Catering Equipment Distributors
Association (CEDA) and the Foodservice
Consultants Society International
(FCSI) has set up the Catering for
a Sustainable Future (CFSG) sub
committee to develop ideas and
initiatives to promote energy savings
and sustainability in commercial
kitchens.
“The strength of CFSG comes through
the trade associations. The supplier
side has become more integrated, as
we work together to share knowledge
and paste the elements of sustainability
together. One such example is where
CFSG and operators are collaborating
on energy monitoring so we can
establish benchmarks for measuring the
amount of energy used in commercial
kitchens,” says CESA’s Keith Warren.
“Hopefully we can persuade the
Government to award Enhanced Capital
Allowance grants for more categories of
equipment rather than just refrigeration
as at present. It may be better to focus
not so much on emissions saved but on
energy saved. We will continue to lobby
hard for this.”

20
FOOTPRINT INNOVATIONS
Footprint looks at innovations in the world of SUSTAINABLE
Light clicks on with 90
per cent energy saving
new, energy saving lamp has been
A launched in the UK which can save
companies up to 90 per cent in energy
and lasts 50 times longer than an ordinary
light bulb. The LED Pharox 300 costs
£25 per bulb but businesses can expect a
return on their investment in the first year,
with energy cost savings alone of £269
per lamp achieved over its 12.5 year
lifetime.
Each bulb uses just 6 watts of power but
has a comparable output to a conventional
60 watt bulb.
By September 2012, all incandescent
light bulbs will have been phased out
throughout the EU leaving businesses
a choice between low-energy versions,
condensed fluorescent light (CFL) or LED
lights.
The lights were recently trialled at Uphouse
Farm in Norfolk by Nigel Joice, Vice Chairman
of the Poultry Board at the National Farmers’
Union. After replacing his existing lights with
Pharox 300 lamps, the trial revealed:
• An improvement in daily growth of
chickens due to increased feed conversion
• Improved profitability due to increased bird
weights
• Improved bird welfare due to the lamp’s
natural light effect.
Unlike most fluorescent and LED lights,
the Pharox 300 lamps provide a high red
spectrum light that chickens prefer as it is
more similar to natural light. Because the
birds can more easily distinguish seeds and
berries in the soil, they eat more and their
weight increases.
Nigel Joice adds: “In each case in the
house with the LEDs, we have seen an
improvement in average daily growth of the
chickens, feed conversion has been as good
as or better than the rest of the farm which
has therefore resulted in an increase in
profitability. I am very pleased with the
results.”
The product was developed by Dutch
company Lemnis Lighting and is available
to both the hospitality and poultry sectors
through sole UK distributor, Oliver Lamps
in Norfolk.
www.pharoxlamps.co.uk or call
Stewart Oliver on 01328 855028.
Paper weightlifter turns
a new page
The Paper Pallet Company has been set
up to bring a newly designed paper
pallet to market. Paper pallets aren’t new,
but this version brings greater strength and
flexibility to the product, which is made
from 100 per cent recycled paper and is
itself 100 per cent recyclable.The Forestry

TECHNOLOGY applicable to foodservice
Commission confirms that Paper Pallet are
100 per cent exempt from current ISPM15
regulatory compliance from timber pallets.
The new pallet creates a genuine
opportunity to totally overhaul the footprint
of any business’s environmental impact.
This has relevance to many companies
across the UK but is particularly useful
within the grocery,
foodservice and
pharmaceutical
industries as
it delivers
efficient use
of a readily
available
‘waste
resource’,
as well as
minimising
backhauling
commitments
compared to
meiko...
...beyond excellence
Probably the most advanced pot washing machine on the market,
the Sirocco MG-6 from Meiko, super deep cleans ‘hard to wash’ pots
& pans. This granular pot washer, using specially developed plastic
granules, powerfully blasts clean gastronorm containers, trays, racks,
pots & pans, in fact any badly stained kitchen utensil.
Comments Julia Tyler, Domestic Bursar at Harrow School:
“Before we got the Sirocco
we had four kitchen staff
scraping and cleaning food
residue off heavy duty pans,
now however, the granular
washer does all the work,
defi nitely the way forward.”
traditional pallet pools.
This pallet uses an innovative mixture
of paper materials to gain strength and
includes a patented designed ‘runner’
or foot component which adds strength
and increases on-site flexibility. Timber
pallets are currently facing some extremely
difficult issues and the June 2010
Purchasing Managers’ Index highlighted
sustained price rises in significant areas,
including pallet timber.
Graham Hayes, Director of The Paper
Pallet Company says: “After use, our
pallets don’t need to be collected or
transported round the country, or stored
at the back of the warehouse or shop.
You simply put them in your waste paper
compressor and send them with your
other paper waste to be recycled. So you
get paid for the paper waste, rather than
paying for the pallets to be collected.
“Health and Safety legislation,
particularly in the Food and
FOOTPRINT INNOVATIONS 21
Pharmaceutical Industries has meant
that wooden pallets - which are prone to
splinters and nails coming loose - are a
potential hazard. The process of heating
pallets to kill infestation doesn’t help with
these safety concerns. It removes the
water from the wood making them more
brittle and subject to further splinters.
On all of these counts, the paper pallet
is a winner and we expect it to help our
customers be winners in their chosen
sector.”
“Finally, the paper pallets weigh
approximately 5 kg and can therefore be
easily lifted and moved around a factory
without fear of manual handling injury.”
The Paper Pallet Company will be fully
operational with an automatic pallet
manufacturing and assembly operation
from this year. In the short term, pallets
are available for trial and evaluation.
www.paperpallet.co.uk
PARTNER PRODUCT
quality reliability effi ciency service
Meiko UK Limited. 393 Edinburgh Avenue, Slough, Berkshire SL1 4UF
Tel: 01753 215120. Fax: 01753 215159
email: meikouk@meiko-uk.co.uk www.meiko-uk.co.uk

