Some suppliers will use codes to show that they can track their products. Sometimes this is done digitally and can be available on an app. Ask if you can display this information on your menu so customers can scan it e.g. via a QR-Code. Ask if your supplier has a website or social media page where you can find updates from their site and can also encourage your customers to find out more. You don’t have to have information on every ingredient. Making a start and being open and transparent to your customers is what they increasingly expect.
Get to know your suppliers and if possible, visit them to learn about their production methods. Consider asking questions such as:
Your staff can work full-time for a maximum of 48 hours/week and as an exemption maximum 12 hours/week overtime and has enough spare time in between.
Ensure that your staff is provided with effective personal protective equipment (PPE) and training to safely perform their job. This may be, for example, the proper equipment to protect employees from pollution.
Preservation extends the life of food. Correct freezing keeps food safe. When food is too hot and enters the freezer, it uses additional energy to cool down. It can also cause localised spots of warming on frozen or chilled foods already in the freezer which in turn lead to the growth of unwanted bacteria. When freezing is done safely, it can help prevent wastage of unused food. It can also be a way to use local foods that are out of season. Fermentation, when done safely, extends shelf life and creates a delicious and healthy product out of simple ingredients such as pickled vegetables. Needless to say, the products should be labelled and the shelf life indicated clearly.
In many countries, customers must have access to the full list of existing allergens in restaurant dishes. Allergen management is a highly challenging area for restaurants especially if the staff turnover is high – this can negatively impact knowledge transfer. A simple menu is the cornerstone of a sustainable restaurant, and it makes managing allergen listings easier. However, when you change your menu seasonally, be sure to indicate this to your customers and staff. When meals are made from scratch, you can be sure what the ingredients are and whether they have any allergens in them, which should be made known to the customers. Reputable suppliers will list the allergens on their products.
How you manage unused food and the remains of meals is an important consideration. For example, depending on how it was used, unused bread can be reused in a different meal in the form of breadcrumbs or could be composted, or thrown away. How you deal with this means different considerations on food safety as well as the amount of waste you generate.
Especially since the outbreak of COVID 19, food delivery and take-away has picked up momentum. Strong containers that keep food free of contamination and are easy to dispose of, are needed. Compostable containers are a good alternative and if you can use a returnable container scheme, check how the containers are cleaned.
Usually, subcontractors look after ancillary tasks such as delivery and pest control. They must ensure that their practices do not endanger the safety of food. Delivery drivers, for example, must ensure food is transported at the right temperature at the right time. Pest control subcontractors must ensure that the placement of their devices and chemicals used do not pose a risk of contamination in your kitchen. When your subcontractors are aware of your requirements, they may have ideas to offer. Some pest subcontractors are changing the way they catch pests to limit the use of harmful chemicals in the environment.
As a restaurant manager, you are responsible for the overall supervision of your FSMS (food safety management system). The FSMS needs to be documented and this means keeping up-to-date and accurate records. This also means doing checks - you or a responsible member of staff on your behalf - conducts the opening and closing checks, any on-top checks, and ensures that “prove it” documentation (such as cleaning and training records) are completed. When you have a system already established to manage food safety, it is easier to include checks necessary in other sustainability aspects. Recording the status of a new process and monitoring its progress is another part of managing sustainability, for example, energy usage.
To verify that your food safety system is working, you might want to have it checked independently. There are professional service providers, who can tailor inspection and analysis programs for your premises. Having this external input is a way for you to improve, and an endorsement that your food safety management is working plus an additional assurance you can give to your guests. Similar services exist in sustainability management although these are not as common. Ask your local authority or wholesaler for their recommendations.
Areas for washing up, garbage bins or vegetable processing should be separated from clean areas. It helps to manage the flow of waste and ensure the correct waste is recycled or reused. For example, clean rinse water can be used to water your garden if you have one.
A professional cleaning program that is specific to your premises, uses the right chemicals with the correct dosage, and suitable for the correct equipment, not only gets things clean but also prevents damage to your local environment from excessive chemicals which add to your costs. Taking a step further, you might consider environmentally- friendly cleaning chemicals. When you clean as you go, you prevent a build-up of waste and reduce the risk of contaminating clean areas by overflowing bins, for instance. Clearly labelled containers in a separated area make it easier to recycle or reuse waste.
Look at your main ingredients. Do you know how sustainable they are? Focusing on the ingredients that are most important to your business is an effective way to start. Sustainable products meet at least one of these characteristics: they are local and/or regional, seasonal, organic, fairly traded, animal welfare assured, sourced responsibly, nutritious, create less waste, contribute to biodiversity, have minimal carbon footprint and minimal water footprint.
Involve your staff from the beginning and explain why you are doing this. Explain the different ways to source sustainably, for example, local, regional, and seasonal. Use visual reminders, for example, posters of seasonal calendars in the office or the kitchen.
Sourcing sustainably is a complex topic, and changes on short notice can be hard to make. Looking at your most common ingredients, there are some simple ways to make a start:
Check out for more detailed information our comprehensive guide on sustainable products and our overview of schemes. Use them as additional information for specific questions of your employees or customers.