How is Centara Mirage Beach Resort saving $74,000 annually by reducing food Waste ?

Centara Mirage Beach Resort, a family-friendly waterfront escape in Dubai, is known for its vibrant atmosphere, diverse culinary offerings, and commitment to excellence. Hosting 1,600 daily covers, the resort serves a variety of international and regional dishes to a diverse clientele. Sustainability and operational efficiency are at the heart of their kitchen operations, leading them to implement Winnow’s food waste tracking system in July 2023.

The Cost of Food Waste

Food waste is a global issue in the hospitality industry, with commercial kitchens wasting up to 20% of the food they purchase. In large-scale operations like Centara Mirage Beach Resort, waste often stems from overproduction, poor visibility into guest preferences, and inefficiencies in portioning and menu planning. Addressing this issue was critical not only to reduce costs but also to align with Dubai’s sustainability goals and create a more efficient, responsible kitchen.

Motivation for Change

Recognizing the environmental and financial impact of food waste, Centara Mirage sought a smarter, data-driven approach to reduce waste without compromising quality or guest satisfaction. Sustainability was already a key focus for Susan Francis, Environmental-Food Safety-Sustainability Manager, who saw reducing food waste as an essential step toward a greener future. Executive Chef Marina shared this vision, emphasizing that controlling waste would lead to better cost management and a more efficient kitchen operation.

Implementation of Winnow

In July 2023, Centara Mirage Beach Resort installed Winnow. The system provided real-time data on food waste, allowing the team to analyze patterns, identify problem areas, and make informed adjustments to production. Training sessions were conducted to ensure that all chefs understood the system and its impact, and the team quickly integrated Winnow into their daily workflow.

Results

• 82.7 tons of CO₂e prevented annually
• 42% reduction in food waste weight
• $74,000 in annualized savings
• 48,000 meals saved annually

Guest demographics

The insights gained from Winnow allowed the team to tailor their menu to the resort’s diverse guest demographics. With visitors from all over the world, understanding food preferences was crucial., We always check what the guest mix is in the hotel,” Marina shared. “If we have 25% Indian guests and 25% UK guests, we need to balance our food offerings accordingly. The data from Winnow helps us make those decisions.”

By analyzing guest preferences, the team was able to remove consistently wasted dishes, introduce more culturally relevant options, and fine-tune portioning to reduce excess. This not only cut waste but also enhanced the overall dining experience, leading to an improvement in the resort’s guest satisfaction scores.

"The Winnow system is very user-friendly. For me, working in sustainability, I always look into the reports and numbers. Those reports are so beneficial for my audits and help me create impact reports."

- Susan Francis Environmental-Food Safety-Sustainability Manager

Taking Action

By closely monitoring waste trends, the Centara Mirage team made significant improvements: 

• Live stations: Scrambled eggs moved to live stations to eliminate overproduction.
• Buffet adjustments: Regularly wasted items like portioned sweet melon were replaced with whole fruits, while certain curries and dishes such as goulash were substituted with more popular items.
• Meat waste reduction: The kitchen team incorporated more vegetables and mushrooms into meat dishes, reducing overall meat consumption while maintaining quality and taste.

Team Engagement & Cultural Shift

The success of Winnow at Centara Mirage was not just about technology—it was about a shift in mindset. The kitchen team embraced the system as a tool that empowered them to make better decisions, not just a process for tracking waste. Regular discussions around waste trends fostered a culture of continuous improvement, and staff began proactively suggesting ways to optimize production.

“For me, the most important thing is to deliver the knowledge. Not just to force people to weigh the food, but to help them understand why we do it. Once they see the impact, they care.”

— Chef Marina, Executive Chef, Centara Mirage Resort

Future Plans & Commitment to Sustainability

Centara Mirage is committed to further enhancing its sustainability initiatives. Plans include increasing the use of locally sourced ingredients, refining menu planning based on evolving guest demographics, and continuing to adjust production strategies to minimize waste.