22
FOOTPRINT FEATURE
The Welfare of Laying Hens
Directive (WLHD) sets out
minimum welfare standards for
laying hens and prohibits the
use of conventional (i.e. battery) cages
from 1 January 2012. After this date egg
production in the EU will only be allowed
in enriched colony cages or non-cage
systems (e.g. free range, barn or organic).
Enriched colony cages afford the birds 50
per cent more space than in a conventional
(battery) cage and birds will be housed in
groups of up to 80 birds. Each colony cage
has a nesting and perching space and a
scratch area where birds can exhibit their
natural behaviour.
It is estimated that it will have cost the
UK industry in the region of £400 million
to convert from conventional cages to
enriched versions in order to meet the
requirements of the directive. The capital
cost of setting up a new enriched colony
unit is estimated at between £20 and £24
per bird place so for a producer who has a
medium size cage unit of 100,000 birds
the cost of erecting a new unit will be in
excess of £2 million. Along with the capital
cost of establishing a new enriched colony
unit there is also an 8 per cent increase
in the cost of producing eggs in enriched
cages compared to conventional methods.
Within the UK the majority of birds will be
in enriched cages by the deadline (January
2012). All Lion Scheme (the egg industry
assurance scheme) producers (who supply
the retail shell egg market) have agreed
that they will be converted by 2012. The
NFU has also spoken to several producers,
outside the Lion Scheme, who supply eggs
locally and who operate smaller size units
who have also invested in conversion.
A study (completed in April 2010)
commissioned by the European
Parliament’s Agriculture Committee on
Europe’s bad eggs
There is something rotten in the state of the EU…
The NFU explains new legislation coming in next
year in the form of the Welfare of Laying Hens
Directive and calls for a level playing field for the
UK, which is already up to speed in readiness for
January 2012, while other EU member countries
won’t be anywhere near meeting the deadline.
the future of the EU poultry meat and
egg sectors reported that: “Very large
proportions” of the flock in Spain, Italy,
Greece, Portugal, Poland and, to a
lesser extent, Czech Republic, Hungary
and France are not expected to be in
compliance by the Directive’s deadline. The
UK, on the other hand, features among
those EU Member States that have already
made significant progress towards banning
so-called battery cages.
It is essential that those UK producers,
who have invested heavily in conversion
to enriched cages, in order to meet the
requirements of the WLHD, are not put at a
commercial disadvantage through imported
non-compliant eggs. The NFU are lobbying
for two key results one of which is to be
able to differentiate between a compliant
enriched colony cage egg and a non
-compliant conventional cage egg.
Under the Egg Marketing Regulations
all ‘Class A’ eggs have to be stamped with
a code indicating production method.
Currently the codes are as follows:
• 0 - Organic
• 1 - Free Range.
• 2 - Barn.
• 3 - Cage.
The UK industry is requesting a fifth
production indicator, or the non-stamping
of conventional cage eggs. If unstamped
this would mean that the eggs would have
to remain in the country of origin and
could only be sold as Class B (i.e. go for
processing). The key is to be able identify
non-compliant eggs to facilitate point 2.
The second goal is to obtain an
intercommunity trade ban to prevent eggs
from conventional cages being exported
outside the Member State in which they
were produced. This would help to ensure
that UK producers are protected from, and
not put at a disadvantage by, non-compliant
imported eggs.
In the meantime, while a swathe of EU
member countries drag their feet over
deadlines for compliance, the UK egg
industry is completely unsupported and
market driven and showcases some of the
highest welfare, food safety, traceability and
environmental standards in the world. It
is ludicrous that UK egg producers could
be put at a commercial disadvantage by
complying with European legislation. It is
essential that eggs produced in conventional
cages can be identified and therefore forced
to remain within the Member State of
production to protect our producers being
subjected to competition from cheaper
illegal imports, says the NFU.
The UK Egg Industry –
Statistics:
Eggs laid in the UK
8,612 million
Eggs imported
2,373 million
Eggs exported
235 million
Domestic farm-gate value
£544 million
Domestic retail value
£844 million
Nett self sufficiency
79%
(2009 NFU & Defra figures)
Total number employed - Farm
5,147
(2009 Defra figures)
Total number employed
Packer/Processing
5,936
(derived from company accounts)

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24
FOOTPRINT HEALTHCARE
Sustainability drives
good business practice
Foodservice Footprint catches up with Mark Lovatt, Health, Safety and
Sustainability Manager at apetito to find out why sustainability is so
important to the company.
apetito is an award-winning,
global organisation with 50 years
experience in providing frozen
food and catering solutions to
care homes, local authorities
and hospitals. The company also
provides a frozen meal delivery
service to the public via its
franchise Wiltshire Farm Foods
and a private hot meal delivery
service through Local Authorities
via apetito Services.

At a time when we’re all looking
to make cost savings and
improve efficiencies, moving to
a sustainable way of working is
far from a bad thing, says Mark Lovett,
apetito’s Health, Safety and Sustainability
Manager. In his opinion, sustainability
initiatives can offer real benefit to
organisations; whether that’s in the form of
efficiency savings, cost savings or uniting
the workforce business wide. All of which
have been found to be true at apetito
where sustainability isn’t seen as an
expense but as a cost saving measure.
Sustainability is not just a ‘nice to do’;
it can bring about real savings so long as
it’s entrenched in the strategy from top to
bottom. It’s not just about carbon footprint
but rather a whole company attitude
and that’s when people work together to
achieve significant goals.
Lovett explains: “You can’t ask people to
just fill the kettle with just the right amount
of water for the tea round or remember to
turn taps off. It’s about making sure there
is something to work for as an organisation
so that they think and do these things as a
natural extension of their daily work.”
Changing the hearts and minds of
everyone within an organisation isn’t
easy, especially one as large as the NHS.
Nor is it something which can happen
overnight. Sustainability needs to be
constantly nurtured and challenged. Such
a fundamental shift in an organisation’s
way of thinking can’t be taken lightly.
“You have to take a holistic approach. It’s
not just about what can be done internally;
but how you work across all suppliers to
achieve what’s best for the good of the
Trust and its customers.”
What place does sustainability have in
today’s health service?
Sustainability has a central place in
today’s health service. It is not to be
seen simply as a cost but a better way of
working together. It’s not driven by climate
change, but by an aim for a more effective
and successful operation.
“Making sure the whole organisation
is involved in the thinking, planning and
doing is essential to enforcing a cultural
shift. Employees should care about the
organisation, how it performs and how
it operates. Here, we have seen people’s
spirits lift dramatically. Sustainability
should be embedded within daily functions
as well as strategic approaches and
decisions. Invest in meetings and set up
committees so that staff can get involved
across all levels of the organisation.”
It’s not easy and it can take years of hard
work. However, the results from apetito’s
point of view are clear. Given time, energy
savings and business efficiencies tend to
lead to a better operation. There are the
big investments, for apetito this involved
introducing a reusable crate system made
from plastic crates and saved 100 tonnes
in CO2 emissions. Organic food waste
was sent to an anaerobic digestion facility
in Devon – which provides electricity to
the grid and creates an agriculture soil
improver. Reducing transport mileage has
saved the company around 900 tonnes of
greenhouse gas emissions per year. It’s all
made for a better, leaner business.
Nearly 60 per cent of the NHS’
carbon emissions can be attributed
to procurement. Carbon is
embedded in surprising places and
so often the most obvious ‘green’
solution, is actually not the most
carbon friendly.
As mentioned before, people need to look
at the whole supply chain right through to
the patients. Bring in suppliers and work
together to accomplish sustainable goals.
“It’s easy to make assumptions when
thinking sustainably,” says Lovett. “Take
FOOTPRINT HEALTHCARE 25
for example the carbon footprint associated
with food. In recent years, there’s been
significant weight behind advocating the
environmental benefits of local sourcing.
But, did you know that some product
sourced abroad such as strawberries and
tomatoes from Spain can actually have a
lower carbon impact than that sourced in
the UK? This comes down to more energy
efficient production methods, which easily
offset the carbon cost of food miles.”
Interestingly for such a large organisation
with nearly 1.5 million employees, the
carbon footprint of the NHS alone is
significant, equating to 21 million carbon
emissions per year – equivalent to that of
some medium sized countries. Although
tough targets are in place to reduce
this by 34 per cent by 2020 and 80
per cent by 2050, the carbon cost has
actually increased by 16 per cent over
the past year alone. Yet, how will these
organisations manage to cut costs and
make such significant energy savings?
By looking at what the NHS is doing
itself and by what it is importing. For a
sustainability strategy to really work, it
must take a holistic view which takes into
consideration both internal and external
operations, wrapping in suppliers as part
of the team so that everyone works to a
common end.
There is no doubt that sustainability,
whether it is social, economic or
environmental, makes for a better and
more efficient operation. Yes, investment
is needed and the key to any significant
change is the people. Getting the right
people on side because they want to be
and know how to be is a challenge but
one that never fails to repay. As a number
of our industry friends know, some
investments are worth the money and
will reap rewards in the long run, even in
times as austere as these.

