The awards, handed out on July 15th at the ACE annual summer networking event in the gardens of Stationers’ Hall, celebrate those in the foodservice sector that champion sustainability and corporate social responsibility.
Bartlett Mitchell’s Green Bee team was awarded the People Award for their ‘Read Your Wrap’ initiative.
The idea uses sandwich wrappers to get green messages across, using biodegradeable greaseproof paper, printed with vegetable inks instead of traditional Table Talkers and printed leaflets.
Each wrap has a selection of stories and news snippets about the eco-friendly initiatives that are taking place around the business and are updated quarterly.
Hannah Carmicheal, who came up the idea, said: “People are bombarded with notices, messages and signs everywhere and it’s hard to make information available without it being overwhelming. We needed a smart way to bring it all together. It’s amazing to have people coming up to us and saying things like ‘I didn’t realise we used free range eggs in all our cooking’. These are things that they have noticed because they read it on their wrap whilst eating their lunchtime sandwich!’
The Bartlett Mitchell team will enjoy a Tasting Menu for four at Michelin-starred Fera at Claridge’s from chef Simon Rogan.
Runners up in the people category were Lorna Burns, brand manager for KPMG, Restaurant Associates and Gary Vaughan, catering manager, Sodexo Defence.
West Horsley Dairy was awarded the Corporate Award for creating the UK’s greenest foodservice lorry.
The company teamed up with Mercededs Benz UK for the chassis cab and Jackson coachworks to build and design the refrigerated body. The chiller box units are based on eutectic refrigeration, using a semi-solid gel that radiates cold air when it is thawing, much like freezer blocks in a picnic box.
Catherine Colton, of West Horsley Dairy, said: “Our aim was to produce the most ‘realistically’ affordable, environmentally friendly food service lorry for London. The combined effect of the electric hybrid drive train and the eutectic refrigeration system is allowing us to achieve a 7mpg saving, week in week out. We are hoping Boris Johnson notices the green credentials of these new vehicles and grants us exemption from the London Congestion Charge!”
Lusso and The London Linen Group were runners up in the corporate category.
The awards were judged by Shirley Duncalf, head of sustainability at Bidvest Foodservice, Brendan Hunter, hospitality manager at WRAP, Mark Linehan, managing director at Sustainable Restaurant Association, and Mark Jankovich, chief executive of Delphis Eco.
Brendan Hunter said: “It’s not just about innovation. It’s easy to have ideas, but they’re not always practical. What impressed us this year is the systematic approach that companies have taken. We’ve seen organisations measuring, analysing and putting proper processes in place to ensure that these green initiatives can really make an impact.”