Foodservice forum: CSR

How do you promote CSR across your business?

Elisabeth Ortiz Kuefler
ESG lead, BM
At BM, we understand that our corporate social and environmental responsibility (CSER) strategy and initiatives are not only of value to our clients, but to our teams as well. We focus on initiatives that are educational for both our teams and customers, because we want to generate change beyond the confines of our kitchens and restaurants. For example, we make sure our chefs, teams and customers understand the ‘why?’ behind our initiatives, such as Veganuary, which often involve promoting consumer behaviour changes.

We believe in giving back to the community and generating positive social impact, and involving our teams, customers, suppliers and clients on that journey. This means engaging with social enterprises on the procurement side, as well as providing employment and/or training opportunities.

BM has established partnerships with social enterprises that provide individuals with employment opportunities, such as the Tower Project, which empowers people with disabilities in East London, and Unity Works, which helps link people with learning disabilities with employment and training opportunities. We are also launching a café with our client Hogan Lovells and partner the Luminary Bakery social enterprise. It will provide training opportunities for women in London who have experienced multiple disadvantages. 

We recognise the importance of encouraging our suppliers to pursue more sustainable practices and supporting them with that transition. This can be done by ensuring that our cotton uniforms come from Better Cotton Initiative-approved sources, by sourcing meat from Lake District farmers, or by supporting brands such as Flawsome! Drinks which reduce food waste. It is key that, as responsible caterers, we ensure that our offer is of the highest quality and the ingredients we use are of traceable origin, prioritising low-carbon, seasonal and local products.

The most crucial aspect of promoting any successful CSER initiative, as highlighted by our clients in our last ESG quarterly roundtable, is effective and consistent communication. This means making sure our messaging is consistent, accessible and responsive to feedback. 

We communicate present and future CSER campaigns and initiatives through a variety of channels and to a variety of markets. We share tips and training through our internal communications; promote our campaigns through signage and displays at our restaurant counters and tills; and publish social media, blog and podcast content online for customers, as well as any individuals who want to make a sustainable change at home.

Robin Mills
Chief executive officer, Compass Group UK and Ireland
I have always felt that the term ‘CSR’ – corporate social responsibility – feels very corporate and far removed from the real impact and potential for change it can create. When I became CEO of Compass Group UK and Ireland in 2019, one of the first things I focused on was how to ensure integrity and doing the right thing was put at the heart of our business strategy. As a result, we subsequently made public commitments to climate, people and health and wellbeing – which have been integrated into all that we do.

This means that ‘CSR’ is not seen as a standalone activity. Providing opportunities for our people and those who are often overlooked; supporting the local communities we work in; operating sustainably; and providing healthy choices and information, alongside advancing social responsibility wherever we work, have all become part of our DNA.

Through our social promise, we have committed to positively impacting the lives of 1m people by 2030. We are proud to work in a barrierless industry, where people can learn their skills on the job, which enables us to create opportunities for social mobility through training, development and meaningful careers.

We’re seeing significant progress in this area, through our career pathways, including apprenticeships and supported internships. Our social partner hub has helped 200 people into jobs, and we supported the training of some 2,200 people through our Xcelerate regional training facility. This work benefits people on an individual level, but also means that we are attracting and retaining the talent we need, as well as supporting the communities we work in.

We serve millions of meals every day, so our health and wellbeing promise supports healthy eating and mental wellbeing. Our employees’ wellbeing is key to our success. As we are a food business, we decided that where we serve food, our employees should have access to a free meal at work. Our colleagues receive other benefits, including access to a free digital healthcare app, plus our nutritionists provide information and tips through our online platform, Nourished Life. 

Our climate promise is helping drive the change in behaviours that is needed to support more sustainable operations. A great example is our focus on menus, which has seen us upskill our over 4,000 chefs – seeing more plant forward, local and seasonal dishes created and partnering with Foodsteps to provide carbon labelling.

Changing culture is key and, through our Be a Star colleague recognition programme, we acknowledge the great work of our people, which inspires our colleagues to act. We have seen people celebrated for activities such as charity work, adoption of sustainable practices and supporting other team members. It’s humbling to hear these achievements.

Our promises have helped us to successfully embed our commitments and Be a Star recognises where our people go the extra mile to deliver them. This in turn supports our clients and customers with their own social value aspirations.

Charlotte Wright
Director of CSR and food strategy, Elior UK
Promoting corporate social responsibility (CSR) across a business isn’t about ticking boxes—it’s about making sustainability, ethical responsibility and community engagement part of everyday decision-making. Having spent years driving CSR initiatives, I’ve learned that embedding a responsible culture is as much about inspiring people as it is about setting policies. It starts with leadership, but real change happens when everyone in the business feels empowered to contribute.

CSR works best when it’s not seen as a standalone function, but rather as something that is woven into everything a business does, influencing all areas of a company from procurement to operations to employee engagement. A clear, company-wide strategy is essential, but it must also be flexible enough to adapt to changing circumstances. Encouraging employees to actively participate is one of the most effective ways to build momentum. Structured initiatives, like volunteering programmes or broader social value commitments, provide a tangible way for teams to get involved.

One example is our Lifetime of Enrichment programme, which encourages colleagues to contribute to social and environmental initiatives. When people see the impact of their actions – whether it’s reducing food waste, mentoring young people  or supporting local charities – they feel a greater sense of purpose in their work. Encouraging participation through recognition schemes helps colleagues feel personally invested in making a difference.

Innovation also plays a crucial role in making CSR practical and measurable. Finding smart ways to reduce waste, energy consumption and emissions makes sustainability more accessible for frontline teams. For example, developing a simple tool to track food waste led to a 30% reduction in one year by helping teams optimise menu planning and portion sizes. By making these initiatives easy to understand and implement, businesses can turn CSR into part of their everyday operations rather than an abstract ideal.

Beyond internal actions, forming partnerships with external organisations can amplify efforts and extend impact beyond the business itself. Supporting initiatives that tackle global challenges – such as funding clean water projects or working with charities to raise awareness – creates a deeper connection between business and society. One of the most rewarding aspects of CSR is seeing how these partnerships benefit not only those they support, but also the teams involved who gain a greater sense of purpose in their work.

Transparency is another key factor in making CSR successful. It’s not enough to launch initiatives; businesses must measure, track and communicate their progress in a way that makes people feel engaged rather than overwhelmed by statistics. Real-time dashboards, visual progress reports and sharing success stories internally helps create accountability and maintain enthusiasm.

The most effective CSR strategies are those that encourage a shift in mindset. At its core, it is about creating a culture of responsibility – one where people at all levels understand that small actions add up to big change. Whether it’s tackling food waste, reducing carbon emissions or supporting local communities, the key is to make CSR feel relevant, actionable and rewarding. When businesses achieve this, sustainability stops being a challenge and starts becoming a source of pride.

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