With GOURMET - – yes to climate protection

GOURMET is a pioneer in transparent CO2 footprint labelling

As a responsible company, GOURMET has been measuring the carbon footprint of its food since 2017 and has been labelling it transparently in its online shops since 2024. This makes GOURMET a pioneer in community catering in Austria and supports its customers in making climate-conscious food choices.
Measuring the CO2 footprint enables GOURMET to make improvements based on facts and figures. And guests can easily and transparently understand what the caterer and they themselves can do for the climate when eating out. More than three quarters of the carbon footprint of GOURMET's meals is caused by the ingredients. The motto is therefore: more from the plant, less from the animal. In comparison: Energy, transport and packaging only account for around 16% in total (2022 figures). You can find more detailed information on this at https://www.gourmet.at/nachhaltigkeit/co2-fussabdruck

Yes to regionality – yes to climate protection

At GOURMET, two-thirds of all ingredients are regionally sourced from Austria, many of which are of organic quality: fresh vegetables such as spinach, carrots, peas and asparagus, fruit, as well as meat (beef, pork, veal, chicken and game), dairy products, flour and much more. Short transportation distances and climate-friendly outdoor farming, in combination with seasonal purchasing, save energy. Furthermore, the standards for nature protection and animal welfare in Austria are high. Simultaneously, value creation stays in rural communities. Cultural landscapes are preserved – which also has positive environmental benefits. This is why, as a matter of principle, GOURMET is dedicated to regionality and seasonality in the purchase of food products.

© GOURMET: Bio Lutz

GOURMET cooperates with WWF

GOURMET and WWF Austria have been engaged since 2015 in ensuring that guests develop increasing awareness for the topic of “climate-friendly nutrition”. Since then, the climate and environmental experts of WWF and the cooking professionals of GOURMET have worked together on many projects. Prime examples of this include the annual Sustainability Weeks at 2700 businesses, cooking events for children at the GOURMET Climate Cooking Workshop, climate-friendly school-meal menus incl. weekly environmental tips, the initiatives “Restlos gut!” and “Koch das Klima froh!” as well as ongoing awareness campaigns directed towards a climate-friendly, plant-based diet.

© GOURMET

Cooking and Cooling with Solar Energy

GOURMET has taken another important step towards climate protection by installing photovoltaic systems on the roofs of its fresh food kitchens in Vienna and St. Pölten. A total of 6,200 m² of collectors generate around 1,200,000 kWh of solar power per year for cooking and cooling the food. This covers around 10% of the total electricity consumption at the two fresh food locations. For comparison: photovoltaic systems on detached houses usually have an output of between 4 and 10 kWp.

Ambitious energy-savings goals as a Klimaaktiv Project Partner

As a Klimaaktiv Project Partner, GOURMET has voluntarily committed itself to reducing its energy consumption on an ongoing basis. Important measures in the field of energy efficiency include regular audits at GOURMET locations, ongoing employee consciousness raising with respect to energy savings measures, as well as investments in facility optimization. At its corporate locations in Vienna and St. Pölten, GOURMET uses 100 % CO2-neutral electricity from renewable sources.

MULTIPLE-use covers not SINGLE-use plastic wraps

At Frischküche Wien, the Böheimkirchen warehouse, and in its event-catering services, GOURMET has completely replaced the disposal plastic wraps traditionally used during food transportation on rollable containers with reusable alternatives. In the daily provision of meals for community catering purposes, long-lasting coverings are now used. This saves 40 meters of plastic wrap per rolling container, equating to a total of about 2800 meters of wrap daily, which, until now, had to be thrown away after just a single use. In GOURMET’s event-catering logistics, the single-use plastic wrap was likewise replaced by 260 durable, UV-resistant multi-use coverings. A color-coding system further simplifies the work of employees.