Caroline Maes of Compass shines as Chef of the Month at Winnow

In a well-deserved recognition of her culinary mastery, our colleague Caroline Maes, the head chef of Compass, has been named Chef of the Month by Winnow. This prestigious accolade reaffirms her commitment to sustainable practices in her kitchen.

Winnow develops AI tools to support chefs in running a kitchen that is not only more profitable but also more sustainable, by reducing food waste by half. They are pioneers in food waste solutions and are now one of our sustainable partners. Each month, they nominate a chef who has successfully transformed their kitchen into a more sustainable environment!

"Since childhood, I have always had a passion for cooking and a deep love for food. I have been working with Compass Group for 25 years now, and sustainability has always been a significant aspect, both personally and for my dedicated team.

On a daily basis, we actively engage in measuring and managing our food waste, using the Winnow tablet. Our most recent measurement was conducted from February 27th to March 5th, 2023.

Together with my fantastic team, we prepare nutritious meals for the residents of Wieltjesgracht Care Home. We use bain-marie carts to efficiently deliver these meals to various sections. One valuable lesson I would like to share is the importance of precise ingredient weighing and a thoughtful approach to our kitchen production. For us, it's all about 'measure to manage.' We work tirelessly to improve these processes daily.

Winnow has given us the opportunity to be more mindful of food waste. Thanks to detailed reporting, we can now closely monitor and manage our food waste streams. My focus for the future is on waste prevention and reducing disposable items.

During the aforementioned measurement period, for instance, our food waste amounted to only 40 grams per person. I am proud to announce that by the end of August 2023, we have managed to reduce this impressive figure to just 26 grams per person!"

Caroline's testimony is already inspiring all of us to make more conscious choices and have a positive impact on the future of food preparation and sustainability in the kitchen.