A Case Study of ‘The Cake and Supper Club,’ Munster Technological University (MTU) Bishopstown Campus.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for all countries, developed and developing, in a global partnership. The department of Tourism and Hospitality at MTU, Bishopstown Campus has committed to UNSDG’s by adhering to responsible consumption and production, quality education and reduction of food waste. ‘The Cake and Supper Club’ has proved to be a successful mechanism for the department, where the food prepared in the learning environment by students is blast chilled, packaged, labelled, and sold. The department operates over thirty teaching and learning practical classes a week. This can vary from a lecturer leading a butchery or cookery demonstration, individual students preparing and cooking in class sizes of up to sixteen or student led events in a production kitchen (preparing lunch or dinner) in conjunction with a hospitality service class. Students prepare a variety of foods, depending on the level, the semester, and the time of the year.

Sustainability and Food Waste Initiatives in the Department of Tourism and Hospitality

The department has assessed a variety of food waste initiatives over the last decade, with varying degrees of success, these include:

·       Selling the food to the wider college community using a cashless system, which was operated by students who packed the food and maned a pop-up shop. The students received an hourly rate of pay for this work.

·       Selling food to the main campus canteen which was regenerated for lunch service.

·       Allowing the students to purchase the items they prepared and cooked for a nominal fee per semester.

·       Five years ago, the department settled on the most successful initiative and rebranded food sales as ‘The Cake and Supper Club.’

The Success of the ‘Cake and Supper Club’ at MTU

·       ‘The Cake and supper Club’ was created by the department in 2019 and now operates on a self-service and honesty box system. An email detailing the food items of the day and the cost per item is distributed by support staff to all subscribed members up to twice a day. The customer selects their chosen food from a double door fridge in the main corridor and places cash in the envelope provided. They write the total spend and their name on the envelope and may place the items purchased in a bag provided. The club encourages the customer to bring their own reusable bag where possible.

·       An administrative staff member audits the honesty box twice a semester and it is often found to have additional cash. This is attributed to the person not having the correct cash amount and customers stating that ‘its such good quality food’ that they like to pay a bit extra.

·       Food sales from ‘The Cake and Super Club’ have increased significantly in the last two years, and most packaged food items sell out quickly. The department believe this is in part due to the cost-of-living crisis and positive consumer feedback.

·       The introduction of the new viewing top packaging feature has allowed the buyer to inspect/view the food easily and therefore not disturb the packaging. Previously, customers were opening the lids to view the food, and this resulted in contamination of food and items that were deemed not fit for sale by the technical team.

·       The photographing of certain food items (attached to the cake and supper clubs’ email) has been useful – in cases where the box needed to be sealed and has no window view e.g. cakes and entremets.

·       The renaming of food dishes has been a remarkable success in terms of sales – often food was not purchased as the buyers did not recognise the French or classical name of the dish.

·       The labelling of food and identification of food allergens is a positive addition to food sales and three members of staff have successfully completed labelling training with the Nutritics software system.

·       Certain classes undertook a zero-waste initiative (at the end of the semester two, 2023, 2024) and produced items for sale using only available stock. This is an area which could be developed further and will assist students in the management of food waste in the workplace.

·       Classes produce soup and trifles from trimmings which are sold at a low cost to cover the ingredients and packaging. This demonstrates to the students the importance of using up food and turning it into a saleable product.

·       All the containers and packaging associated with ‘The Cake and Supper Club’ are sourced from ethical producers and are made from compostable and recycled materials. This is 95% compostable and 5% recycled materials. The packaging for food sale is purchased in bulk and the larger packaging containers cost between forty and fifty cent per item. Many items are less than this.

Examples of Food Items Available for Sale.

·       Soup, salads, vegan and vegetarian starter, and main course dishes with sides.

·       Meat and fish dishes with sauces, sides, and garnishes.

·       A wide range of farinaceous dishes.

·       Irish, global, and classical dishes.

·       Baked items: Breads, laminated goods (croissant & Danish pastries) filled pastries, biscuits, and cookies.

·       Cakes, desserts, entremets, trifles, and tarts.

·       Confectionery items: chocolates, pralines, petit fours, and pate de fruit.

The Cost of Culinary Classes and the Revenue Achieved by the Department.

Due to several reasons (Covid-19, war, natural disasters, etc) the cost of food commodities has increased at an alarming rate in recent years. The expense of operating culinary programme before any of these factors was always high when compared to the operation of most other programmes at MTU. Therefore, it is vital as a department that these food costs are supported by food sales through ‘The Cake and Supper Club.’ Although, the cost of each class is not always offset by the amount of food sales, the department is striving towards this.

Example of Food Sales over a Two-Day period in Semester one -2023

Cost of Food:             €723.38

Food Sales:                €580.00

The rational as to why certain foods produced in the Tourism and Hospitality Department are unsuitable for packaging and sale in the ‘The Cake and Supper Club’:

·       There are a variety of valid reasons as to why finished class materials are not suitable for sale. These often include breakfast items, such as grills, most egg dishes including brulee and souffles. To off set food waste, the department minimises the amount of these items produced.

·       The department is required to follow approved culinary syllabi/modules and reach all the learning outcomes of these modules. Therefore, there are occasions where certain processes and cooking techniques which are covered in culinary class which do not result in food for sale. Examples: Display showpieces, butter sculptures, Easter chocolate displays, sugar pieces etc

·       Sandwiches (high-risk food) are not packed for food sales as the department has not conducted enough shelf-life testing, therefore, students are permitted to consume the sandwiches after the class has ended.

·       Sushi as it is an extremely high-risk food, therefore generally does not go to food sales.

·       Items such as fresh cream cakes have a noticeably short shelf life and if produced in the afternoon class may not be suitable for sale the next day.

·       Baked items such as cakes are pastries may be required for another event e.g. a charity coffee morning or an awards event.

·       Butchery and larder items, remain in a raw state and are send to another class for completion.

·       Lamb dishes are not popular and sell poorly. Any food which does not sell goes to the charity Feed Cork which is a local organisation that helps families and individuals struggling with food poverty.

·       Food items which are deemed by the technical team unfit for sale due to incorrect processing or handling, this is a rare occurrence.

Conclusion:  The Cake are Supper Club has gone from strength to strength since it was initially established by the Tourism and Hospitality department. It has reduced food waste in the department, supports sustainable endeavours and is of added value to the students of the department, in the learning of allergens, labelling and the packaging of food. The revenue generated from the club goes towards the inflated cost of commodities the department incurs. There are plans in place to further develop the food sales in the coming semesters with the establishment of a new sustainability committee (June 2024), as a mechanism for managing and governing sustainability within the department of Tourism and Hospitality. It is envisaged that this committee will be made up of stakeholders from management, lecturers, technical support staff and students.