Unlocking Your Menu’s Potential: Climate Action for Business Success
St Pancras Bar & Brasserie Grand Terrace, Upper Concourse St Pancras International Station, King’s Cross St. Pancras London N1C 4QL United Kingdom
About this Event
If you’re in the food service industry, your menu is your signature — but it’s also one of your biggest levers for climate action. Join us for a breakfast conversation on how rethinking what you serve can cut emissions, restore ecosystems, and uplift the people behind your ingredients. At the same time, you’ll discover how these changes can boost your brand, improve sales, and meet growing diner demand for healthier, more diverse options.
We’ll break down the current landscape, highlight what needs to shift, and explore how hospitality can lead the charge — all through the lens of European climate policy. Expect practical strategies you can put to work immediately, plus honest insights into what’s making an impact (and what’s not).
Speakers:
- Stientje van Veldhoven, Vice President & Regional Director for Europe, World Resources Institute (WRI)
- Jenny Arthur, Head of Coolfood, WRI
- Matt Hay, Head of Culinary, UK&I, Sodexo
- Carolyn Lum, Sustainability Manager, Wahaca
- Sam Walton, Executive Development Chef, Vacherin
- Adam Raffa, Head of Sustainability, Dishoom
- Edwina Hughes, Head of Partnerships & Engagement, WRI
- Anna Taylor, Executive Director, The Food Foundation
What to expect:
8:30 – 10:30 | Breakfast, knowledge sharing, & panel discussion
10:30 – 11:00 | Networking
11:00 – 12:30 | Workshop
The morning opens with a key perspective on the evolving policy landscape in Europe from Stientje van Veldhoven, WRI’s Vice President and Regional Director for Europe. Jenny Arthur, Head of Coolfood, will next discuss what shapes food choices and which climate-fighting strategies are proving most effective in shifting diets.
We’ll then dive into:
- Panel Discussion: Leading operators such as Carolyn Lum (Wahaca), Sam Walton (Vacherin),and Adam Raffa (Dishoom) will share their experiences of reducing emissions while managing costs and scaling their businesses.
- Toolkit Presentation: Edwina Hughes from WRI will introduce a new toolkit to help hospitality businesses make meaningful progress to reduce emissions across the sector.
- Research Update: Anna Taylor from The Food Foundation will present their latest research on promoting plant-rich diets in food service.
Coolfood (an initiative of the World Resources Institute) Co-hosts: Sustainable Restaurant Association and The Food Foundation
Host: Coolfood (an initiative of the World Resources Institute)
Coolfood, an initiative of the World Resources Institute, supports food-service providers in reducing their climate impact through plant-forward menu strategies. Coolfood provides research, tools, and tailored support to help organizations establish targets, measure their food-related emissions, track progress, and design meals that are better for both people and the planet.
Co-host: Sustainable Restaurant Association
The Sustainable Restaurant Association is a UK-based nonprofit organization that helps hospitality businesses become leaders in sustainability. Through its Food Made Good framework, it provides guidance, certification, and practical tools to support restaurants and foodservice providers in making responsible decisions that benefit people, the planet, and business success.
Co-host: The Food Foundation
The Food Foundation is a UK charity working to transform the food system so that everyone can access a healthy and sustainable diet. Through policy advocacy, partnerships, and public engagement, it drives change across government and industry to improve food equity and environmental outcomes.
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