26
FOOTPRINT FEATURE
Laundry’s
‘green’refit
conveys
sustainable
benefits
Investment in new green
machinery and related
initiatives is smoothing the way
for Johnsons Stalbridge Linen
Services in terms of energy
savings and water conservation.
As a company which is committed
to improving its carbon footprint
and reducing its impact on the
environment, Johnsons Stalbridge
Linen Services is constantly seeking out
new measures to help improve efficiency,
save energy and reduce costs.
A major specialist supplier of bed linen,
towels, table linen and chefs’ whites to
the hospitality and foodservice sectors,
the company’s laundry service is a key
part of its offering. Following a recent
initiative by the Carbon Disclosure
Project (CDP), which invited the world’s
biggest water-intensive organisations to
become more ‘water-efficient’, there has
been an inevitable ‘trickle down’ effect
on smaller organisations like Stalbridge
Linen. It too, is committed to improving
the management of water supplies and
to addressing the issues of water use
throughout the operational side of its
business.
Underlining the company’s on-going
commitment to the environment and
its waste reduction strategy, a two year,
£1.3m investment package has been
implemented at one of the company’s
four UK laundries in Sturminster Newton,
Dorset. The aim is to update equipment,
improve efficiency, cut operating costs and
improve the plant’s carbon footprint.
At Sturminster Newton, an average
of 180,000 items are laundered each
week. Flatware (table linen, napkins etc)
accounts for roughly half of this, with the
remainder comprising bed linen, towels
and duvets, and chefs wear.
The investment package included a new,
more efficient £35,000 boiler to provide
steam for pressing, a heat exchanger
which utilises the heat from otherwise
waste water to heat incoming water, and a
new 75kg batch washer which uses 50%
less water than its predecessor.
In addition, a state of the art, high
powered hydraulic press now squeezes
more water than ever before out of the
towels and so saves on energy for drying
– currently estimated to be in the region
of 10%.
An automated conveyor sorting system
has also made a significant contribution
to the plant’s overall improved efficiency
as well as estimated savings of £27,000
in staff costs. It has improved efficiency
hugely and in terms of increased
production and cost savings, has paid for
itself in little over a year.
The new conveyor replaced the time-

consuming and energy-inefficient manual
system, and now enables laundry to travel
to the sorters quickly and efficiently in
batches according to product type, size
and colour. Before the new system was
installed, the plant often needed to recruit
additional - and expensive - temporary
agency staff to help cope with seasonal
surges in workload.
According to David Hill, sales and
marketing director for Stalbridge Linen, the
automated conveyor sorting system has
brought many benefits, including reducing
the need for manual handling at the
sorting stage.
“The conveyor system has enabled us
to increase productivity significantly, as it
continually carries the laundry to the next
stage of the process, it’s faster and it’s
increased the hamper count per hour – the
amount of loads per hour which enter the
laundry process,” he adds.
Additional efficiency measures include an
automated clean work rail system, which
moves the laundry around the plant in
large bags each weighing up to 120kg,
on rails suspended from the ceiling. This
system keeps the laundry off the floor
and so eliminates the risk of it picking up
additional contamination and concrete
scuffs as it travels through the system. An
additional automated picking system and
the new four-station sheet feeder reduces
tangling and has improved productivity
massively from 1,700 pieces per day
to 4,500, while a separate ‘small piece’
ironer processes in the region of 22,000
napkins and pillowcases per day, and folds
them exactly as the customer requests.
”We’re delighted that the investment
across all these areas at Sturminster
has not only resulted in direct and
ongoing cost and energy savings, but it
has equipped us to provide a fast, high
quality, efficient and flexible service for
our customers,” adds David. “Automation
has not only given us an immediate cost
saving but has enabled us to significantly
reduce our environmental impact –
something which should be at the heart of
every business strategy.”
Johnsons Stalbridge Linen Services
is a specialist provider of high quality
linen, chefs’ wear and laundry services
for the hospitality and catering industry.
For further information about the range
of products and services available call
01747 857609 or visit
www.stalbridge-linen.com
FOOTPRINT FEATURE 27

28
FOOTPRINT CASE STUDY
A sea of
sustainability
Seafood taken from the world’s
oceans has increased five-fold in
the past 50 years. Yet Britain’s
appetite continues to grow,
especially out of home where it
accounts for 18 per cent of meals.
These two combined factors are
putting a major strain on the
world’s resources; the reason why
Brakes Group is on a mission to
supply only certified sustainable
seafood to its customers while
promoting under-utilised and
discarded species to help protect
our stocks.
Britain is a fish loving nation,
especially when it comes to
eating out. Whether poached,
grilled, or indulgently battered
and deep-fried, 18 per cent of out-of-home
meals are seafood based. 1
However, it is naive to think that the
nation’s increasing demand for this muchloved
source of protein is not having an
impact on the world’s stocks. In reality, the
United Nations has forecast that by 2030
fish production for human consumption
will edge up to around 130 million
tonnes. The current global production rate
is around 110 million tonnes 2 . In order to
meet this increase in demand, the entire
industry must work together to effectively
manage stocks of over-utilised fish, while
promoting under-utilised alternatives for
future generations to enjoy.
Back in 1988 M & J Seafood, now
part of Brakes Group, made a pledge
to supply only certified sustainable
seafood to its customers under its ethos;
‘meeting today’s needs while protecting
tomorrow’s’. In 2005, the company added
an additional commitment to actively
promote greater variety and under-utilised
species whilst encouraging skippers to
stop discarding species that were suitable
for human consumption.
Today, Mike Berthet, Director of Fish and
Seafood at Brakes Group explains: “The
seas around the world have to be fished
sustainably. Therefore, Brakes Group has
to be responsible in its sourcing and in
what we offer so that chefs can create
nutritious, exciting and sustainable menus
for their customers.
“We have always gone to great lengths
to ensure that we source from sustainable,
well-managed and progressive fisheries for
both wild capture and farmed seafood. The
ultimate goal is to make our entire range
sustainable while educating our customers
about under-utilised fish, and how it can
be prepared for their customers.”
The group is extremely proud of its
achievements so far. In 1988 M&J
Seafood set out its Sustainable Policy,
in 1997/8 M&J Seafood represented
foodservice at the WWF-Unilever Marine
Stewardship Council (MSC) Steering Group
and in 2003, as part of the Brakes Group,
was the first in foodservice to offer MSC
certified products.
The company’s prominent relationship
with MSC – which is the certification
awarded to fisheries who produce
sustainable fish and seafood from wellmanaged
stocks – has changed the way
in which the supplier, its customers and
their consumers make choices about their
seafood selections.
Adam Swan, commercial director for
Brakes Group sits on the MSC Technical
Advisory Board, taking an active role in
their future direction. He comments: “Our >

