Celebrating Earth Day with Exciting News
Happy Earth Day 2024 🌱
This Earth Day, we’re thrilled to share an update on the exciting Brighton Restaurants Sustainability project we have been working on in collaboration with the University of Brighton.
Earlier this year, we joined forces with researchers from the University of Brighton to dive deep into the world of local restaurants, exploring their journey towards sustainable practices. It’s been an eye-opening experience, to say the least!
Fact Finding and Open Conversations
Through workshops and open conversations with our community’s passionate restaurateurs including Moshimo, Oeuf, Baked, Starfish and Coffee, Casazul, Arcobaleno, Nostos and others, we heard about the triumphs and the hurdles on the path to sustainability.
It’s clear: balancing economic viability with environmental and social responsibility is no easy feat.
Building A Sustainability Toolkit
From these discussions the team identified the need for a Sustainability Toolkit.
This toolkit, curated in collaboration with the University of Brighton, is designed to be a treasure trove of practical wisdom.
From managing energy consumption to tackling food waste, we will share examples of ways that people are already working to tackle these challenges in a way that you can reproduce or be inspired by.
Measuring Effectiveness and Learning
This toolkit isn’t set in stone and is a living, breathing project that will evolve alongside our collective understanding and experiences. By Earth Day 2025 we hope to be reporting on the effect the work today has had and to report on how plans for the accessible and free at point of use toolkit is developing and evolving.
Our Expert Partnership with Sustainability Academics
Thanks to the support we’ve received from experts Dr Adam Jones, Dr. Tim Laing, Dr Francisca Farache Aureliano Da Silva and Dr Julian Riano, from the University of Brighton we will be working on this first phase of the toolkit while planning for ongoing development. These experts from the University will help ensure that we are measuring the effectiveness of the ideas so far and will help us report to the wider community. As well as the hospitality community itself, we will be inviting stakeholders from the wider community to critique and contribute to the work and have confirmed participation from Brighton and Hove Food Partnership, Visit Brighton, Brighton Business Improvement District, Table Talk Foundation as well as Cllr Ty Goddard and Cllr David McGregor.
Our plans are bold and we envision a toolkit that grows and adapts, fuelled by insights and conversations with Brighton and Hove’s vibrant hospitality community.
You are Invited
You’re invited to join us on this journey. Whether you’ve got nuggets of wisdom to share or brilliant ideas to contribute, we want to hear from you. Together, we can make this toolkit truly remarkable.
Our first mission is to craft 8 stellar case studies and your feedback will be vital as we navigate this journey.
So, bookmark this page and keep your eyes peeled for our weekly updates. We’re all ears for your thoughts and suggestions, whether you drop a comment below or send us an email at hello@restaurantsbrighton.co.uk.
Let’s make sustainability the main course on every restaurant’s menu! 🌍✨
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With thanks for support from the University of Brighton Knowledge Exchange.