Sustainability has become an increasingly important consideration in all aspects of event planning, including catering. Eco-friendly wedding catering aims to reduce the environmental impact of food services through mindful sourcing, preparation, and service. With creativity and commitment, we implement sustainable wedding catering that benefit the planet without sacrificing quality or compromising the wedding experience.

The ecological footprint of large events like weddings can be substantial, from food waste to disposable usage. However, we recognize the importance of sustainability and are rising to meet the demand for greener events. From farm-to-table dining to zero-waste operations, there are many ways to integrate sustainability across wedding catering. With mindful planning, we take steps to conserve energy and water, reduce waste, source ethical ingredients and minimise carbon emissions from transport and storage

This overview will explore some of the key sustainable efforts we are making and best practices for green weddings. With environmental awareness on the rise, eco-conscious couples want their special day to reflect their values and we’re here for it! Sustainable catering allows us all to celebrate love while also supporting the health of the planet.

Reducing Food Waste

Food waste is a major issue in the catering industry and we implement various strategies to reduce the amount of food that ends up in landfills.

One effective method is composting leftovers. We now have compost bins and collect all food scraps to be composted off-site. Composting recycles food waste into fertile soil that can be used for gardening.

We’re pros at tracking the amount of food prepared versus the amount consumed at each event. This allows us to adjust food orders at future events to minimise waste.

Portion sizes can also be strategic. Whilst buffets can be great options for couples as they come in considerably cheaper, we’re really pushing for plated dining or feasting style. This way we have more control on portion sizes to ensure there is less waste. 

Sourcing Local & Seasonal Foods

This is our main point of difference in the industry. We will not sacrifice on sourcing local or using ingredients that aren’t in season – hence the need to be a bespoke caterer. Caterers offering menus all year around for you to choose from are buying produce that is not sourced locally which is a big no, no when it comes to sustainability. And for us, that just isn’t an option. This is not sustainable wedding catering.

Sourcing local ingredients is one of the most impactful ways we can reduce our environmental footprint. Local foods travel shorter distances from farm to table, resulting in less transportation emissions and fuel usage. Buying locally also supports small farmers and strengthens the local economy and community. Why travel when we have the best suppliers anyway!

When we build menus around seasonal produce available in our area, we reduce the environmental impact of shipping out-of-season foods long distances while taking advantage of peak harvest times. Seasonal eating connects us more closely with the natural cycles of agriculture. Menus shift with the seasons to feature spring’s bounty of artichokes and asparagus, summer’s sweet corn and tomatoes, autumn squash and game, and winter’s hearty root vegetables.

We meet with local suppliers to learn what’s growing each season in our region. We then design creative menus that allow seasonal flavours and ingredients to shine. 

Combining hyperlocal foods with seasonal cooking results in exceptional meals that leave a lighter footprint on the planet – go us! 

Minimising Disposables

One major area where weddings generate waste is through the use of disposable plates, cutlery, cups, and napkins. Rather than defaulting to these single-use items that end up in landfills, we take steps to not use disposables at wedding meals.

The most eco-friendly option is to use real plates, glasses, and cutlery that can be washed and reused rather than disposed of – which is exactly what we do! We have a fabulous supplier with an incredible selection to choose from – what’s not to like?

Conserving Energy & Water

We also take steps to conserve energy and water usage at our prep kitchens. This includes:

• Using On-Demand tankless water heaters. These units only heat water as needed instead of maintaining a full tank at high temperatures 24/7. Tankless heaters can reduce energy consumption by up to 34%.
• Scheduling cooking equipment preheat times to conserve electricity. Ovens and ranges are only turned on when needed and off when not in use.
• Implementing a startup/shutdown plan for kitchen equipment. Items turned on sequentially and prioritised based on order of use.

With some creativity and smart energy management, we can take steps to conserve energy and water for an environmentally sustainable wedding meal.

Sustainable Seafood

When planning the menu for a wedding catering event, it’s important to source and serve sustainable seafood. Overfishing has led to declining fish populations, putting certain species at risk. However, our couples can still have seafood at their wedding reception in an eco-friendly way. Our local fishery are heroes in sustainability and have credibility to support their values via the Total Allowable Catch regulations which are underpinned by scientific recommendations for sustainability.

Reducing Carbon Footprint

Transportation and delivery of food often make up a significant portion of a catering company’s carbon emissions, but here at Taste we’ve made significant efforts to reduce our carbon footprint.

• Our staff live locally. Having catering staff that reside nearby cuts down on emissions from daily commute and transportation. 
• We’ve got plans to swap our vans for fuel-efficient hybrids. 
• Always local ingredients. Sourcing ingredients from nearby farms and producers means fewer miles travelled from farm to table. 
• Minimal packaging and single-use containers requested from suppliers . Using recyclable or compostable containers for food transport cuts down on packaging waste.
• Avoiding disposable serveware also reduces the carbon footprint of waste disposal.

Educating Clients & guests:

We’re proud of our sustainability efforts and we really believe there is more to be done in the wedding industry. We like to think of ourselves as the voice of doing good when it comes to our planet and we’re always on the lookout for further ways to look after our planet.

We’re advocates in engaging our clients with our sustainable catering efforts to spread awareness and make broader positive change. 

Going above and beyond:

We’ve got little added additions which support our sustainability efforts, such as:

• Being a part of Rock My Wedding donating to their tree planting programme and offset tonnes and tonnes of CO2.
• Remaking new paper from used for menu tastings by shredding and remaking
• We’re building a kitchen garden full of fresh herbs, veggies and more! Plus we will use our composted food scraps to feed our potted plants around us.
• We send our used cooking oil to be recycled and converted into renewable, low carbon biodiesel.

The Future

The sustainable wedding catering industry is expected to continue growing in the years ahead. As climate change concerns mount and eco-conscious values spread, more couples are seeking to reduce the environmental impact of their weddings. 

The eco-conscious wedding market is only going to grow and we’re SO on board! We’re seeing lots more vegan weddings in the future in support of our planet and couples championing this move and being a part of the change in the wedding industry. 

We’d love to hear your thoughts and any other ideas for us!

Looking for sustainable wedding catering? drop us a message and we’d love to hear about what you’re looking for. And in the meantime, check out our instagram account to see what we’ve been up to.