FOODSTEPs

An introduction to our Sustainable Swaps

Small choices like what we eat can have a big impact on the planet. That’s why we’ve been working with Foodsteps to understand the environmental impact of some of our dishes and where we can make a difference.

You can find the carbon footprint scores below. See the FAQs for more detail on how ratings are allocated by Foodsteps.

Foodsteps shows food businesses and consumers the carbon footprint and environmental impacts of their food.

The company started its journey at the University of Cambridge researching methods to track the impacts of food on the environment from farm to fork, and leading trials on the carbon footprint labelling of food. The business now works across the food sector to integrate carbon footprint and environmental impact data to make sustainable choices easier.

Find out more about Foodsteps by visiting their website.

Did you know?

Scientists have set a global carbon budget for food at 5 gigatonnes per year, which equates to an individual food carbon budget of 2.45kg of CO₂e per person per day.

The Foodsteps Carbon Label uses this budget to define impact ratings. Look out for ‘very low’ impact items which will help you to stay within your daily food carbon budget!

NodujaVegana-MenuGalleryModel — No'duja Vegana

Vegan N’DUJA & CHEESE DOUGH BITES 2 — Vegan No'duja Dough Bites

SpagettiLentilRagu-MenuGalleryModel — Spaghetti Lentil Ragu

You’ll spot our Sustainable Swaps on our menu labelled with the below icons. But scroll down to explore more of our dishes’ carbon ratings.

A 'Low Carbon' swap means the vegan alternative has a very low or low carbon footprint, based on the Foodsteps' rating system.

A 'Lower Carbon' swap means the vegan alternative has a medium carbon footprint, based on the Foodsteps' rating system.

By choosing our vegan dishes, you can take a slice out of your own carbon footprint.

Carbon footprint (per serving): 1.20kg C02e

Carbon rating: Low-B

Difference* (per serving): -59.20%

*compared with the non-vegan alternative, Fettuccine Bolognese

Carbon footprint (per serving): 0.85kg C02e

Carbon rating: Medium – C

Difference* (per serving): -38.80%

*compared with the non-vegan alternative, Chicken Lecca Lecca

Carbon footprint (per serving): 0.94kg C02e

Carbon rating: Very low – A

Difference* (per serving): -53.00%

*compared with the non-vegan alternative, Insalata di Capra

Carbon footprint (per serving): 0.05kg C02e

Carbon rating: Very low – A

Difference* (per serving): -81.50%

*compared with the non-vegan alternative, Vanilla Gelato

Carbon footprint (per serving): 0.14kg C02e

Carbon rating: Very low – A

Difference* (per serving): -66.70%

*compared with the non-vegan alternative, Latte with Dairy Milk

Carbon footprint (per serving): 0.22kg C02e

Carbon rating: Very Low – A

Difference* (per serving): -60.00%

*compared with the non-vegan alternative, Sicilian Lemon Tart

The labels display the carbon footprint per serving of each food item, measured in kilograms of CO₂ equivalents (kg CO₂e).
The labels separate food items into five distinct levels of impact, which signal the carbon footprint per kilogram of each food item. This is otherwise known as their carbon intensity.
The five impact ratings – ranging from A to E – indicate a footprint score from ‘Very Low’ to ‘Very High’. Each of the ratings correlates to a traffic light colour, helping to guide users towards more sustainable food choices.

The carbon footprint of food items is calculated from farm to end-of-life stages.
Foodsteps uses leading Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data to account for the impacts at each stage of a food’s life cycle including farming, packaging, processing, transport, retail, cooking and waste. The LCA values are largely based on a study by Poore and Nemecek (2018).
The carbon footprint of food items is calculated in line with average British consumption, using International Trade Centre data to map where food in the UK is typically sourced from.

The Foodsteps Carbon Label categories are based on a daily carbon footprint budget for food.
Foodsteps uses the planetary boundaries for global food systems, as defined in the 2019 EAT-Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems, to determine a personal carbon footprint allowance.
Opting for A-rated foods helps individuals to stay within this allowance, meanwhile the E-rating is awarded to the most carbon intensive food items.

Recent studies show that the production of food accounts for 19-29% of global GHG emissions. In Britain, similar estimates suggest food is responsible for 19-30% of consumption-related emissions.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that in order to avoid the most severe impacts of climate change, the global temperature rise must be limited to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Reducing the carbon footprint of food marks an important step in achieving this.
In the UK, a lower carbon footprint from food will also help to meet the government target of net-zero emissions by 2050.
We believe that engaging with the narrative behind food – where food comes from and how it was made – is an important step towards greater transparency and sustainability.

FOODSTEPs

Did you know?

What does the label mean

What is kg C02e?

How are the carbon footprint scores calculated?

How are the footprints rated?

Why does it matter?

What do the labels not tell us?

What about nutritional information?

Where can I find out more?