Circular Kitchens FAQ'S

Circular Kitchens provides a clear and supported pathway to making your business more sustainable, grounded in the realities of hospitality. Rather than offering high-level guidance alone, we break circularity down into practical, achievable actions through our 12 pledges and 1–3 Star framework.

You’ll be supported by a local CK Representative who understands your regional supply landscape and can help you identify relevant suppliers, alternatives, and solutions. Through the platform, you can track progress, access resources, and get guidance tailored to your stage and capacity.

Our Sustainable Products Database takes the pain out of sustainable procurement! It allows members to search sustainable kitchen products free rom greenwashing. We score products based on 3 sustainability dimensions: Ecological, Local and Zero Waste, allowing members to find products that meet their business and sustainability needs.

Our on-demand market research is available to search for organic and ecological food and beverage suppliers in your area. Simply reach out to your CK Rep with your enquiry.

Beyond this, you become part of a community of businesses working through similar challenges. This creates opportunities to share knowledge, collaborate on sourcing, and learn from what others are implementing in practice. 

• The food system is particularly in need of redesign to align with the circular economy, and hospitality businesses are at the heart of making that transition possible. Becoming circular means shifting towards a model that reduces waste, keeps materials in use, and supports more regenerative ways of producing food. By taking this approach, businesses can not only reduce their environmental impact, but also build more resilient operations, strengthen relationships with local suppliers, attract and retain good staff, and increase customer loyalty by responding to growing demand for more responsible practices.

• Becoming a member allows you to communicate to your customers your intentions and achievement to becoming sustainable. It also provides you with a clear and supported pathway to making your business more sustainable, building on your achievements to date. You gain access to practical tools, resources, and training to help you take action, as well as a recognised certification that communicates your efforts to customers. As the Circular Kitchens community grows and we bring more members and households on board, the certification will become an increasingly visible signal for consumers looking to support responsible businesses. The Circular Kitchens certification is poised to become the Gold Standard for sustainability in UK Hospitality.  Membership also connects you to a community of peers facing similar challenges, creating opportunities to share knowledge, collaborate, and strengthen your local food ecosystem.

Our certification is designed so that most businesses can achieve 1-Star within 6 months, 2-Star in 12 months, and 3-Star in 18 months. However, progress depends on your starting point, capacity, and the type of hospitality business you manage. You might already qualify for a 1-star or higher certification upon enrollment. Our framework is designed to support steady, realistic actions, so businesses can move at a pace that works for them while still being recognised for the progress they make.

Circular Kitchens is a paid membership. However, it is designed to be far more affordable than many traditional sustainability certifications, which can cost thousands of pounds per year. Our annual membership fee (£250) and audit fee (£120) reflects a commitment to making circular practices accessible to independent hospitality businesses from food stalls to high street restaurants.  In many cases, the changes made through the programme, such as decreasing food waste and improving energy efficiency, lead to cost savings over time.

Circular Kitchens is designed to support progress, not perfection. The 1–3 Star framework allows you to make improvements step-by-step, recognising the progress you’re already making while building momentum over time. You’ll be supported by a local CK Representative who understands your context and can help you navigate challenges as they arise. Regular check-ins and audits ensure you’re never left figuring things out by yourself, and support is always available between these moments. If something feels difficult, we work through it together. Members of course are free to leave the membership anytime, simply notify your CK Rep and remove your certification sticker and framed certificate.

Circular Kitchens is expanding through a place-based model, and we may not yet be active in every region. If we’re not currently in your area, we encourage you to register your interest. This helps us prioritise new locations and build local communities of businesses ready to take part. In some cases, we may also be able to support early adopters remotely while we establish a local presence. You can also sign up to take our CK Representative course to help us get more restaurants interested in joining, and launch a community in your area!