Reducing, measuring, and analysing food waste in restaurants

Assessment of food losses in the Hospitality sector

According to Eurostat, nearly a tenth of food purchased by households, restaurants, and shops is thrown away, amounting to approximately 131 kg per person annually and losses estimated at €132 billion across Europe in 2020. In restaurants, the figures are even more concerning: research cited by WRAP (the UK's Waste & Resources Action Programme) indicates hospitality venues are responsible for approximately 400,000 tonnes of food waste each year. This not only represents avoidable financial loss but also impacts environmental sustainability.

In catering, waste occurs throughout the food journey: from goods procurement, preparation, and serving, to post-meal waste. In France, Ademe's study found losses average 230g per meal per customer, costing about €0.50 per head. British studies find similar results, especially in busy restaurants and hotels.

Legal framework for food waste in UK restaurants

Unlike the legislative measures in France, the UK does not currently impose mandatory food waste reduction targets for restaurants. However, sustainability requirements are increasing, especially for larger chains and companies. Operators may be subject to local council obligations to segregate and correctly dispose of food waste, and landfill tax continues to rise, reinforcing the business case for waste reduction. Initiatives such as WRAP’s Courtauld Commitment and the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap provide frameworks and guidance for measuring and reporting food wastage, with many businesses voluntarily committing to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030.

Restaurants are encouraged to:

• Follow best practice guidelines on food waste segregation and recycling.
• Educate staff on sustainable operations.
• Offer customers solutions like ‘doggy bags’ to take home leftovers.
• Track and report waste to meet sustainability objectives.

What is food waste?

UK guidance defines food waste as any edible material intended for human consumption that is discarded, whether during storage, preparation, serving, or after a meal. Key categories include:

• Used cooking oils and fats
• Coffee grounds and brewing waste
• General food scraps: peelings, expired products, unsold items, broken cold chain, plate leftovers, and preparation offcuts.

How to reduce and manage food waste

With rising food costs and increased focus on sustainability, reducing food waste protects profitability and supports environmental goals. Here’s how British restaurateurs can act:

1. Anticipate demand to avoid surplus

Improved stock management starts with accurate sales forecasting. Solutions such as Inpulse’s AI help operators anticipate sales based on factors like weather, public holidays, events, and more, ensuring orders match actual needs and reducing overstocking.

2. Measuring is essential‍

Track all losses for clarity on how much waste is created and where. Stocktaking should be matched against predicted stock requirements by factoring in:

• Upcoming deliveries and receipts
• Stock transfers between locations
• Expected daily consumption
• Reported losses or wastage

3. Analyse losses to improve operations‍

Understanding the causes of waste enables remedial action, whether that’s improved food handling, staff training, better area management, or tighter controls at goods-in. Typical sources of food loss include:

• Expired products (poor rotation, over-ordering)
• Products unfit to serve (failed cold chain, breakage, mishandling)
• Preparation waste (unoptimised processes, poor cutting or recipe adherence)

By regularly accessing real-time operational ratios, especially using digital tools, restaurant teams can take targeted decisions to cut waste.

Example: A sushi restaurant reviews technical sheets for maki production and finds it wasted 10kg of salmon due to improper batch management, representing a 25% overconsumption. Reporting this loss helps pinpoint exactly where process changes are needed.

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Conclusion

Reducing food waste in British restaurants is not just about compliance—it’s central to profitability and sustainability. Operators who measure, manage, and analyse their food waste can act with confidence, meeting customer expectations and business goals while minimising environmental impact.