Conclusion’s sustainable company catering: Interview with Joan Ypma

Interview with Joan Ypma about sustainable company catering

We all want to eat healthy and delicious food, but our food system has a huge impact on nature worldwide. Joan Ypma: ‘At Conclusion, around four hundred employees eat at one of the three company restaurants every day. This does not include the use of catering during events.’
Pim: ‘Despite Conclusion’s modest emissions and impact, we believe it is important to lay down sustainable ambitions and goals for this purpose. How do you do this?’

2025 goal (for SDG13 Climate action)

Joan continues: ‘Conclusion aims to cut food waste completely by 2025. In addition, the food served in the company restaurants is healthy and sustainable, with the lowest possible ecological footprint. In order to achieve these objectives, we not only have to change the way we work, but also our mindset. This means that employees may have to wait for a moment for something to be refilled, or may see slightly bruised fruit in the fruit bowl.’

Pim: ‘What are we doing to achieve these objectives?’
Joan: ‘Conclusion and its catering partner are actively committed to providing a healthy, delicious, and sustainable catering service. Based on the motto “a healthy diet with minimal food waste and impact”, we have compiled a list of eleven focal points.’

Healthy food

• Our chef primarily makes use of fresh produce and takes a critical attitude to using flavour enhancers, salt, sugar, and fat.
• We have noticed a tendency towards less demand for meat. You’ll therefore see more ‘substitutes’ nowadays such as houmous and free-range eggs.
• And special diets such as vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free, and halal are also catered for.

Minimal food waste

We cut food waste, within the framework of current legislation, by:

• No longer offering large quantities in one go, but refilling them regularly instead. This means that you may have to wait for a moment for your favourite salad to be refilled again.
• Reusing leftover ingredients in other recipes, such as using leftover bananas to make banana bread.
• Distributing ‘prepared’ leftover food internally, such as at Conclusion Mission Critical where employees are present 24/7.
• Setting menus shortly in advance and basing them on current stocks.
• Purchasing a more modest range for Fridays in order to reduce the amount of waste.

Impact

• Special attention is given to using products with a low footprint by making substantial use of local and seasonal products.
• Our new water bottles have been purchased from Made Blue, in support of the foundation’s initiative. Clean drinking water for everyone. 771,000,000 people around the world still struggle to access safe drinking water. This equates to 1 in 10 people.
• You may already have noticed, but in case you didn't: we now offer a delicious range of good quality tea from Trending Tea. This tea is Fairtrade certified. The tea leaves are processed, blended, and packed in the land of origin. The tea bags are 100% compostable and plastic-free.

Want to do your bit? Joan’s five tips for cutting food waste:

• Check your store cupboard, fridge, and freezer before you buy groceries and then draw up your shopping list.
• Make a compost heap if you have the space.
• Buy fruits and vegetables that are in season. Always check their country of origin. It is best not to buy blueberries from Chile for instance.
• Use Too Good To Go (a handy app used by stores and restaurants to sell ‘excess’ food to consumers at a low price).
• Make the most of leftovers. This online storage guide gives you advice on how to store more than 2,000 products. Includes handy storage tips. Or follow Too Good To Go on Instagram for simple tips, such as how to freeze fresh herbs in ice cubes.