Cardiff University

Cardiff University Food – Green Shoots is growing the future

Cardiff University Food has undertaken a comprehensive strategy to reduce its carbon footprint, prioritising health, nutrition, and taste. The initiative aims to build a vibrant community around food and dining experiences, driven by student feedback for more sustainable food procurement and menu management. The transformation of a loss-making restaurant into a plant-forward café, Green Shoots, highlights this commitment. Efforts include promoting plant-forward dishes, procuring locally sourced produce, and integrating whole grains, pulses, and seeds into menus.

The team serves over 700 free three-course meals annually and offers "Sizzle on a Shoestring" an affordable hot plant-forward main meal to students and staff, reducing food waste and boosting satisfaction.

Cardiff University Food supports the Good Food Cardiff initiative and the Cardiff and Vale sustainable food policy. Since launching Refill Wales in 2019, free tap water access expanded University wide. The "Too Good to Go" app has significantly cut food waste, and a switch from reusable cup discounts to charging for disposables slashed disposable cup use by 51%. Hospitality services operate with 98% reusables, and a plant-forward, Eco-Hospitality package launched in 2023. The team engages with the WRAP Guardians of Grub scheme and runs Love Food Hate Waste campaigns. Kitchen decarbonisation efforts since 2022 have saved significant CO2.

What the Judges Thought

The judges agreed this is a great example of community-building through making catering more sustainable. There is clear evidence of positive environmental, economic, and social impact which is impressive including the focus on local Welsh cuisine with the food van. Turning around a failing café to a vibrant plant-based space is an amazing piece of work in the short term, and well-grounded in the needs and wants of the student body.

Great social initiatives at the café with it being a place to meet new people and reduce loneliness. The Sizzle on a Shoestring initiative, an affordable, hot plant-forward main meal is also a good step.

What it Means to Win

"It is wonderful for the dedication to sustainability and well-being of Cardiff University catering team to be recognised in this way.  It affirms our role in Cardiff and Wales and celebrates the teams leadership in promoting healthy, plant-forward dining options while fostering inclusivity and supporting local food sources in a vibrant community setting."

Professor Wendy Larner, President and Vice-Chancellor

Top 3 Learnings

1. The positive impact of community engagement and feedback: engaging with students and gathering their feedback proved crucial in shaping the sustainability initiatives. Ensuring that the strategies aligned with the needs of our customers while also fostering a sense of ownership and participation among students and staff.
2. Effective Waste Reduction: implementing initiatives such as Too Good to Go app, offering plant-forward dishes, and encouraging the use of reusables significantly reduced food waste and the use of disposable cups. Highlighting the importance of practical, actional steps in achieving our sustainability goals.
3. The value of holistic sustainability efforts: The comprehensive approach to sustainability, from menu planning and sourcing local produce to reducing single-use plastics and decarbonising kitchen equipment, demonstrated that a holistic strategy can lead to substantial environmental benefits and improved customer satisfaction. Underscoring the importance of considering all aspects of sustainability in foodservices.