Sustainability Meets Sophistication

The future of eco-friendly luxury catering...

- By Tanya Quadros, Founder, Banquet 18

Luxury catering has always been about creating unforgettable experiences - whether you're looking at a carefully curated menu or an artistically represented event, where every detail is intended to impress. But in the last few years, something deeper began to influence what people want from luxury events. Along with beauty and indulgence, there is now an expectation for responsibility toward the environment. Sophistication today includes sustainability.

This change is indicative of the way clients and guests are thinking. A lot of individuals who go to luxury weddings, social events, or business receptions are sophisticated and greenminded. They desire experiences to be extraordinary but also desire to know the experiences are made with care. The notion that luxury and sustainability are mutually exclusive is being challenged by a perception that the most sophisticated celebrations are the elegant and the ethical.

There is also a broader debate going on throughout the events industry. Over 1.5 billion people attend events globally every year. With each in-person attendee producing approximately 170 kilograms of carbon emissions, the green impact quickly accumulates. When you factor in how much food is typically prepared and thrown out, the task becomes even more apparent. UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2024 states that in 2022 alone, 1.05 billion tonnes of food were wasted. In the events industry, the figure is estimated to be around 15 to 20 percent of food that was prepared for big events and is subsequently thrown away.