The Brighton Centre, in conjunction with their catering partner KUDOS, has announced that it will remove beef products from its menus from January 1st, 2020.
This announcement follows similar we have reported on this year, most notably University of Cambridge’s removal of beef and lamb from menus and reporting higher profits as a direct consequence.
Brighton Centre’s move marks the start of a series of broader initiatives, that will be rolled out in due course, to address both companies’ moral responsibilities to their consumers, and pertinent social issues including climate change and growing flexitarian lifestyles.
The facts about beef production, which helped cement this joint decision, make sobering reading. Studies show that total annual emissions from animal agriculture (production emissions plus land-use change) were about 14.5% of all human emissions, of which beef contributed 41%. Furthermore, beef cattle contribute 91% enteric methane, as opposed to 0% from chickens.
“The facts about climate change and the contribution made by intensive cattle farming do not gel with Brighton Centre’s or our own company’s ethos and objectives anymore. It is time for change,” explains Matthew Herter, Chief Executive at KUDOS. He continued: “Our customers will be pleased to hear that there are many alternatives to beef products available now, particularly plant-based proteins, to complement our already growing vegan and vegetarian menus. We’ll continue to offer other meats and sustainable fish in our new menus which are far less damaging to our environment, but this first in a series of radical menu changes will help us to infuse further creativity into both our food and our culture to maintain customer satisfaction and attract a wider market.”
Howard Barden, Head of Tourism & Venues for Brighton & Hove City Council, added:
“Brighton as a city has always led the way with environmental issues, for example being the first city to elect a Green MP – however there is always more that can be done. We know that increasing numbers of people are moving to vegetarian and vegan diets or at least looking to cut back on the amount of red meat that they eat due to the impact a carnivorous diet has on the environment. We pride ourselves on being a sustainable venue and removing beef from the menu is the next step for us in order to continue in reducing our carbon footprint.”
