Why Restaurant Associates is partnering with Native to champion sustainability

Our new partnership with Native ties into our wider company aims through Compass Group to achieve net zero by 2030, which we're making good progress on. In order to be a sustainable business, we have to think sustainably, and our biggest opportunity sits within Scope 3, which is around food sourcing, education and waste. The Native guys do all three of those really nicely.

What is Native providing as part of the partnership?

Davis and Tisdall-Downes are working with us on a number of things, including seasonal menus, pop-ups and, importantly, development skills training for our chefs. In fact, it was the training that got us formally speaking to Davis around 18 months ago, when we asked her whether the front of house service training we had created worked from an internal and external perspective.

Since then we've done more with both of them and they've spoken at quarterly forums and they're so interesting. This partnership means they can help us by training and consulting on menus and then we can dial it up so it can be tapped into by chefs across the Restaurant Associates estate.

Describe how a client might take advantage of these new sustainable menus?

Our estate is diverse – which is something we love – and we have sites such as a café in a zoo, which by day is serving lunches and soups, but by night might host a conference serving canapés or bowl food or a four-course wedding breakfast. The Native menus will range from canapés to bowl food, starters, mains and desserts, which will go down well with both conferences and events as well as the hospitality kitchens for our business and industry clients.

Do you have an idea what might be on the menus yet?

Native is known for championing wild British produce and the menus are designed to be seasonal, so chefs will be encouraged to look at the recipe cards through a seasonal and waste-not lens. The menus are being rolled out as we speak and we have the likes of Sussex squash with Earl Grey prunes; hogseed vadouvan roasted carrots, hay ash honey and tempura carrot top; and beetroot and dark chocolate cake with sorrel granita – so at the moment they're very autumnal.

How do chef partnerships like Native help with winning new clients?

All our partnerships are quite distinct, but I like this one because it feels really topical and it has strong energy levels behind it. It doesn't feel like we're forcing something, but supporting the movement of something that is actively welcomed within the business and customers. Many of the companies we work with expect us to lead by doing the right thing, so this plays nicely into the strength of the messaging they want to give their communities.

You've got a wide selection of sites across the country – how do you manage the customer experience, right the way from cafés in zoos through to fine dining and members' clubs?

We do have a very diverse set of clients and a team of around 5,100 people working to support them across B&I and venues, as well as our concierge and reception service Rapport and our catering business Rocket. We're great sharers and take ideas from each other with encouragement and pride. We do our best to create a framework and have minimum standards around things such as sourcing credentials, training, bakery or coffee – but we then give our teams space within that framework to be entrepreneurial. And we like to actively celebrate what good looks like.

What area of the business has the greatest growth potential?

Growth is so important – if you're not in growth mode, you're probably in decline – and when you are in growth, your people feel more optimistic. It's been a tough market, coming out of Covid, and this sector was probably the most heavily impacted. We're feeling confident about where we are now, and we've seen phenomenal organic growth of 41% – that's because the volume has returned, but we're also tracking better from a conversion perspective than we have historically.

We've also got 100% client retention, which is so important because it's very difficult to sell to a new partner if you haven't kept your current partners satisfied – it can have a material impact on the business.

In terms of net new business, the growth rate is a whisker under 13%, which we're incredibly proud of and we've had some big client wins, including a renowned social media brand, a hedge fund, a global investment company and a global sports brand – this is a good representation in the market we're actively in, and it's this B&I sector that I think has the greatest growth potential.

How are Christmas bookings looking?

On the whole, Christmas bookings are looking strong and we're running in line with our budget, which is always encouraging. Rocket, which we acquired last year, is set to have its strongest quarter – and Christmas – almost ever on record.

The general observation here is that there are fewer people coming to a function, but for those being invited, the host is spending more. You might say that's expected with food inflation, but it's exponential to that. Clients are being very generous to their employees or guests as a result of the desire to please, and the theme around Christmas menus is seasonality and experiential. People really want to have a good time.

Are train strikes still affecting things?

We're almost used to train strikes, aren't we? When the recent strikes were announced, there were bookings already in place, but we're seeing the strength of the consumer to find a way to make things work. I'm hoping – maybe naively – that we've seen low levels of impact this year, because people really do want to connect.

So on the whole, you're feeling positive for the future?

Yes, we're very much expecting to see continued growth. Until you hold the majority of the market, there's always opportunities and I'd be disappointed if we don't see the same growth in 2024 as this year. We're feeling good, we're leading with the importance of food and people – I think it's all to play for.

What are your industry predictions for next year?

I don't think the rhythm in terms of work-life is fully established yet, so for 2024, I'm optimistic that the volumes of people coming back to the office will return. The pinch points on Monday and Friday shoulder days will be less obvious and it will blend out.

But food will remain the primary catalyst to returning to the office. Food creates engagement, collaboration and happiness. Some of the pressures around the availability of staff have softened and we've retained our people – historically attrition was 34%-38%, but we're now at 25%. What's interesting is when growth occurs, people learn that they can stay with the same employer and grow their skillset, which is really important.

Finally, good quality caterers will talk about environmental, social and corporate governance, net zero and social promise, and that should continue. We should be confident in leading the charge in those areas.

Imogen Davis' top tips for sustainable menus

In 2016, we kicked off Native's culinary journey with a mission – bringing a taste of wild food to London that does a little jig on your taste buds and fixes the food chain in the process. But the impact we can make as one restaurant is tiny and with Restaurant Associates its reach is far and wide, from cafés to high-end fine dining. It's great that Restaurant Associates sought us out and chose to listen to us as it gives us a chance to take our mission to a whole new audience. We're not just serving food; we're serving an experience.

For operators hoping to take a sustainable step in the right direction, I would suggest the following:

Tackle food waste – such as removing garnishes from cocktails that aren't necessary.

Communicate to consumers why you are serving the food on your menus – we need to change consumer mentality and it can be a difficult balance when they are used to eating everything all year around.

Champion regenerative farming – really analyse your suppliers and look to regenerative companies like Wildfarmed flour. Remember that sustaining what we have right now will do no good – we need to regenerate. To have an impact we need to leave the planet in a more positive place by supporting regenerative agriculture.

Focus on training and education – but do it in a fun way rather than sending everyone back to school. Educate your workforce through food and make it delicious, such as our recent focaccia workshop with Restaurant Associates, which was a hit.

Menu highlights

• Fish trim toast with apple hoisin and crispy seaweed
• Pumpkin velouté with chermoula and English muffin served inside a small pumpkin
• Line-caught sea bass, lapsang dashi and black mustard leaf
• Aynhoe Park venison, kohlrabi, Sussex squash and Earl Grey prune
• Wild turbot with Maldon oyster and charred courgette
• Hogseed vadouvan roasted carrots, hay ash honey and tempura carrot top
• Parsnip tarte tatin
• Beetroot and dark chocolate cake with sorrel granita

Restaurant Associate's current chef partners

Dipna Anand Her restaurant in the east wing of London's Somerset House was opened in association with Restaurant Associates in 2021, which has now closed. She is set to launch a 150-cover restaurant in Unity Place, Milton Keynes, with Restaurant Associates.

Jason Atherton The chef worked in partnership with Restaurant Associates in 2014 to open City Social atop the 24th floor of Tower 42, with its 360-degree views across the City of London.

Michel Roux Roux Fine Dining provides the contract caterer with access to high-quality cuisine which it can in turn offer its clients.

Other consultant chefs include:

• Imogen Davis and Ivan Tisdall-Downes
• Jeff and Chris Galvin
• Sabrina Ghayour
• Steve Groves
• Emily Roux
• Bryn Williams