The Compass Group Sustainability initiative, Planet Promise Change-Makers, highlights Compass associates from around the world who are “making it happen” regarding sustainability. Learn more how Changemakers like Chef Perez work to promote sustainable foodservice practices at a leading healthcare organizations across the country.
Tell us why you think food waste reduction is important:
It is very discouraging for a chef to see the amount of waste that is produced each year. As the largest foodservice corporation in the world, we have the responsibility to manage our resources and do what we can to reduce waste at all of our accounts.
What does food waste reduction look like at a large volume health system?
We have a tool that we use to track and measure food waste efficiently. Waste Not 2.0 was developed by chefs, for chefs, to emphasize source-reduction as the most preferred food waste reduction initiative. We worked to create an action around food waste, to reduce the cost of goods and forecast production. And in doing this, we can not only reduce waste, but we can also improve the quality of the food we are producing.
How do you onboard a successful waste reduction program in a hospital kitchen?
I wanted to go back to the basics with our chefs. Let’s open the hot box after a meal-period is over, assess the food that we may have remaining, and most importantly, meet the chefs where they are with their tasks and time management constraints. We can identify these constraints, uncover the opportunity and implement the tools that they need to be successful.
What sets your team apart?
We work together, to address a commitment set by the hospital to reduce the amount of waste we generate and to divert as much waste as possible away from landfills. As a regional chef responsible for 5 campuses, I provide support, training and resources at these accounts. The initiatives began because of the opportunity to reduce cost of goods, to work more efficiently and to align with the mission of the hospital. At the onset–ensuring that the chefs were trained on best practices to eliminate food waste was critical. It’s more than just asking “why are we throwing food away?”
What is the secret to successful waste reduction?
It needs to be integrated into your action plan–into your daily and weekly to-do list. It needs to stop being an email. It’s all about engagement, follow up, and communication. The reality of a busy kitchen is that they can’t always stop and take action. I work to understand each chef—how their think about their work, how they perceive priorities–and help them understand their waste reduction goals and integrate these goals into their day.
How do you help support the team into integrating food waste reduction into their processes?
I send calendar reminders for special days. I send surveys. I take insights from rounding and turn these into a demo to improve scores. I created a group chat with my chefs with WhatsApp because it was hard to communicate–they are not in front of a computer. They are busy making food. The app allowed me to send quick messages that were read within minutes. Let’s recognize this chef who is taking action to repurpose food, or to forecast, or to think about processes. The other chefs see these messages and feel excited to participate. This was the piece that was missing–the way to connect, communicate and motivate. I knew how to be a good chef in my own unit, but I did not know how to influence the team within the “whirlwind” of the day. We now have Waste Not Champions who collaborate with the Unit Chef to lead this program, identifying how we can go further with waste reduction in the hospitals we serve.
