June 30th 2025, Platf9rm Brighton
On a disturbingly hot Monday morning in late June, we gathered at Platf9rm Brighton for the latest workshop in our hospitality sustainability project. This session built on the foundations already laid in previous workshops, with a dual purpose: to update participants on progress and to focus the discussion on waste – the everyday, behind-the-scenes challenge faced by hospitality venues across the city.
Project Updates
We shared recent milestones, including:
- 49 venues have now completed the Sustainability Checklist
- The checklist has been included in the city’s official Food Strategy
- A University of Brighton research paper has been published, applying the MOA (Motivation, Opportunity, Ability) framework to the development of the toolkit
- Initial steps have been taken to explore climate-friendly meal guidelines with Brighton & Hove Food Partnership and the Council
This project is taking root and keeping it moving forward will require continued collaboration, fresh ideas and wider visibility.
Workshop Focus: Waste in Hospitality
Led by Ty Lawrence-Lamarca from Recorra, the session focused on waste: how to avoid it, reuse it, recycle it and, when all else fails, dispose of it responsibly. Ty’s presentation prompted lively and thoughtful discussion, with participants raising important questions around:
- Reducing stigma or awkwardness for diners asking for doggy bags
- How portion sizes are perceived and balanced across menus
- Managing kitchen workflows when orders are adjusted
- Helping staff handle waste correctly
We also learned (to the surprise of many!) that “emptying pockets” – where diners discard wrappers, tissues, or other items onto their plates – is an actual issue, making it harder for restaurant staff to separate waste effectively.
You can download Ty’s slides here.
Communicating with customers
Alongside the waste conversation, we revisited a topic that keeps coming up: communication. How can venues share what they’re doing for people, planet and profit without preaching or guilt-tripping diners – and without sucking the joy out of going out for a meal?
To explore this further, attendees were invited to complete postcards answering two questions:
- What do you do for people, planet and profit that you wish more customers knew about – and why?
- What topic should we cover in the next workshop?
We’re currently reviewing all the responses and will share a follow-up on key themes soon.
Who Was In The Room?
Attendees included representatives from:
University of Brighton, University of Sussex, Chartwells at Sussex University, Cin Cin, Nostos, Brighton Racecourse, Lost in the Lanes, Laine Pubs, DoubleTree by Hilton Brighton Metropole, Brighton and Hove Food Partnership, Brighton Council Food Policy, Alliance South East, Climate:Change and Restaurants Brighton.
Thank You
Special thanks to:
- Shift – for supporting the event and offering a 15% discount code: SUSTAINABLEBRIGHTON15
- University of Brighton Help to Grow, Recorra, and Fika Bakery for their support
- Platf9rm Brighton (not Hove!) for generously hosting us
What’s Next?
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be analysing the feedback and ideas shared in the session. We’ll also be publishing more about the specific challenges and actions being taken by Brighton and Hove’s hospitality venues.
We’re already planning future work around climate-friendly meals, and we’ll be working with Brighton and Hove Food Partnership and the council to explore how guidelines for this might look.
The project has momentum and we want to keep it moving.
If you want to get involved or have ideas to contribute, just get in touch. You can sign up to the sustainability list here. This is not a regular newsletter, we use it to communicate key things like events or major milestones.