Catering large-scale business conferences can involve thousands of people coming from across the globe to be treated with the best of local New Zealand cuisine. Of course, catering for these events can generate a lot of waste, where excess produce and packaging is sent to landfill.
The team at Auckland-based Urban Gourmet are working to change that.
An official catering partner of Auckland Convention Bureau, Urban Gourmet are experts in catering for some of the city’s largest events. Familiar with Auckland’s event venues, the team can sustainably manage the ins and outs of conferences and business events seamlessly, providing full service and bespoke menus.
“Knowing the enormous environmental impact that multiple meals a day at multiple events can have, we feel a sense of responsibility to do our bit to reduce our impact,” says Victoria Erceg, Urban Gourmet’s Facilities Manager.
Five years ago, Urban Gourmet switched to 100% compostable packaging sourced from Innocent Packaging and Ecoware to combat excessive waste. The option for event organisers to order commercially compostable rubbish bins at Urban Gourmet catered events means that up to 41,600 coffee cups and 156,000 lunchboxes may be commercially composted every year rather than heading to landfill. Wherever possible, event managers will always promote reducing, reusing, and recycling, and give event organisers the tools to do so at their event.
The Urban Gourmet team also recently invested in reusable lids to go alongside reusable wooden boxes that are widely used for serving their food in, saving 62,400 metres of plastic wrap every year.
“While we can’t control what happens with our catering once it leaves our hands, we like to minimise any environmental impact in preparing, transporting and serving our food,” says Victoria.
At their kitchen facility, Urban Gourmet regularly maintain ovens and refrigerators to ensure they are running as efficiently as possible, and use eco-friendly cleaning materials to ensure no nasty chemicals go into the waterways.
Sustainability starts at the source, with Urban Gourmet committed to utilising ethically sourced produce and ingredients. Meals are crafted from proud New Zealand ingredients, with event attendees enjoying Hawke’s Bay lamb, Akaroa salmon, Wanaka venison, Freedom Farms Pork, and New Zealand free-range eggs. Guests are treated to locally brewed drinks, including Karma Cola and Urbanaut craft beer (a brewery located a mere stone’s throw away from Auckland’s central venues).
“If we can source quality ingredients from somewhere great close by, we always will instead of ingredients being transported up and down the country or brought in from overseas”, says Paul Doyle, Urban Gourmet’s Executive Chef. “Supporting other local business also means that guests enjoy some of the best food that New Zealand has to offer.”
While conference guests love Urban Gourmet’s handcrafted catering, the team has a backup plan to ensure that food that can be safely reused and saved from waste. If an event is cancelled or several no-shows mean meals aren’t needed, Urban Gourmet collaborates with Auckland City Mission to share quality food with those in need across the city.
Urban Gourmet is a member of the Auckland Convention Bureau and work closely with us to provide sustainable catering options for business event organisers and their attendees, making any event extra special.
For more about our members’ sustainability credentials, click here.
- 100% compostable packaging available
- 62,400 metres of plastic wrap saved from landfill a year
- Environmentally friendly kitchen cleaning products
- Regular service and maintenance on equipment