Eurostar, a high-speed railway service that connects London with the cities of Paris and Brussels via the Channel Tunnel, has announced that it has won a sustainability award for its on-board catering.
The company has received Sustainable Restaurant Association accreditation as a One-Star Sustainability Champion. The award has been made for Eurostar’s commitment to sourcing local ingredients that have been produced in a sustainable manner, and for pursuing a socially and environmentally responsible approach. Eurostar is the first transport operator to receive the award, and it follows the company’s decision to partner with the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) in 2010.
The award is partly a reflection of Eurostar’s Tread Lightly programme, the banner under which the company commits to cut its overall environmental impact and reduce its CO2 footprint. The main tenets of the initiative are a reduction in wastage, the intention to source supplies responsibly and the adoption of a recycling mentality throughout the company.
Commenting on the award, the head of Environment and Energy for Eurostar, Peter Bragg, said, ‘We share the SRA’s commitment to promoting locally sourced and sustainably produced ingredients and we were delighted to be the first transport provider to partner with their organisation. We are very proud of our One-Star Sustainability Champion rating and the work we’ve carried out to achieve it. Our customers increasingly care about the provenance of the food they eat and by working closely with our suppliers, we are continually improving our sustainability practices. We don’t just talk about policies and practices, we do everything we can to deliver them.’