Relevance to the Restaurant Industry
By offering food that is produced sustainably and responsibly, you can highlight the quality of your offerings and set yourself apart from the competition. Many guests value transparent information about the origin of ingredients. By using regional and sustainably produced products, you build trust, strengthen the local economy, and contribute to environmental protection and the conservation of resources.
Advantages
- Potential Increase in Revenue and Profit
- Attracting new guest groups
- Strengthening of image and reputation
- Competitive advantages through clear positioning
- Flexible adaptation to seasonal availability
- Support for regional producers and economic cycles
- Shorter and more transparent supply chains
- Greater employee identification with the company
- Contribution to environmental and resource conservation
- Support in complying with legal requirements
Did you know that...
Tips
Over the past few decades, our consumption habits have changed significantly compared to previous generations. We live in a globalized world where we’ve grown accustomed to buying a variety of foods year-round, even if they’re out of season or not grown locally. Check out the following tips for responsible shopping:
Check who supplies your products
Get to know your suppliers, and if possible, visit them to learn about their production methods. Ask questions such as:
- What type of animal housing is used (barn, cage, free-range)?
- What are the animals fed? For example, grass or soy that isn’t certified?
- How are your fruits and vegetables protected from pests? Using natural methods or chemical pesticides?
- Is the fish farmed or wild-caught?
- What species of fish are you selling?
- Where was the fish caught?
- Does the fish have a quality seal or certification?
- Were forests protected during the production of the palm oil and soy used?
- How do your suppliers trace their products back to their source?
- What information can your suppliers provide?
Let people know where your products come from
Some suppliers use codes to show that they can trace the origin of their products. Sometimes this is done digitally via an app. With ProTrace, METRO offers a service designed to ensure exactly this level of transparency. Using your smartphone, you can scan the code on the product and receive information about its origin through the app.
In addition, you can ask your suppliers if they can provide information about the product’s origin via a QR code on your menu so your guests can learn more. Find out if your supplier has a website or uses social media where you can find up-to-date information and to which you can also direct your guests if they’d like to learn more. You don’t have to provide information for every product. However, your guests expect you to be open and transparent.
Involve your staff
Involve your employees from the very beginning and explain why you’re doing this. Describe the various options for responsible purchasing, such as buying locally, regionally, or seasonally. Use visual reminders, such as posters with seasonal calendars in the office or kitchen.
Take a look at the ingredients you use most often and buy them sustainably
Responsible shopping is a complex issue, and making changes on short notice can be challenging. When it comes to the ingredients you use most often, there are a few steps you can take to get started:
- Choose local and seasonal products. Switch to products that are easy to substitute, such as locally grown seasonal vegetables
- Introduce organic products.
- Start using certified products, such as Fairtrade coffee or MSC- or ASC-certified fish.
- Make sure that your eggs come from organically reared hens or free-range hens.
- Replace endangered fish with an alternative. The MSC offers an interactive guide to help you do this.
- Replace single-use plastic products with alternatives.
- Replace products high in sugar, salt, and trans fats with nutritious and healthy alternatives.
Use the Guide to Sustainable Products
For more detailed information, please refer to our guide to sustainable products. Use these as additional resources when answering questions from your staff or guests.
Review Your Purchases
Take a look at your key ingredients. Do you know how sustainable they are? To start, you should focus on the ingredients that are most important to your business. Sustainable products meet at least one of the following criteria: They are local and/or regional, seasonal, organic, fair trade, sourced from animal-welfare-compliant farms, sourced from responsible fisheries, nutrient-rich, generate less waste, contribute to biodiversity, and have minimal carbon and water consumption.
In-depth study
Good to Know
Certifications and Seals
Certifications and seals help you identify sustainable products. If a product bears the logo of a certification seal, its origin and production method are guaranteed. But keep in mind: not all products are labeled with a certification. Many smaller farmers do not have the resources to apply for certifications and are therefore not listed on the relevant websites for seals and certifications. As a rule, however, these small farms are happy to provide information about how they produce their food. Sharing this information with your guests in a way they can understand can be a great way to deepen their understanding of the food you offer.
You can find an overview of the certifications and seals of approval relevant to METRO, for example, at METRO Germany.
Advanced tips
You can take it even further by using these tips for advanced shoppers to make sustainability a core part of your purchasing decisions:
