Sustainability

• If we are catering for an external event, we organise car sharing for our staff.
• In addition, we take great care to optimise our plans for logistical processes and routes when supplying event venues for example.

• During periods of time with fewer events, we switch off the unused cold storage facilities to save energy and costs.
• We avoid unnecessary new purchases and carry out regular maintenance on our existing equipment.
• Should it no longer be possible to repair a device, we make sure the new one is a particularly energy-efficient model.

On principle, fairgourmet works with reusable dishes (porcelain) and cutlery (stainless steel). Drink bottles are mostly made of glass. Wherever practical, we use water carafes. Milk and cream are provided for our guests in dispensers or glass jugs.

If it is not possible to avoid the use of disposable tableware for logistical reasons or at large events, fairgourmet uses fully biodegradable materials that are climate neutral. Cups for hot and cold drinks as well as cutlery are made from cellulose. Trays for currywurst and soup tureens are produced using waste materials from sugarcane. This means materials can be used that would otherwise be discarded.

We serve our salads in bowls made from transparent bio-plastic (PLA – polyactide, produced from glucose). These materials are based on renewable resources and are biodegradable. They can easily be composted or used in biogas plants for energy production.

Aluminium production causes considerable environmental problems. Extremely large amounts of energy are needed: It takes 14 kWh of electricity to produce one kilogram of aluminium. That's ten times more electricity than it takes to produce the same amount of tin. Furthermore, aluminium production causes poisonous waste and air pollution. For these reasons, fairgourmet never uses aluminium foil in the kitchen. We also never use aluminium coffee capsules when renting out coffee machines. For catering services at exhibition stands, fairgourmet has replaced single-use aluminium trays with reusable trays for which customers pay a deposit.

In fairgourmet's kitchens as well as all snack bars and fast food outlets at the Leipzig Exhibition Centre we always sort our rubbish.

Our range of drinks in plastic bottles has mostly been replaced with drinks in glass bottles. When catering for our own staff in places such as the Messecasino, we ask our colleagues to use their own cups for coffee-to-go whenever possible. This way, we can try to minimise the number of single-use cups. fairgourmet is currently considering the introduction of a fee for single-use cups.

For the last 20 years, fairgourmet has always tried to repair kitchen equipment rather than throwing it away and buying new devices. If the equipment cannot be repaired, we make sure the new purchases are energy-efficient models.

The successful careers of our qualified apprentices are not the only proof of the high quality of our training. In 2017, the Saxony branch of DEHOGA awarded fairgourmet the prestigious title of "Recommended Training Company". This title is awarded to hotels and restaurants that train their apprentices professionally and fairly as well as successfully completing a voluntary inspection. Furthermore, our fairgourmet trainee Marie-Luise Gatzsch won the DEHOGA Saxony state professional hospitality championships in 2015 and 2016. Today, Marie-Luise Gatzsch is working as a cook and Head of Kitchen at Leipziger Messe Casino.

fairgourmet initiates challenging trainee projects that offer apprentices the chance to learn additional skills and gain extra experience in projects and teamwork. One example of this is our regular participation in the "Top Tafel" (Top Table) national competition. As part of the "ISS GUT!" (eat well) trade fair, trade visitors and a jury decide which team of young catering professionals set the most original table. In 2015, our fairgourmet trainees won first prize. In 2011, they were awarded second place for their themed "pure nature" table with all tableware and decorations made from organic materials.

Trust and respect in partnerships as well as transparency and fairness are also fairgourmet's motto when cooperating with suppliers and service providers. Whenever possible, we aim to work together in the interest of sustainability. For this reason, we entered into an intensive partnership with Sachsenobst® to develop local and organically-grown products and integrate them into the fairgourmet range. Customers can purchase the products in our online shop and the jams are also available in selected Konsum stores.

Our Director Detlef Knaack is additionally involved in committees such as the "Fairtrade Town Leipzig" steering group that coordinates activities to support fair trade in Leipzig.