Almost one year on from the first lockdown, a survey into London’s restaurants, cafes and takeaways has found that over a third (35%) of businesses currently operating have had their eyes opened to how much food waste their business was producing before the pandemic.

Commissioned by Too Good To Go, the surplus food app, the survey revealed that almost two thirds (61%) of London’s restaurants, cafes and takeaways have reduced their food waste over the course of the pandemic through more effective food use and food ordering.

However, while almost a third (30%) of business now have more robust plans in place to deal with unpredictability in the future, over a quarter (27%) of London restaurants, cafes and takeaways think the short-term future unpredictability will result in more food waste for their business.

When asked about the financial impact of the pandemic, almost half of those London businesses currently operating estimate that they have lost 21-30% of their income over the course of the pandemic.

Despite this financial burden, London businesses have invested heavily in innovation over the last year, with almost two thirds (64%) of restaurants, cafes and takeaways in the capital investing between £4,001-£6,000 each. And innovations vary from business to business:

One third (33%) have enabled takeaways/deliveries
Almost one third (31%) have created a new website
Over a quarter (26%) have invested in contactless ordering (e.g. via apps)
Over a third (37%) have created meal kits
Almost a quarter (23%) have revamped or increased their outdoor space
30% have revamped their indoor space
30% have introduced new marketing channels such as social media or ordering apps
Almost a quarter (24%) have revamped their website and made it more commercially viable

Paschalis Loucaides, UK Managing Director, Too Good To Go, said: “The pandemic has certainly had an almost irreparable impact on London’s hospitality scene over the course of the last year. However, there are some silver linings. To hear that the capital’s restaurants, cafes and takeaways have had their eyes opened to how much food they were wasting before the pandemic is a really positive sign for the future of the planet. If we are to reverse the impact of climate change, reducing food waste is one of the most important things that we can do. It’s critical that reducing food waste continues to be a priority moving forwards in order to safeguard the investments that businesses have put in place and pave the way for a brighter, greener, future.”

Too Good To Go lets people buy surplus food and drink from pubs, restaurants, retailers and producers to stop it from going to waste. Consumers simply download the free Too Good To Go app and search for nearby businesses with unsold produce. They then purchase a ‘Magic Bag’, collect it at an allotted time and enjoy it.