Small London-based contract catering company Vacherin has been integrating a green and ethical policy into its business practice for the past three years and is now beginning to reap the rewards. Louise Bateman reports.
On Sunday April 5, a new expanded Whitechapel Gallery will open its doors to the public. As well as almost doubling gallery space at the London centre for modern and contemporary art, the £13.5 million expansion programme will see the opening of a dining room and café and bar that will bring “an eclectic take on British seasonal ingredients”, according to executive head chef Maria Elia. But that’s not all: boutique London-based
contract caterer Vacherin is managing the Whitechapel Gallery’s new catering experience. The company prides itself on delivering a
green and ethical policy at every level of its business – from local sourcing of seasonal,
sustainable produce, to
reducing waste and educating staff on the importance of sustainability. Last month, Vacherin’s efforts to be greener were rewarded, when the company won the
Sustainable Food Award at the Sustainable City Awards.
Phil Roker, owner director of Vacherin, says sustainability isn’t just a buzzword for the company, but “a key objective for us and our staff” – on a par with having a health and safety or a health and hygiene policy. “Why wouldn’t we want to buy local, why wouldn’t we want to buy seasonal, and why wouldn’t we want to reduce, re-use and recycle?” he says.
But being green and ethical doesn’t come easily for a company of Vacherin’s size. Launched in 2002, the caterer is a small to medium-sized business with an annual turnover of £7.5 million and 150 employees, which means it doesn’t have the resources for a dedicated head of sustainability or corporate social responsibility. As well as Roker who has led the way on Vacherin’s
environmental policy since joining the company three years ago, the company encourages other staff members to take the initiative.
In October, the company appointed Gerald Jacob, general manager of one of Vacherin’s 21 central London clients, head of sustainability. “We are a small company and I do this in my spare time, but this is about doing the right thing,” says Jacob, who is currently studying for a
Certificate in Recycling and Sustainability and will become Vacherin’s ‘recycling champion’ upon completion – auditing Vacherin’s operations to see where improvements can be made and advising clients on best practice.
The company is in the throws of implementing an environmental management system and is aiming to achieve its
ISO14001 in the autumn. It is currently focusing on reducing its carbon footprint and Roker and the Vacherin team are producing a report aimed at analysing and reducing the company’s carbon emissions, which will take the form of a ‘best working practice guide' to be distributed to all managers.
“This year, we are going to be looking at reducing packaging coming into the business by 15 per cent,” says Jacob, adding that another environmental objective of the business is to find a way to convert vegetable waste produced through its catering operations into energy.
The company is keen to do “the right thing” when it comes to its food miles too. Last year, it conducted a ‘cycle experiment’ between its suppliers and one of its West end clients and found the cumulative distance was less than 20 miles.
In addition, the company works with its key suppliers and its chefs to make sure it uses in-season ingredients that are sourced from the UK as far as possible. “Where produce has to travel a long way, we insist on ingredients that have been shipped rather than airfreighted,” says Jacob.
Vacherin wants its chefs to be up to speed on the most sustainable produce and practices, and to this end is incorporating a strong element of sustainability in its training programmes and, this month – with the help of its fishmonger, James Knight of Mayfair – it is launching a ‘Fish Policy Operational Guide’ with advice on what types of fish should and shouldn’t be used.
Surprisingly, Jacob says these changes do not add up to a lot of additional cost, because using more sustainable produce usually comes cheaper, although he admits segregating kitchen waste into the different waste streams and producing electricity from compost does carry a price. However, he is convinced that this is the “right thing to do for our clients, our chefs, our staff and our business”.
Roker agrees. He points to three new contracts the company has signed since it won its
Sustainable Food Award. He wouldn’t go as far as to say the company’s green and ethical policy has been the deal-clincher in every case, but he says it’s certainly getting Vacherin attention and in the case of the Whitechapel Gallery was a key factor in winning the contract. “It is important to the Whitechapel Gallery that it works with ethical and sustainable businesses,” he says.
It would appear that a taste for sustainability is rather a good thing for a small catering company to have.
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