There are many things you can do for the planet, creating a sustainable menu within your facility is definitely one of them. Now more and more requested, a menu that respects the environment would allow you to reduce the environmental impact of your restaurant and also improve profits and make your customers more happy. But what practices can you implement to make your menu green? Today we provide you with some valuable tips, and remember that you don’t need to do everything immediately, even a small action can make a difference!
A short supply chain for a sustainable menu
From the farm to the table: for a sustainable menu it is important to buy products from local farmers. In this way you will reduce transport costs and therefore pollution, and at the same time you will support the farms in your area and guarantee your customers fresh and top quality produces.
Follow the seasons
Your sustainable menu must include almost exclusively seasonal products, which follow the rhythm of nature. Furthermore, in this way, you can often change your offer and your customers will be even happier to come back to enjoy your dishes.
Grow what you can
A courtyard, on the roof or even just a window sill: any place can be the right one to create a small vegetable garden with aromatic herbs, fruit and vegetables. Now Michelin restaurants do it too, and it’s the best way to control what you offer your customers. Starting a garden will also result in less expense for buying products and higher profits for the restaurant.
The right size
To make a menu sustainable you have to avoid food waste and one of the ways to achieve it is to find the perfect portion for your dishes. Experiment and observe: if several customers cannot finish some of your dishes, reduce the quantity of food.
Less meat, more vegetables
The meat industry is responsible for around a fifth of man-made greenhouse gases, and contributes directly to climate change. Reducing meat dishes, replacing them with vegetarian dishes, will make your menu more sustainable and will benefit the planet.
Go organic
Organic farming protects against land erosion, encourages biodiversity and generally produces less air pollution. It is therefore clear that choosing organic ingredients, from food to drinks, can be a great way to make your restaurant more sustainable.
Shrink your menu
It is much more difficult to do sustainable catering with many ingredients and many dishes, but it is only one of the reasons why it is better to reduce the dishes on your sustainable menu. Having too many choices can be confusing for your customers. With a small menu, they will immediately understand all the attention and love behind each dish you offer.
Collaborate with your community
Your commitment to sustainability does not end within the boundaries of your restaurant. You can collaborate with community gardens or with local farms, where you can also organize a cooking class to show the process through which the ingredients go from the garden to the table. Network with those who share your ideas, be a good example.
The sustainable menu also passes through packaging
Your customers may want to take their leftovers home. This means that you also have to think about packaging to ensure that your sustainable menu remains such during transportation. Eliminate plastic and look for the best biodegradable packaging for your needs. The same goes for all the packaging you use inside your restaurant.
Photo by Dilyara Garifullina on Unsplash
