Hellmann's support Guardians of Grub to launch free online hub

1.1 million tonnes of food thrown away by the Hospitality and Food Service Industry a year¹
The new Guardians of the Grub hub will help operators to fight foot waste
Hellmann’s is at the forefront of industry action to help support professional kitchens and chefs across the UK in reducing their food waste

Hellmann’s, the UK’s favourite mayonnaise brand,² and WRAP’s food waste campaign Guardians of Grub, joined forces for the first time to launch a brand-new platform on the Guardians of Grub website www.guardiansofgrub.com/hellmannsto support operators looking to reduce food waste and save money.

With 1.1 million tonnes of food thrown away by the Hospitality and Food Service Industry a year³, the free online hub provides operators with practical support and resources to help them tackle food waste head on and improve profits in the process.

The website features insightful resources such as a money saving menu planner, Guardians of Grub cost savings skills course, and invaluable tips and tricks in the form of videos and interviews from fellow voices in the industry on how to tackle food waste. To help direct kitchens and chefs to the resources, this year a dedicated QR code will feature on Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise 10 liter tubs – meaning operators and caterers can be directed straight to the website for more information.

In the UK alone, 12% of food waste comes from the hospitality and food service industry and on average 18% of food purchased in this sector is thrown away.⁴ Recent research undertaken by Guardians of Grub also found that food waste is costing the UK food industry on average £3.2 billion a year⁵– highlighting a clear need to help operators optimise their business.

The collaboration comes as Hellmann’s, the largest mayonnaise brand both in retail and the AFH markets⁶, builds on its established brand purpose of fighting food waste and looks to bring its expertise to the AFH channel.

Commenting on the joint initiative, Alex Hall, Executive Chef at Unilever UK&I, explains: “We strongly believe that food is too good to be wasted, which is why at Hellmann’s we’ve joined forces with Guardians of Grub to help operators make big changes through small actions. Given the challenges operators are facing, from rising costs to staff shortages - every penny and every process needs to be checked and audited to ensure that nothing is wasted.

“This is why, together, we have created the new menu planning guide and template to help the operators take an easy assessment of their business to see what changes they can make, to deliver a more profitable and less wasteful business for the future and the planet.”

Eleanor Morris, Special Advisor for Business Collaboration at WRAP added: “As a climate action NGO, WRAP is delighted by this collaboration between Guardians of Grub and Hellmann’s, an industry first which we hope is the start of many more. We know that wasting food is an ongoing issue for the Hospitality and Food Service Industry, damaging profits and the environment.

“By working together, we can accelerate the pace of change in reducing wasted food. We want the sector to feed people, not bins, and also be profitable. We welcome organisations like Unilever helping HaFS organisations with access to useful tools and knowledge to enable them to do this.”

Further information

The joint Hellmann’s and Guardians of Grub campaign, delivered through Unilever’s Away From Home Channel forms part of a wider commitment by Unilever to reduce the brand’s impact on the planet through programmes such as the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan pledge to become carbon positive in its operations by 2030.

For more information on the new Hellmann’s and Guardians of Grub partnership, visit the advice microsite - www.guardiansofgrub.com/hellmanns

To find out more about Guardians of Grub and to ‘Become a Guardian’ visit: www.guardiansofgrub.com