At the heart of one of the world’s most iconic hospitality destinations, Fairmont Makkah Clock Royal Tower is proving that even the busiest kitchens can do the seemingly impossible. Increase sustainability, improve operations, and not only maintain but increase guest satisfaction, all at the same time, simply by using food waste tech? Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, for hotels working with Orbisk, it’s not.
As sustainability goals are becoming more common, hotels need help to keep track of and reduce their food waste. That’s when Orbisk comes into the picture with the perfect food waste technology. How did they use this technology to improve guest satisfaction, decrease costs, and increase operational efficiency? Read further to find out.
The secret sauce: Leadership-driven change & Food waste technology
Reducing food waste in a large and busy kitchen can take a good amount of effort. Cross-communication and goals need to be extremely clear, and thanks to the strong leadership of Executive Chef Deran Tambri, Chief Steward Hassan Mohamed, and Cluster F&B Director Rabii Jaouhari, the kitchen team at Fairmont Makkah Clock Royal Tower was able to get right to work with reducing their food waste.
For those unfamiliar with “The Orbi”, our food waste management system, here’s a quick overview. Using a smart camera connected with an AI database with the most sophisticated algorithm in the food waste management industry, the Orbi tracks all your food waste. Not only does it track what kind of food you are throwing away, but it also tracks when you threw it away, where, and why. In less than half a second, the Orbi can recognize almost all the ingredients on the plate and even the plate itself. Whether it’s a serving plate, a buffet tray, or a prep tray, the Orbi is the only food waste tracker that can identify and track waste streams.
Then, all this data is conveniently centralized on a dashboard made for you, showing you the most wasted items and many more insights that will help you reduce your food waste. Does it feel a bit overwhelming? Don’t worry, we have Food Waste Coaches to help you understand and analyze your data. Together with the coaches, you will come up with strategies that are tailored to your kitchen. The result? Up to 70% less food waste and a smarter kitchen with less waste, lower costs, increased efficiency, and streamlined operations.
How to use food waste tech to reduce your food waste?
Alright, let’s get down to business. What strategies did Fairmont Makkah Clock Royal Tower use to reduce its food waste by an impressive 67% in 12 months?
Strategies used to reduce food waste:
- Menu adjustments
- The culinary team introduced rotational menus tailored to guest preferences.
- They also focused on better meal planning and allowing for flexible portion sizes that help prevent overproduction.
- Orbisk integration
- Using the Orbi, they identified which key ingredients were the biggest hidden drain. They then simply reduced the quantities of frequently wasted items.
- Employee training
- Internal food waste training sessions were held for Chefs, kitchen staff, and waiters. The sessions had a strong emphasis on portion control, leftover reduction, and improved food handling.
- Food donation & repurposing
- Non-avoidable food waste and leftovers were either repurposed creatively into new dishes or donated to local charities.
What did these strategies lead to? Well, they led to more sustainable kitchen operations, boosting their reputation as an eco-conscious hotel, improved operational efficiency, and of course, helped them save a lot of money.
The Data: What did they get out of it?
Let’s talk about real results. How much food did they save from landfills? How much money did they save? Here is an overview of the results of their effort:
- 67% reduced food waste in 12 months
- 19,288 kg of food saved from the landfill
- Prevented 48,220 kg of CO2 from being released
- Saved over €135,000
These results speak for themselves. An extremely strong ROI. But it doesn’t end at the monetary benefits. They also increased their reputation, guest satisfaction, and operational efficiency, all while making a positive impact on the environment. That’s a hotel’s dream scenario, and it’s not just a dream. Orbisk helps hotels achieve these exact results, just like with Fairmont Makkah Clock Royal Tower.
Why every hotel should utilize food waste tech
Using food waste technology to reduce waste, increase profits, and improve operational efficiency is a necessity for hotels with busy commercial kitchens. Especially with the growing demand for sustainable operations and eco-friendly “badges of honor”. We see it happening already, every hotel is scrambling to find ways to become more sustainable. Reducing food waste is the simplest and most impactful way to become more sustainable while increasing profits. And you can be next.
Take the next step. Contact our sales team now for a free consultation and demo of the Orbi to find out if your kitchen could reap the same benefits as 100s of other hotels and kitchens around the world. The answer is, unsurprisingly, yes.
Want some more real-world examples? Here’s how other kitchens are benefiting from the Orbi. Click here to take a look at our other success stories and read all about them.
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