Can Technology Give Us Sustainablilty?

With sustainability and being eco-friendly a hot topic in today’s world, it’s important for all businesses across all sectors to make an effort to do their bit, and hospitality is no expectation. There are many ways pubs, clubs, restaurants, and hotels can all do their bit, read on to find out.

Why is it important?

Making a conscious effort to be more eco-friendly and achieve as much sustainability in your business is a really important step to take in your business strategy. With the rise of the millennial and Gen Z generations becoming the next generation of customers, who are more aware of environmental and ethical issues than anyone else, it is important to take relevant steps to appeal to this new audience.

Showing you are environmentally cautious and that you use sustainable methods of sourcing and suppliers etc… will do the world of good for your reputation. It genuinely does make a difference, not only will using ethical and sustainable suppliers make a difference to those affected by global issues such as modern slavery but it will also make a difference to the environment we all live in.

Well, what’s in it for me?�

All of this sounds really good right? But what are the benefits for you as a business? Aside from the ethical and moral benefits as well as improving your brand image and boosting your reputation. Money is at the forefront of every business owner’s mind, and that may just be the most incentivising benefit for you, have we got your attention?

Making sustainable and eco-friendly changes within your business can actually financially benefit you both in the short and long term. You might be thinking “how” well let’s see:

• A one-off investment can save you constantly purchasing pads and pens
• Significantly reduce food waste
• Save money on your energy and electricity bills
• Improves efficiency and saves on man-hours
• Helps you achieve a 5***** Food Hygiene Rating, attracting more customers

The technology behind it…

The new SenseeSystem is revolutionary in the world of eco-friendly concerns. The system is a brand new technology made up of two parts that work together to read fridge and freezer temperature recordings 24/7 and create a report in a mobile app that can be accessed anytime, anywhere!

Having this automatic technology completely erases any room for human error. Once set up, the device records the temperature every hour and will alert you if the temperature is not what it should be (so you can wave goodbye to wasted and gone off stock). We have all been there, making up or guessing temperatures when filling out paperwork or blagging numbers ready for a last-minute environmental health visit, but that’s a thing of the past. The recordings that are stored in the Sensee mobile app are available to download and print so you are always ready for inspections.

Food storage is one of the considerations when it comes to receiving a 5***** Food Hygiene Rating and having accurate and consistent hourly recordings is sure to help you achieve this.

So the financial benefits are… no more food waste, if your fridge or freezer is too warm or too cold this could be costing you more in electricity bills. Efficiency will be improved in your kitchen, giving chefs more time to do what they do best!

Other technologies�

There are lots of technologies creeping into the hospitality industry, and a lot of them are a one-off investment but are here for the long haul.

Other forms of technology like online booking systems are replacing the old-fashioned way of taking reservations, they reduce the need for scraps of paper to be lost, making bookings easier and more straightforward than ever, just pull them up on your computer and you’re ready to go.

Other single-use paper methods of technology are making an appearance such as POS ordering systems and digital kitchen boards and replacing old order-taking methods, so no more consistently purchasing notepads and pens or losing orders.

Let’s talk sustainability

Being eco-friendly and being sustainable are similar but not the same, and it can be difficult to differentiate the two.

Sustainability is a term that’s thrown around a lot in today’s world, but what does it actually mean? “avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance” is the official definition. In simple terms, doing what you need to do now, without compromising the future.�

So how can hospitality do their bit? There are a few simple changes hospitality can make to work towards being more sustainable, let’s talk about it.

Source things locally –getting stock from more local suppliers not only supports smaller and local businesses, but they are oftentimes less likely to be contributing to the larger mass production of products which can lead to issues such as global warming and unfair wages.

Reduce your waste –waste disposal can be an expensive outgoing for a lot of businesses, and landfill is one of the biggest culprits of this cost. So switching simple things like takeaway containers and single-use plastics to recyclable materials such as paper, glass, wood or other non-disposable options is a great way to not only reduce costs for your business but help save our planet.

Create seasonal menus –across the year different things come into season, and trying to keep them on your menu all year round may result in you using different, unsustainable suppliers to get these items. By creating seasonal menus based on what you can source locally and sustainably not only help you to do your bit, it also gives you a chance to prepare different dishes and keeps your menus fresh and exciting for your customers.

Consider adding some more vegan and vegetarian options –Not only are these dishes becoming increasingly popular amongst a new generation of health-conscious customers. More and more people are becoming aware of the negative impact that meat and dairy products have on our planet and are willing to make a change, so helping contribute to these positive efforts shows that you care. And bonus, meat and dairy can be some of the most expensive stock to purchase, so replacing them with other alternatives benefits you too!

So what are you waiting for? Start making changes today!