For several years now, we have been observing an important trend in the catering industry that is particularly close to our hearts, both personally and as a company: sustainability and regionality. Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time for many people, and this is having an impact. The behavior and priorities of individuals, and especially of companies, are shifting toward greater climate friendliness. In this article, you can read about what this means for caterers and catering services, where we are promoting sustainability, and what developments are taking place in the industry.

What does sustainable catering mean?

The term sustainability in the catering sector encompasses several key aspects. This includes offering food and beverages that are as ecologically responsible as possible, reducing food waste and packaging, and ensuring social equity. The goal is to keep environmental impact to a minimum. Sustainable cuisine is one of the most important aspects of this.

Focus on regional cuisine

Regional products have seen increased demand in recent years for good reason. By avoiding long transport routes for ingredients and products, caterers also reduce the CO2 emissions associated with their food.

In general, we understand "regional cuisine" to mean the traditional dishes and drinks of a region or city. However, a modern interpretation allows for more creative freedom: regional ingredients are used to create new dishes that are inspired by traditional flavors, draw inspiration from other cuisines, or are developed entirely from scratch. A key focus here is also on offering alternatives to meat dishes. Plant-based dishes continue to enjoy great popularity and become particularly climate-friendly when made with regional ingredients.

How caterers can make their offerings more sustainable

There are various approaches for caterers to improve sustainability in their day-to-day business:

1. Using local and seasonal products: Buying local and seasonal food avoids long transport routes and reduces CO2 emissions.
2. Organic food: Using organically grown food promotes sustainability, as it is produced without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. This supports soil health and biodiversity. Some providers specialize in offering pure organic catering .
3. Reducing food waste: Many caterers are implementing strategies to minimize waste, for example by precisely planning the required quantities, using all parts of the food, and offering portion control.
4. Reducing packaging waste: Using reusable tableware saves significant amounts of packaging waste. If single-use packaging is necessary for hygiene reasons, there are recyclable and plastic-free options available. Another trend is innovative solutions for edible packaging or edible tableware (for example, serving soup in a pumpkin).
5. Saving energy: Using energy-efficient appliances, energy-saving preparation methods, and "green" electricity are all ways to reduce the environmental impact of food preparation.
6. Fair trade: Fair trade products like coffee, tea, and chocolate often have a better carbon footprint, but more importantly, they promote social justice by ensuring producers receive fair wages.
7. Vegetarian and vegan options: Offering plant-based dishes helps reduce your ecological footprint, as producing plant-based foods often requires fewer resources than animal products. Most caterers now include vegetarian and purely plant-based dishes in their menus. There are even numerous vegan catererson the market that showcase the diversity of plant-based cuisine.

By the way: If you are a caterer and would like to learn more about this topic, you can find our tips for your sustainability concept here.

Considering sustainable and regional cuisine when ordering catering

You can prioritize sustainability as early as the catering planning stage, for example, when choosing your caterer. Many providers now focus on regional dishes and adapt their menus to seasonal availability.

At heycater!, for example, we evaluate our catering partners based on various sustainability criteria. If certain aspects are particularly important to you—such as using exclusively organic ingredients or a menu consisting only of seasonal and regional dishes—just let us know when you submit your request, and we will create a proposal that meets your needs.

Other ways to make your catering order more sustainable:

• Plan the required portions accurately. The type of food can also affect how much is left over. If you offer many smaller portions, such as a finger food menu, guests can try a variety of dishes without leaving too much behind.
• Reusable tableware instead of single-use. Whenever possible, reusable options should be the first choice. Many caterers provide tableware as part of their service if you don't have enough on-site.
• Sustainability in beverages. Using carafes and serving drinks in glasses is more sustainable than using plastic bottles. Of course, the right solution always depends on your specific hygiene requirements.
• Handling leftovers. It is rarely possible to avoid having food left over. It is best to decide in advance what should be done with any leftovers. In an informal setting, you can let guests know that they are welcome to take any remaining food home with them. Another alternative is to donate the leftover food.

The 5 pillars of sustainability at heycater!

One of our most important goals at heycater! is to advance the topic of sustainability in the catering industry. We lead by example, for instance by being part of the Climate Partner initiative. At the same time, we support our catering partners in implementing more sustainability in their business, for example through regional and seasonal products. This benefits our caterers as well as our customers.

Feel free to contact us to order sustainable catering and learn more about our criteria.