Food waste is widely recognised as a significant environmental and operational challenge. However, meaningful progress depends on how effectively it is addressed in day-to-day operations.
This year’s Stop Food Waste Day marked its 10th anniversary with a Compass Ireland event hosted in Belmont Demesne, Co Wicklow, that brought together clients, chefs and sustainability leaders, focusing on practical approaches to reducing waste across workplace environments.
The session was led by sustainability advocate Ali Honour, founder of My Green Pod, whose work centres on connecting businesses and consumers with more responsible ways of sourcing, producing and consuming food. Ali focussed on how food systems can be reshaped through more deliberate use of ingredients. Patrick McDermott, founder of DigiTally, provided a complementary perspective, linking food waste directly to operational performance through real-time data and improved visibility at site level.
Remarks from Compass Ireland’s Sustainability Lead, Niamh Quinn, highlighted how these principles are being applied across the business, from kitchen practices to supplier engagement and staff training.
Demonstrating a zero-waste approach
The zero-waste lunch provided a practical demonstration of how these principles can be applied. Each dish was designed to maximise the use of ingredients, incorporating techniques such as fermentation, preservation and repurposing. Elements typically discarded, such as vegetable trimmings and secondary cuts, were instead used to build flavour and texture across the menu.
Dishes included fermented potato bread with cultured butter, a beetroot tartare using the full ingredient, and a cabbage-led vegan option main course paired with lentils and seaweed kraut. The approach remained consistent throughout, with ingredients treated as complete products rather than individual components.
This demonstrated how sustainability can be integrated into menu design without compromising quality or the overall dining experience.
Introducing Refruit
The launch of Refruit formed part of this broader approach. Developed in partnership with O Brother Brewing, Refruit uses fruit trimmings collected from Compass Ireland kitchens to produce sparkling flavoured waters. By repurposing ingredients that would otherwise be discarded, the initiative demonstrates how waste can be reduced through simple, scalable solutions.
There are two flavours in the launch suite - Orange & Mango flavour and Lemon, with development ongoing to explore even more exciting recipes.
The business case for reducing food waste
Food waste is not only an environmental concern but also a commercial one.
Reducing waste improves efficiency, lowers costs and supports broader sustainability objectives. Evidence from Compass Ireland sites shows that structured, incremental changes, supported by data and customer awareness, can deliver measurable improvements over time.
A continuous process
Stop Food Waste Day provides an opportunity to highlight progress and share ideas, but the focus remains on long-term change.
Reducing food waste requires consistent effort across menu design, supply chain management and daily kitchen operations. The value of the day lies in how these approaches are carried forward into daily operations, where small, consistent changes have the greatest impact.
For more details on this annual initiative – check out the website.
