How Radisson Blu Bremen embraced AI to save 90,000 meals from landfill

In the heart of northern Germany, one hotel has embarked on a remarkable journey to set a new standard for sustainability in the hospitality industry. Spurred on by the ambitious environmental targets of the Pandox Group it sits under, Radisson Blu Bremen seems to have all bases covered when it comes to sustainability initiatives and best practice.

In The Lobby Restaurant, Chef Tim has spent the past two years redefining his kitchen’s operations with sustainability at its core. To give you but a glimpse at his efforts: the majority of his menu is vegan or vegetarian, his coffee grinds go straight to a neighbour’s compost (a connection made on Ebay), and leftover bread rolls from the buffet go to Soup Angels, a charity feeding the homeless in Bremen. 

Indeed, managing food waste through strategic measures and technological solutions is core to Radisson Blu Bremen’s sustainability strategy - and the results are there to prove it. Leveraging Winnow's technology over the past two years, Chef Tim has seen a 60% reduction in food waste - equivalent to saving 90,000 meals from landfill. The key to success? Tim claims it’s the visibility which the system’s extensive image library gives him. The whole kitchen team now has visibility over what is being wasted when, allowing them to make informed decisions to reduce waste.

Watch the video: how Radisson Blu Bremen and the Pandox Group are leading the charge for sustainable travel in Germany

A key component of their impressive 60% reduction has been to optimise every ingredient. By analysing Winnow's data, the team at Radisson Blu Bremen honed in on the most frequently wasted items. This allowed them to identify opportunities to get creative and repurpose ingredients - whether that’s deep frying carrot and parsnip peels to make a garnish, or blanching leftover greens to add vibrancy to their soups. These efforts have helped the team to reduce waste from trimmings alone by 90%. 

For food waste that cannot be avoided, the Radisson Blu Bremen team have forged relationships with charities and organisations around Bremen to find the food a home that isn’t the bin: the Soup Angels mentioned above, but also food sharing app Too Good to Go and a community fridge in Bremen’s Central Station. 

The transformative impact of Winnow's technology at Radisson Blu Bremen is not just environmental: the 60% reduction in food waste equals a remarkable €150,000 cut in food costs. Angelika Zupac, General Manager at Radisson Blu Bremen, echoes this sentiment, emphasising the role of Winnow in enhancing the guest experience through smarter, more conscious culinary practices: "Winnow gives us the best analytics and helps us to change behaviours, leading to a better guest experience rather than overproducing. So avoiding food waste is not only good for your soul and the planet, but it’s also cost-saving."

Radisson Blu Bremen's journey with Winnow is a shining example of how sustainability and luxury can coexist, proving that responsible practices can enhance, rather than compromise, the guest experience. Winning Bremen’s Sustainable Tourism Award in 2023, Radisson Blu Bremen is not just making strides towards environmental sustainability; it is leading the hospitality industry into a greener, more sustainable future.