How Your Restaurant Can Have a Sustainable Christmas Season

A sustainable seasonal menu

This is a time of year when menus are largely dictated by tradition and expectation; even the most adventurous eaters make an annual return to the comfort of a roast turkey dinner or a warm mince pie with softly whipped cream. With offerings largely reflecting the same festive fare across the board, how can you stand out from your competitors to maximise revenue over this lucrative season? 

One smart strategy is to design your festive menus with sustainability in mind. It’s well documented that customers are increasingly eager to see planet-friendly options when it comes to dining out, so draw them in by – truthfully! – communicating your sourcing strategies on your website, social media channels and menus. By choosing sustainable ingredients at your busiest time of the year, you’ll also start a positive ripple effect across your supply chain, spreading a little Christmas cheer to those suppliers and producers who are doing things right.

Support local farmers where possible and celebrate provenance on your menu in meaningful ways. For the traditional fare, look to sourcing rare breed turkey and ham from regenerative mixed farms and maximise your use of each carcase, from pork rillettes and terrines to turkey wing and giblet gravy. Buy local vegetables where possible and increase the veg-to-meat ratio on every plate. 

For your vegan and vegetarian options, choose planet-friendly natural ingredients like beans and pulses, mushrooms and heritage whole grains. Make sure non-meat-eaters have a wide selection of creative and appealing options – building a separate vegan and vegetarian menu is a fantastic way to make a growing segment of the population feel well taken care of. Check out this previous article for inspiration on how to make your plant-based offering irresistible.

Keep it cost-friendly

With the cost-of-living crisis ongoing, value for money will be a big consideration for consumers this Christmas – and we know that keeping costs down is top of mind for most restaurant operators, too. Luckily, embedding sustainable practices into your restaurant’s operations can cut costs across your business, letting you pass some of those savings on to your customers: think cleverly designed circular menus, smarter ordering practices, better stock control and reduced waste.

Design your menus to be as low waste as possible, utilising ingredients across several dishes. Plan and order carefully and use any surplus to create clever, cost-effective seasonal specials. Plate waste is a big problem across the industry, and at Christmas particularly, customers can be prone to ordering more than they need. Bear this in mind when figuring out portion sizes; it’s better to serve smaller portions of commonly wasted foods like chips and tell customers that they are welcome to avail of a free-of-charge second helping if they want one.

Decorate thoughtfully

Creating a cosy, festive vibe is lovely as this time of year, but reconsider single-use decorations or those made from plastic. You could invest in decorations made from natural, biodegradable materials, or make some of your own using things like dried slices of leftover citrus fruits. Lighting things up? Choose LED and energy-saving bulbs wherever possible. On a day-to-day basis (and not just at Christmas!) encourage your staff to adopt energy-saving practices: simple things like turning off lights and appliances when not in use can add up to make a big difference.

Take care of your team

Don’t forget social sustainability – the ‘E’ in ESG! In an industry built on social interaction, it’s important to look after your people during what is always a high-pressure time of year; taking care of your team now will stand to you through the rest of the year in terms of motivation and retention. Make sure you keep morale high, encouraging your team to have fun while they work and acknowledging and rewarding excellent customer service. Ensure your rostering over the course of the month is fair and takes everyone’s needs and preferences into consideration while also making sure you have enough staff on each shift. Be sure to check in regularly with your employees and let them know that their wellbeing is a priority. Once the craziness has died down, consider a night out, bonuses or gift cards as a reward for their weeks of extra-hard work.

Connect with your community

Christmas is a big time for social connection. There are numerous business benefits attached to community involvement, and the end of the year is an opportunity to focus more of your efforts on this – and to consider keeping it up in the new year. Charitable donations money, time and/or food are always important, and there are plenty of other ways to get involved, too. You could also redirect a percentage of profits from one particular seasonal dish (or set menu) to a local charity of your choice, or offer a Christmas discount to groups like pensioners, teachers or medical staff as a way of thanking them for their role in your community. Celebrate your community by supporting or attending local Christmas markets or events or inviting local musicians to play in your bar. You could host giveaways over the course of the month, offering prizes like a voucher for a meal at your restaurant.

Interested in learning more about how you can build sustainability into every part of your operations, at every time of the year? Check out the Food Made Good Standard – a holistic and comprehensive sustainability accreditation designed especially for hospitality businesses, and available anywhere in the world.