Smarter Procurement – How Small Sourcing Choices Add Up

Hospitality procurement doesn’t usually get much attention. It’s behind the scenes, not glamorous, and usually handed off to someone with a spreadsheet and a tight budget. But it’s one of the most powerful tools you have to make your operation more sustainable.

Every supplier you choose, every box that comes through the back door, every product your kitchen touches has an impact. From food miles to packaging waste, to ethics, sustainable sourcing decisions shape your footprint before the guest even sees a menu. Here are a couple of tips you can apply to your business to make that footprint smaller and smarter:

Buy local whenever you can

Buying local is one of the simplest changes you can make, and one of the most impactful. Local produce means fewer transport emissions, shorter delivery times, and fresher ingredients. It also reduces delays and allows you to build stronger relationships with the same people who grow your food. When you buy locally, you’re working with someone whose farm you could actually visit - it’s called a farm-to-table sourcing strategy. And it’s hard to beat, especially when you’re trying to plan menus around quality, seasonality, or sudden changes in demand.

It also means you’re putting money back into your own region. You’re supporting jobs, reducing food miles in hospitality, and helping to strengthen the kind of food systems we’re all going to need more of in the future. Sustain, the UK’s alliance for better food and farming, has been advocating this for years. Their research shows that local food systems are not only more climate-resilient but also more transparent and adaptable when things go wrong.

Cut down on delivery waste

Too much of what arrives in a restaurant never makes it to the plate, it goes straight into the bin. You don’t need ten layers of plastic to get a box of courgettes through the door or polystyrene inside a cardboard box inside another box, and you definitely don’t need to be filling three bins before lunch service even starts.

Cling film is one of the worst offenders. It’s often used out of habit, not necessity. The same goes for polystyrene. These materials are cheap, but they’re also difficult to recycle and persist in landfills for decades. If you're receiving produce or proteins packaged this way, it's worth having a conversation about alternatives.

Reducing delivery waste starts with your suppliers. Ask them to use reusable crates instead of disposable boxes or bags. If a supplier delivers weekly, it’s entirely reasonable to rotate a set of containers that come back clean with the next drop. This small change, repeated across several suppliers, can cut your waste output drastically.

Some suppliers are already experimenting with more circular delivery systems. Loop, for example, has partnered with retailers like Carrefour in France to pilot reusable packaging for consumer goods. While the model is still mainly geared toward household shopping rather than hospitality, the principle is the same: durable, returnable containers that move back and forth without creating unnecessary waste. For restaurants and bars, bottle and crate return systems are already standard practice. The opportunity now is to apply that thinking more widely, beyond drinks and into your broader supply chain. Reducing delivery waste is just one part of the picture. For practical alternatives to single-use plastics inside the kitchen, see our guide on rethinking kitchen waste.

Choose ethical produce (and know who you’re buying from)

Not all products are created equally. Some ingredients are fairly traded, organically grown, or sourced from suppliers who look after their workers and their soil. Others... not so much.

Start by using platforms like Ethical Consumer or the B Corp Directory to get a sense of who you’re working with. Look for certifications you trust. Work with suppliers who are transparent. Who can tell you how something was farmed, what was sprayed on it (or not), and how the workers were paid. And when you find something worth backing, put it on the menu. If the eggs are free-range and from a farm down the road, say so. If your beef is grass-fed and fully traceable, tell that on your website, and train your staff so they can explain it in two sentences to a curious diner. Guests increasingly want to know where things come from and they’re paying attention. Show them you’ve done the work, and that their choices matter too.

Think circular from the start

Too many kitchens are still linear. Ingredients come in, food goes out, and the rest gets binned. But that model’s out of date. Circular thinking in hospitality means closing the loop, and it starts with procurement. Work with suppliers who take responsibility for the products they send. That could be packaging, containers, or even waste itself. 

Apply the same logic to cleaning products and spa supplies. Refillables are cheaper and cleaner in the long run. Choose glass bottles over plastic where you can, and set up simple systems for your team to keep track of what’s running low so you’re not placing last-minute emergency orders full of plastic backups.

Build supplier relationships that actually work

Your restaurant procurement process is only as strong as the relationships behind it. The more open and collaborative the relationship, the easier it is to improve together.

This starts with choosing suppliers who share your values. If sustainability matters to you, say so early. Be clear about what you expect, whether it’s avoiding plastic packaging or sourcing from ethical producers. And when suppliers meet those expectations, acknowledge it. Loyalty and consistency work both ways.

Regular check-ins are worth it. Use them to flag issues, talk through substitutions, or explore better alternatives. Ask what's coming into season, what’s available in bulk, or what changes they’re seeing in the supply chain. When a supplier feels like part of the team it’s easier to collaborate, which usually leads to fewer surprises, better communication, and more consistent quality.

Sustainability procurement in hospitality starts long before the plate hits the table; it usually starts with the decisions you make behind the scenes. The way you source, who you work with, and how ingredients arrive at your kitchen all contribute to your environmental footprint.

You don’t need a grand strategy to begin making changes. Start small. Swap in a regional supplier whose produce arrives fresher and faster. Set up a simple crate return system that reduces your bin load each week. Choose ingredients in formats that cut down on waste without compromising quality. The more intentional your sourcing becomes, the more naturally it integrates into your kitchen’s daily rhythm. Once your sourcing is sorted, the next challenge is making sure those ingredients are stored and used efficiently.