Plan menus and orders. Buy less but more frequently. Purchase without excess from a proper supplier

Major suppliers are not always the most convenient. To reduce the stock and related costs, it is often preferable to have a nearby supplier who can deliver small quantities

Suppliers’ participation in sustainable restaurant service makes purchasing more efficient. You can also consider buying “ugly” products that retailers usually do not sell because of their appearance

If you have food surplus, you can re-distribute it through local charities and/or distribution apps. On the other hand, re-consider planning carefully and monitor product usage to optimise it

Manage food products properly to guarantee food quality and safety. Check state of freshness when you receive products and use-by date. This will avoid food wastage

Apart from cost control, proper management favours your guests. This means having a rotation and fresh food to offer. If guests get used to eating fresh food, they will trust producers

If guests leave food on their plates, you can propose a “gourmet bag” to take it home

With unavoidable food waste – i.e. non-edible parts – you can produce compost and animal feed. Otherwise, you can give it to companies that will make bio-products and bio-energy

Develop a good communication system. Favour communication between kitchen and room staff. Favour dialogue with your suppliers and your guests

To sell at the right time what the kitchen offers, effective communication between those who take care of the preparation and those who deal with the sale is fundamental

Good and straightforward communication with suppliers and guests favours mutual trust

Communicating your commitment to food waste prevention to your guest will enhance your reputation. You can also consider involving your suppliers in joint communication campaigns on food waste prevention

Propose menus with variable servings in accordance with guests’ needs. Be more flexible in your offer to avoid wastage

The quantity of food should be clearly indicated. The client should decide what to eat and how much. It is necessary to create a dialogue between producers and consumers, justifying the choice of indicating the quantity with the aim of preventing waste and respecting the guest’s needs

A clear vision of the menu and careful selection of recipes will help distinguish your restaurants. You should analyse guests’ preferences as well as needs and cook accordingly

Optimise the use of ingredients through recipes that encourage “nose-to-tail” as well as “root-to-leaf eating” 

Technology for preservation and preparation of food, if used consciously and responsibly, can be an ally to reduce food waste, reduce consumption and energy costs and finally yet importantly save time.

Today’s leftovers and surpluses can turn into amazing next day recipes with an even better taste. Get inspired by culinary traditions to use them with a pinch of creativity

The cleaning and preparation (mise en place) of the ingredients also play a crucial role. Check the quality and the quantity of the products before cooking, use proper tools and technology

Measure ingredients carefully at all steps – from product reception to food preparation and to food serving

Measuring prevents food wastage and excessive water as well as energy consumption. It improves efficacy as well as effectiveness.

You can adopt monitoring tools like Food Waste Flow Balance, the monitoring tool developed in the LIFE FOSTER project

Up-date your skills through targeted vocational training on food waste prevention

You can find your training among multiple LIFE FOSTER solutions – including e-learning programmes on food waste prevention, thematic webinars