30
FOOTPRINT CASE STUDY
>continued from page 28
active involvement with MSC will help to
relieve the pressure on over utilised fish
stocks for years to come, especially as
more customers and consumers identify
with what it means.
“We are currently monitoring the progress
of the Scottish Scampi Fishery as it
undergoes MSC accreditation and Scottish
Haddock won its certification earlier this
month. The Haddock is the first Scottish
whitefish to be certified and we will be
the first to supply it to foodservice. We
encourage customers to follow suit and
undergo MSC certification, so that they too
can prove to their customers that they are
sustainable.”
This, and becoming the first foodservice
company to introduce MSC products, is
not the only MSC associated ‘firsts’ Brakes
Group has achieved. It now has 82
approved products available to customers,
the largest range in UK foodservice and
2011 will be another landmark year, as
Brakes Group looks to reaching a target of
100 MSC certified products.
The MSC incentive is vital in helping to
sustain favoured seafood species such
as Cod and Haddock. Yet frustratingly,
fisherman discard thousands of tonnes
of varied species of seafood every year
because the fish does
not meet minimum
landing size, there is
little or no money in
it, the fish cannot be
easily marketed, or there
is no quota left. Most
worrying of all however, is
that a great deal of these
discards are perfect for
human consumption.
Berthet says: “Of all the contributing
factors to fish discards there is one that
we and our chefs can do something
about – and that is fish that can be easily
marketed and eaten... should be.’
“For several years we have been
championing these under-utilised species
with particular success. In 2008, we
brought the humble Gurnard to the fore
at the Billingsgate Sustainable Futures
Day which secured an enormous amount
of media and exposure. It is now gracing
dining tables up and down the country,
where clever chefs have designed new or
adapted old recipes.”
Chefs have such an important role to
play in solving the fish discard issue.
Along with the major Common Fisheries
Policy (CFP) reform in 2013 3 , there will be
a huge need to utilise species that can and
should be used for human consumption.
However, Brakes Group is not waiting
around for that moment and is currently
helping chefs to embrace species such
as Dab, Flounder, Grey Mullet, Witch,
Megrim, Pout, Sand Sole, and indeed, the
mighty Gurnard.
“Raising awareness about the advantages
of sustainable species is challenging,
but we are vigorously dedicated to the
cause. Next year, we will spend time
talking to chefs about introducing underutilised
species to their customers – with
nationwide workshops, in-house training
and new and improved marketing
materials. We will also continue to
work with NGO’s, skippers and peers to
highlight sustainable fishing and how, by
working together, the industry can make a
difference,” Mike Berthet concludes.
After all, ‘every little bit helps’, and
Brakes Group hopes that in years to come,
the variety in fish species will flourish and
all menus will include the MSC ‘seal of
approval’ in that all important 18 per cent
percent of seafood meals in foodservice.
1 Source: Seafish
2 Source: Seafish Guide to Sustainability
May 2009
3 CFP is the EU’s Common Fisheries
Policy. The controversial discards issue
is to receive special attention in the next
CFP Reform due in 2013.

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foodservice industry – whatever the
size and whatever the impact.
Closing Date 11 February 2011
Winners announced at a dinner on
19 May, RIBA (Royal Institute of
British Architects)
The categories are:
1 Sustainable Use of Natural Resources
Award
2 Innovations in Packaging Award
3 Sustainable Sourcing Award
4 Environmentally Efficient Logistics
Award
5 Corporate Social & Environmental
Responsibility Award
6 British Supply Award
7 Energy Efficiency Award
8 Best Sustainable Catering Equipment
Manufacturer
9 Best Sustainable Foodservice
Installation
10 Commercial Benefit Through
Sustainable Practice Award
11 Internal Communications
12 Consumer Engagement
13 Special Achievement Award
14 The Community Vote
Go to www.footprint-awards.com Find a category. Enter now.

32
FOOTPRINT CASE STUDY
WASTE
NOT,
Sodexo’s global strategy on reducing waste across its vast
estate is taking form and promises to be a benchmark for
foodservice businesses in the battle of the waste bulge
Just over a year ago Sodexo
published its ‘Better Tomorrow
Plan’, the company’s global
sustainability strategy. Covering the
Sodexo estate in 80 countries with 33,900
sites and 380,000 employees, the ‘Better
Tomorrow Plan’ has milestones in 2012,
2015 and 2020 addressing three core
pillars – nutrition, health and wellness,
local communities and environment. One
of the biggest challenges to be faced is
addressing waste.
But how can Sodexo successfully align
its global strategies on waste between
countries as diverse as the UK, Europe
and the US, newly rich countries like
China and India and emerging nations in
Africa and elsewhere? There are obviously
substantial variations country to country
to be taken into account. According
to Thomas Jelley, Sodexo Corporate
Citizenship Manager, UK and Ireland,
the strategy is unified at the highest level
across the company but when it gets down
to grass roots, Sodexo’s approach is to
“think globally but act locally”. In practice
this necessitates interpreting local needs
and acknowledging that no one size fits
all.
He queries assumptions that Western
nations are necessarily more advanced
when it comes to food waste saying that
data suggests there is a very long way
to go in the UK. In WRAP’s ‘Household
Food and Drink Waste in the UK’ report,
published in November 2009, it found
the UK alone generates 8.3 million tonnes
of food and drink waste annually. Most
of this is avoidable and could have been
eaten if only we had planned, stored and
managed it better. Less than one fifth is
truly unavoidable – things like bones,
cores and peelings.
We throw away food for two main
reasons: 2.2 million tonnes is thrown
away due to cooking, preparing or serving
too much and a further 2.9 million tonnes
is thrown away because it was not used
in time and the food has gone off. The
report goes on to say: “All this wasted food
is costly; in the UK we spend £12 billion
every year buying and then throwing away
good food. That works out at £480 for
the average UK household, increasing to
£680 a year for households with children
– an average of just over £50 a month.
“Throwing away food that could
have been eaten is responsible for the
equivalent of 20 million tonnes of carbon
dioxide emissions every year – that’s the
same as the CO 2 emitted by one in every
four cars on UK roads. It’s not just the
methane that’s released when the food
goes to landfill that’s the problem, but
also the energy spent producing, storing
and transporting the food to us,” says the
report.
A subsidiary WRAP report published
at the same time, ‘Down the Drain’,
estimates individual types of food and
drink disposed of down the drain in
the greatest quantities are milk, then
carbonated soft drinks, followed by
fruit juice and smoothies and that costs
consumers £2.7 billion annually.
Although the reports cover domestic
waste, they are a good indicator of what
is happening here. Quite simply, we as a
nation are profligate with waste and Jelley
says that before we start looking elsewhere
in the world and pointing the finger we
should take a long hard look at ourselves.
A significant change of diet in China
and India among some economic
classes includes higher meat and dairy
consumption that concerns some, but
ingrained behaviour in the traditional
industrial nations that may be the hardest
to change is also under the spotlight.
Some people in the UK for example
display an “I am used to it, I am entitled
to it” culture. We go to the supermarket
and are quite used to getting food from
anywhere at a competitive price. This
has only really happened over the past
15 years and we are now also used to
obtaining unseasonal foods throughout the
year, think this is normal, and therefore
perhaps value it less and so waste more.
We have to challenge that mindset, says
Jelley, who believes behaviour change
may be easier to manage in emerging
countries because they haven’t yet become
embedded in the same range of bad
habits.
London was the host city for the Expert
Forum on Reduction of Food Waste,
in February 2010, organised by the
UK Science and Innovation Network
in collaboration with Foresight which
heard how the Foresight Global Food and
Farming Futures project looks to 2050
seeking to answer the question ‘How can a
global population of 9 billion people be fed
healthily and sustainably?’ it estimated 40
per cent of the total food produced globally
is wasted. It addressed the situation in
Brazil, India, China, Russia (BRIC), East-
European countries and Thailand and
compared past OECD trajectories with
emerging BRIC trends.
Jelley says: “The Forum reported
that countries at different stages of
industrialisation waste food at different

stages of the supply chain. Emerging
countries tend to waste more food earlier
in the chain while in the UK we waste
more at the consumer stage. Sodexo’s own
waste working group, formally launched
in May 2010, has conducted its own
research on waste management in Brazil,
India and China and we now have projects
under way relying on customer and
employee engagement. Awareness raising
is a concept that would not be alien to
any business in the UK and is driving a
high level of interest. The crux here is
to ‘rethink, reduce, recover and recycle’
globally.
“The waste working group has wide
ranging representation from our businesses
in the UK, US, Canada, France, India,
South America and Australia. We have
a mandate at group level and we hold a
monthly conference call with an in-person
meeting scheduled for early 2011. We
have identified and agreed a set of key
objectives across the Sodexo estate to
identify best practice to reduce, recover
and recycle and we will be sharing this
information across the Group. We will
also be analysing data garnered from the
various schemes globally,” says Jelley.
An audit was carried out at site level in
March-June 2010 (with data gathered
from 10,000 sites worldwide – 933
of these sites in the UK alone). Site
managers were asked about their practices
such as whether composting is an option,
what steps are being taken to reduce
waste and recover it. They are providing
Sodexo with invaluable data. “I have been
told that is the first time this has been
done in foodservice. It means we can now
look at trends and analyse our strengths
and weaknesses. It is important that we
communicate our findings both internally
and externally and keep reviewing our
waste KPIs, redefining and reviewing the
various initiatives,” says Jelley.
Ultimately the group provides the
guidelines and the individual sites are
relied on to take action. Sodexo is now in
the process of publishing its “What can I
do?” guide for waste for dissemination at
site level which is also being translated
into French and Spanish.
However there are some pitfalls to be
aware of, says Jelley. “Beware of too
much too soon,” he warns. “Establishing
baselines and conducting audits helps
here. Ask questions, amass data and
analyse best practice.“
‘Feeding 5,000’, held at
Trafalgar Square in December 2009,
was organised by author and food
waste campaigner, Tristram Stuart,
to highlight the work of the partner
organisations, Save the Children,
ActionAid, This is Rubbish and
FareShare. The aim of the day was to
help raise awareness of the amount
of food that is wasted in the UK every
day, sometimes for purely aesthetic
reasons, and what can be done to
tackle the issue.
FOOTPRINT CASE STUDY 33
WANT
NOT
Via its strategic partnership with
FareShare, the national food poverty
and redistribution charity, Sodexo
supported the day by contributing a
team of 15 volunteers and cooking
equipment. Sodexo employees were
on hand to help serve lunch to over
5,000 people in the square on the
day. All the food served was made
from fresh and nutritious ingredients
that would otherwise have been
wasted.

34
FOOTPRINT CASE STUDY
Direct Action
Cafédirect has a relatively short history in the scheme of things but
as a mover and shaker of sustainability its contribution has been
emphatic. Footprint finds out how Cafédirect goes about its
marketing and finds, surprisingly for such a well known
brand, it has quite a softly, softly approach.
It seems light years ago but it was
only in 1991 that Cafédirect first
burst into life. The collapse of the
International Coffee Agreement sent
market prices plunging, putting the lives of
millions of smallholder farmers around the
world in jeopardy. Three coffee growing
communities (in Peru, Costa Rica and
Mexico) each shipped a single container
of coffee, loaned on trust, to the UK
where the beans were roasted and sold
through church halls, charity shops and
at local events. Such was the beginning of
Cafédirect.
As 2011 dawns, the Cafédirect brand
has grown to be one of the most popular
in the hot beverage market in and out of
home. It started off in 1991 with just one
Cafédirect coffee – Medium Roast Fresh
Ground. Since then it has added lots
more: a rich roast, an espresso, specialist
fresh ground and beans for the coffee
connoisseur, decaffeinated coffees and a
range of instant coffees. Some are single
origin, some are organic but all of them
are Fairtrade.
The business is now working with 40
growers in 14 countries and 260,000
farmers and is actively improving the
lives of more than 1.6 million people.
In the past five years alone, Cafédirect
has invested more than £3 million of its
profits directly into the businesses and
communities of its growers, and paid more
than £7.5
million over
and above
market prices for
its raw materials.
According to Cafédirect’s
Head of Marketing and
Communications, Nicola Pearson:
“We have found that our customers and
consumers want quality from a sustainable
and ethical business and that is what
we provide. They are also interested in
food integrity and provenance and we are
perfectly placed through our cooperative
of farmers to deliver high quality product

