It might have proudly launched its first Eco-Shop and cut manufacturing waste, but Britain’s biggest bakery is still falling short on the sustainability front, according to the latest research from Which?.
The survey ranked Greggs, along with KFC, bottom of a table of the UK’s most sustainable restaurant chains.
Top of the table came Wahaca, the Mexican dining chain, which scored highest on sourcing policies (along with Nando’s), as well as transparency and customer choice.
Which? said: “[Wahaca] sources free-range chicken, pork and eggs and has made a conscious effort to reduce the amount of beef it offers on the menu, with only one beef dish available. All of its fish is MSC-certified and it sources palm oil, soya, tea, coffee and sugar sustainably.
“It champions plant-based eating, and 60% of its menu is vegetarian. It’s also the only restaurant in our survey that lists the carbon emissions for each of the dishes on its menu.”
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As part of its research, Which? surveyed 28 major UK restaurant chains, asking about key sustainability issues – such as emissions, sourcing policies, waste and plastics, transparency and customer choice – before comparing the results.
Wahaca topped the table with the highest eco-credentials with an overall score of 84%
It was followed by Nando’s (81%), Frankie & Benny’s (75%), Young’s & Co pubs (74%) , Pret a Manger (73%) and Wagamama (72%).
Greggs and KFC (38% each) came last in the rankings, partly because they didn’t share key data.
The scores Greggs did share were average but it didn’t share information on its water usage, food waste and amount of non-food waste sent to landfill, which dented its overall score.
Similarly, KFC scored well for emissions but didn’t share information on electricity or water consumption, renewable energy, food waste and landfill. This meant it scored 0% in the waste and plastics section.
Greggs is introducing features from its Eco-Shop format into 400 stores as part of a major drive to improve the sustainability of its high street estate.
A survey last year found over a third of UK pub and restaurant goers are prepared to spend more than usual in venues with strong sustainability credentials despite the cost-of-living crisis.
