Hilton, one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, has introduced a series of zero waste and low waste menus in the UK to mark Stop Food Waste Day.  

According to UNEP’s Food Waste Index Report 2024*, a staggering one billion tonnes of food is wasted each year, equating to one fifth of all food available to consumers. Notably, the food services industry contributes over a quarter of this waste. In total, an estimated 8-10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions are associated with food that is not consumed.

In response, Hilton’s “Taste of Zero Waste” menus have been launched to showcase how hotel operators can join the global fight to reduce food waste, harnessing a range of techniques that can be implemented in kitchens of any size.

Launching on Stop Food Waste Day on 24th April, the menus will offer a unique take on zero waste cuisine, curated by leading chefs at hotels including London Hilton on Park Lane, Hilton’s first hotel in the UK which opened in 1963; Hilton Manchester Deansgate, Hilton’s largest hotel in the North of England; Hilton London Metropole, Hilton’s largest hotel outside of the US; and DoubleTree by Hilton Brighton Metropole, newly refurbished in 2023.

Dishes will utilise a range of innovative cookery techniques to showcase the potential for commercial operators to implement simple steps that eliminate or significantly reduce waste, including:

•  Root-to-shoot and nose-to-tail cookery: using whole ingredients to eliminate waste – from salmon cheeks to ox heart, to fermenting vegetable stalks, trimmings and peelings to make rich sauces and stocks and using bruised or overripe fruits in cocktail making
•  Rescuing and repurposing leftover food: helping to significantly reduce waste from breakfast buffets by using items such as pastries, bread, fruit and coffee beans to create mouthwatering puddings
•  Pickling: collecting surplus fruit and vegetables otherwise destined to be thrown away and preserving them through pickling – including last year’s delicious gooseberries.

Emma Banks, vice president, F&B strategy and development, EMEA at Hiltonsaid: “The launch of these new menus marks another step in the global fight against food waste. Conscious dining isn’t just a trend; it’s a deeply held value that guides where we all choose to indulge and unwind. These dishes have been designed to demonstrate the best-in-class techniques in use across our hotels all over the world every day – brought together to raise awareness of our ambition to continue reducing food waste across our operations, simultaneously empowering guests to make more mindful choices and inspiring them to reduce waste in their own kitchen at home.”

The initiative builds upon Hilton’s success in reducing waste sent to landfill by more than 50% (according to a 2008 baseline) and sits alongside its commitment to implement a food waste reduction programme in every hotel kitchen. It is underpinned by the company’s longstanding partnerships with like-minded businesses and suppliers working towards the same goal of reducing waste output as much as possible.

This includes Winnow, an AI-enabled food waste solution which helps to measure, track and ultimately reduce waste in commercial kitchens. By visualising the most wasted produce, chefs at over 200 hotels have been able to make small changes with impressive results. In some cases, trials have led to a reduction of 61 percent in breakfast waste.

Hilton hotels across the UK work with local suppliers to help reduce food miles and ensure the best, seasonal produce is used throughout the year. Examples include Growing Field – a farm located in Warrington which supplies all vegetables and herbs for Hilton Manchester Deansgate’s restaurant, Podium. To help promote seasonality, the farm provides a list of what is available on a weekly basis, and dishes in the restaurant are based on available produce. The hotel sources its meat from Udale, a butcher which specialises in local breeds from the hills around Cumbria. All farms the butcher partners with practice sustainable farming methods, and it uses 100% renewable energy across its estate.

In addition, Hilton London Metropole has been working with the Felix Project since 2020. The partnership began during the pandemic, when hotels across the country closed their doors to guests, leaving huge amounts of surplus ingredients. The hotel’s kitchen was transformed into a community kitchen hub, preparing thousands of meals for those in need across London, simultaneously diverting surplus food from landfill and supporting those most impacted by the pandemic. This partnership continues today, and the hotel has now cooked more than 75,000 meals for those in need.

Hilton will further deepen its relationship with the Felix Project as part of Taste of Zero Waste, donating a meal to a person in need for every dish purchased from the new menus during the coming month.

Paul Bates, executive head chef, Hilton London Metropole adds:”As chefs, we are the catalysts for positive change and have the opportunity to set the bar for sustainable dining. Our menu inspires diners to embrace new flavours, while empowering them to lead the charge when it comes to tackling food waste. We look forward to guests joining us on this culinary adventure and helping us make a meaningful difference, one delicious dish at a time.”

Hilton plans to roll out the initiative across more hotels in Europe, the Middle East and Africa over the coming year. Alongside the current pilot scheme, almost 20 UK hotels will also launch a new low waste menu, continuing the hospitality leader’s year-round commitment to waste reduction and marking an important step in its long-term ambition to reduce waste sent to landfill.