New data from Nutritics, the market leader in food service technology – which was chosen by COP28 to help create climate-friendly menus at the sustainability conference – has identified a number of simple food swaps that hospitality businesses can make next Christmas to help lower costs and reduce carbon emissions across the industry. 

With operators under pressure to save money, as well as demonstrate positive, sustainable practices, the small changes and simple menu swaps devised by Nutritics can make a big difference, both to the cost, and the environmental impact of festive food served. 

Dr Laura Kirwan, Sustainability Lead at Nutritics, comments: “It’s never too early to start planning for next Christmas, and with operators thinking ahead to their Christmas reviews in the New Year, businesses which take the time to make small changes to their menus can reap significant rewards. Reformulation can deliver cost reduction, environmental benefits, and nutritional improvements, delivering a boost to both the top line and the bottom line.”

Here are some of the top swaps which hospitality operators can make next Christmas. 

  • Go traditional with goose  

Try something different next Christmas and opt to serve goose over a traditional roast turkey meal. Although you might think it’s not a cost-effective option, serving goose can reduce costs by £1 per serving. With research suggesting that half of all Christmas dinners eaten in the on-trade are turkey dinners, the hospitality sector could save £21m by making this switch. Additionally, opting for goose can save over 3kg of carbon per serving, 63million kg if all operators made the swap – equivalent to taking 37,000 cars off the road next year!

  • Source local 

Next Christmas, consider swapping imported, out-of-season vegetables to local, seasonal produce such as carrots, parsnips and brussels sprouts. This small change, can help operators cut costs by over 40p per serving and save nearly 0.65kg of carbon per serving, the equivalent to using a computer for 8 hours a day. 

  • Opt for venison as an alternative to beef 

Roast beef with vegetables, roast potatoes and gravy, is a Boxing Day Staple, but why not explore serving up a different option on menus next Christmas? Roast venison haunch, with all the trimmings, is not only a tasty alternative but, can cut cost by nearly £5 per dish. Additionally using vension saves an incredible 7kg of carbon per serving, equivalent to about 17 dishwasher loads.  

  • Get creative with pigs in blankets 

Arguably the best part of any Christmas dinner, and with some simple tweaks, operators can make it a cheaper, tastier and more environmentally friendly addition to next year’s festive menus. Reducing the portion size of pork by half and replacing the difference with stuffing, operators can save approximately 50p per dish, as well as reducing calorie intake by almost 20% per serving. They can also save nearly 2kg of carbon, about the equivalent of using a gas hob for 12 hours.