Sustainable Catering: Plant-Based Menus and Packaging
More and more clients ask for it without being prompted: a plant-based option on the menu, less plastic on the table, or just something more sustainable without being able to say exactly what they mean. Sustainable catering doesn't have to mean overhauling your whole business. In this article we show which concrete steps to start with, and what they deliver.
Why sustainability keeps coming up
At corporate events the question is often already baked into the enquiry: how many plant-based dishes can you offer, and do you work with reusable or compostable serviceware. At weddings and private parties it's less often a hard requirement, but it comes up more and more during the intake conversation. Caterers who already have an answer ready don't have to improvise when it's raised.
It's rarely about a fully sustainable concept from top to bottom. Most clients are already satisfied with a few visible choices: a good plant-based option that doesn't feel like an afterthought, and packaging that doesn't go straight in the bin.
Plant-based as a standard part of the menu
The difference often lies in how you serve it, not just what you serve. A plant-based dish that sits on the menu as a proper main option, alongside the others, lands better than a separate "vegan box" that clearly reads as the exception. Start with one or two dishes you already do well and can adjust with the seasons, rather than overhauling your whole menu at once.
Pay attention to where your plant-based ingredients come from too. Local, seasonal vegetables not only help your food cost, they're also the quickest argument to win over a sceptical client.
Tackling packaging and disposables
Packaging is often the first thing clients notice, and the easiest to change. Swap plastic cutlery and cups for compostable or reusable alternatives, and take a hard look at what you're already bringing anyway: containers, film, napkins. Some caterers now run a return system for reusable serviceware with regular corporate clients, which ends up cheaper over time than buying disposables again and again.
What it costs you, and what it earns you
Sustainable packaging and plant-based ingredients are often a bit pricier per unit, but that doesn't have to eat into your margin if you build it into your quote instead of just absorbing it. Clients who ask for it explicitly are usually also willing to pay for it. The real payoff usually isn't in the cost price though, it's in what it earns you at the tender or quote stage: more and more businesses and venues now weigh sustainability as a selection criterion, and a caterer who already has an answer ready is less likely to be ruled out.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to make my whole menu plant-based to cater sustainably?
No. Most clients are already satisfied with a good plant-based main option alongside your existing menu. Start with a few dishes you do well, rather than overhauling everything at once.
Is sustainable packaging much more expensive?
Often a bit pricier per unit, but that doesn't have to eat into your margin if you build it into your quote. Clients who ask for it explicitly are usually willing to pay for it too.
Do businesses ask about sustainability more than private clients?
Yes, at corporate events the question is often already part of the enquiry. Private clients tend to raise it during the intake conversation instead.
Is it worth investing in reusable serviceware?
For regular corporate clients, a return system for reusable serviceware can end up cheaper over time than buying disposables again and again.
Want to offer sustainable choices easily without slowing down your quoting process? Try Catermonkey and see how quickly you can adjust options per client.
Start free