Footprint Awards - winners announced

Last night in London at the East Wintergarden tensions were high as the winners of the 5^th Footprint Awards were announced with standards so high the judges had a difficult time deciding.

In an unprecedented turn of events, which organisers hailed as another sign that entry standards in 2014 were exceptionally high, the scores across all categories had to be checked against key criteria three times as the numbers were so tight. 

Judges commented that it had been “extremely tough to pick just one winner from all the entries, when so many deserved recognition of the achievements they had made in the past year.”

The Footprint Awards are the only scheme of its kind, recognising the outstanding sustainability achievements of businesses - great and small - throughout the foodservice supply chain.

Winners on the night included some of the biggest names in the foodservice and hospitality industries such as Coca-Cola, WRAP and Aramark & Chef Direct whilst Café Muse at Manchester Museum, took home the Community Vote Award proving that you don’t have to be big to be making a big impact.

The winners of the awards are carefully selected by a panel of expert judges, using strict criteria to measure the sustainable impact of each product, company or service.

Speaking at the event Nick Fenwicke-Clennell, CEO of Footprint said: “Five years on from the first Footprint Awards and I’m delighted to see the progression and number of businesses who are helping to put sustainability at the forefront of the foodservice industry. Whether it’s in the area of natural resource, energy or waste, the sustainability campaigns and initiatives being pioneered by companies large and small have become intrinsic to business.”

As ever the Footprint Awards continued to push the boundaries of the sustainability story by placing a red Massey Fergusson agricultural tractor in the heart of the East Wintergarden, and presenting guests with a live dashboard that contained real time facts and figures about the responsibility, sustainability and provenance of all aspects of the Footprint Awards menu. The brand new technology was created with the help of Green10 and Winnow Solutions and is the first of its type to showcase the sustainability of such an event.

The full list of winners is:

Winner: The Caterers Linen Supply

Runner-up: Mara Seaweed

Waste Prevention and Management Award

Winner: Coca-Cola Enterprises

Runner-up: Lexington Catering

Environmentally Efficient Logistics Award

Winner: Aramark & Chef Direct

Runner-up: Bidvest 3663

Responsible Sourcing Award

Winner: Ampersand

Runner-up: The University of Manchester

Sustainable Supplier Award

Winner: The London Linen Group

Runner-up: Huhtamaki

Energy Efficiency Award

Winner: Wyke Farms

Runner-up: Court Catering Equipment

Sustainable Catering Equipment Manufacturer Award

Winner: Victor Manufacturing

Runner-up: Gram UK

Economic Sustainability Award

Winner: Wyke Farms

Runner-up: The Spirit Pub Company

Stakeholder Engagement Award

Winner: WRAP

Runner-up: Solo Cup Europe

Social Impact and Diversity Award

Winner: Enterprise Inns

Runner-up: CH&Co

Sustainability in Education Award

Winner: Durham University

Runner-up: University of Brighton

Community Vote Award

Winner: Café Muse at Manchester Museum

Runner-up: Green Man Inn at Brackley Hatch

Special Achievement Award

Winner: Nicki Fisher, Pret A Manger

The headline sponsor for the 2014 Footprint Awards is Nestlé Professional. Other sponsors include: Spirit, Kuehne + Nagel, Red Tractor, CH&Co, TUCO, Sodexo, Essential Cuisine and Stalbridge Linen.