By Katherine Price, Sustainability Editor, H&C News: Is ‘sustainability’ what hospitality should be aiming for?
We’ve all learned a lot about sustainability in recent years, but is it still the word we need right now, how is the term influencing how we view our actions and responsibilities, and is it time to move towards language that means more than just to keep going?
Chef Chantelle Nicholson, owner of Apricity restaurant in London’s Mayfair, which opened earlier this year, expressed that she felt the term ‘regeneration’ may have more to offer the hospitality industry in an interview with the Independent.
“There’s lots of different terminologies for it, but the one I like is that you’re giving more than you’re taking,” she says.
“We can’t afford to sustain things; we need to improve them. It has become a buzz phrase, but I don’t think there’s anything really there to take its place yet. It’s the most commonly accepted and understood term. If you say regeneration to people, they don’t understand what you mean. I don’t think there’s a mainstream understanding of it yet and it’s important that people feel they’re able to talk about it.”
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, ‘sustainability’ is being able to continue over time; while ‘regeneration’ is the act of improving a place or system, especially by making it more active or successful. Other searches I did came back with meanings like ‘grow again’, ‘revive’ and ‘positive feedback’.
“For me, it’s that 360 approach,” says Nicholson. “We talk about sustainability in terms of things like minimising any form of waste, looking at carbon emissions, but some of it doesn’t encompass enough. You never really hear the people side of it being talked about, and that’s a big part of it.
“If you look at regeneration, if you look at a circular economy, a big part of it is people, which gets forgotten. It can be framed as recruitment and retention, but regeneration is also a really applicable term, especially when it comes to hospitality.”
A ‘regenerative approach’ to people at Apricity has been ensuring all team members get two days off in a row. Service charge is also included on menu prices.
“It was just something that didn’t sit well with me. There’s not another industry where you rely on someone’s opinion as to what you get paid at the end of the day,” says Nicholson. “I wanted it [the restaurant] to be more [collaborative], which meant that those things needed to happen.”
It has not only been important for Nicholson that the business is minimising its output and footprint but ensuring that its overall impact is positive, including on its community, with plans to expand its charitable support beyond the financial next year, as well as assessing its “emotive” impact. “How do people feel when they come and dine with us? Focusing on how to make the experience as enjoyable as possible”, she explains – something hospitality operators can certainly relate to.
Nicholson also feels regeneration describes a process and a journey as opposed to a destination, which may be preventing people from engaging with ESG if they can’t do it ‘perfectly’.
Apricity’s regenerative approach began even before the restaurant opened – furniture was upcycled, and bathroom sinks were sourced from reclamation yards. Nicholson acknowledges it “definitely made it a more challenging process” than ordering everything online.
Regenerative agriculture is also a priority, and the restaurant tries to ensure meat is bought from UK farms that prioritise soil health. Meanwhile, the team have been trained not to leave any electrical items on unnecessarily to minimise electricity use (particularly given rising energy prices), to the point of not leaving the front-of-house electric candle lights on charge overnight for far longer than they need to be. Instead, they are plugged in first thing in the morning before service.
The kitchen doesn’t use any clingfilm or plastic piping bags – the only single-use item used is vacuum pack bags, which are compostable and collected “to make sure they actually do get composted”. The restaurant has eight bins to ensure everything ends up in the right place.
There are some aspects of the business Nicholson is still hoping to improve in 2023, with bulk buying items in paper sacks and a bottle return scheme being trialled.
“We’ll just keep pushing the boat and see how far we can get with it… we’re constantly looking at it all,” she says.
“Sometimes it’s hard to say what you’re doing if you don’t think you’re ‘there’ yet. [But] if you’re talking about trying to regenerate what you’re doing, you may be miles away, but at least you’re starting those steps. That’s what’s important to acknowledge.”
