Six months ago, we partnered with Olio to tackle one of the event industry’s most persistent challenges – food waste – and the results speak for themselves. Through this partnership we have redistributed surplus food from events directly into local communities, preventing waste, cutting carbon and supporting households at the same time.
So, what does our partnership look like in numbers? It looks like…
- Nine active event venues
- 67kg of edible food saved from going to waste
Social
- 35 households supported
- 150 meals donated
- 208 food items redistributed
Environmental
- 299kg of CO₂e emissions prevented
- 47m³ of water saved
- Equivalent to:
- 12 tree years
- 999 car miles taken off the road
This partnership is proving what we have always believed; that meaningful events don’t have to be wasteful.
In 2026 sustainability has shifted from being a “nice to have” to an essential part of delivering responsible events and for us this journey accelerated when we began delivering ESG and social value awards programmes, leading us to begin examining our own practices more holistically.
In a conversation with Olio about the partnership Katie McNeill, Event Manager at BeaconHouse Events said, “Just a few years ago, sustainability might not have featured at all, but now it’s definitely more of a non-negotiable. By focusing on it as part of our core offer, clients don’t have to worry about it. In fact, sustainability has become a clear differentiator when pitching for new business. Even clients who aren’t initially focused on it quickly recognise the importance once planning begins and how it doesn’t have to add huge expense to a budget.”
While travel often dominates event emissions, catering and surplus food represent areas where organisers can make immediate, practical change.
But thanks to our work with Katrina Appleyard, our thinking about sustainable practice was already ahead of the curve:
- 77% of event catering is meat-free (well above the industry benchmark of 56%)
- Close collaboration with venues to reduce over-ordering
- Encouraging delegates to take surplus food home (the Tupperware army!)
- Donating unused ingredients to charities and food banks
Yet surplus still remained. While we were reporting food waste as part of our carbon tracking, it was uncomfortable knowing perfectly good food was being thrown away and we were determined to change that. That’s where Olio came in.
We first partnered with Olio in June 2025 during a large multi-day regional tech festival. By using Olio’s platform, the team could; schedule collections quickly, communicate with distribution volunteers and confirm food availability in real time. All things which had proved to be barriers in the past.
Event catering can be unpredictable, while some days there’s surplus, other days there isn’t, so having a flexible solution has been essential for us. That’s why working with Olio’s volunteer network has been such a good fit; they understand that the bigger goal is zero waste, not guaranteed collections, and they’re supportive even when there’s little or nothing available. Crucially, once surplus food has been safely checked and collected, Olio takes responsibility for its redistribution, giving us complete reassurance around food safety and liability.
Beyond carbon savings, the partnership has strengthened our community impact with surplus food now reaching households who genuinely benefit from it, transforming waste into meaningful support.
Katie continued, “It’s a really powerful way to solve two problems at once. Reducing waste is important, but knowing the food is being enjoyed by people who might otherwise struggle to afford a hot meal makes it even more impactful.”
The impact data generated through Olio is now incorporated into our wider sustainability reporting which provides measurable evidence of environmental and social value, something clients increasingly expect.
Six months in, the partnership with Olio is already delivering measurable environmental and social benefits, and this is just the start. Looking ahead to the coming year, we plan to:
- Set food waste reduction targets at the start of every event
- Include redistribution metrics in post-event reports
- Make food waste objectives part of client conversations from day one
There is enormous untapped potential for food redistribution across the events sector, where surplus is often treated as inevitable and we remain committed to ensuring that exceptional events are not only memorable, but meaningful, for clients, communities and the planet.
We are committed to delivering high-quality events while minimising our environmental impact and supporting our local communities. Find out more here: https://www.beaconhouse-events.co.uk/purpose/