The Challenge
Despite PwC’s sustainability-forward culture, the food service team faced persistent challenges: overproduction and unclear visibility into waste drivers.This hindered both environmental targets and operational efficiency, particularly in high-demand zones like banqueting services, where consumption patterns varied greatly.
Ambitious Targets
ISS has set ambitious goals: a 50% reduction in food waste by 2030 and transitioning to 80% plant-based offerings. For Executive Chef Rene Vermoolen, these goals aligned with his own values. “PwC really goes all in, they monitor everything,” Rene said. The company’s structured sustainability framework and culture of accountability provided a strong foundation for the initiative.
Data-Driven Decisions
Daily and weekly reports became the cornerstone of operations. “If I see five kilos of pasta wasted in a day, I can act immediately,” Rene shared. Unlike previous monthly summaries, Winnow’s real-time feedback allowed the team to make immediate adjustments, resulting in faster learning loops and more agile kitchen management.
Strategies and Actions Taken
Smarter Production Planning: Using Winnow data, rice prep was reduced from 230 portions to a demand-driven 200, minimizing overproduction.
Menu Streamlining in Banqueting Services: Salad options were reduced from two to one. Snack bread portions were halved. These changes directly targeted items repeatedly flagged for waste.
Ingredient Reuse: The team creatively repurposed surplus ingredients across the menu. Leftover bread rolls were sliced into croutons and used in soups and salads, while cooked pasta was transformed into pasta salads for the following day. Surplus vegetables were given a second life as components in newly prepared salads.
Data-Driven Replacement: Dishes like tomato pasta sauce, which were consistently unpopular, were replaced with better-performing options—based on combined insights from Winnow and the point-of-sale system.
A Greener Menu
PwC’s roadmap includes increasing plant-based offerings from 30% to 80%, while reducing food waste by half by 2030. Challenges such as consumer readiness and the cost of organic, plant-based ingredients remain. But as Rene notes, “The shift will come with time as awareness grows.”
Conclusion
The success of ISS at PwC Amsterdam underscores the power of combining technology with committed leadership. Under Executive Chef Rene Vermoolen, the team turned insights into action—achieving financial, environmental, and cultural transformation. It’s a compelling example of how even complex operations can make big strides toward sustainability when measurement and motivation align.
