Opinion: The sustainability shift

Sustainability is no longer just a buzzword but rather a business imperative. As today’s workforce becomes more environmentally conscious, employees are holding their employers to higher standards.

Research from Just Eat for Business reveals that 91% of employees believe a business’s sustainable values directly improve wellbeing, and more than half say those values must align with their own.

This shift is reshaping how companies approach everything from culture to catering. Gone are the days when food at work was simply functional; in today’s evolving workplace, food reflects a company’s priorities: quality, inclusivity and increasingly sustainability. For businesses, this is not just about doing good; it is about attracting and retaining talent.

Corporate food partner Vanda’s Kitchen has experienced this shift firsthand, as founder Robert Pattwell says: “Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. It’s not a checkbox, it’s a long-term commitment – from using non- genetically modified organism ingredients to compostable packaging and mindful kitchen operations.”

With 42% of employees always considering the environmental impact of their workday meals – and two in five saying they are aware of food delivery’s environmental cost – businesses can no longer afford to overlook how their catering choices affect both the planet and employee perception.

Sustainable scaling

Scaling sustainable catering is not without its challenges, but Vanda’s Kitchen demonstrates how it can be done without compromising values. Its approach is rooted in practicality: cooking in small batches, carefully monitoring demand to minimise overproduction, and creatively repurposing surplus into daily specials or staff meals. What cannot be reused is redistributed through a partnership with Too Good To Go, helping to ensure as little as possible ends up in landfill.

This mindset extends beyond the kitchen. For Pattwell, growth and sustainability are not competing goals but complementary ones. “Scalability doesn’t have to mean compromise,” he explains. “We replicate systems that work, and we collaborate closely with partners. Partnering with Just Eat for Business helps us scale responsibly, from reducing delivery emissions through consolidated orders to offering sustainable packaging. It’s a collaboration built on communication and shared values.”

The shift towards sustainable catering is also being fuelled by clients themselves. Increasingly, businesses want to know more about where food comes from, how it is packaged and what is being done to reduce waste. This is a reflection of changing employee values – people are bringing their environmental expectations into the workplace, and they want to see that their employers are doing the same.

As a result, sustainability is fast becoming a differentiator in employer branding. Companies that embrace it are better positioned to attract top talent, with 62% of employees saying it is very important that their employer has clear sustainable values. The fact is that sustainable food practices are an easy, visible way to make those values tangible.

For businesses looking to improve the sustainability of their catering, the first step is to audit existing food providers. Consider whether ingredients are responsibly sourced and if packaging is recyclable or compostable. From there, efforts should be made to track food waste and improve efficiency by using demand forecasting and exploring partnerships that can help redistribute surplus. Just as importantly, companies must communicate these efforts clearly with their teams; employees want to see this authenticity and transparency, and they take notice when businesses walk the talk.

By investing in sustainable catering, businesses are not just making an ethical choice but sending a clear message about their culture, priorities and future direction. In today’s workplace, that message matters more than ever.

You may also be interested in…