Vacherin has made sustainability a central driver since its formation in 2002 and has won several awards for its sustainability practices. This is, however, the first time the company has been formally assessed and endorsed by an external accrediting body.
Known in the hospitality industry as the Michelin Stars of Sustainability, the SRA’s rating is recognised as the benchmark for assessing all aspects of a business’ sustainability. The SRA awards businesses One, Two or Three stars, depending on how they score across the three pillars of Sourcing, Society and Environment.
Anthony Kingsley, Vacherin’s Lead for Sustainability and CSR, explained, “Vacherin has developed many CSR initiatives over the years that work very well in our business – from annual Life Plan discussions for all staff to a sustainable fish policy; healthy eating recipes and training to waste reduction tools. It is vital that we continually progress these practices and we wanted to take things to the next level. Working with the SRA has been hugely beneficial for us.
“We’re absolutely delighted to have achieved the top rating at our first accreditation but we’re not about to rest on our laurels. Whilst we have scored 100% in some areas, such as treating people fairly and healthy eating, we also recognise that we still have some work to do in some aspects of sourcing so this will be our focus going forward, with the information and advice from the SRA to help us along this journey.”
Phil Roker, Commercial Director of Vacherin, added, “Sustainability is an ongoing journey rather than a destination you reach and stop. We’re really pleased that what we’ve implemented and achieved so far has gained us Three Stars from the outset but we are equally excited by the challenges the SRA has set us to take our sustainability to exemplary levels.”
Mark Linenhan, Managing Director of the SRA commented, “Vacherin is an excellent example of a caterer that understands what its customers want and what concerns them. It has implemented a number of excellent initiatives to encourage healthy eating and by using cosmetically imperfect fruit and veg is helping tackle one of the biggest issues in the industry. We congratulate Vacherin on its exceptional performance.”
Vacherin, founded 13 years ago, provides services from contemporary staff restaurants and cafés to private dining functions and commercial venue catering.
Last month, the caterer was awarded 10th place in the Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies to Work For list.