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Ben Liegey

BetterTable.ca is a Vancouver-based benefit company helping hotels and restaurants control food costs and go green. From quick, practical and free food waste prevention courses to comprehensive certifications, learn everything you need to know about how to make your F&B operations more profitable.

Tell us about yourself?

Originally from France, I have a food engineering background combined with an Executive MBA. I have nine years of experience consulting with companies throughout the food supply chain, with expertise in sustainability and food waste prevention. When I immigrated to Canada in 2018, I was shocked that avoidable food waste was worth $49 billion per year while being the most powerful climate solution (the carbon footprint of food waste is four times the carbon footprint of the airline industry). I founded the first Canadian company with hospitality food waste prevention online training and the first Canadian company with an Accredited Consultant, The PLEDGE on Food Waste.

BetterTable.ca is now a benefit company on a mission to help hotels and restaurants prevent food waste to achieve a triple bottom line.
I am also part of the Metro Vancouver Waste Management Committee and currently co-producing the Food Synergy Movie, a B.C. documentary about food waste solutions from farm to table.

If you could go back in time a year or two, what piece of advice would you give yourself?

Visualize mentally your vision, and imagine you have reached your impact’s objectives.

What problem does your business solve?

BetterTable.ca

  •  Economical: 3 per cent of the Canadian GDP is wasted food. That’s a $49 billion problem. Food prices keep increasing. We help our clients increase F&B profitability and improve their bottom line.
  • Environmental: Food waste accounts for eight to 10 per cent of CO2 emissions. Food waste prevention is more powerful than electric cars, solar panels or plant-based food. We help our clients reduce their carbon footprint.
  • Social: One in seven Canadians are food insecure. We help our clients connect with the right partners to save meals.
  • Governance: We believe in diversity and inclusion. We are in the process of being Rainbow Registered by CGLCC.

What is the inspiration behind your business?

We typically work with Green Key-certified hotels in B.C. that are looking to grow 25 per cent this year. They are often frustrated that food prices are going up and find it challenging to control food costs. Many times, they’ve tried discussing with Sysco or GFS and tracking food cost percentages more frequently, but they still have to increase their menu prices.

We help them achieve SDG 12.3 with a triple-bottom-line approach.

What is your magic sauce?

Unlike other F&B certificates like FOODSAFE, we have a Better Table Certificate to help ensure the hotel staff has basic food waste prevention skills. Our Better Table Academy is also available for free.

Unlike other sustainability experts, we have an expertise in food waste prevention and provide the green certification with The PLEDGE on Food Waste: www.thepledgeonfoodwaste.org

Unlike food waste monitoring technology like LeanPath or Winnow, we partner with affordable solutions like Food Intel Tech. Manage what you measure!

Unlike other business management consulting companies, we have an Accredited Playground for Entrepreneur Facilitator.

What is the plan for the next 5 years? What do you want to achieve?

In five years:

  • Metro Vancouver is reporting food waste data and provides incentives for restaurants to reduce food waste. Each Climate Emergency Action Plan includes food waste prevention.
  • Hotels and restaurants have reduced their food waste by 40 per cent (on their way to achieving the UN SDG 12.3: reducing food waste by 50 per cent by 2030). Saving millions of dollars!

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?

Starting a business tailored to the hospitality industry during a global pandemic.

How can people get involved?

You can visit our website: www.BetterTable.ca 

You can take our free hospitality food waste prevention training: www.BetterTable.ca/academy

You can get a guide sharing why food waste prevention should be your top sustainability initiative: www.hospitality.bettertable.ca/ebook

You can call us for a free strategy session at 604-700-7587 or book a virtual meeting: www.BetterTable.ca/meet