Fuelling Change Through Food At London Climate Action Week
We proudly marked London Climate Action Week (LCAW), celebrating the power of food in driving forward conversations on climate action and sustainability.
The week was packed with purpose, creativity and flavour as we joined forces with Paul Newnham, CEO of the SDG2 Advocacy Hub and founder of the Chefs’ Manifesto, to bring our Sustainable Nutrition mission to life. Through storytelling, hands-on masterclasses and live food demos, we took our teams and clients on a learning journey to show how food can be a powerful tool for tackling global climate change.
The week kicked off at our Obsessed Lab, where our UK food team teamed up with three talented Chef Manifesto chefs – Cristina Bowerman, Palmiro Ocampo Grey and Vanshika Bhatia – to learn, share and push boundaries of what sustainable cooking can look and taste like.
Cristina shared creative dishes, from her savoury waina bread layered with mustard-honey mayo to her twist on “bread, tomato and olive oil” ice cream. Palmiro worked his culinary magic using a single head of broccoli, turning every bit into a mouthwatering, zero waste dish. He explained: “The parts we usually throw away are often the most flavourful and nutritious. When we break down the whole ingredient, we open up a whole new world of textures and tastes.” Vanshika took often overlooked ingredients like millet, celeriac and pumpkin and turned them into dishes that packed a punch, like pumpkin curry bowls to celeriac tikka wraps, proving just how much potential lies in the produce around us.
From there, the exchange chefs hit the ground running across our locations – working with our chefs, apprentices and food leads in kitchens, on counters and everywhere in between. Customers got to try tasty new climate conscious dishes, and our teams picked up new ideas, techniques and ingredients. Through it all, we focused on how we can shake up our menus and do things differently.
To wrap up the week, we hosted a breakfast market and panel talk exploring how food connects climate, agriculture and nutrition. Chef partners Bettina Campolucci Bordi and Jenny Chandler served nourishing bites using ingredients like beans, pulses and seeds – spotlighting how we’re putting diverse, planet-friendly ingredients on more plates across hundreds of locations.
The panel discussion, led by Paul and joined by our chefs and senior leaders, hit on everything from food insecurity and biodiversity to how we shift culture from the inside out. We talked openly and honestly about the role of chefs, supply chains, leadership and language – and how we can keep moving forward by staying curious, connected and committed. Paul shared why chefs are such powerful changemakers: “They are powerful storytellers. They sit between the farm and the plate, connecting what’s grown with what’s served – and helping people make better food choices. They remind us that food is part of a bigger picture.”
As we push forward on our Sustainable Nutrition journey, we’re more committed than ever to our people, planet and purpose mission. Weeks like this prove we can do that while delivering incredible taste, value and lasting impact all at once. As Greg Bramwell, Director of Food, said: “It shows who we are and why we do what we do. We stay focused on our vision and purpose while embracing new ideas and learning along the way. It’s exciting to see our teams experimenting and growing together. Most importantly, I want to take our people on the journey and have fun, because I believe when we lead with purpose, profit follows.”
We’re super proud to be fuelling change and helping shape a better future for food, our people, communities and planet. Learn more about our sustainable commitments here and catch the highlights from the week on YouTube here.