Sustainability has proven to be an even higher priority for eventprofs so far this year, and luckily, with more guidance on finding sustainable event venues and measuring the impact of events, it's becoming easier to make greener choices. But there are a lot of overlooked areas when it comes to event sustainability - including catering.
We thought it was high time we shouted about some of the top caterers we work with who are serving up a sustainable change in the industry. From cutting down on packaging to finding creative ways to use commonly wasted parts of ingredients, they're turning the tables in our industry, for the better.
Read on for inspiration on how to make your plates better for the planet, and get in touch with these stellar sustainable caterers below!
Dinner Ladies
Dinner Ladies is a fantastic, female-run caterer providing a range of delicious, creative dining menus - definitely not your old-school canteen fare! And their commitment to sustainability is really impressive: focusing on mainly vegetarian and vegan options, as well as seasonal and British-grown produce, they also produce special environmentally-conscious menus, so that clients can choose catering that's kinder to the planet.
Tried and tasted by the Hire Space team, their waste-free canapés are truly fantastic and are designed to use up remaining parts of ingredients that haven't made it into the main meal. And their ethics don't stop at environmental sustainability: Dinner Ladies offers a scheme that allows clients the chance to give back to the community - for every meal provided to a guest, a meal is provided to someone in need. Doing good has never tasted so good!
Rocket Food
Rocket Food has had a focus on locally sourced ingredients since its beginnings, mainly to showcase the fantastic food that's grown and produced in our part of the world. But these days the team are driven by another passion as well: protecting the environment by catering for events with the planet in mind. Rocket develops its menus seasonally to make sure produce is used at the right time of year, and they vet their suppliers and cut down on opportunities for waste wherever possible.
They've also formed a sustainability committee, Eco-Rocketeers, to keep driving the company to meet their ambitious sustainability targets. Through innovation and investment in business practices, they're committed to reaching Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, rocketing ahead of many in the catering industry!
Moving Venue
Moving Venues are synonymous with luxury catering, but they're also striving to be synonymous with sustainability. Their goal is to minimise the effect of their catering on the environment by using responsibly sourced ingredients, and making sure those around them align with their targets: this includes vetting suppliers before bringing them on board, to make sure that their supply chain is trading ethically.
Moving Venue also works with isla to calculate and monitor the emissions associated with their menus and encourage clients to share this information, and the provenance of ingredients on their dinner menus. They also work hard to reduce food waste, working with a food recycling company, the Felix Project, and with Fare Share, to repurpose unused food and put it to use in the community. This is a catering company that's moving mountains!
Social Pantry
Social Pantry does what it says on the tin: provide great food with a focus on social and sustainable principles - in fact, they're in the process of being accredited as a B-Corporation and have parted ways with suppliers who use a significant amount of plastic packaging, in favour of lower impact providers (just what we like to see!).
Their menus are crafted with zero-waste in mind, and more often than not, you'll find their team getting creative with ingredients and processes like fermentation to get the most out of every ingredient. They also have a root-to-stem and nose-to-tail approach across their menus, and incorporate all the trimmings of fruit, veg, and herbs into meals wherever possible, meaning they can offer completely zero-waste menus for your events.
Easy Gourmet Catering
Easy Gourmet Catering is a fabulous choice for all things food and drinks at events, providing furniture hire, theming, fantastic food and great service. They also have a solid commitment to reducing their impact on the environment, from planning their menus with British seasonality in mind to sourcing most of their ingredients locally.
They're on a mission to prove that green can be gourmet, so there's no need to compromise for the sake of cleaner food - in fact, it couldn't be easier to go green for your next event with them. Their focus on sustainability stretches across their diverse menu options, from fine dining to street food stations, and BBQs to afternoon tea, so whatever you're in the market for, you'll be able to serve up a sustainable storm to all of your guests!
Catering for clients, friends, or special guests shouldn't come at a heavy cost to the Earth. With all of these caterers, you'll be able to be sure that you're on the right track to reduce the impact of your event (for more advice on making other areas of your event more sustainable, check out our event sustainability hub).
If you'd like to find out more about the fantastic caterers and other suppliers we work with, check out our supplier marketplace below!
Author
Jessamy Cowie
Jessamy channels her passion for sustainability and cultural events into shining a spotlight on innovation and inspiration in the events world, and heading up Hire Space's sustainability committee.
