Tailor-Made
Designing Sustainable Hospitality Solutions for You
“When we first discussed you helping us with a vegan menu, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. South Africa (especially in our rural area) is still essentially a meat-eating society. With more and more vegetarians and vegan visitors reaching us, we knew we had to offer more, but weren’t quite sure how.
Your development plan was exceptionally well thought out, with pragmatic ideas that were (i) easy to implement, (ii) cost effective and (iii) the recipes look delicious.
Thanks Ingrid, your input has been really helpful.”
Future-proof your business
In three simple steps
Extensive Menu Evaluation: A deep dive into current B&B, lunch and dinner offerings. We identify opportunities to swap animal ingredients for whole-food plant alternatives in existing best-sellers to maintain familiarity for both guests and personnel. The focus is on moving away from expensive processed substitutes towards versatile, high-margin whole foods like legumes, grains, and seasonal local produce.
Strategic Planning: We develop a roadmap to make your menu 30–50% plant-based by default. This strategy ensures you can confidently attract and serve any guest – whether vegan, flexitarian, gluten-free or lactose-intolerant – without the stress of off-menu requests. We use indulgent, descriptive language rather than restrictive labels like “vegan” which can sometimes intimidate guests. By reducing high-emission ingredients like beef and dairy – which account for the majority of food-related carbon footprints – we help future-proof your business through lower procurement costs and shorter, more resilient supply chains rooted in local circular economies.
Staff Training (FOH, Restaurant Servers, Kitchen): Online session focused on “Menu Psychology”, the “Veto Vote”, adapting the 5 “S’s” and addressing cross-contamination, effectively communicating with plant-forward guests, and taking a deep-dive into their “drive”.
Multi-Outlet Menu Evaluation: An extensive audit of all dining touchpoints. We evaluate the carbon intensity of your current sourcing patterns, as food sourcing accounts for over 60% of typical hotel food emissions. We prioritise identifying and adapting “hero recipes” that balance nourishment with the indulgence your high-end travelers expect.
Strategic Planning: We explore waste tracking systems aiming to reduce the 20% of food typically thrown away in hotel settings. This includes planning for “Green Buffets” where plant-rich dishes are strategically placed to nudge flexitarians (40% of your guest demographic) toward lower-carbon choices, and:
– Waste-to-Value Workshop: We implement “Surplus Food Studio” techniques, teaching your kitchen team how to make optimal use of every part of an ingredient (e.g., using peels and trimmings) to reduce consumer waste.
– Operational Efficiency: If on-site, we audit kitchen practices in real-time, identifying energy-intensive habits – such as leaving equipment on – to reduce kitchen energy use, which typically accounts for 15–25% of a hotel’s total energy consumption.
Comprehensive Staff Training: In-depth workshops for all FOH and kitchen departments on the “wellness dining” shift. Front-of-house teams are trained to communicate your sustainability values as a core part of the guest experience to (plant-forward) guests, and taking a deep-dive into the “drive” of guests who identify as plant-forward.
In-Person Kitchen Training: a plant-based chef joins your team on-site to bridge the gap between theory and execution. We focus on advanced plant-based and African Heritage cuisine – flavour, texture, seasoning, and vibrant plating – to debunk the myth that plant foods are unappealing. This investment in staff education increases retention by giving chefs a creative “playground” for innovation.
Collaborative Recipe Development: We work together to develop signature African Heritage plant-based dishes that reflect your rich culture and protect natural wilderness areas by using indigenous ingredients.
Photo credit: Chef Jane Nshuti
The certification sets the highest standard in the industry, ensuring that vegan guests enjoy an experience equivalent in quality to that of any other guest at your property.
The process is straightforward and accessible: applying is free and takes only 10–15 minutes, with the annual certification investment of $495 due only once your property is approved.
What you receive goes far beyond a badge:
– a third-party verified certificate and digital badge for use across your website, social media, and marketing materials;
– the signature Vegan Guest Services staff training course (with individual LinkedIn-shareable certificates for each employee);
– email support throughout the year;
– promotion to the global vegan travel community;
– a marketing guide complete with a press release template to help you maximise your new status.
To qualify, your property simply needs to offer sufficient plant-based options across menus, plant-based milk alternatives wherever dairy is served, and at least one dedicated vegan dessert – and if you’re not quite there yet, the free audit will show you exactly what steps to take, with many hotels achieving certification within weeks of receiving feedback.
For South African lodges, boutique hotels, resorts, and B&Bs eager to attract the growing wave of conscious travellers – both domestic and from key markets like Europe and North America – this certification is a meaningful, credible, and commercially smart investment in your property’s future.
