Serving sustainability – a practical overview for large-scale caterers 

Highlights from ProVeg’s Future Plates guide to help caterers cut costs, reduce environmental impact, and serve everyone

Sustainability is now on everyone’s radar. Food systems are responsible for around a third of global greenhouse gas emissions,^{1 2 3} with meat and dairy products being among the major emitters and therefore, one of the largest contributors to climate change.^{4 5 6}

With this in mind, large-scale events around the world are increasingly focusing on the food they serve. The most recent Olympic Games in Paris were applauded for putting sustainability at the heart of their catering strategy, while the COP28 UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai led the way with two-thirds plant-based catering. And since 2015, the Trellis Group has been actively working to reduce the carbon footprint of its event menus by eliminating red meat, expanding vegetarian and vegan offerings, and implementing waste reduction measures. 

At the recent June Climate Meetings in Bonn, ProVeg International launched our new sustainable catering guide, Future Plates. 

Principally aimed at caterers preparing for UN events and climate conferences (though useful for all large-scale caterers), it equips organisers with powerful arguments as to why being plant-forward is best for these important gatherings. The catering guide also includes best practices, case studies from other large events, and some great recipes. Let’s take a look at some of the key insights and recommended practices.

Benefits of implementing sustainable catering practices 

Adopting sustainable, plant-forward catering offers multiple benefits for consumers, public health, inclusivity, the planet, and budgets:

• Delicious for consumers: Plant-based foods offer innovative, global flavours that appeal to modern diners seeking variety. Flexitarians and reducers – nearly half of consumers – prioritise taste, making flavour a key factor in their plant-based choices.⁷
• Healthier choice: Balanced plant-based diets can prevent and even reverse many lifestyle diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. They offer essential nutrients, fibre, and hydration while avoiding cholesterol and reducing the risk of foodborne illness.^{8 9 10 11 12}
• Inclusive and allergen-friendly: Plant-based meals accommodate diverse dietary needs – religious, cultural, ethical, and health-related – making them ideal for large, international events. They simplify catering logistics by offering a universally acceptable option.
• Cost-effective for caterers: Plant-based ingredients like legumes, grains, and vegetables are often cheaper than meat and dairy, making them a smart choice for large-scale events. Reducing meat and replacing it with wholefood plant proteins can significantly cut catering costs while also lowering environmental impact.
• Better for global health: Animal agriculture contributes to the spread of zoonotic diseases such as COVID-19, E. coli, and swine flu. Therefore, reducing animal-based products can lower the risk of future pandemics and protect global health.^{13 14}
• Better for the environment: Meat and dairy production are major drivers of greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, water use, and biodiversity loss. Shifting to plant-based diets can reduce personal carbon footprints by up to 50% and offer a powerful solution to climate change, especially important at events aiming to model sustainability.¹⁵
• Supports food security and social justice: With the global population expected to hit 10 billion by 2050,¹⁶ feeding the world sustainably means shifting from inefficient animal agriculture to more resource-friendly plant-based systems. Producing food for direct human consumption rather than livestock feed could help eradicate hunger.^{17 18 19}
• Demonstrates compassion: Scientific evidence confirms that animals are sentient beings capable of emotion, intelligence, and social interaction. Choosing plant-based catering aligns with growing public concern for the treatment of farmed animals.²⁰

Best practices for professional catering

Below, you’ll find our recommended best practices for professional, sustainable catering. Implementing these methods can have a multitude of positive effects on your carbon footprint, including co-benefits.

• Substitution: Swap animal-based ingredients in recipes for plant-based alternatives (for example, using tofu instead of chicken breast or oat milk instead of dairy). These substitutions are often simple and don’t affect taste or texture.
• Reduction: Reduce the amount of animal-based products, such as meat, fish, dairy and eggs, in your recipes by simultaneously increasing the amount of vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Examples include blending plant-based ingredients into ground meat dishes or increasing the proportion of plant-based dishes available compared to meat-based dishes.²¹
• Clever menu design: Instead of using ‘vegan’ labels on plant-based dishes, opt for small, neutral icons (like a small ‘v’ or leaf symbol) to inform your customers about key meal ingredients. Taking this approach means that customers who are looking for the information will find it, while other customers will not be put off by overly conspicuous labelling! Colour-coding menus and appealing images of plant-based dishes can also prove effective. Rather than prefixing dish names with ‘vegan’ or ‘meat-free’,²² use indulgent and enticing language that highlights the flavour, taste, and umami aspects of a meal (for example, words like ‘juicy’, ‘tender’, or ‘creamy’).²³
• Nudging: Motivate your customers to indirectly make healthier and/or more sustainable choices through positive naming of meals, smart menu design, attractive physical presentation, and strategic countertop placement. Nudging can also include placing meat alternatives in the meat section, pricing strategies that make plant-based meals more appealing, and plant-based-by-default strategies.
• Training: Dedicated plant-based training can help your catering team gain confidence in sustainable, plant-based cooking skills and techniques, discover more about the benefits of plant-based nutrition as well as the positive impact on our planet, and learn to use familiar favourites as the basis for creating delicious, plant-based meals.²⁴

Case studies for plant-based catering at scale

Let’s make every plate count

As global events strive to embody the values they promote, sustainable catering is no longer a nice-to-have, it’s a necessity. From COP28’s climate-aligned menus to TED’s quietly transformative food design, plant-forward dining can be both impactful and inspiring. 

By prioritising flavour, inclusivity, and environmental responsibility, event organisers have a powerful opportunity to lead by example, showing delegates, media, and the wider public what a sustainable future can taste like.

With Future Plates, ProVeg International offers caterers a roadmap to making that vision a reality. Whether you’re feeding 200 or 20,000, every plant-based plate served is a step towards a fairer, healthier, and more climate-resilient world. 

Read the full sustainable catering guide here, and let’s make every plate count. For more support on your alternative protein strategy, get in touch with ProVeg’s experts at [email protected] and subscribe to our newsletter and podcast.

Gemma Tadman

Business Communications Manager

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