which includes single origin tea, coffee
and chocolate,” she says.
At the start of Cafédirect’s life marketing
was, Pearson admits, fairly amateur, but
she believes that was not a bad thing as
it demonstrably worked. “At first it was
mostly word of mouth and that word got
around from people meeting in church
halls and Oxfam outlets. And it is basically
what we are still doing – although in 2011
we are using digital methods, utilising the
social media to get the message across.
“We have always believed it is important
to be creative about our marketing.
Obviously there has to be a certain
amount of traditional advertising but
we don’t throw a big budget at it as we
would rather spend it on our growers. We
tend to do lots of small things to get the
Cafédirect message across – for example
in retail, instead of discounting we added
value by having an on-pack promotion
for free seeds. Take-up on that was
phenomenal. And it ties into our ethos
of sustainability.
“We also get out and about and
engage with people face to face. At last
year’s Café Culture show in London we
set up Cafédirect World, a coffee shop
where all sectors – and their customers –
could come and see what we are about.
We engaged with them and told stories
about our farmers and their lives. Festivals
were a target last year, too – we were at
the Hay book festival, WOMAD, Brighton
Food Festival and various county shows.
People were invited to sample our single
origin Machu Picchu tea and Kilimanjaro
coffee.”
Kilimanjaro roast and ground single
origin coffee has proved so popular
the company has just launched a new
variety – Kilimanjaro wholebeans.
FOOTPRINT CASE STUDY 35
These beans are grown on the slopes of
Mount Kilimanjaro where the rich volcanic
soils and altitude give the coffee a lively,
aromatic and intense flavour.
“Now, this is where traditional word of
mouth becomes modern. We can use
digital space to access people who share
our beliefs and have a shared interest in
what we are doing. Blogging is another
valuable marketing tool for Cafédirect. We
use Facebook, Flickr and Youtube and
have 2,000 people following us on Twitter.
We have also built up a database of
121,000 ‘friends’ – customers, consumers
and shareholders. Friends of Cafédirect
enjoy our coffee, tea and cocoa, like to
try our recipes and believe in what we
stand for and the difference this can make
to farmers around the world. The Friends
receive a monthly newsletter containing
special offers, new products, competitions
and recipes and we can carry out our
research through the database.
“I believe digital networking is the way
we will change people’s outlook. The
strength of the brand lies in the way it
mobilizes communities – small actions
add up to big results,” concludes Pearson.
Cafédirect is the result of Oxfam,
Equal Exchange, Traidcraft,
and Twin Trading’s decision to
bypass the conventional market and
buy coffee direct from disadvantaged
growers in developing countries.
Cafédirect has developed and works
to its own Gold Standard, consistently
setting the bar for ethical business
leadership. In 2009, Cafédirect
won the coveted Ethical Business of
the Year Award at the Triodos Bank
‘Women in Ethical Business Awards’.
Cafédirect began trading three years
before the Fairtrade Foundation mark
was first used in the UK, and the
business was the first coffee brand to
carry the mark. In 2004, Cafédirect
successfully executed the UK’s
biggest ethical public share issue to
become a publicly listed company,
raising £5 million from 4,500
investors. The opportunity enabled
its grower partners, consumers,
employees and founders to own
a share in the company and to be
directly connected to one another.

36
FOOTPRINT CASE STUDY
The realities of
sustainability
As Head of
Procurement at
Reynolds, I am
always looking for
greater efficiency, better quality,
lower prices, higher taste
and innovation. However, the
recent recession has taught
me a lesson. If we look only
for continuous improvement
and neglect our growers and
infrastructure, the gains we
make now will be short lived.
We need sustainability.
Sustainability is about
recognising the fragility of
farmers and farming and acting
upon it. Our future has to be
a combination of both viable
farming and the protection of
our environment.
There is much debate
around the definition of
environmentally friendly
farming. A great example is a
product grown in Kenya and
air freighted to the UK. At first
sight, this approach seems
like an environmental disaster,
but when we look at the
situation in a little more detail,
the argument is less clear
cut. If that farmer in Kenya is
growing in season, without
artificial lights and heat, if
he is investing in water and
infrastructure, if he is providing
jobs and education to the local
communities, if he is providing
a long term sustainable future
for Kenyans, we could argue
that he is working within the
true spirit of sustainability. This
is the challenge that Reynolds
faces every working day.
Seasonality and sustainability
A key factor in delivering
sustainability is to understand
how seasonality can be
balanced with consumer
demand. With constant
leaps in technology, the
historic boundaries around
seasonality are continuously
challenged. The perception
and expectation of the general
public is that all products
are available 12 months of
the year in the UK. However,
this is not always in the best
interests of either consumer
experience or sustainability. I
would challenge the rationale
of having peaches shipped
half way across the world,
when the quality of the eating
experience can be so poor.
However, is it unreasonable
to want to eat a healthy salad
or a bowl of fresh berries in
the UK during the middle
of winter? How else will we
get our five a day? As the
UK climate struggles to grow
most salads and fruit types
during the winter periods we
must venture further afield for
Matthew Wale, Head of Procurement
at Reynolds tells Footprint exactly
what he is looking for in terms of
sustainable product.
supply. And while availability
is important, quality, price and
food safety are equally so, as
they are vital to our customers’
success. This means that
sometimes we have to source
produce from further away
than we would like in order to
get the balance right.
As I work towards my
commercial goals, Ian Booth,
(Reynolds Technical Director)
and his team of technicians
are out in the fields with our
growers, auditing, probing and
supporting. I rely heavily on
Ian’s team to validate not only
food safety but to ensure that
in delivering our commercial
proposition we derive a solid,
sustainable supply base.
For example, we have spent
considerable time working with
some of our growers to provide
an outlet for some of the
potential waste product that
may otherwise be destined for
landfill. And the products we’re
talking about here are simply
class II (or catering class)
vegetables or salad items such
as mushrooms and peppers,
which have identical flavour
and texture to a class I product,
yet are simply misshaped in
some way. This produce is
perfect for caterers to use when
product appearance is not
important, such as in soups or

