Lessening a bar’s impact on the environment can cut costs
THE need for operators to reduce their outlets’ effect on the natural world has never been greater.
As green issues become more important to the public, the advantages for licensees of focusing on a more environmentally-conscious way of working are similarly clear.
“Green continues to be the focus for many in 2019,” said Shaune Hall, product development chef at Falcon Foodservice Equipment.
“Reducing energy usage makes both financial and environmental sense.”
Daniel Taylor, director at Save On My Power, agreed.
He said: “There are many benefits for businesses in becoming eco-friendly. Reduced operating costs, improved energy efficiency and reliability, and the creation of a more productive and healthier workplace environment are just a few examples.”
And there are few areas where licensees can better reduce their outgoings and their effect on the environment than through smart procurement of catering equipment and using it with energy consumption in mind, firms told SLTN.
When it comes to commercial kitchens, managing director of Rational, Simon Lohse, advised licensees to consider combi steamers and other multifaceted cooking equipment in the kitchen as they are “designed for energy efficiency”.
In order for bars and restaurants to become more sustainable it’s important to focus on warewashing operations as dishwashers are “big users of energy, water and chemicals”, said Paul Crowley, marketing development manager at Winterhalter.
He added: “It’s not the initial cost that operators should focus on, instead they should look at the lifetime cost. This will ultimately save businesses the most energy in the kitchen.”
And licensees should keep energy usage in mind when purchasing a new ice machine, counselled David Rees, marketing manager of Hubbard Systems.
“Some modern ice machines allow caterers to programme ice production – so you only make as much ice as is required, which cuts down on waste,” he said.
Craig McLaughlin, Sims Automatics’ specialist in commercial glasswashers and ice-making machines, echoed that view, stating operators should consider making use of new technological developments in equipment.
He said: “We are using the newer type of bottle coolers that are a lot more efficient than older ones as they have LED lights and a redesigned condenser and compressor.
“When combined there is less heat generated and the equipment doesn’t have to work as hard to cool it down, which in turn results in noticeable savings on both electricity and maintenance.”
Away from catering equipment, licensees should be aware of how their stock purchasing decisions affect the environment, said a spokeswoman for Carbon Trust.
She said: “Reducing the impact of what you buy and sell can make a big difference. When sourcing food and drink, operators need to consider a number of factors. Local sourcing and a balance of ingredients is important, as is how products are cooked or chilled. Information and traceability are key, so that impacts can be tracked and reduced over time.”
And with the consequences of single-use plastics on the earth’s oceans and seas poignantly highlighted in the BBC documentary series Blue Planet II, Rob Blunderfield, marketing manager at Parsley in Time, said the on-trade should now look beyond simply removing plastic straws.
“Plastic straws and the ‘Attenborough effect’ were big catalysts, while the growing concern over climate change has concentrated attention even more,” he said.
“There needs to be more of a push, however, and not just in straws. The supply industry needs to up its game so that operators can easily switch to greener products.”
