![]() The Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts’ culinary arts associate program includes a six-week farm-to-table experience that helps culinary professional learn the ins and outs of sustainable cooking. Culinary sustainability can be learnedīecoming a sustainable chef, restaurant owner or manager isn’t necessarily something you have to figure out as you go. Being a farm-to-table restaurant comes with its unique challenges, such as adjusting menus to seasonality, building connections with local growers and crafting a menu around what’s locally available. The goal of farm-to-table is to bring locally products ingredients into the restaurant, and it typically involves dealing directly with the producers of those ingredients. Composting, recycling and donating leftovers are also key components of achieving zero waste. This requires careful menu building, and it may require a bit of ingenuity to use less conventional ingredients such as carrot greens and vegetable scraps. The idea is to come as close to possible as creating no waste in your restaurant. Zero-waste cooking was listed as the third-most prominent culinary trend in 2019 by the National Restaurant Association. ![]() Encouraging recycling and composting at your restaurant with clearly labeled receptacles.įor restaurateurs who are highly committed to sustainability, there are a few ways to really lean into being environmentally friendly: Zero-waste cooking.Highlighting the use of local and/or sustainable ingredients on your menu.Working more with sustainable and organic vendors.Adding a few vegan and vegetarian menu items.However, it may be worth exploring some of the small ways you can improve sustainability: This doesn’t necessarily mean you should upend your restaurant’s business model and make sustainability its foundation. What does this mean for restaurants?ĭiners clearly care about the origins of the food they eat as well as the impact of the ingredients on the environment. Using locally sourced, whole ingredients whenever possible can help you curry favor with millennials. Overall, Nielsen estimated that consumers spent nearly $130 billion on sustainable products in 2018, and expect that amount to go up to $150 billion by 2021. In fact, 66% of Gen-Xers and 62% of baby boomers also said it’s extremely important for companies to participate in environmental improvement programs – which is still a clear and overwhelming majority. This isn’t to suggest that other age groups don’t care about sustainability. 83% said it is “extremely important” that companies have environmental improvement programs.80% will pay more for products and services that have claims of social responsibility.86% would pay more for natural and organic ingredients.90% of millennials now say they’re willing to spend more on “environmentally friendly or sustainable ingredients.”.Nielsen conducted a similar survey in 2018, and that percentage increased: Back in 2015, Nielsen reported that 73% of millennials would spend more money on products or services marketed as sustainable. In many ways, millennials are leading the charge when it comes to sustainability. Assessing some of the key sustainability trends For culinary students studying at the August Escoffier Austin culinary campus, sustainability may just be good business. This raises an interesting question: How important is sustainability for restaurants and food-service companies from a business perspective? Setting aside the benefits to the environment, there’s mounting evidence to suggest that diners in younger generations actively seek out sustainable products and services. The city is also the birthplace of Whole Foods, which has prided itself on being a truly green grocer. Some examples include Cafe Bon Appetit, Odd Duck, Snap Kitchen and La Condesa. Austin is home to a bevy of restaurants that use local ingredients, eco-friendly packaging and organic foods. Austin culinary students know better than anyone – their’s is a city of sustainable dining.
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