Sustainability
Continuing to incorporate sustainability practices across our business is a crucial step towards reducing environmental impact. We are passionate about continuing to educate ourselves, pushing Juniper & Co. into become as carbon neutral as possible.
Operating with the Future in Mind.
At Juniper & Co., we are committed to conducting our business in as much of an environmentally responsible and sustainable manner as possible: we share in the global concern for our planet’s future, and recognise the impact the catering industry has on the environment. At every point of our operating practises, we strive to minimise those ramifications through continuous improvement, innovation and education.
Sourcing & Procurement
We work with the best suppliers to ensure that as much of our produce as possible is locally sourced and in season, across as few deliveries as possible: working with local suppliers and producers reduces our carbon footprint as well as supporting other small businesses like us. We have worked hard to chose suppliers who share our commitment to sustainability, and who are considerate of their environmental and ethical practices.
Suppliers
Many hands make light work — and that’s why we align ourselves with suppliers who place as much importance on their ethical and sustainable practices as we do. We love talking about produce, locality and seasonality of our produce, so please just ask us if you’ve any questions.
HG WALTER supply all of our meat. Running since the 1970s, HG Walter source from small farms rearing native breeds, with a focus on free-range and grass-fed. They have a fantastic relationship with their suppliers, taking regular trips to the farms to inspect animal welfare standards, which always exceed their high expectations. Their ‘Nose to Tail’ attitude ensures that offcuts are put to the best possible use creating as little waste as possible.
FRUVE are our go-to when it comes to the very best fruit and veg. Based at New Spitalfields (just a mile away from us), Dennis, Sarah, Elle and the team work tirelessly to bring us best best in seasonal and local produce. With their firm commitment to the belief that ‘small is always best’, their speciality lies in English, local, seasonal produce with a focus on building strong relationships with producers. Always embracing eco-conscious practices, Fruve prioritise sustainability at each and every step: not only utilising compostable and biodegradable packaging in all orders, they extend their commitment to the environment through the use of EVs for their daily operations. Fruve’s conscientious approach is fully aligned with ours at Juniper, which is why they are unrivalled in our eyes.
BETHNAL GREEN FISH supply us with our fish and are based less than 4 miles away from us in London. All of their fish and seafood comes from sustainable sources, with as much as possible coming from the British Isles — and of course everything with the all important MSC certification.
Where we can, we try to use small, artisan suppliers local to us in East London — including Today Bread, Froth & Rind, Perky Blenders and Suba Bakery. Even our laundry is less than a mile from us!
Other suppliers include Woods Food Service, Natoora, Cobble Lane Cured Meats, Neals Yard Dairy, Swaledale Meats, Albion, Daily Fish Supplies and more — please ask us for our full list.
Waste Reduction
We are always looking at way to implement strategies to minimise food waste, and this extends beyond just more accurate portion control and accurate ordering. We like to get creative with our leftovers: for example, delicious oils for garnish plates with leftover herbs and stalks, crunchy toppings using stale or leftover bread, ferments and pickles with leftover or wonky vegetables… the list goes on! We also work closely with our East London neighbours, the Hornbeam Cafe, where we donate any leftovers — either for resale or to be distributed amongst struggling members of the community.
Beyond this, we use single-use plastic as little as we possibly can — biodegradable, compostable and plant-based packaging is our bag when it comes to shoot food and deliveries, and we are constantly looking to educate clients about the importance of waste separation and recycling. Boxes from suppliers are returned upon delivery, and we have invested in washable, mid-density polypropylene cold boxes to replace polystyrene in our transport of chilled food.
Waste oils and fats are collected by Quatra from our kitchen premises in East London recycled for biodiesel, and we are hoping that by the end of 2025 we will be in a position to purchase fully electric vehicles for the business to ensure all our journeys are as carbon neutral as possible.
We have established a comprehensive waste management program, which includes recycling and composting initiatives. We also work hard to ensure that all our team are properly educated on proper waste disposal practices.
Energy Efficiency
We are always looking at ways to make our kitchen more efficient in its energy consumption, and are investing more and more in energy-efficient kitchen equipment and appliances. We also ensure that we implement energy-saving practices, such as turning off equipment when not in use, and optimising kitchen workflows to reduce energy consumption.
This also applies to water conservation, as well as transportation. We are always on the move, but we work hard to optimise our routes to minimise fuel consumption and are currently consolidating funds for our very own Electric Van.
Continuous Improvement
At every point of our business, we are considering the impact we have on the wider community and ecological footprint we are leaving behind. We will never stop looking at ways to improve, and we commit to regularly assessing and reviewing our sustainability performance. If there’s something you think we could be doing more or less of, please let us know — we are always learning.