In celebration of World Food Day, we invited Planet Mark Member Fooditude to share their sustainability journey and the positive impact it’s had on the catering industry. As one of London’s leading office caterers, Fooditude has transformed its operations to become more environmentally responsible. Their change, powered by partnerships and data-driven strategies, helps them continue to nurture both people and the planet.
The evolution of sustainability at Fooditude
Fooditude has been proudly serving fresh, high-quality meals to London’s office workers for over 15 years. In 2019, Fooditude became a member of Planet Mark, receiving certification that marked a significant milestone in their commitment to sustainability. As they’ve grown, so too has their understanding of the importance of sustainability in operations.
Initially, Fooditude saw sustainability as a nice to have. However, feedback from customers highlighted its importance, proving the business case to pursue it. Sustainability has since evolved into a driving force, transforming their operations from top to bottom.
Most notably, they created an Impact Department, moving away from using the word “sustainability” emphasising that impact is everyone’s responsibility, not just one department’s. The rebrand reflects a proactive shift: not doing the bare minimum, but enabling teams across the business to create positive impact environmentally, socially, and within the community.
Sustainability made possible with partnerships
Fooditude faces substantial sustainability challenges. Delivering up to 3,000 meals a day generates a significant environmental and societal impact, requiring the team to continually prioritise areas where they can achieve the most meaningful reductions.
Strategic partnerships are key to advancing their sustainability efforts. A particularly notable example is the collaboration with Food Made Good by the Sustainable Restaurant Association, which has provided Fooditude with a hospitality-specific framework centered around ethical sourcing, social responsibility, and environmental impact. Partnerships like these offer valuable guidance and allow for the exchange of ideas, helping to continually improve and innovate in the approach to sustainability.
Fooditude x Planet Mark: A partnership for sustainable progress
At the forefront of Fooditude’s sustainability initiatives is their partnership with Planet Mark. In 2019, they recognised that despite improving how we source ingredients and engage with the local community, they lacked a clear understanding of environmental impact. Specifically, they didn’t have measurable data on factors like carbon emissions, which led them to choose Planet Mark as their sustainability partner.
With a dedicated team, a clear strategy, and the right resources, Fooditude is leveraging Planet Mark’s insights to make a meaningful impact in the catering industry.
“Planet Mark feels like a big family. They’ve always been there to support us, whether that’s connecting us with other members on shared challenges or helping us get to grips with data. Our company values are very much aligned, and that makes the relationship special.” explains Kate Page, Head of Impact at Fooditude.
“With around 95% of our footprint sitting in Scope 3, it is going to be hugely valuable to understand our activity-based reporting. With a full view across Scopes 1, 2 and 3, we can really understand the emissions linked to our purchased goods and services – and most importantly, start working with our suppliers to reduce them”.
Fooditude’s collaboration with Planet Mark extends beyond data collection and reporting. In 2021, the two organisations joined forces with Google to provide free carbon reduction training for SMEs, reinforcing our shared commitment to fostering sustainability within the wider community. And recently Planet Mark further engaged with the kitchen team during their ‘Great Big Green Week’ celebrations.
Nathalie Panayi, Planet Mark’s Engagement Manager, reflects, “It was fantastic to be part of Fooditude’s ‘Great Big Green Week,’ delivering a workshop tailored to their kitchen team. I was encouraged by the carbon-reduction solutions that came directly from the team, and I look forward to continuing our journey towards net zero together”.
Projects that spark change
Fooditude is a case-in-point that a business’s sustainability journey doesn’t always come from dramatic initiatives. Progress is often incremental, achieved through small, consistent improvements.
Setting the foundations
To make a meaningful impact, you need to understand the problem. Since partnering with Planet Mark, Fooditude have set up more robust systems to identify, then tackle, its sustainability challenges. Recording data, and collecting it, helps the team to understand its Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions.
One area they’ve prioritised in 2024 has been to measure leftover food coming back from customer’s canteens. Analysing this data, they adjust portion sizes and menu choices: if food waste data shows that diners at a client site aren’t big fans of coleslaw, the chefs can reduce how much they send over.
Another area where Fooditude has been focusing its attention is choosing ingredients and sourcing more responsibly. In January 2024, Fooditude set a Sustainability Supplier Policy with clear guidelines and minimum requirements from suppliers.
EcoVadis is a platform that Fooditude joined in 2024 to assess supplier sustainability, from ethical employment to carbon footprint. It remains key for larger suppliers looking to scale into corporate markets.
For smaller suppliers, Fooditude is working with them to identify the right certifications and support that match their growth stage, helping them reduce impact in a way that works for their business.
Fooditude’s chefs actively seek out innovative suppliers that are making a positive impact, such as Rise, which produces regenerative flour grown solely in the UK, and Paddi Rice, which reinvests 20% of its profits to help local farmers buy equipment and build direct trade relationships, creating both environmental and social benefits across the supply chain.
They also work with Leghorn, which uses meat from retired hens that would otherwise go to waste, turning an overlooked by-product into a sustainable source of protein.
The road forward
More data, more engagement, more action. Fooditude is ambitious about its future, aiming to serve London’s office workers the most sustainable meals and drinks.
With Planet Mark’s insights guiding them, they’re ramping up efforts to cut food waste, switch to lower-impact suppliers, and reduce reliance on gas.
Using our 2024 baseline, they’re aiming for ambitious reductions by 2030:
- 90% absolute reduction in Scope 1 carbon emissions
- 40% absolute reduction per meal in Scope 2
- 40% reduction per meal in Scope 3 emissions
- Food waste from client sites limited to 15%, with a 50% reduction across all operations.
They have continued to grow their community meals through the Come Eat With Us Kitchen hosted at Appleby Blue Almshouse in Bermondsey, reaching more and new members of the community. These monthly lunches now serve 40-50 meals, creating a space for conversation and connection while tackling food poverty and reducing surplus.
In 2024, Fooditude started their Food Waste Project. Within the first year, they had achieved over 50% reduction in measured food waste at client sites. The project has now been expanded across central production kitchen prep waste and multiple client sites, supported by data collection and chef/FOH engagement.
They have also spearheaded carbon labelling, implementing carbon labels on recipes and menus that help development chefs design lower-carbon dishes and giving clients visibility of per-meal footprint.
Conclusion: Feeding People, Caring for the Planet
At the heart of Fooditude’s mission is a commitment to nurturing: nurturing people, communities, and the planet.
By focusing on reducing carbon emissions, fighting food waste, and supporting local communities, Fooditude is making tangible progress towards a more sustainable future. Working with Planet Mark, they’re not just feeding London’s workforce — they’re helping protect the environment for generations to come.
As we look ahead to 2030 and beyond, their dedication to sustainability reflects Fooditude’s team culture centred on the responsibility of feeding people well.
