Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Catering Is About More Than Just Local Ingredients
Sustainable and eco-friendly catering isn’t just about using local (ideally organic) ingredients or offering more plant-based meals—although that’s often where the conversation begins and ends. And when clients aren’t willing to pay more for those options, sustainability is often abandoned altogether. But in reality, there are many behind-the-scenes aspects of catering operations where sustainability can be implemented—not only for the benefit of the planet, but often with a positive financial impact.
When Creating the Menu:
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Focus on ingredients and products available in your region.
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Respect seasonality.
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Ideally, 50% of your menu should be based on seasonal fruit and vegetables from local sources.
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Purchase ingredients from environmentally responsible farmers, breeders, and producers.
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Limit meat, especially red meat (beef, lamb), which has a high carbon and water footprint.
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Source poultry and eggs from local free-range farms.
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Choose fatty fish (like mackerel, sardines, or herring) and shellfish (like mussels), and reduce the use of endangered species.
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Limit processed meats. Prefer fresh cheeses (mozzarella, cottage, ricotta) over aged or processed ones. Reduce portion sizes and serve them with fresh or preserved vegetables, fruit, nuts, or jams.
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Include ingredients with longer shelf lives, like nuts, vegetable chips, pickled vegetables, etc.
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Offer homemade lemonades, kombucha, iced teas, juices, or cocktails instead of industrially produced beverages.
When Preparing Food:
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Eliminate food waste. Almost every part of an animal has culinary use. Use bones for broth, organs in stuffing. Use all viable parts of fruits and vegetables. Dry tired greens, candy citrus peels, grind dry bread into breadcrumbs.
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Choose plant-based oils over butter and animal fats—not only are they lower in saturated fats, but they also have a smaller environmental footprint.
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Make your own condiments such as ketchup, mayonnaise, pesto, and sauces.
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Use cooking techniques that balance sustainability, taste, and nutrition. Instead of deep frying, try an air fryer.
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Use a soda maker instead of buying bottled sparkling water.
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Ensure proper storage and usage of all products to avoid spoilage-related waste.
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Prepare ready-to-eat food in exact portions to avoid throwing away uneaten items. For foods with longer shelf lives (like salsa verde or fermented vegetables), prepare larger batches less frequently.
In Daily Operations:
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Deliver food to buffets gradually and store it properly in the meantime so that uneaten items can be donated. Participate in initiatives like “Nesnězeno” or “Too Good To Go.”
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Use furniture without tablecloths.
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Decorate with live plants, natural elements, or herbs that can later be used in the kitchen.
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Sort waste meticulously. Partner with specialized collectors for kitchen waste and used oils. Compost where possible.
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Minimize use of long-lasting disposables like cling film and foil—opt for sealable food containers or recycled alternatives (yes, recycled foil exists!).
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For take-away food, prioritize recycled or compostable disposable packaging (e.g., paper bowls, bamboo cutlery, PLA cups). Implement reusable containers and cups (re-boxes and re-cups). Note: health regulations prohibit serving food in customer-provided containers.
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Optimize procurement. Instead of working with many niche suppliers, choose one with a wider range. Plan production thoroughly and consolidate deliveries. You might reduce delivery frequency from daily to twice a week.
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Save energy and resources: turn off unused lights, use water-saving aerators, sous-vide insulation balls, and eco-print settings on printers.
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Buy furniture, kitchen equipment, and devices second-hand from local sellers.
At Dark Kitchen
We follow the vast majority of these principles—not because we’re trying to be sustainable at any cost or feel the need to make big gestures. Simply because it feels normal to us.
By the way, did you know that a vegetarian menu isn’t necessarily cheaper? Preparing a full-value, flavorful, and nutritionally balanced plant-based meal is often more time-consuming and labor-intensive than cooking with meat. So labor costs play a much bigger role in the final price.