Sodexo Live! Partners with Full Circle Farms
Sodexo Live! partnered with Full Circle Farms – a regenerative farm* in West Sussex – in November 2021 to continue in its commitment to sourcing fresh, locally grown ingredients and reducing food waste across the UK.
Full Circle Farms offer urban restaurants an opportunity to own and grow on their own plot of farmed land. Each plot is allocated a full farming team who work with the chefs to assess the restaurants' requirements and grow and deliver the best produce for them.
The farm does not use any fertilisers, herbicides, pesticides or weed killers. Instead, farmers build soil fertility using organic compost and manures. This helps improve all ecosystem processes, such as the water cycle and mineral cycle availability. Animals are also used to help manage the land. For example, a pig will support the turning of the soil and mixing-in of green renewers. This process feeds the nutrients back into the soil to help produce vegetables such as beetroot and kale.
Sodexo Live! has purchased 1.5 acres of land at Full Circle Farms to grow organic vegetables, specifically for Sodexo Live! chefs to use in menus. So far, more than three tonnes of organic vegetables have been used across venues and events where Sodexo Live! operates.
These include Royal Ascot, Fulham FC and Brighton & Hove Albion FC.
From January 2023 appropriate food waste from these sites will be sent back to the Full Circle Farm to begin the regenerative process. To do this the farm will compost our food waste in its mobile composting systems, and once the compost has been at a temperature of 75 to 80 degrees for a minimum of two weeks, the machines are then emptied, and the compost delivered to the farm to feed the soil.
Our target is to be carbon neutral for our direct operations by 2025 and to reach Net Zero by 2045. Growing our regenerative farm offering will allow us to achieve these aims and bolsters our Appetite for Action campaign to further reduce food waste.
Ben Dutson, food innovation director of Sodexo Live! UK & Ireland, explains:
When we first met with Tom and the team at Full Circle Farms we knew that we wanted to support the brilliant work they’re doing. Both our organisations are passionate about fresh ingredients, sustainability and educating the next generation of hospitality workers, so it was the ideal opportunity to collaborate.
As part of our commitment to providing world-class training for our team and the best possible experience for our guests, we want to lead by example and embed sustainability, food provenance and education into everything we do, and our partnership with the farm will help us do just that.
Tom Morphew, CEO of Full Circle Farms, is passionate about the overwhelming benefits of regenerative farming and educating people about where their favourite ingredients come from.
.png)
Tom said:
Our aim is to reduce and re-think food waste and provide top chefs with an amazing range of flavours though our fruits and vegetables. I’m passionate about the overwhelming benefits of regenerative farming and educating people about where their favourite ingredients come from. We believe our ‘full circle’ farming model gives our produce its amazing taste.
As a company, we don’t choose to partner with just anyone. The reason we chose to partner with Sodexo Live! is not only because of their philosophy behind growing food and producing amazing meals, but because of Sodexo Live!’s commitment to regenerative agriculture and helping people.
Sodexo Live! supports some of the UK and Ireland’s most iconic music, cultural and sporting events, plus conference centres, by delivering world class hospitality and food services. We help deliver globally recognised live events with a proven track record of creating exceptional moments that bring people together. We help our venue partners to reach their true potential. We create exceptional moments and lasting memories for guests every time they visit the venues we serve, supporting long term revenue growth and delivering sustainable benefit in the heart of communities.
Globally Sodexo Live! contributes to the success of events such as Royal Ascot, the Tour de France, the Rugby World Cup and soon the Paris 2024 Games, and showcases exceptional venues such as the Eiffel Tower Restaurants, Bateaux Parisiens, Yachts de Paris, the Royal Academy of Arts in London, the Museo del Prado in Madrid, the Hard Rock Stadium, the Scottish National Gallery, and the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
Other venues in the UK include Bateaux London, Fulham FC, the ACC Liverpool, and Edinburgh’s magnificent Signet Library.
* There currently is no recognised definition for regenerative agriculture; take a look at Full Circle Farms website to read about Full Circle’s sustainable principles. Regenerative Agricultural Advice — Full Circle Farms Sussex.