Food Waste Intelligence

A new global survey has found the majority of consumers expect food and beverage companies to focus first and foremost on “doing the most good for society” over “satisfying consumer demand” and that the primary means of doing good for society is reducing food waste.

Ten years ago the Martinsburg VA Medical Center, in Martinsburg, West Virginia, launched its Green Kitchen initiative, a precedent-setting sustainability program in the Veteran’s Administration. Food waste is a central focus, and working with Leanpath from the start, the foodservice team has prevented over 330,000 pounds of food from being wasted.

The impact of COVID-19 on the foodservice and hospitality industry is hitting fast and, at least for now, hard. During any time of uncertainty, it’s important to focus on what you can actually control. There are ways kitchens can increase efficiency during slow times--or anytime for that matter--and take greater control of the impact of that slow down on their bottom line.

Executive Chef Brian Deegan runs the foodservice operation at Marriott’s Hotel Alfonso XIII in Seville, Spain. The 150-room hotel has five restaurants and bars, with a third of its F&B revenue from banquet events. Chef Deegan is a self-confessed numbers guy. “I like to run a tight ship,” he says. “I don’t want to sound like a scrooge, but we’re a kitchen not a supermarket. I buy fresh food to sell not to keep on the shelves.” He embraced food waste tracking and the insight it provided on how to be more efficient. And he’s shown big re...

Executive Chef Shaun Woodhouse and his team at the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa Edinburgh discovered opportunities to cut their waste and began changing purchasing and prep to drive results, which have been impressive: a 64% reduction in food waste value and a 58% reduction in weight. They’ve maintained these levels over time as Leanpath became a “business as usual” component of their kitchen. “The support from Leanpath has been great.”