Brewpreneur, Founder of India's Biggest Waterfall Themed Microbrewery, Long Boat Brewing Co. Bangalore.
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In today’s rapidly evolving world, with pollution and energy use top of mind for many, businesses across various industries are increasingly recognizing the importance of sustainability. Nowhere is this more evident to me than in the food and beverage sector, where environmental considerations are paramount. Through a combination of innovative practices and conscious decision-making, the food and beverage sector should exemplify how sustainability can be seamlessly integrated into the operations of an energy-intensive industry. Here are some key strategies for brewing sustainability, improving the working environment for employees and reducing overall environmental impact.
1. Ventilation system: Any business in the food and beverage sector recognizes the importance of maintaining clean and healthy air in the kitchen. The exhaust and fresh air system should be thoughtfully designed to improve air quality and create a comfortable working environment.
At our microbrewery, we are extremely sensitive to the comfort of our employees. Our kitchen is heavily dependent on exhaust systems; we hire the best airflow engineers to engineer water-cooled and filtered fresh air into the kitchen to compensate for the exhaust suction. We've found that these highly engineered systems make the kitchen a more comfortable environment for our food handlers.
2. Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products: I recommend prioritizing the use of eco-friendly cleaning products. Look for cleaning products that are biodegradable and follow sustainability guidelines like the EPA's while maintaining cleanliness and hygiene.
3. Waste Segregation: You should follow proper waste segregation practices to keep the environment clean. Allocate separate garbage bins for wet garbage, dry garbage and bottles and tins and ensure that waste is appropriately sorted and disposed of according to the established standards.
Waste segregation is our top priority. Whether it is dry waste or wet waste, segregation is done at every step. We have gone the extra mile to supply edible waste from vegetables and other protein sources to piggeries to ensure maximum utilization of our waste. The supply of unprocessed kitchen waste to the piggeries is transported in refrigerated trucks to maintain hygiene.
4. High-Quality Cooking Vessels: Invest in branded and high-quality cooking vessels made from copper and stainless steel. These materials are known for their durability, even heat distribution and long lifespan, reducing the need for frequent replacements and minimizing waste.
5. Sustainable Food Storage: Use Gastronorm pans and biodegradable containers for storing cooked and uncooked food as well as dry ingredients. Gastronorm pans are known for their durability and reusability.
6. Energy-Efficient Cooking Appliances: Prioritize energy efficiency in the kitchen by utilizing cooking appliances such as induction cooktops. These appliances are known for their improved energy efficiency compared to traditional cooking methods. At our microbrewery, we cook a lot of curries and gravies by the ton. It is not viable for us to use traditional burners and vessels to cook these, so we have invested in quality food processing technology. Some of the equipment that we use includes combination ovens and bratt pans; we've found that using more energy-efficient machines helps us cook larger quantities of food in shorter periods of time and lowers our energy use.
7. Support For Local Farmers: Source vegetables directly from local farmers when possible. This not only supports sustainable farming practices but also reduces transportation emissions associated with long-distance food sourcing. Microbreweries can collaborate on a long-term basis with local agriculturalists for items that are available throughout the season; this ensures you have access to fresh produce and also cuts the middlemen and their commission out, which can help save you money. For seasonal produce like fresh mangoes procured for desserts and beers, you can source these seasonally. This not only helps support local farmers but also gives you access to quality produce fresh from the farm, often without pesticides.
8. Eco-Friendly Crockery: Serve food in eco-friendly and non-toxic crockery. Aim to minimize the use of disposable and single-use items to reduce waste.
9. Water Conservation: Water is a valuable resource in any industry, and implementing water conservation measures can have a positive environmental impact. Using two reverse osmosis (RO) plants—one for your kitchen and another one for your brewery if you are a microbrewery—can allow you to have a backup so that if any one of the systems fails, the other can be used for both purposes. The thought process behind this is that customers should not any point run out of RO water. You can also optimize water usage during the brewing process if you install water-efficient equipment and implement recycling and reclamation systems to minimize water waste. The rejected RO water from the kitchen can be recycled and used in toilets and for gardening purposes whenever possible.
10. Sustainable Agriculture: Cattle farming plays an essential role in the agricultural sector, and utilizing leftover grains from microbreweries as cattle feed can help reduce the demand for other feed sources. This practice can help conserve resources, such as land and water, and promote more sustainable farming practices.
Utilizing leftover grains from the brewing process as cattle feed is a practice that not only reduces waste but also provides a valuable source of nutrition for the animals. By repurposing the grains in this way, any microbrewery can lower its waste and contribute to sustainable agricultural practices. Microbreweries can have a relationship with local cattle farmers whereby they give leftover grains to them as an initiative to give back to the community.
By incorporating these practices, a microbrewery can work to become more environmentally conscious and socially responsible. One should continuously strive to improve sustainability efforts and reduce their environmental footprint within the food and beverage industry.
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