Eat Central 2024 The SRA certificate

Artist's impression of refurbished Eat Central

We’re thrilled to announce that Eat Central, our largest dining hub, has received the highest accreditation available (three-stars) for their latest Food Made Good Standard, from The Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA).

This highly regarded recognition is awarded to establishments across the world and recognises our catering partners’ commitment to sustainability and their continuous efforts to benefit both people and the planet.

About the Food Made Good Standard

Since 2010, The Sustainable Restaurant Association has set the Standard for sustainable food and drink businesses, connecting businesses across the globe to accelerate change toward a hospitality sector that is socially progressive and environmentally restorative. They do this through the world’s largest sustainability certification tailored for the sector, the Food Made Good Standard, which aims to encourage, support, and recognise sustainability practices across the industry worldwide. This comprehensive accreditation is awarded to restaurants and other F&B businesses around the world that meet a set of rigorous, measurable criteria across three main focus areas: Sourcing, Society and Environment. 

A benchmark for excellence

The Food Made Good Sustainability Standard, crafted by The SRA, evaluates impact across three pillars – Sourcing, Society, and Environment. The comprehensive framework examines ten key impact areas – and Eat Central excelled in all of them: Support Farmers and Fishers (100%); Celebrate Provenance (87%); More Plants, Better Meat (80%); Source Seafood Sustainably (95%); Feed People Well (95%); Treat Staff Fairly (92%); Support the Community (88%); Reduce your Footprint (96%); Waste No Food (96%); Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (93%).

The impact areas assess performance as well as identifying areas for improvement. Businesses scoring over 50% are recognised as Food Made Good businesses, with the star system further acknowledging exceptional sustainability efforts.

Eat Central’s remarkable overall score of 92% marks the University's highest rating yet. This achievement places the restaurant amongst the top performers in the hospitality industry, as one of only ten businesses worldwide rated over 90%.

Juliane Caillouette-Noble, The SRA Managing Director, said: "Congratulations to Eat Central Kitchen at the University of Sussex for achieving three stars once again in their 2024 Food Made Good Standard submission!

"With a remarkable score of 92, they join just 10 other businesses worldwide in the 90+ bracket – a testament to their comprehensive approach across all evaluated impact areas.

"From sourcing a high percentage of produce from regenerative farms (with goals and actions to improve this in the future) to robust strategies for reducing food waste, we admire the way they use simple yet effective techniques. Well-done for providing our young adults with the foundation they need to become influential advocates for food sustainability."

High-scoring areas

Areas that scored particularly highly include Eat Central’s commitment to sourcing high-quality, sustainable ingredients. This is achieved by having sound trade agreements that support farmers, fishers, and their communities, where the restaurant scored 100. 

You can see some of the work our catering partners are already doing in this area elsewhere on campus, with our dedicated meat-free outlet, the Veg Bowl @ Dhaba, which also boasts the University’s first impressive hydroponic growing system, an initiative promoting sustainability and climate adaptation, with benefits like reduced water usage, year-round production, and local sourcing, minimising carbon footprint and ensuring freshness.

To maximise societal impact, Eat Central is committed to providing nutritious, budget-friendly meals, crafted with the guidance of a nutritionist. Our partners are also committed to an annual dedicated fund of £25k to support and promote sustainable food projects. The restaurant has been commended for its dedication to managing its environmental impact, with the Environment pillar receiving the highest overall score: an impressive 95%.

You can already see where we’re making strides to improve our score in this category even further for the future, with the introduction of the carbon labelling initiative at the ACCA cafe, another measure that you’ll start to see more of, in other outlets, very soon.

Looking ahead

In addition to The SRA Standard, our campus catering was also awarded the U Dine Award for sustainability, in summer 2023. This highlights the ongoing dedication to sustainable dining practices, and adherence to the University’s sustainable values. Chartwells, our catering partners, are part of a larger group committed to climate action, aiming for a 55% carbon-footprint reduction by 2025.Together, we bring our policy and strategy to life through tangible actions, to build a greener campus for a more sustainable world.

Mark Lawrence, Contract Director for our catering partners, said: "Attaining a 3-star rating from The Sustainable Restaurant Association underscores our commitment to environmental responsibility and social impact. It's not just about individual efforts but the collective dedication of our entire team towards sustainable practices.

"This achievement reflects our shared values and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to making a positive difference at the University of Sussex".

While Eat Central proudly displays its three stars, our catering partners will continue to support the University's mission to become one of the most sustainable universities globally. They'll collaborate with our Sustainability team, eagerly embracing recommendations and pushing their best practices to new heights!

The appointment of Sandra Juan Delgado as Sustainability Manager for Sussex Uni Food further demonstrates the team’s commitment to this.

Sandra said: "This recognition underscores our efforts and reaffirms our commitment to continuous improvement. Moving forward, we're excited to build upon this success and explore new avenues for innovation and sustainability.

"Our achievement in The SRA Food Made Good Standard isn't just a badge of honour; it's a recognition to our values, our dedication, and our vision for a better and more sustainable future".

Eat Central is currently undergoing renovations to become a flexible, eco-friendly space for both daytime and evening activities. Going-greener plans include using recycled materials and implementing measures to reduce food waste. The revamp includes recycled worktops and upholstery and waste separation bins to go to the bio processor to convert food waste into fertiliser.

Here’s to continuing to contribute to a greener world, one bite at a time!