stews. It provides our growers
with an extra revenue stream
and at the same time offers
our customers a cost saving,
with no affect on the quality of
their offering. It also reduces
the amount of fresh produce
destined for landfill so is great
in environmental terms.
Our audits are not simple
validating accreditations;
they really are about getting
muddy boots, going through
every stage of the process
of production including
understanding our grower’s
financial position. Accreditation
is a good start, but it is just
that, a good start. BRC, Global
Gap and Assured produce are
really just the minimum we
require. Meeting, or exceeding,
the requirements of Ian and his
team is the real goal.
Clearly, a new supplier to
Reynolds is not necessarily
going to meet all of our
requirements on day one
and this is where supplier
development comes in.
Following our validation
process, our technical team is
then on hand to help, assist
and challenge suppliers to get
to where they need to be. We
offer support every step of the
way to help ensure consistency
and quality of supply for our
customers.
Menu solutions
Having in-depth knowledge
of seasonality and produce
quality is critical in creating
the best possible menu
solutions. At Reynolds, we’re
lucky enough to have a chef
director, Ian Nottage, who
works closely with technical
and procurement teams to
develop menus based around
seasonality, quality, availability
and, most importantly, the
eating experience.
There is a real trend now
within foodservice towards
seasonality and provenance
and our team aims to
provide chefs and buyers
with information and menu
FOOTPRINT CASE STUDY 37
solutions focused around these
key areas.
We achieve this in a number
of ways, which includes taking
chefs out to meet the farmers,
as well as hosting menu
workshops at our development
kitchen in Waltham Cross.
Here we can highlight what’s
best in season as well as
suggest innovative and
appropriate ways to use the
produce.
Reynolds also produces
fortnightly newsletters which
we email out to customers;
keeping them up to date with
what’s happening in the fresh
produce world. And let’s not
forget that seasonal produce
doesn’t have to be expensive.
In fact one of the best things
about fruit and vegetables
in season is that they are
normally very cost effective.
We are very fortunate at
Reynolds as we not only have
development chefs with very
sound industry knowledge
and good craft skills; we also
have extremely experienced
greengrocers. This is vital
to us because a chef can’t
be expected to be an expert
butcher, baker, fishmonger and
greengrocer. We aim to be the
chefs’ expert greengrocer and
relate that experience in menu
and product development. This
also helps to ensure that we
can build the link between the
grower and the chef. As we
always say, the grower is every
bit as passionate about his
craft as the chef - he has to be
because his livelihood depends
on it.
In short, our sustainability
offer is the partnership formed
when procurement, suppliers,
customer, product development
and marketing get together.
Working as a team enables us
to take sustainability seriously,
deliver upon it and also ensure
that we have food safety, food
security and a supply base
that will be with us for years to
come.

38
FOOTPRINT CASE STUDY
Evolution
With sales going from strength to strength,
the addition of more items and new
colours, what are the factors that have
made Dudson’s ‘Evolution’ range such an
outstanding success?

FOOTPRINT CASE STUDY 39
- a success story
“Tableware purchasers have always been interested in practicality and value
for money, and these remain primary considerations. However, other important
factors now have a considerable influence on their final decision,” says Steve
Walton, Sales Manager UK & Eire at Dudson.
“Fashion and food trends in our industry are very important and can play a vital
role in reaching a buying decision. In the kitchen, along with the emphasis on
local sourcing, there has been a move towards homely food and many traditional
items have reappeared on the menu. The aesthetics of ‘Evolution’ fit perfectly into
this style, because it was specifically designed with the hand-made appearance
of thrown pottery. The variance in colour and glaze provides the perfect setting for
the service of ‘homemade’ food and reflect the welcoming warmth of a traditional
interior,” he says.
Over the last few years, we have seen a revolution within the hospitality sector,
which has seen an increase in chefs sourcing local ingredients. Traceability and
the associated confidence this provides has become a major element of planning
a menu. The high profile of environmental concerns has also contributed to the
renaissance of buying locally, as many hospitality professionals strive to reduce
their carbon footprints. This philosophy has now been extended throughout many
foodservice operations to include more than just the food.
According to Avril Gayne, hospitality Services and Control Manager at the Eden
Project: “It’s not just the origins of our food and the impact on the environment
we are passionate about. What excites us about ‘Evolution’ is the fact that, like
our menus, ingredients are sourced locally whenever possible, supporting the
community and keeping the production of carbon to a minimum.”
Dudson developed ‘Evolution’ with the prime objective of reducing the amount
of carbon created during the manufacturing process. And, at 79%* fewer carbon
emissions than the equivalent porcelain product, ‘Evolution’ is the ideal choice for
foodservice operators who take an interest in ‘green’ issues and want to reduce
their overall carbon footprint.
Dudson is also seeing an increased interest from clients who prefer to buy
British manufactured tableware with quality standards they know and can
trust. Imported products can initially seem cheaper, but with lower replacement
rates and a minimum of time needed for the handling and transport of goods,
tableware from Dudson proves time and again to be the financially viable option.
But buying British is not just about the product. It is also about reducing our
impact on the environment and preserving resources for future generations.
With many companies now bringing ‘green’ considerations into their purchasing
policies, the reduction in product miles is also an important factor. Consumers
are more environmentally conscious and will take into account a company’s
environmental record or policy before making their own purchasing decisions. It is
therefore increasingly important for foodservice operators to prove traceability and
voice their environmental credentials in order retain market share.
The use of British sourced tableware is as significant to a restaurant that takes
sustainability issues seriously, as the provenance of the ingredients used in its
kitchen. It is also likely to be just as important to its clientele.
*According to independent testing carried out by Endeka Ceramics Ltd. on kiln
firing processes.

40
FOOTPRINT CASE STUDY
Footprint met up with
Tim Innocent, Head
of Purchasing – Direct
Materials, Nestle UK – to
talk about the company’s
approach to sourcing milk
sustainably as part of its
‘Creating Shared Value’
approach to business.
Putting milk first
Nestlé’s philosophy is to ensure
that it takes the right solution
to the right market-place and
puts things in the right place.
As the world’s largest milk company (sales
value) Nestlé’s aim is to give milk farmers
greater access to markets, a fair price and
bespoke training and support depending
on local needs. It is a major endeavour
along the lines of ‘The Cocoa Plan’ and
‘Beyond The Cup – Nescafe Plan’ because
it is so important that the company looks
beyond just buying materials.
For Nestlé, milk is a hugely important
element of Nestlé’s global offering and
is tied in to its ‘Creating Shared Value’
policy. It is worth visiting the principles
behind this initiative as the policy is
a fundamental part of Nestlé’s way of
doing business. “Creating Shared Value”
focuses on specific areas of the company’s
core business activities – namely water,
nutrition, and rural development – where
value can best be created both for society
and shareholders. For a business to be
successful in the long term it has to create
value, not only for its shareholders but
also for society and Nestlé has instigated
the ‘Creating Shared Value’ strategy as a
framework to achieve this aim.
‘Creating Shared Value’ extends to
the farmers who supply the company,
its employees, consumers and the
communities where it operates. As
a necessary condition, Nestlé has to
demonstrate responsible behaviour by
assuring compliance and sustainability.
This includes complying with Nestlé
Business Principles, national laws and
international norms, and ensuring that its
actions are environmentally sound, socially
just and economically viable.
Tim Innocent, Head of Purchasing –
Direct Materials, Nestlé UK, has the
massive task of managing and supplying
materials that come into Nestlé factories,
including milk. He tells Footprint: “There
are 10 Nestlé factories around the UK and
to ensure they work to their full potential
my team have to make sure thousands
of materials arrive on time. The heart of
sustainability for Nestlé is to ensure we
take it through the supply chain and get
the flow of material to our factories correct
in the short and long term. We engage
with farmers around the world, making
sure their community is sustainable,
helping them by taking a holistic
approach,” says Innocent.
“We support dairy farmers throughout
the world and we buy 12 million tonnes
of milk from over 30 countries in the
developing world and 5 million tonnes
direct from farmers. It’s not just about
getting supplies; it’s about looking at the
core of these communities and improving
their livelihood. We have to make sure
we get the right products to the right

