UK’s green food industry leaders honoured at Footprint Awards - Foodservice Consultants Society International

Sustainability in the food sector was celebrated in London last week, reports Becki Sendell

On Thursday 4 June London’s East Wintergarden in Canary Wharf played host to senior figures from across the food industry, who came together to witness the results of the fifth annual Footprint Awards.

Over 200 leaders from foodservice and hospitality organisations gathered for this special anniversary year of the prestigious Awards Scheme celebrating the most innovative sustainability campaigns and initiatives that are driving best practice across sectors from manufacturing to contract catering.

The Awards Scheme has become renowned for its approach to showcasing the achievements of businesses of all shapes and sizes, and has received particular praise for the high number of small to medium enterprises (SMEs) that have been recognised year-on-year.

Winners on the night included some of the biggest names in the sector, as well as rising stars considered ‘ones to watch’. From Kuehne+Nagel to Delta Packaging companies large and small were honoured for their ability to push boundaries and make significant Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy strides across the supply chain.

Each category shone with a host of worthy nominees making it extremely difficult for the expert panel of judges to select the final winners, proving that five years on, the Footprint Awards are still the sustainability awards scheme to enter – and win.

Speaking at the event Nick Fenwicke-Clennell, CEO of Footprint said: “The Fifth Anniversary of the Footprint Awards is an important milestone for the industry – we have started to see real progression and innovation across the supply chain to ensure sustainability is at the forefront of best practice. All of the nominees have demonstrated just how far business has come in half a decade to reduce waste, become more energy efficient and create new social initiatives.”

Charles Miers, managing director of Footprint, said: “We want to say a huge congratulations to this year’s winners who once again, have highlighted the brilliant achievements from businesses large and small. Although there is still much more that can be done across the industry to make it truly sustainable, the examples showcased tonight demonstrate the wonderful efforts being made to make a real difference to the environment and society. From Harper Adams University to Going Underground, the awards illustrate that even small businesses can make a big impact.”