This year’s Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards will offer a fully vegetarian menu for the first time in its eight-year history, as the event moves forward on its sustainable journey.
To help minimise the carbon footprint of the event, the chefs at the Royal Lancaster London have carefully crafted the menu for the B&LLAs, which takes place at the hotel on Thursday 27 April, to maximize the taste, while minimizing the cost to the planet.
As Max Publishing, owner and organisers of The B&LLAs is a founding member of Products of Change, as part of its sustainability journey it took the decision to move to a vegetarian menu.
Klimato, specialists in calculating restaurant dishes’ carbon emissions, has partnered with the Royal Lancaster London to reduce the carbon footprint of the banqueting and restaurant sector. The carbon footprint of each dish will appear on the B&LLAs’ menu. According to Klimato, the average lunch or dinner is around 1.6kg CO₂e – the vegetarian menu selected for the B&LLAs comes in at 0.9 CO₂e, well below the average, and still tastes great.
“While we have always offered a vegetarian pre-ordered option at the B&LLAs, when we delved into the carbon footprint of the likely dishes for the event, we were shocked at the disparity between the meat options and those that are plant-based,” commented Jakki Brown, md of Max Publishing, which owns and organises the B&LLAs. “So, turning our historic practice on its head, as part of our sustainable journey, at this year’s B&LLAs, the main course will be a delicious Roasted Vegetable Wellington, which has low a carbon footprint of 0.3 CO₂e, though guests will be given the option to pre-order a Roast Rib Eye and Braised Beef Short Rib dish, which has a carbon footprint of 8.3 CO₂e, some eight times higher.”
The menu modifications are just part of a number of sustainable changes the Royal Lancaster London is making. The venue will be hosting the B&LLAs for the first time this year, while it also works with Max Publishing on a number of its other awards including the Progressive Preschool Awards and The Henries greeting card awards.
From the beehives on its roof to the energy-efficient kitchens, it is mindful of all that can be done to reduce energy consumption, conserve natural resources, increase recycling and reduce waste. It is also on a drive to minimise food waste to almost nil.
The B&LLAs 2023 Menu – Thursday 27 April 2023, Royal Lancaster London Hotel
Starter
Twice-baked Cashel Blue Cheese Soufflé served with a Wild mushroom, Soft Herbs and Dijon Mustard Sauce, watercress oil (v, 0.4 CO₂e)
Main Course
Roasted Vegetable Wellington served with Root Vegetable and Broad Bean Cassoulet, Plum Tomato Emulsion and Chive Mash (ve, 0.3 CO₂e)
Dessert
Lemon Drizzle Delice with a White Chocolate and Nibbed Almond Base topped with Yuzu Curd, an Almond Crisp and Gold Leaf, served with Raspberry Sorbet (v, 0.2 CO₂e)
Coffee and Petit Fours
The Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards 2023 takes place on Thursday 27 April at the Royal Lancaster London. You can check out the finalists by clicking this link.
For tables and tickets for the Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards 2023, please contact Clare at Createvents on clare@createvents.co.uk or call 0118 334 0085, or you can reserve and pay online at the Max Publishing Digital Box Office.
