Hospitality businesses sceptical about local sourcing

Three quarters of respondents believe that true local sourcing means within a 20-mile radius. In contrast, many suppliers refer to regional or even national products as 'local'. Chris Durant, director of Beacon, explained: "This raises a challenge for suppliers: how to meet a practical demand for local products at competitive prices, and within a framework of what 'local' means. "The reality is that businesses are not going to get everything they need from a 20-mile radius or at a price they want to pay." The survey, of 2,000 hospitality businesses, also found that while almost all respondents (99%) have introduced one or more energy saving or recycling initiatives, fewer than a third are currently recycling. A lack of outside storage facilities and the limit of local recycling services were seen as their biggest challenges. In addition, 88% of respondents also disagreed to the imposition of a Government 'traffic light' coding system on menus.