Components of Sustainable Catering, Part 2

Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of articles that will look at the relationship between sustainability and catering. Check out part one here.

Catering and banquets collectively represent a relatively small but still significant component of the overall U.S. foodservice industry, somewhere in the 5% of revenue range. 

However, because of the social importance and high visibility of many of the events executed by caterers, an industry-wide effort to create green awareness could help drive broader acceptance of the sustainable food options available to our clients and guests.

Not every catering client or event guest feels strongly about sustainability. However, recent polls show that somewhere in the 75% range of adult Americans support efforts to address climate change. And from other recent polling, almost 60% of U.S. consumers are willing to spend more for sustainable products. This indicates that there is an opportunity for caterers to both do the right thing and prosper at the same time.

This bias toward sustainability is confirmed by the fact that the vast majority of large and sophisticated U.S.-based companies promote their own environmental efforts via marketing to the public; and as of 2023, 98% of the companies in the S&P 500 generate voluntary sustainability reports for their stakeholders every year, an indication of how seriously they take this issue.

There are several areas which caterers can and should address to improve their sustainability quotient. In this article we will focus on both input and output considerations. 

Input/output sustainability

In the catering world, where we constantly endeavor to create and deliver products to please our clients and guests, the demand/input side is upstream from the supply/output side. In this context, demand refers to the items selected by our clients after being presented as food and beverage options. 

We believe that the focus here should be on offering as many sustainable options to our clients as possible—encouraging flexitarian eating. Red meats such as beef and lamb have the most environmentally negative impacts of common catering proteins, yet they are often presented as the default main course option. This is the case not only for high-end full-service events where tenderloin is often the instinctive choice, but also for company picnics where hamburgers and hot dogs are usually all beef.

There are many reasons why beef is so frequently chosen in a catering context. This is partly because of familiarity since many Americans were raised on beef. Beef is also widely available, which is another consideration. But because of its environmental impact, in the catering world beef should be an option, not the option. 

Other menu challenges arise because alternatives to beef such as pork, shellfish, and veal have cultural baggage, while poultry items are often perceived as being down-market alternatives. However, with sufficient creativity, there are other possibilities for our culinary teams to present to our clients—both menu items that currently exist, and ones that will be created in the future. 

Some alternatives to traditional meats are a challenge for the risk-averse but can be excellent choices for those willing to try something different. For example, lion’s mane mushrooms make outstanding faux crab cakes, and Moulard Magret duck breasts are a superb substitute for tenderloin. 

Seafood is another important component of the caterers’ culinary repertoire. As described by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), seafood is the most environmentally efficient source of protein on the planet. NOAA defines sustainable seafood in the following manner: sustainable seafood is fish, shellfish, and seaweeds harvested or farmed in a manner that provides for today’s needs while allowing species to reproduce, habitats to flourish, and productive ecosystems to be available for future generations.

With up to 8% of the U.S. adult population self-identifying as vegan or vegetarian, the number of clients and guests willing to consider going meatless altogether is greater than it has ever been in the past. Since any plant-based option is by definition more sustainable than any meat, these should be part of every caterer’s culinary offrings (though we realize that they are not an easy sell).

Moving on to supply concerns

There are other considerations besides the center-of-the-plate choices described above. Seasonality also has an impact on food sustainability. For example, if vegetable or fruit accompaniments are shipped in by air from another hemisphere, then food miles become a contributor to environmental degradation. 

Some items are only grown outside of the US, but many of those items arrive here by ship—bananas arrive in from Central America in refrigerated containers, for example. The environmental consequences of items brought in by sea or moved by truck or rail are minimal compared to those transported by air.

This seasonality issue can be a challenge for caterers. This is particularly true in the northern areas of the U.S., where the growing season is relatively short. Additionally, local growers may not be able to deliver large quantities of produce on a “just in time” basis, compared to the mass production of areas such as the Central and Imperial Valleys of California.

Clients can be a challenge as well. A catering buyer who notices out of season, overseas berries or asparagus in their grocery store may decide that they want these on their catering menu, even if they are nominally supportive of sustainable choices. Even if they realize the environmental impact of their choices, buyers can easily rationalize these selections because most catered events are special occasions.

There are no easy, “one size fits all” solutions to these supply challenges. However, some caterers have been quite successful in tailoring their menu outputs to minimize their environmental impact, and a few have even created vegetarian catering brands. We strongly recommend that every caterer have their culinary and sales teams work together on these issues, with knowledge of both the environmental impact of the products being offered, and a well-rounded understanding of seasonality and local product availability.