market so that consumers have affordable
nutritious products in developing regions,”
says Innocent, “and there are measurable
mutual benefits.”
An example of the support Nestlé gives,
via the East Africa Dairy Association
in Kenya and Uganda, Nestlé helps
to increase dairy production and give
technical assistance on feeding, breeding,
milking, food safety management as well
as production and quality assurance with
support from the Gates Foundation and
Heifer International.
Another example of Nestlé working with
communities is the women’s livestock
workers project with the UN Development
Programme in Pakistan where 5,000
women have been trained in conjunction
with the Swiss Agency of Development on
managing healthy livestock. “In certain
countries it is left to women to look after
animals and if the vets are men they often
can’t go into that community. The women
have been empowered by the project to
go forward to sell their animal nurturing
skills into other similar communities,
which is good for them, good for animal
welfare and good for our products as we
can ensure a regular supply of high-quality
milk. The project is an innovative way to
work within their communities to find a
solution,” says Innocent.
Nestlé’s Shuangcheng milk production
plant in China is its fourth largest and
has created a unique milk collection
programme called “Factory and Farmers”
over the past 20 years. Over 300 farmers
a year receive free training sessions which
introduce them to best practices, new
tools and continuous skills development.
And in Venezuela the Milk Production
and Encouragement Plan helps farmers
increase milk production and produce
higher quality yields. Supported by the
Venezuelan government the plan has
resulted in an 80% increase in milk and
generated 5000 new jobs since 2005.
In the UK Nestlé has forged a
partnership with First Milk. First Milk is
the largest cooperative producer of over
1.6 billion litres of milk each year: that’s
about 16 per cent of all milk produced in
Great Britain. “We have re-engaged with
the supplier and chose First Milk as a
partner to take on farms contracted by us,
FOOTPRINT CASE STUDY 41
as they have the skills to manage them.
“I used to say milk was an ingredient like
sugar but I guess I’m wrong: ultimately it’s
about relationships with suppliers. Farmers
can struggle with volatile commodity
prices so we have worked with them to
develop a mutually acceptable pricing
structure,” says Innocent. “We have to look
beyond buying and look at sustainability
of the product. There’s a sense of farmers
wanting to work with us. There’s a sense
of engagement - of getting to understand
each other.
“We are developing the Nestle First Milk
Academy to drive standards and best
practice forward. The pilot for this initiative
is running at our Girvan plant in Scotland.
In Girvan, our factory for chocolate
crumb, we take 40 per cent of all milk
produced locally – it’s a good area for milk
production. The partnership with First Milk
delivers joint benefits:
• Sustain milk prices so they’re
competitive in the area
• Develop programme for farmers – ensure
sharing of information
• Focus on water and best practices
“We are working together to develop the
UK Milk Roadmap and we are using our
resources to assist the farmers. Even in the
UK some areas suffer from water stress
and that’s why we want to introduce best
practices for managing it – even simple
things like catching and conserving water
off roofs. We shouldn’t use water as if it is
an infinite resource: there’s a lot of water
in milk production. Our aim, by working
with First Milk, is to ensure we always
have a sustainable milk supply in the UK.”

42
FOOTPRINT PEOPLE
UNSUNG
HEROES
Mike Thorne has been
Chartwells’ General Manager
at Bryanston School in
Blandford, Dorset, since
1998. Mike leads a team of 63 at the
co-educational boarding and day school
and operates the on-site catering and
conference and banqueting business.
Recently, pursuing
a personal and
professional interest
in environmental
matters, Mike
became one of
Chartwells’ first
employees to
complete the NCFE
Level 2 certificate
Mike Thorne
in Sustainable
Development. This is a qualification that
enables people to learn how to make their
workplaces more environmentally-friendly
through gaining an understanding of
environmental legislation, saving energy,
recycling and using seasonal produce.
Mike has worked with Bryanston’s Green
Committee, led by the school’s Bursar,
Paul Speakman, comprising 20 pupil
representatives, two bursary managers
and several members of the teaching staff,
for over two years. In this time Mike has
introduced and implemented a number
of environmentally-friendly measures
including:
• A dewaterer, which takes excess water
from food waste.
• A BioNova machine, which turns that
food waste into compost for the school’s
extensive 450 acre grounds and
vegetable growing area.
• A bio diesel unit, which converts used
cooking fat into fuel which powers a
number of vehicles on the estate.
• A cardboard baler, which crushes and
packs cardboard wrappings.
Bryanston School
Mike has also significantly increased
recycling activity on site: all kitchen waste,
paper, glass and cans are now recycled
and kitchen peelings are composted by the
school.
Thanks to Mike’s work, in a school of
660 pupils aged between 13 and 18,
where around 2,500 meals are served
each day to boarders and day pupils,
these initiatives have resulted not only in
less waste being sent to landfill sites but
also in cost savings for the school.
Sandra Oakes, South West Regional
Manager for Chartwells attributes much
of the school’s environmental success to
Mike: “Mike has been a key instigator
in pushing forward key environmental
initiatives at Bryanston which cumulatively
have had a great impact. His desire
to learn and his passion for securing a
brighter future for coming generations
motivate all those he works with and he’s
an asset to the Chartwells team.”
However, the journey does not stop
here for Mike and the team; Mike is
now helping Bryanston to gain three
key accreditations relating to quality
management systems, environmental
management systems and occupational
health and safety: ISO9001, ISO 14001
and OHSAS 18001, systems which
Chartwells is leading the way in delivering
across the education sector.
Kevin Sheehan the IT manager for
Serviceline, the national professional
kitchen equipment maintenance company,
has spent months if not years looking for
the right software to integrate into the
company over several levels. Anybody
can plug in a Tom Tom and save miles
but what Sheehan did was add the labour
management element of the process,
which means more efficient use of
engineers and improved response times for
customers.
Sheehan takes up the story: “Serviceline
has more than 120 catering equipment
engineers on the roads and we had been
looking at traffic management systems for
quite a while before choosing to go with
Tom Tom. Engineers now avoid traffic
jams and generally spend less time overall
in traffic. Routing is also better, making
journeys quicker, especially where an
engineer can’t use local knowledge, such
as when they are required to work outside
their normal area.
“The office staff also have ‘real time’
knowledge of where engineers are, so Tom
Tom helps ensure the fastest response to
emergencies by pin-pointing the closest
engineers.
“The benefit to the business of cutting
mileage and saving money is obvious. We
had been looking for this kind of traffic
management system for a long time and
chose to work with Tom Tom because it
integrated well with our existing software.
The environmental impact of cutting
road miles, saving fuel and extending the
working life of our vehicles means this
really was a very worthwhile project to be
involved with,” says Sheehan.
Serviceline’s Technical Terry character