Partnership puts foodservice equipment expertise in front of hospitality property owners
The Foodservice Equipment Association (FEA) and Zero Carbon Company (ZCC) have set up a partnership designed to help foodservice operators cut carbon and costs.
The partnership will see FEA joining ZCC’s Property Action Group, whose members are property leaders looking to cut emissions from their venues and kitchens. FEA will bring manufacturer and distributor expertise to the group – so property leaders see energy-efficient kitchen technology before specifications are fixed, and suppliers hear directly what operators need.
John Cunningham is chief executive of FEA. “The partnership puts foodservice equipment expertise into hospitality operators’ decarbonisation decisions, helping venues and commercial kitchens reduce their carbon footprint and cut running costs, on everything from refurbishments and new builds to everyday equipment choices.”
Zero Carbon Company works with the food, drink, hospitality and brewing sectors to accelerate carbon reduction. ZCC’s figures show how, through their input, hospitality operators have reduced direct energy emissions by 52%, identified more than £5m in energy savings and strengthened business resilience.
For example, heatwaves cost UK hospitality £3.2m a day in 2026, according to ZCC data. That means the 30 heatwave days so far this year have cost the industry £96m, with the average site paying an extra £680 a month on energy. Pubs were hit hardest and restaurants least, with QSR brands in between. The extra costs result from fridges working harder to stay cold, air conditioning running around the clock, with chefs working in kitchens reaching 50°C.
The FEA partnership with ZCC will connect the businesses that design, manufacture and supply foodservice equipment with the operators who run the kitchens it goes into. Operators will get earlier, clearer information on energy-efficient equipment before they refurbish or build; suppliers will get a direct line to what operators need.
John Cunningham says: “This partnership puts our members’ energy expertise in front of the property directors making refurbishment and new-build decisions, helping operators to make informed choices about efficient equipment.”
“Kitchens are one of the biggest opportunities hospitality has to cut its emissions,” says Mark Chapman, CEO of Zero Carbon Company. “Bringing FEA into our Property Action Group means operators will see what equipment is available, how it performs and what it will save before they commit capital – not after.”
Alongside FEA’s work with the Property Action Group, ZCC will also work with the Association and its members to share insights, data and guidance, hosting joint workshops so that operators can compare carbon, running costs and emissions and make informed decisions before they purchase.
The partnership will feature at the FEA Conference on 19 November in Daventry where Joe Elgar, Partnerships Manager at ZCC, will speak on the Net Zero Operator of the Future. He’ll set out what efficient, resilient kitchens look like, from lower energy bills to less waste, and what operators need from suppliers to get there.
For more information on FEA visit www.fea.org.uk.
For more information on ZCC visit www.zerocarboncompany.org.