Savour Food Awards Best Practice in Food Waste Management

Tackling food waste was on the menu for East Cork restaurateurs, food producers and food retailers as the Savour Food programme served up awards for best practice in food waste management today (Monday).

Savour Food, a food waste reduction programme for businesses has been working with those in the food sector in East Cork for the past year, providing free consultancy, food waste prevention training and advice on legal obligations in relation to food waste management.  Supported by the Clean Technology Centre (CIT), SECAD, and Taste Cork, the Savour Food Awards acknowledge participation in the programme, and were presented to 11 East Cork businesses.

Speaking at the awards, Savour Food programme lead, James Hogan of the Clean Technology Centre said, “In Ireland we generate over 1 million tonnes of waste food each year, 75% of which is generated in food production, service and retail. Wasted food is wasted money, as well as having implications for the environment and climate change. The Savour Food programme advises businesses on how to monitor and prevent food waste, which results in reduced food waste and cost savings. One restaurant in Youghal has reduced their waste collection costs by €160/ month or €2,000 / annum at “No Cost” to the business. This is equates to increasing turnover by €10,000 per annum. We are delighted to see 11 food companies receiving Savour Food Awards today and look forward to rolling out the next phase of the Savour Food programme in January 2019. We are currently inviting food businesses from the Clonakilty and Ballyhoura regions to join the programme .”

Better planning, food waste segregation, waste auditing and waste cost analysis are key elements of the Savour Food programme, which is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, and provided free of charge to food businesses.

Programme partner SECAD CEO Ryan Howard said, “The Savour Food programme is a win-win for the food sector. Not only is it an ideal way for businesses to save money on food waste, meet best practice guidelines for the food sector, it also ensures that we are respecting our environment for a more sustainable future.”

David Fitzgibbon Proprietor at Aherne’s Seafood Restaurant & Townhouse, Youghal. ‘ Since we engaged with Savour Food we have reduced our waste collection costs by €160/ month or €2,000 / annum at “No cost” to the business. This is equates to increasing turnover by €10,000 per annum which is a welcome addition to the business”.

The Savour Food Award Recipients 2018 are:

• Bite Size, Midleton and Bite Size,Ballincollig
• Ferrit & Lee Restaurant, Midleton
• Hurley’s Super Valu, Midleton
• Day’s Eurospar, Whitegate
• The Pepperstack, Lower Aghada
• The Red Store, Youghal
• Aherne’s Seafood Bar & Townhouse, Youghal
• Shanagarry Design Centre, Shanagarry
• The Malt House Restaurant @ The Jameson Experience, Midleton Distillery
• The Garryvoe Hotel, Garryvoe

Congratulations to all food businesses involved.