A shocking 40% of food is wasted in the U.S., and one-third of food produced around the world will end up in a landfill. In the UK, restaurants, hotels, and food services contribute to 10% of overall food waste — and our team at etc.venues County Hall isn’t satisfied with the status quo.
As a culinary team serving hundreds or thousands of guests, reducing food waste includes crafting zero-waste recipes that include potentially overlooked ingredients. Inspired by the strategies implemented at etc.venues County Hall in London, we spoke with Executive Head Chef Malik Fseil for some key takeaways and zero-waste recipes you can make at home.
How our chefs reduce food waste during events
Guests can expect “chef’s choice” menus at all etc.venues by Convene locations for meetings and events with buffet options and menus crafted by our respective executive culinary leads. The communal buffet service aims to be adaptable and delicious, keeping bodies and breaks running smoothly. “Aiming for zero-waste cooking helps us innovate to create new dishes and recipes from the food we have available, staying aligned with product availability and seasonality,” Fseil told us.
He also explained how etc.venues has built trust with clients who have experienced the culinary innovation and creativity on-site. “Calculating the amount of food needed at every event is crucial for our operation's success,” said Fseil. “With a large event venue like etc.venues County Hall, which has multiple catering spaces and numerous events daily, we need to gather the most accurate catering numbers possible.” Accurate catering numbers inform quantities of produce and other perishable ingredients, ensuring leftovers are kept to a minimum.
The service team also manages a frequent rotation when serving buffets during a meeting or event. “Instead of putting all the food out at the beginning of service, we have more staff on the floor to replenish the buffet as dishes get low,” Fseil said. Anticipatory service like this is one simple way to reduce food waste because otherwise, dishes are exposed to room temperature for too long and must be disposed of properly.
Recipes to reduce food waste at home
Home cooks can replicate the zero-waste cooking that Chef Fseil and his team perform in a commercial kitchen. Butternut squash is a great example of how to use every part of the plant from “root to stem.” Butternut squash skin can be deep-fried and seasoned as a crisp to garnish salads. The rest of the squash can be used, and seeds can be roasted to sprinkle on top of risotto or goat cheese mousse.
The etc.venues County Hall chefs repurpose cooked pastries that were unused during breakfast to create bourbon vanilla, caramelised bread and butter pudding. Tomatoes from our breakfast plant-based salad become smoked sun-blushed tomatoes using a dehydrator. Leftover mid-morning smoothies can become zero-waste panna cotta [see recipe below]. A bit of creativity can ensure perfectly good food doesn’t end up in the bin.
See step-by-step recipes and instructions below.
1. Turn carrot juice into a zero-waste morning cupcake recipe
This pair of zero-waste carrot recipes perfectly exemplifies how we can be creative and sustainable while aiming for excellence in our food offering. The best part? Our carrot cupcakes are designed to be gluten-free and dairy-free. Carrot juice is one of the offerings for breakfast at the etc.venues County Hall venue, which results in a lot of leftover pulp. Converting the carrot pulp into mid-morning carrot cupcakes is one way to surprise and delight our guests – and to make the most of your produce at home.
INGREDIENTS: Carrot Juice
35 ounces (1 kilogram) carrot pulp
7 ounces (200 grams) ginger pulp
3 ½ ounces (100 grams) apple puree (about 3 apples)
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ of a lemon juiced
INSTRUCTIONS: Carrot Juice
Mix all of the dry ingredients slowly in one bowl. Mix in the carrot pulp, oil, and orange zest. Then add in the eggs until the batter is fully mixed and thickens. Grease a muffin tin or use paper baking liners to avoid the batter sticking to the pan. Fill each cup until about half to two-thirds full to allow the batter to rise without overflowing.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 20 minutes. Stick a toothpick or a fork in the center of a cupcake to see if it is clean when removed. Allow carrot cakes to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the tin. You can add a whipped topping or your favorite frosting to each cupcake.
2. Smoothies become a zero-waste panna cotta recipe
INGREDIENTS
¼ cup leftover fruit smoothie or juice (berries, mango, peaches)
3 teaspoons gelatin powder
1 ½ cups whole milk or plant-based substitute
⅓ cup white sugar
1 ⅓ cup cream or full-fat coconut cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
Pour cold milk into a small saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin over top. Let it sit to thicken for about 5 minutes. Turn the heat on low and stir until the gelatin dissolves. (Be careful to avoid heating the mixture to a simmer, or it will ruin the final result.) Stir in sugar until dissolved.
Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in vanilla. Mix in the dairy cream or full-fat coconut cream (the thick portion that rises to the top of a can) until smooth. Add in the fruit smoothie or juice, stirring slowly to avoid curdling the milk. Pour the mixture through a cheesecloth or strainer to remove any solids. Add into shot glasses or ramikins, then refrigerate overnight to allow the mixture to thicken.
3. Make a zero-waste flavored water recipe
INSTRUCTIONS
Make sure to wash all fruit. Cut all fruit and break apart herbs to easily fit into the water jug of your choice. Leave berries intact to maintain their shape in the water. Fill the pitcher or jug halfway with water. Once all of the ingredients are added, fill the container to the top with water.
INGREDIENTS
Experiment with the following combinations we use at etc.venues County Hall:
- Melon and lavender
- Pineapple and pink pepper
- Berries and thyme
- Passionfruit and rose petals
- Watermelon and rosemary
Want a culinary team who prioritizes sustainability practices for your next meeting or event? Speak with our team of experts.
