Press Releases

Sustainability, Do You Go The Extra Mile?Footprints awards logo

‘Sustainability’ is now all but synonymous with competitive and commercial advantage in the foodservice industry.  Increasingly in the consumer mind and already included in every corporate tender - in the public or private sector - it’s no longer enough for restaurants and foodservice operators to simply do the basics.   Understanding and practices are moving on fast and anyone in foodservice is expected to, at the very least address:

  • The Environmental - using natural resource responsibly
  • The Economic - embedding sustainability as a business principle, changing commercial culture and growing the bottom line
  • The Social - harnessing positive impact that business has within communities and harnessing this to make positive change, whilst enhancing profitability

The Footprint Awards are about recognising true initiatives and progress, no matter how great or small.  Tell Footprint Awards’ unique line-up of judges what you are doing, and, whilst improving your own reputation, send a clear message to the industry.  Perhaps you have:

  • Reclaimed scrap items to revamp your establishment, like Bryanston School who refitted their dining hall with Emeco 111 Navy ChairsTM (‘111' refers to the 111 recycled plastic Coca-Cola bottles which are used to make each one)
  • Installed beehives so that you can serve guests your own honey at breakfast, like the Royal Lancaster London
  • Kitted staff out with uniforms made from up-cycled plastic bottles or recycled polyester, like London 2012
  • Installed a biomass boiler, fired on wood chips, to heat spa baths and produce hot water and heating throughout your establishment, like The Scarlet in Cornwall
  • Developed a water saving solution, however small
  • Reduced your waste to landfill and increased your recycling rates

Whatever you are doing to be more sustainable, enter the Footprint Awards 2012 - the UK foodservice industry’s only Awards programme exclusively dedicated to rewarding contributions to sustainability and environmental excellence within the foodservice industry, not to mention the only awards scheme in foodservice to be accredited by the RSA Environment Forum!

The Footprint Awards include recognition for Sustainable Use of Natural Resources, Sustainable Sourcing, Corporate Social & Environmental Responsibility, British Supply and Energy Efficiency; and bring deserved recognition to its winners:

“Winning the 2011 Community Vote Award was an outstanding achievement for Holland House.  The ‘win’ has increased people’s interest in us - they know that we take sustainability seriously - and we’ve developed 40 ways to be more sustainable.”
Ian Spencer, ‘Holland House Retreat Centre’, Pershore.

To find out more about the Awards, and for further information including detailed criteria and entry requirements for a specific Award, please visit www.footprint-awards.com.  Alternatively, please email christophe@footprint-awards.com.

You can also keep up-to-date with all the latest Awards goings-on by ‘following’ @footprintawards on Twitter (please use #footprintawards in your ‘Tweets’) or by ‘joining’ ‘Foodservice Footprint’ on Linkedin.

End Notes:

The following Awards categories are welcoming entries:

  • Sustainable Use of Natural Resources, sponsored by Huhtamaki
  • Innovations in Packaging
  • Sustainable Sourcing, sponsored by epsys
  • Environmentally Efficient Logistics
  • Corporate Social & Environmental Responsibility
  • British Supply
  • Energy Efficiency
  • Best Sustainable Catering Equipment Manufacturer
  • Best Sustainable Foodservice Installation
  • Commercial Benefit Through Sustainable Practice
  • Stakeholder Communications, sponsored by Brakes
  • Waste Management and Reduction, sponsored by Unilever Food Solutions
  • Community Vote
  • Special Achievement, sponsored by BaxterStorey

The Footprint Awards is supported by some well-known representatives:

“We work tirelessly to embed responsible business practice across Sodexo’s operations and the Footprint Awards gave us recognition for the Better Tomorrow Plan, our sustainability strategy to 2020”.
Thomas Jelley, Corporate Citizenship Manager, Sodexo UK & Ireland.

“For businesses like Pret that take sustainability seriously Footprint Awards, as the only Awards for operators and suppliers alike, represents a great opportunity to showcase what great things are being done throughout the industry.”
Nicki Fisher, Head of Sustainability, Pret A Manger.

“The Savoy is a 5 star luxury product, what I am trying to do is show that sustainability can be luxurious too and change perception, Footprint Awards gave me the platform to communicate this.”
Debra Patterson, Environmental Manager, The Savoy.

Issued on behalf of Footprint Awards 2012 by Rawlingson Lane Publicity Ltd.