Bidfood, winner of muliple Quality Food Awards, has unveiled a series of initiatives designed to support a more sustainable, efficient, and resilient foodservice industry amid the various pressures currently facing UK caterers. These challenges include rising costs and inflation, staff shortages, skills gaps, sustainability demands, and new legislation. At an event titled "What’s Cooking at Bidfood?", the wholesaler highlighted its ongoing efforts to equip customers with tools and insights that enable informed decisions about their carbon footprint and operational efficiency.

Research presented by Bidfood indicates a significant split in consumer opinion on who holds responsibility for ensuring sustainability in foodservice: 27% believe it lies with the government, 32% with the venues themselves, and 16% with suppliers. This underlines the crucial need for collaboration across the entire supply chain to drive sector-wide improvement.

Central to the event was Bidfood’s partnership with climate intelligence company CarbonCloud, which helps the wholesaler calculate and manage its carbon emissions, including Scope 3 emissions tied to purchased goods and services. This collaboration supports Bidfood’s broader commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2045. The company aims to provide detailed carbon footprinting data, enabling customers to integrate sustainability into their purchasing and menu decisions effectively.

Addressing food waste and water usage, Bidfood introduced a new recipe book titled Waste Not, Saves Lots, containing 15 recipes and expert advice to help reduce waste and cut costs in customer kitchens. This practical support aligns with Bidfood’s wider sustainability strategy, including its partnership with waste management company Mitie. Under a five-year contract, Mitie is tasked with enhancing waste reduction and recycling efforts across Bidfood’s 37 UK depots through innovations like food waste dryers and bin sensors. These measures are intended to improve recycling rates and reduce environmental impact throughout the supply chain.

Technology also continues to play a pivotal role in Bidfood’s approach. Collaborating with software developers CSD, the wholesaler has introduced bespoke software systems and tracking tools designed to reduce stock waste, increase warehouse efficiency, and improve order fulfilment. Enhancements to customer delivery notifications—including ‘Smart Alerts’ that provide real-time updates when drivers are close to delivery or have arrived—aim to boost the customer experience by increasing transparency and predictability.

Beyond environmental and operational initiatives, the event spotlighted Bidfood’s commitment to supporting the pub sector through its Interactive Pub platform. This suite of innovative solutions focuses on menu development, staff upskilling, and competitive socialising to help pub operators attract more visitors and thrive despite ongoing market pressures.

Bidfood's sustainability efforts are broad and expanding. Earlier commitments include eliminating problematic single-use packaging by 2025 and ensuring all plastic packaging is recyclable or compostable by the same date. The company has already removed expanded polystyrene from its disposables range due to environmental concerns and recycling challenges. Efforts also extend to promoting reusable products, including the Wrapmaster Flexsil-Lid, to reduce both plastic waste and costs.

In a recent high-profile event, Bidfood showcased a zero-waste menu prepared by its development chefs, highlighting the use of low-carbon-impact, seasonal, and locally sourced ingredients. This event demonstrated how caterers can reinvent menus to meet sustainability goals while appealing to consumers, further underscoring Bidfood’s role as a leader in driving greener foodservice practices.

Since rebranding from Bidvest Foodservice in 2018, Bidfood has enhanced its digital presence, with over 60% of sales now conducted through e-commerce platforms. The company has simultaneously expanded its product portfolios to include health and wellbeing ranges and has actively collaborated on public health initiatives aimed at reducing sugar consumption. Furthermore, Bidfood has redistributed surplus food equating to some 157,000 meals, contributing to its 15.9% reduction in emissions through various sustainability programs.

Tim Adams, Sales and Marketing Director at Bidfood, encapsulated the company’s vision at the event: “As the foodservice industry navigates mounting pressures from sustainability demands to operational challenges, we believe the future lies in smarter, more collaborative solutions. Through initiatives like our carbon labelling project with CarbonCloud, cutting-edge warehouse tech with CSD, and our brand-new food waste recipe book, we’re empowering our customers to drive meaningful change, reduce waste, cut costs and build further resilience. Together, we can shape a more efficient future for foodservice and be a positive force for change.”

Bidfood’s comprehensive approach—spanning carbon management, waste reduction, packaging innovation, technology integration, and customer support—reflects its recognition that sustainability is not optional but essential for the future of the UK’s foodservice industry.