Do you have money to burn?

The UK catering industry is blind when it comes to energy efficiency and is a largely thoughtless consumer of energy, according to a new report.

There has been little or no research into energy management or of the environmental impact caused by the industry, according to the report which was launched at World of Hospitality.

It was compiled by Cranfield University research student Muneesh Chander on behalf of the university's Department of Applied Energy, in association with equipment manufacturer Frialator International, Endale Consultants, Midas Design and Eastern Electricity.

Caterer took part in steering committee meetings of the Green Catering Group which discussed the focus of the report. Research examined all aspects of catering practice relating to energy, resources, waste management and the environment.

practices

As well as providing a comprehensive breakdown of sectors of the catering industry, recommendations include the extent to which savings can be achieved through upgrading kitchen practice.

In many cases, most kitchen equipment is turned on as soon as staff arrive and is left on until they leave, regardless of how long it is used.

Energy consumption in the kitchen is far from constant. Peak demand from cooking equipment is concentrated into a four-hour period preceding and during each meal.

There are also wide fluctuations in energy use per meal for different catering establishments, due to the disparate kitchen practices of staff and the wide range of equipment used in kitchens.

Also singled out is energy wastage such as when kitchen staff only half-fill dishwashers, and prefere to turn on ovens and hobs as an alternative to heating.

Energy consumption in catering is concentrated into the preparation, cooking and serving of food, along with cleaning, dishwashing, lighting, heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

Around 40% of all energy is consumed in preparing, cooking and serving food with the largest proportion used by cooking equipment. Much is wasted by excess and poorly allocated use, the study claims.

Cranfield estimates that energy consumed per meal served in the catering industry is around 6.5 times that used to prepare the same meal in a domestic kitchen.

The study also suggests that energy costs have always had a low priority in operators' minds, coming after the cost of foodstuffs and labour.

"A greater importance must be given to the implementation of a broad-based energy-thrift strategy in the UK catering industry," the study advises.

"The catering industry has convincingly failed to initiate a strategy that would bring it in line with other industries."

savings

The study recognises that although energy savings could be substantial if current practices are modified - up to £100m every year across all catering outlets - efficiency improvements are rarely a "free lunch".

Investment in new equipment as well as organisational changes with companies are necessary before any improvements can be made.

One of the main problems is that old and sometimes inefficient equipment continues to be used, and kitchen design fails to take energy efficiency into account.

Design failings in commercial catering equipment are also considered, including poor insulation, heat loss and large mass absorption.

profits

But implementing an energy efficiency policy would represent direct profits for caterers - unlike other overheads faced by operators, energy costs are a controllable factor.

Benefits would not only include increased profits through lower fuel bills but staff would also enjoy better working conditions and cooking times would be reduced. An end to inefficient practices, such as continuous "hot-handling", would mean tastier food for customers and less shrinkage.

Sutcliffe Catering's original low-energy plan of the mid-1980s, which monitored kitchens in four different establishments, is also cited. In all outlets monitored, energy consumption rarely varied for each kitchen despite wide fluctuations in the numbers that were catered for. This highlighted "the prevalence of wasteful practices", the report concludes.

Tips

The report suggests:

lHow to carry out energy audits and surveys.

lA practical guide to designing a low-energy kitchen.

lHow to contract out energy management.

lKitchen planning and workflow advice.

lA guide on how to monitor energy expenditure.

lA summary of how savings can be made.

Full results will be published as a series of guides which will aim to provide information on individual categories of equipment as well as energy consumption and correct usage.

For further details contact Dr William Batty at Cranfield University (0234 750111).

Gas versus Electric - the debate, pages 54 to 57