Tandoori June/July | Page 16

news Improving restaurant food waste recycling A nationwide project is currently underway to help restaurants, pubs and hotels to find more effective ways to recycle their unwanted food waste and help meet targets set by WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme). Carbon management company Carbon Statement has been commissioned by members of its forum, which includes Nando’s and Pizza Hut, to find the best way to not only recycle the 200,000 tonnes of food waste produced per year, but crucially to increase the amount of energy produced from it. “Everybody says they want to do it and lots of companies are having a go at it, so here’s a great opportunity to improve on the recycling rates,” said Peter Charlesworth of Carbon Statement. Launch of gift card software One Tree, a piece of software allowing hospitality businesses to sell gift packages on their website, was launched earlier this year. The software, which provides an online gift card shop for businesses, is being seen as a fully integrated e-commerce solution that has the potential to drive more revenue for restaurants and hotels. Once installed, businesses will be able to display gift offers on their already established venue website, setting their own prices and terms and conditions. They will also retain total control over the look and feel of how the software will display on their site. Guests who purchase any package through One Tree can immediately send it to friends or relatives as an email or postal gift card. Customers will also be able to purchase through the software from their phones or at the venues themselves. The software is available at a low fixed monthly fee starting at £50, as well as a oneoff setup fee. 16 T A N D O O R I South Asian restaurant guide goes European Zomato, South Asia's largest restaurant and nightlife guide, has made its way to Europe, launching its London section both on the web and mobile (iOS and Android). Headquartered in New Delhi, Zomato entered the Middle East market in 2012 with the launch of its Dubai section in September 2012 and has quickly expanded to Abu Dhabi and Sharjah in the UAE, and Colombo in Sri Lanka. Continuing its international expansion, Zomato has now entered Europe with London as its first market. Zomato.com provides in-depth information on over 15,000 restaurants in the Greater London area, making it the most extensive restaurant discovery platform in London. Zomato provides scanned menus, photos, mapped coordinates, and transit access for restaurants. All of Zomato's features are available and fully supported on the mobile apps. Deepinder Goyal, founder and CEO of Zomato, said, "When it comes to local coverage of restaurants, we feel that there is a huge need for Zomato's rich and comprehensive restaurant information." June / July 2013 Tandoori_JUNE JULY PART 1 - C.indd 16 10/07/2013 17:23