Hospitality sector not in favour of traffic light menu system
A total of 88% of independent hospitality businesses said they don't want a Government-imposed menu traffic light system, according to a survey from purchasing consortium Beacon Purchasing.
However, four in five respondents believe they do have a responsibility to offer customers a healthy option, and 64% have adopted the principles of healthy eating in their menu planning including lower fat/sugar/salt, more vegetarian options and using only 'healthy' fats and low sodium.
The survey also revealed 50% of consumers request local produce but that there is a discrepancy in what the term local means. Nearly three quarters of businesses believe that local means within a 20-mile radius, whereas other groups harbour different definitions — many suppliers refer to regional or even national products as local.
Nearly half of Beacon survey respondents claimed they experienced no consumer demand for organic or free-range produce, although 50% said they consistently use free-range or organic ingredients in their recipes. Cost is a huge driver, with 92% stating that they would use these ingredients if they were cheaper.
Chris Durant, Director of Beacon, said: "This raises a challenge for suppliers: how to meet a practical demand for local products at competitive prices, and within a framework of what 'local' means.
"The reality is that businesses are not going to get everything they need from within a 20-mile radius or at a price they want to pay. However, our suppliers have taken leaps forward in this area over the past couple of years and I believe we are moving towards a greater consensus on what the standard and definition of 'local' should be."
With regards to environmental issues, 99% of companies have introduced one or more energy saving or recycling initiatives, with 44% of respondents now using low-energy light bulbs. However, only a little less than a third of businesses are currently recycling, with lack of outside storage facilities and/or the lack of local recycling services cited as their biggest challenges.
