Across panels and keynotes, one theme cut through everything: brands must be transparent about where they are on their sustainability journey. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but honest.
An exciting line up of operators on the day, included Caravan, Burger King, Blacklock, Hawksmoor, Green & Fortune (who announced their B Corp accreditation on the day), Faber and Sysco, and many more, who shared their journey and the steps they are taking to sustainable practice, as well as how they communicate them. A clear takeaway was, if customers don’t know your story, they can’t recognise your progress, join your journey, or build trust and loyalty with your brand.
Why transparency matters
Keynote speaker Henry Dimbleby (co‑founder of LEON) offered a wider perspective on where sustainability sits in today’s business agenda and how it remains a major investment opportunity and why, in a world facing multiple crises, transparency is essential for building consumer trust. Customers today are more tuned in than before. They want to support businesses doing the right thing, but they also want honesty.
Sound bites from leaders on the day around open communication – Romy Miller, CMO, Knoops, referenced the fact that brands are built on emotional connections, so they need to be upfront. Customers are dialling in and you have to know your customer first, and sustainability goes hand in hand with that. Sarah Miller, Managing Director, Green & Fortune, touched on the topic of authenticity. It’s fine to say you don’t have it all or all the answers, but sustainability comms must be honest and be upfront about weaknesses as well as strengths. Whilst Micaela Illy, Investment Manager, Capdesia, highlighted the importance of doing ‘something’, doing what is feasible and starting somewhere.
Start small, show progress
Highlighting that meaningful change often begins with small, pragmatic steps that’s feasible within your own business, it is important to consider the doable and achievable within your own business context. Some of these tangible examples included:
The day also explored how a menu can become one of the most powerful tools for transparent communication – ‘Menu as a gateway to your sustainability story’, and how it can be used to communicate:
Creative menu development and sharing the “why” – for example, using under‑used species like Cornish Sole vs Tuna or Salmon (something that was explored well as part of the ‘sea-change for our shorelines’ discussion and showing customers how seafood sourcing is evolving due to climate shifts).
A panel with Hawksmoor, Burger King UK and Blacklock explored how sustainability now shapes consumer behaviour and brand perception, as part of the ‘Measuring the shift from morality to materiality – and why it matters’, section of the day. With a clear focus on Regenerative farming, beef misconceptions and carbon‑smart menu design all tying back to the same points:
People respond to honest, responsible communication
When brands clearly explain what they’re doing it gains trust
At Fleet Street, we’ve always held a firm belief that at the heart of sustainability communications, is honesty over perfection. Every time. It’s not about having all the answers but it’s about trying and looking at what is honestly achievable for you and your business. Once this is agreed, it’s then about how we tell this story, bring customers and guests on this journey and build trust.
