Sustainability has been increasing in importance over recent decades, but it is more prevalent than ever with the pandemic, the rise in energy prices and current cost of living. Finding ways to reduce your environmental impact has long been an ethical issue but right now it’s also vital that restaurateurs are doing everything they can to save money in a business for financial stability.
When we design a kitchen at Chiller Box, it’s important that we encourage our clients to look beyond the initial purchase and consider the long-term. Spending more money at the outset can usually save over the coming years, not only in usage costs but also in the length of time that equipment lasts. We’ll consider everything from waste management methods to energy efficient kitchen equipment. When we’re working with multi-site operators we’ll also think about the big picture and economies of scale and how they can be more sustainable right across the business.

Who is driving sustainable changes?

We believe it’s initially led by consumers who are becoming much more eco-conscious, especially the younger generation. Whilst they still consider quality, price and experience when dining out, many people are also keen to make more ethical life choices.

A study by consulting firm Kearney showed that the pandemic has made consumers even more concerned about the environment when making choices than before. Nearly half said they are more concerned about the environment than before the pandemic and 11% said they have shifted their purchases based on environmental claims within the past year. *
Operators need to meet this demand to be competitive so it’s important to promote the work you are doing to be a more sustainable business. The cost-saving benefits that a business will see long-term is also a driver for sustainability.

Creating a sustainable design

Product selection is just one of the ways we’ll consider sustainability when designing a kitchen. We’ll look at energy efficiency but also the longevity of a product and the ability for items to be repaired easily if it malfunctioned. Buying a cheap product that needs to be replaced quickly as it can’t be repaired isn’t sustainable. It’s also important that staff are well-trained on how to use the equipment for optimum efficiency, so we spend time working with the chefs once a project has been completed.

We’ll also talk to our clients about their waste management needs and look at ways to reduce food waste in the kitchen. There are many products that can help with reducing waste and increasing the shelf life of food items.

Dishwashing is another area where sustainability comes into the decision-making process as we need to consider how much water a piece of equipment consumes on a cycle, the load it can take, as well as the energy efficiency.

Cooking appliances are less of an issue when it comes to sustainability but with the cost of gas rising, we believe we will see more use of electric cookers. Induction cooking has been around since before we started the business 18 years ago and hasn’t taken off like we expected but we think this is something we’ll see more of in the future.

If you would like to learn more about how we can help you to make your kitchen more sustainable, you can contact us via our website or call 020 8365 5430.
*Source – Food Dive https://www.fooddive.com/news/consumers-still-care-about-sustainability-amid-pandemic-report-finds/576682/