Castellano (Chief Quality & Esg Officer): "Our transparent and open report, with the aim of transmitting the values that animate our company"

Chef Express, a catering company controlled by the Cremonini Group, continues its commitment to ESG issues and details the activities implemented and the virtuous practices adopted in the environmental, social and economic fields in the new edition of the Sustainability Report relating to 2023.

“The drafting of the Sustainability Report for Chef Express is important not only in terms of reporting and monitoring of KPIs, but above all it is testimony to our continuity and the passion with which we structure projects in the ESG field", declared Sergio Castellano (photo ), Chief Quality & Esg Officer of Chef Express. For us, Sustainability is a journey: the journey we have made and everything we have built in 2023 is told in the report in a transparent and open way, with the aim of transmit the values that animate our company, of which Sustainability is a pillar. As such, we decline it in all the activities we carry out. For us, being sustainable means adopting an innovative approach to these issues, therefore placing them at the basis of company strategies, also in the selection of leading sustainability partners who accompany us on our journey".

Chef Express has dedicated 2023 to its resources, in the belief that we cannot talk about ESG without talking about People, an essential pillar on which company successes are based. In order to listen to everyone's voice, Next was born at the end of 2023, a digital space that connects the network with the central functions, where it is possible to find information, participate in initiatives and share the values of Chef Express, exchange opinions to stimulate personal and collective growth. A project that is an integral part of the digital strategy also expressed within the organization with the optimization of processes to bring people closer, facilitate internal communication and guarantee an inclusive and dynamic digital ecosystem. Precisely on Next, the Chef Express people expressed their personal interpretation of the company values through phrases and thoughts, some of which were included in the Sustainability report, because each voice is an integral part of the path. The commitment to training and enhancing resources is also confirmed: in 2023, the hours of training provided more than doubled compared to 2022, for a total of over 300 thousand hours.

In terms of reducing environmental impact, the initiatives activated for energy management led to 32,813 tonnes of CO2 avoided in 2023 thanks to the purchase of electricity with a guarantee of origin from renewable sources and the use of energy produced by plants proprietary photovoltaic systems. The intensity of average energy consumption on turnover decreased by 29% compared to 2022.

Furthermore, the commitment to selecting suppliers with the highest quality standards continues: Chef Express has increased the purchase of products from certified sustainable sources by a further 22% compared to the previous year with the aim of guaranteeing an increasingly responsible and promote sustainable practices throughout the supply chain.

To strengthen the Sustainability path, Chef Express has consolidated the partnership with Gruppo Hera, one of the largest Italian multi-utilities that manages environmental, water and energy services: a three-year memorandum of understanding has been signed within which circular economy projects will be activated aimed at monitoring and valorising waste and reducing food waste, in line with the objectives of the UN Agenda 2030. A collaboration that confirms Chef Express' desire to continuously and concretely commit to providing its contribution through sustainable projects.

Among the initiatives in the field, Chef Express and Hera have activated a project which involves the collection of used vegetable oils from Chef Express sales points and their transformation into biofuel along a fully traced and sustainable supply chain. This project allowed the recovery of 128 tons of oils, which were used to produce hydrogenated biofuel, generating CO2e savings of 364 tons compared to the production of traditional diesel fuel.

The contribution made to reducing food waste is important: for example, thanks to the partnership with Too Good to Go, Chef Express has saved over 10,000 meals. The #ALTRIPASTI initiative with the Banco Alimentare non-profit organization for the distribution of food to people and families in difficulty, to which Chef Express donated the equivalent of over 4000 meals, goes in this direction and consolidates the social value of this commitment.