Green Goals: Earth-shaker trends to get behind

Sustainability remains one of the biggest growing influences on buying attitude and behaviour with a new generation of Greta Thunberg and Blue Planet inspired consumers demanding bigger, bolder and more impactful change. Mintel’s 2022 Sustainability Barometer reflects this with concerns on climate change, water and food shortages and a drive to reduce waste and plastic. With the UK and Irish governments both having targets for Net Zero emission by 2050, it’s important that sustainability is baked into everyday business. The Around Noon “Keeping It Green” manifesto helps us make it front and centre.?

We’re always keeping an eye on developments in this space and think that there are some exciting trends and players that will shape the sustainability agenda for the next few years. We’ve identified three big “earth-shaker” trends that will have big impact and some pioneering “Green-Gems” that we feel are blazing the trail for others to follow.

1. Zero Waste

Zero waste is about conserving resources through responsible production and consumption so that nothing goes to landfill or contaminates the environment. The 5 Rs of Zero waste - REFUSE, REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE and ROT are about being consciously aware of how products are made, how they are consumed and what happens to them after. Some Green-Gem trailblazer companies are:

St Johns Restaurant: Nose to Tail cooking is a great way to make sure there is nothing wasted. Fergus Henderson set up St Johns Restaurant in 1995 in Smithfield, London which serves up every part of the animal including the inner organs. They also champion older forgotten cuts of meats to make sure nothing is wasted. www.stjohnrestaurant.com

SILO: Self-proclaimed preindustrial food system restaurant in London started with the idea of making everything themselves and having no bin. This now shapes everything from milling their own flour, churning their own butter, using reusable crates for ingredient deliveries, right down to having their crockery made from their recycled wine bottles. www.silolondon.com

Too Good To Go: This innovative food waste recovery app recently got the backing of Leonardo DiCaprio to tackle retailer and food service waste by allowing customers to pre-purchase a magic bag of expiring food instead of it going in the bin. They’ve only been around for 10 years but already they’ve saved over 21 million bags of food from going to waste. www.toogoodtogo.co.uk

2. Low Input Production

With rising energy costs and water shortages becoming more frequent, this pressure is pushing the food industry to think of a new and more innovative way of growing, producing and cooking food. Financial substantiality and environmental sustainability go hand in hand and make for a responsible business. Our Green Gems here are:

Next Door: Last year, in protest, to spiralling energy costs, this Cheshire base Michelin star restaurant set themselves the challenge of cooking a 9-course menu called “Back to Basics” without gas or electricity. Instead, they used charcoal and candles and took cash payments. www.restaurantnextdoor.co.uk

Fischer Farms: In Summer 2023 Fischer Farms plan to open a ￡25m vertical farm which claims to be the world’s largest indoor farm producing salad leaves and herbs in a 4 acres building which would traditionally take 1000 acres of farmland to grow. They will use 100% renewable energy to heat and light the facility as well as use less water.

Islander Kelp: Based on Rathlin Island off the coast of Northern Ireland, Benji and his mum Kate farm pure varieties of rope-grown kelp which they use to make seaweed pesto. As freshwater becomes scarce what better way to grow vegetables than in the sea? www.islanderkelp.com

3. Regenerative Farming

Put simply, regenerative agriculture is a term that describes farming principles and practices that can reverse the damage done to the environment by industrial practices. Unlike traditional intensive agriculture, it focuses on good soil health through reduction in fertilisers, rotation of crops and holistic grazing of animals. It cultivates plant and animal biodiversity through bees and wildflowers and hedgerow planting. Harvesting and using renewable energy on farms as well as good animal husbandry are also important aspects. Our Green Gems are:

The Slow Farming Company: This regenerative farm in Castle Carey recently installed 4 new colonies of bees from Black Bee Honey in recognition that pollinators are essential to delivery of good biodiversity. www.slowfarming.co.uk

#REGANUARY: Created in 2019, this campaign aims to clarify ambiguous conceptions around meat production and its effect on the environment. It is aimed at the consumer of a range of diets including pescatarian, vegetarian or vegan and promotes regenerative producers and gets people talking about food and agriculture www.ethicalbutcher.co.uk

Wild Farmed: M&S have collaborated with Wild Farmed to list their bread loaves in over 500 stores. The wheat used in Wild farmed flour is grown in rich soil alongside plants and grasses which look to restore biodiversity, soil and ecosystem health. www.wildfarmed.co.uk