By Julia Wilkinson, Group Restaurant Strategy Executive, Shaftesbury
What inspired you to support the Food Made Good Awards?
Sustainability is all about how we operate, our impact on our environment and how we engage with our stakeholders. Our portfolio has over 300 restaurants, cafes and bars and therefore the Food Made Good Awards align with both our business and our sustainability ethos, and we are delighted to be supporting the SRA Open Right award for the third time.
How do you see the category you’re aligning with help accelerate positive change in hospitality?
The Open Right award means that these businesses are serious about sustainability. If they can begin their business in a sustainable manner, then this will trickle through to all aspects of their operation; from the initial design and fit-out, to buying sustainably sourced food, through to looking after their staff and supporting their local neighbourhood. This is what consumers increasingly want to see. They want to spend their money in establishments that care about the environment and the communities that they operate in.
What sustainability issue do you expect to rise to the fore in 2020 and why?
All sustainability issues lead towards climate. In Carnaby, we have launched the Blue Turtle initiative. The Blue Turtle aims to reduce the consumption of single-use plastic products and encourages businesses to adopt more sustainable practices. Since the launch in June, 46 tenants in the Carnaby neighbourhood have signed up to the Blue Turtle.
