Marriott Hotels UK has rolled out Winnow AI technology in the kitchens of 53 hotels across the UK, Ireland, and the Nordics to track and reduce food waste.
Winnow AI uses a camera, weighing scale, and AI chip to photograph food bins whenever waste is discarded. It identifies the type and amount of food, then assigns a cost based on pricing stored in the cloud. Kitchen teams can view real-time data every time food is thrown out, and they receive a detailed food waste report the next day.
Marriott Hotels UK will closely track the data to better understand food waste and make necessary adjustments moving forward. In the first half of 2024, Marriott reduced food waste by 25%. With Winnow AI in place, it aims to cut food waste by 50% in 2025.
Joanna Chugh, Area Vice President for the UK, Ireland, and Nordics at Marriott International, highlighted how they’re refining catering to reduce waste. “We focus heavily on menu engineering, evaluating what works best and minimizes waste. For example, we look at the portion sizes for dishes like fish and chips and how much food returns uneaten. “If certain dishes come back with a lot of waste, it’s a clear sign we’re serving too much.”
Sheena Williams, Cluster General Manager at Marriott International, mentioned they’re also considering removing garnishes that often go uneaten.
Marriott Focuses on Portion Control and Sustainable Dining Initiatives
Marriott has reduced portion sizes and is promoting responsible dining through posters in its restaurants, especially at buffets. The London Heathrow Marriott has even switched to an à la carte breakfast.
Menu updates are communicated to guests via QR codes displayed in the restaurants, which also invite feedback. Guests can also read the hotel’s food policy on the Marriott UK website.
Winnow AI recognizes over 1,000 types of food globally, though staff can manually identify any unregistered items. Currently, the device cannot measure mixed food waste, such as an English cooked breakfast, but David Jackson, Director of Marketing and Public Affairs at Winnow, mentioned they are working on this limitation.
In the meantime, Marriott’s food and beverage teams have been trained to sort waste by food type. Additional training, including knife skills, has been provided to maximize food use during preparation.
Marriott Heathrow Chef Leads Creative Efforts to Reduce Food Waste
Anna Pazdera, Executive Chef and Sustainability Champion at Marriott Heathrow, has developed recipes that make use of surplus ingredients. Reflecting on the technology’s impact, she shared:
“The insights we gain allow us to make quick adjustments in the kitchen. This not only helps cut waste but also inspires us to get creative with surplus ingredients, like turning banana peels into pulled pork for our signature vegetarian burgers.”
At a recent media event, Pazdera showcased pineapple juice cocktails made by boiling down pineapple peels. The remaining juice is then used to bake pineapple cakes for conferences. Any surplus food that can’t be repurposed is donated to food banks and shared through the Too Good to Go app.
Hotel chains are increasingly focusing on food waste reduction. Earlier this year, Hilton introduced zero-waste menus at four of its UK hotels.
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