Another week and something is clearly in the air with more and more restaurants or hospitality venues trying to re-open in some guise.  Maybe it’s the frustration of sitting idle, maybe it’s the recognition that the industry is very broken and some sort of pivot for survival is going to be essential for those businesses that can do so. And many cannot.

I’ve seen a number of posts from the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) offering practical support, not only for members, but for anyone visiting their website.  Whilst much of this is really useful and detailed, I particularly enjoyed chewing the fat with Andrew on some of the sustainable opportunities that we would be foolish to waste as we look at what our industry could look like moving forwards.  As we inevitably reduce our menus to simplify production, both to have fewer chefs in the kitchen for distancing purposes, but also to reduce costs and waste, is now the chance more than ever to look at buying local, purchasing from people rather than brands and caring more about the impact of what we purchase on the land and the environment. 

I certainly hope so and Andrew is well placed to talk about what this could look like.  Could government support even be tailored and focused to offer additional support to those doing the right thing and trading more ethically in the food and drink space.  Complicated, but a great concept.  Enjoy the conversation.