Olympia London is delighted to have become a supporting partner of Guardians of Grub, a collaborative initiative run by WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme), as Food Waste Action Week 2023 kicks off.
1.1 million tonnes of food is thrown away by the Hospitality and Food Service industry each year, which equates to 18% of the food purchased. This has a huge impact on the environment and the goal is to halve this by 2030.
Now in its third year, Food Waste Action Week runs from 6 to 12 March with the theme of ‘Win. Don’t Bin.’ It is vital that, through greater collaboration and awareness, that we have a positive impact on address the climate change crisis through our food waste processes.
Rob Fredrikson, Managing Director of Company of Cooks and Gather & Gather who operate the catering at Olympia London, spoke to us about the partnership:
“Olympia London's Grand Plan, and the commitment to reduce food waste with the Guardians of Grub initiative, has been a huge success. The venue’s Catering Manager, Abbey Short, has been instrumental in driving this partnership forward and taking it to new heights.
Her work has not only delivered commercial benefit, but more importantly, has also made sure that any excess edible food has found its way to the people who need it most, supporting the wider community and the environment,” said Fredrikson.
Siân Richards, Head of Sustainability at Olympia London, commented:
“Reducing emissions through reducing food waste is so important to us as part of our Grand Plan and Abbey’s role as a WRAP ambassador work has already had a huge impact in a short space of time. Through implementing Guardians of Grub’s tools, we have managed to reduce the costs and emissions associated with excess food production and waste removal management.”
Olympia London’s CEO, Julie Driscoll, outlined how important our work on reducing food waste is to our net zero ambition:
“Olympia London is proud to be a supporting partner of Guardians of Grub because we recognise the importance of collaborating across our industry to make best use of our resources and reduce carbon emissions.
We measure and report on food waste with the aim of eliminating it altogether to help achieve our net zero pledge. Edible food waste is avoidable, and it is essential for the planet that we all take action now.”
Read more on Olympia London’s sustainability initiatives here.