Forward Food for Professionals

Julia Kuziw, Chartwells Canada

Home Our Work Forward Food for Professionals

Overview

Is your foodservice organization looking to be more sustainable? Do you want to add more plant-based options to your menu? Launched in Canada in 2017, Forward Food is a FREE program supported by Friends of Humane Society International that helps foodservice companies across the country succeed with their plant-based food goals. Our team of hospitality and sustainability professionals will help you put plants at the centre of the plate, improving sustainability, health, food costs and animal welfare. We work with campuses, hospitals, restaurants and more… If you have a food menu, we’re here to help!

Why work with Forward Food?

Sustainability

Plant-forward menus have a much lower impact on the planet and are part of a healthy diet.

Cost Savings

Working with Forward Food has saved our partners up to 93% in food costs.

Consumer Demand

43% of Canadian consumers are actively trying to incorporate more plant-based foods into their diets.

Building a better food system, together

We ask all of the institutions and businesses we work with to sign onto the Forward Food pledge, to transition 20% of their current menu offerings to plant-based. This achievable and impactful goal demonstrates a strong commitment to better, more sustainable food. We are here to help foodservice professionals meet this target – every step of the way.

Take our pledge to build a better food system.

We are proud to be working with the following foodservice operations to implement the Forward Food pledge:

Sodexo Canada

Dana Hospitality LP

Royal Botanical Gardens

Union of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq

Alberta Health Services Retail Food Services

University of Guelph Hospitality Services

University of Toronto Mississauga Hospitality and Retail Services

University of Toronto Victoria College Hospitality Services

McMaster University Hospitality Services

University of Waterloo Food Services

Vancouver Island University Food Services

University of Toronto Food Services

Concordia University Food Services

Our Work

We offer the following services and resources FREE of charge:

Culinary Training: A hands-on culinary training experience for culinary professionals to learn how to make plant-based food that tastes amazing.
Recipe & Menu Development: Our team of experts will work with your menu development team to create custom plant-forward recipes for your menu.
Marketing & Promotion: We offer templates and assistance for developing marketing materials and strategies to showcase your plant-based options.
Environmental Impact Measurement: We can assess the greenhouse gas emissions impact of your menu, before and after any changes have been implemented.
Educational Materials & Workshops: We have a wide range of educational materials about the many benefits of plant-based eating and can host an informative session for you and your team.

Are you ready to get more exciting plant-based options on your menu? Let us help you bring food forward! Contact us at forwardfoodcanada@hsi.org.

Darren Kemper

Download our FREE foodservice resources:

Foodservice professionals can also sign up for Forward Food’s monthly newsletter here.

Not in foodservice?

Visit our Forward Food webpage for individuals.

What industry professionals are saying about Forward Food:

“Forward Food allowed our chefs to learn about the growing demand for healthier, more sustainable and cost-effective menu items through plant-based culinary training. With the training our chefs received, we were able to introduce delicious options to our menus that helped increase our plant-based and vegetarian food options by 11%.”

– Fadi Zuriekat, Resident District Manager, Chartwells Sheridan College, Compass Group Canada

“The Forward Food program was an engaging, educational and inspiring opportunity. The content, demonstrations and learnings were valuable and motivating. I highly encourage our culinary community to learn and participate as the experience was rich and rewarding. Bon Appetit!”

– Chef Amy Frank, Trinity Manor at Stonebridge

“Within a short time frame the fantastic team [at Forward Food] did a great job of giving us insight into plant-based foods, helping us understand how to capture the potential of certain commodities and incorporating these factors into our production of plant-based menu offerings. Thank you and wishing the team the very best!”

– Chef Haleesha Weerasinghe, Sodexo Canada

“This course is extremely valuable for any chef, cook, or anyone interested in sustainability. I would highly recommend this course as a great tool and motivator to move towards plant based operations.”

– Chef Sheila Ferguson, Lions Gate Hospital

“Prior to this workshop, I wasn’t really open to the idea of introducing plant based on my menus. However, with the knowledge gained through this course, and the information on sustainability that I learned, I feel much more comfortable, and prepared to offer more plant based meals.”

– Chef Robert Cairns, Matrix Logistics