If you run a commercial kitchen you’re consuming roughly 2.5 times more energy per square foot than any other commercial space, according to research by US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) .
Meanwhile, the UK’s Carbon Trust found that 40% of energy is used in making food; much of the wasted energy is dispersed into the kitchen. But heat and light are requirements of food preparation - one might expect the catering industry to consume more energy than others. However, a few simple steps could help improve energy efficiency significantly - from installing energy-efficient equipment, to composting food waste to building your own wind turbine.
Buy and monitor electrical equipment carefully
The Warehouse Cafe, which is in Birmingham’s Friends of the Earth building, was runner up in the OFM awards 2013 and 2014 best ethical restaurant awards. Anthony Scaroni, one of the restaurant’s directors, explains how the social enterprise keeps track of its energy use: “All of our appliances have energy meters. Energy consumption is a daily conversation at the cafe. Many people are already aware and have understanding of the basics [of energy saving]. It’s about creating a good culture”. He adds that this can include the most simple things, such as turning lights off when they’re not in use.
Lerryn Whitfield who owns Lerryn’s cafe in Peckham also uses small steps to ramp up the energy saving credentials of her business. “I opened the cafe as an attempt to build a space that people feel welcome in, in a community that I know and love. The cafe didn’t start up as an energy efficient project but I soon realised, among other things, that it was something I was responsible for.” She explains some simple steps she takes to conserve energy: “I use energy efficient light bulbs, and ensure that every single member of staff shuts the switches off at the end of the day”.
Purchasing equipment that meets certain energy saving standards and measuring energy consumption of each device can also help cut power use. When shopping look out for appliances that are rated highly for energy efficiency. The EU Energy Efficiency Label is graded from A+++ to D - so look at for appliances at the top of this range. Labels also give information on the annual energy consumption, measured in kilowatt hours (kWh) per year, which will help you to estimate the life-time cost of an oven or dishwasher.
Different types of cooking equipment vary in their efficiency. Combiovens, for example, which have convection, steam and combination cooking, have faster cooking times and that reduces energy consumption.
Smart meters have become a popular gadget for keeping tabs on energy use - they can vary quite a lot in quality and features, so take a look at smart meter reviews before you buy. Also, you can use a smart meter to investigate the energy consumption of each single appliance as you can see which are the worst culprits for guzzling electricity.
Building your own energy resources
Some businesses go a step beyond - for example, in Hamburg, a pastry shop and coffee house has built its own wind turbine. This nine metre tall construction supplies electricity that is directly used in various places across the coffee house.
This device is an extension of the careful strategy already followed by the cafe. The cafe regularly assesses how much energy they use as a business, both in producing their product and running the cafe. All the lights in the building are LED, while the building is run on a combined heat and power unit. A nifty extra is the heat of the cooling counter can be used to power the hot water of the dishwasher.
Another example of a cafe using a combined heat and power device is the Crofter’s Cafe in Trelissick, Devon, owned by the National Trust. To build the cafe, the ground floor of a cart shed, or carriage house, was converted into a modern cafe. During the process, environmentally sustainable energy systems were installed. At the same time, the restaurant upgraded to provide a new function room.
The opportunity was taken to make other improvements including the installation of environmentally sustainable energy systems. The cafe saw the installation of the UK’s first liquid petroleum gas (LPG) powered Combined Heat and Power Unit. This was a 12 kW boiler, which also generates 5kW of electricity (although it does not fulfill all of the energy requirements of the building, so mains power is still used).
The Warehouse Cafe has started its own initiatives, working with Friends of the Earth. The building has solar panels installed, they also recycle as much as they can and are careful with waste management. Scaroni says they aim to operate a zero landfill policy, and they have almost achieved that. A small garden at the back of the building helps towards this - they compost everything they can and grow many of their ingredients, such as herbs. Plus, they have seen a significant drop in their energy bills after spending £20,000 on insulating the building.
Meanwhile, Transition Community Cafe in Fishguard reduces carbon emissions by preventing an average of 100 kilos of food going to landfill each week – the equivalent of 400 kg of carbon saving per week and 10.4 tonnes of carbon since the Cafe opened six months ago.
Energy efficient steps can help to save money on bills, but the benefits can reach further and help to bring in custom. The Warehouse Cafe wears its ethical awards as a badge of honour, and finds they help to encourage custom, as Scaroni explains: “Our green restaurant awards are always in show in middle of the restaurant - a lot of people come here and ask about our ethical accolades”.
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