Eat Food, Save the Planet: An Interview with Thomas Rhodes
This series is about learning from different people and different industries. Magpie-ing ideas and sharing them with our own community to create better events and experiences. In this edition we stray closer to home, touching on two key areas of the event world, food and sustainability. However we wanted to flip the usual view and look at it through the eyes of the people at the coal face - the chefs.
Thomas (Tom) Rhodes is Executive Chef at Twickenham Stadium, his remit sees him looking after events that cater for some 82,000 people on a match day, 10,000 of whom will be enjoying high quality hospitality. His experience before that has seen him work under multi-Michelin chef’s Heston Blumenthal and Gordon Ramsay, as well as stints at Manchester United FC, and as Head Chef, Royal Catering, in Abu Dhabi.
Thomas Rhoades - Executive Chef at Twickenham Stadium
From this perspective Tom can see how food interacts with experience, and they are intrinsically linked. Food is a primal need, but it also interacts with people, social situations, and experiences in a fascinating way. Equally, food has a massive role to play as the industry continues its focus towards more sustainable events, and its progress has been both impressive and inspiring. Food is an accessible subject matter, we all feel confident critiquing what we eat, but we also feel empowered to question its providence and purpose, and rightly so.
If we get the right answers, our experience is hugely improved. Undoubtedly food tastes a little better when served with the knowledge that it came from a good place, and Tom’s experience and insight is about watching this impact on a micro and macro level, and his findings are fascinating.
In short, Tom can do the intimate stuff, the relatively small covers that comes from a classic restaurant, but he can also go big in one of the most recognised sporting stadiums in the world. He is also one of life’s great experimenters. Maybe this came from the early days of his career working with Heston Blumenthal, but Tom is forever inquisitive, loves nothing more than deep diving into new food subjects and can often be found in deep rabbit holes, digging for information that will create marginal gains in performance within his team at Twickenham.
Most recently this saw him become vegan for an 18-month period. A chance to really see food from the viewpoint of this important and growing audience. Committed and sensible, but a tough one to explain given the proclivity between the average visitor to Twickenham and the love of meat. Still, it’s Tom’s way to challenge these perceptions and the winds are changing when it comes to dietary preference. Its Tom’s job to balance the two.
Asking him about becoming vegan he comments openly and honestly; “We wanted to ‘sell’ vegan and vegetarian food. These guests should feel welcome and included, not have to wait for their food to be served after everyone else or feel like an afterthought. We wanted other guests to envy their meal, for it to be a leveller as well as a conversation starter.”
On its health benefits, Tom is equally enthusiastic, “I also wanted to feel the health benefits personally, and I really did. It helped me to support our vegan customers, become a real advocate, and take this into a better standard of menu for them, one that not only gave them the food they wanted, but showed an understanding of why they wanted it.”
The move towards vegan food has changed in tone and it embraces what is becoming known as ‘green food’ or ‘environmental eating’. It remains around animal welfare, and there are health benefits, but increasingly people have turned to ‘plant-based’ or ‘plant-first’ menus because of the sustainability impacts of food, and their desire to correct them. In Tom, they have an enthusiastic and influential supporter.
This has an onward impact on the experience. Brands are using events to put their values on show, and the sustainable creation of the event is integral to the authenticity of this message. When done well, something as simple as food can underline this message, reinforcing the commitment of the brand.
Few stadia have been both as experimental and as effective in the move towards sustainable food. For Tom, this has not only embraced the food on the plate and where it has been sourced from. It has become about how the food is prepared, what is thrown away, what is kept. He’s created a circular economy in his kitchen, one that has been adopted by peers across sport, events, and hospitality.
Toms engaging company and he would gratefully take any event professional around the impressive set up at Twickenham Stadium given the time. But he’s also keen to make things easy to understand and pass on to the industry. He believes that if he does enough research, the #eventprofs won’t have to chase him down the rabbit holes.
With this in mind, we worked with Tom to produce ‘Six Sustainable Event Food Trends’ planners need to know. These trends tell you as much about Tom as they do the direction of travel within the events industry.
Some venues, some chefs, are at the beginning of the journey. Others, like Tom, are continuing to push the envelope; the below should be seen as a catch up and keep guide for any event professional looking to make food and sustainability a more prominent part of the event experience …
Zero-waste cooking
In an industry notorious for wasteful practices, chefs and event planners are increasingly seeking ways to minimise food waste and maximise ingredient use. For the last six years Twickenham has operated a circular waste strategy, which aims to get the most out of every single ingredient – even the waste. Tom explains: "Whether it's turning vegetable peels into seasoning or fermenting leftover produce to create new flavour profiles, or utilising whole carcasses, we're committed to reducing waste and making the most of what we have."
Embracing Seasonality and Sustainability
Event planners are increasingly seeking out event venues that prioritise seasonality and sustainability, opting for locally sourced and in-season produce to ensure freshness and minimise environmental impact.
"People don't want strawberries and cream in January," Tom notes. "But equally, people don't want turkey and Brussels sprouts in the summer.” From seasonal menu adaptations to incorporating plant-based desserts, Twickenham’s culinary team is committed to reducing food waste and carbon emissions while prioritising taste and quality.
Commitment to Ethical Sourcing
The surge in demand for sustainable products dovetails with the trend of ethical sourcing. Tom champions sustainable alternatives, such as chalk stream trout over salmon, and ensures that suppliers adhere to regenerative farming principles. For instance, the stadium's menu showcases bread crafted from 100% wild-farmed flour and mackerel sourced from a Cornwall-based company supporting local fishermen.
Exploring Fermentation
A movement towards fermentation and preservation has also taken root. “I’d urge event planners to be creative with menu planning and embrace innovative techniques like fermentation and preservation to add depth and complexity to dishes while reducing waste. Above all, be mindful of the broader implications of your food choices – both for your guests and for the planet.”
Navigating Through Adaptability
Awareness surrounding supply chains surged during Covid as everyone was affected, notes Tom. While those obstacles have disappeared, others remain. For example, fluctuating weather conditions affect ingredient availability. “When faced with challenges, chefs need to be innovative and meeting planners need to be flexible with menu planning to ensure high standards are maintained.”
Prioritising Flavour and Quality
For Rhodes, an unwavering trend is the pursuit of flavour and quality. "My tenure at establishments like The Fat Duck and Gordon Ramsay's Restaurants underscored the significance of flavour profiles, premium ingredients, and meticulous cooking techniques," he reflects. "These experiences have instilled in me a profound reverence for culinary excellence and an unwavering commitment to delivering the very best dishes.”
It’s true, the biggest waste of food is when it is left because it wasn’t very tasty, but that is a low benchmark. The next step is sustainable, tasty, and ethical food, but also inclusive too. Modern events now view food as a social lubricant, energising guests but also fuelling conversation and debate. Networking happens over coffee and lunch, and food plays its part.
While so many conversations are around people, planet, and purpose, it’s nice to have little micro reminders of ‘good’, served caringly on a plate in front of them.