79% of German foodservice patrons think it’s important for restaurants/food outlets to ensure employee welfare. This underscores the importance of the industry adopting a holistic approach to sustainability that goes beyond the environment. Investing in employee development and wellbeing initiatives, such as by providing training on sustainability topics, will ultimately boost customer satisfaction.
As continuously rising prices make cost a greater concern, short-term initiatives like pricing incentives and long-term measures like direct sourcing will help democratise access to sustainable dining.
Scepticism is a key barrier to sustainable foodservice choices, with 44% of those who don’t prioritise sustainability in foodservice saying sustainability claims are hard to trust. Open, straightforward communication (eg standardised labelling or sharing initiatives on social media) can foster trust and awareness.
Even though only 15% of foodservice consumers prioritise sustainability when choosing where to eat out/order takeaway food from, as sustainability increasingly becomes the norm, delivering it alongside high-priority values like food quality is key to justifying spending. Operators can excite consumers and meet sustainable sourcing expectations by leveraging wild plants and rarer crops/varieties for seasonal and local innovation.
There is a chance for operators to convey sustainability through quality to deliver added value. Using wild or rare local and seasonal ingredients will attract consumers demanding sustainable sourcing while exciting them with unique flavours.
Eliana Riera-McInnes, Foodservice Research Analyst
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