Chef Conor Spacey leads FoodSpace, an innovative catering company serving over 20,000 people daily across 50+ locations in Ireland and the UK, including tech firms, pharma companies, and private healthcare facilities. In recent expansions, FoodSpace successfully launched services at 20 hospitals and clinics, emphasizing nutritious, sustainable, and locally sourced menus.
Chef Conor actively supports the #BeansOnTheMenu campaign, particularly as part of the Beans is How coalition’s initiative to integrate beans creatively and sustainably into food service operations. He participated in high-profile events such as Taste of London, and recipe sharing, conducting live cooking demonstrations alongside other prominent chefs. Through these demonstrations,he has showcased innovative bean-based dishes and techniques to the public, significantly contributing to the campaign’s visibility and success.
As a part of the Chefs’ Manifesto, a global community of chefs working to inspire sustainable food practices, Chef Conor’s amplifies it’s collective mission, leveraging culinary expertise and innovation to advocate for beans as nutritious, environmentally friendly, and culturally versatile ingredients.
Food Philosophy
FoodSpace’s culinary approach prioritizes seasonal, regenerative agriculture, sourcing ingredients strictly within a 50-mile radius. Menus are creatively developed by onsite chefs based on a monthly selection of fresh, in-season ingredients. This approach enhances sustainability, freshness, and supports local farming communities.
Integrating Beans into Menus
Beans feature prominently and creatively across FoodSpace menus:
- Daily Integration: Beans are regularly used in soups, casseroles, salads, dips, and main dishes—even those containing meat.
- Dessert Innovation: Beans have also been ingeniously incorporated into desserts such as chocolate chip cookies, brownies, cakes, ice creams, and aquafaba meringues, initially introduced without highlighting their bean content.
Language & Inclusivity
A critical learning for FoodSpace was eliminating dietary labels such as ‘vegan’ or ‘vegetarian’ from menus. By removing these labels, FoodSpace observed increased adoption of plant-based dishes among non-vegetarian customers, fostering greater inclusivity and normalizing sustainable food choices.
Behavioural Insights & Customer Engagement
FoodSpace adopted a staged approach to bean integration, emphasizing taste first in the following way:
- Introduction without fanfare: Beans are quietly introduced into popular dishes to first ensure customer enjoyment.
- Education phase: After customer acceptance, FoodSpace shares sustainability and health benefits, reinforcing positive associations.
- Recipe transparency: Simplified recipes are openly shared via QR codes, email, and printed cards, enabling customers to replicate dishes at home, enhancing long-term engagement.
This “hook first, inform later” strategy has significantly increased bean adoption, influencing broader customer eating habits.
Procurement & Impact Measurement
FoodSpace employs straightforward metrics to assess impact, primarily tracking the total kilograms of beans purchased annually, ensuring consistent growth and operational simplicity:
- Bean procurement has tripled over two years.
60-70% of dishes served daily are vegetarian or vegan, although only 30% of customers self-identify as vegetarian or vegan.
Business and Environmental Impact
- Profitability & Business Growth: Beans significantly enhanced profit margins due to their lower cost and higher yield. This economic advantage also strengthened FoodSpace’s position when bidding for new catering contracts.
- Carbon Footprint & Regenerative Impact: FoodSpace actively measures Scope 3 emissions linked to ingredients. Shifting towards beans, particularly from regenerative farms, has improved soil health, biodiversity, and reduced meal-related carbon intensity.
Broader Implications and Government Engagement
- FoodSpace’s success prompted increased government interest in bean cultivation in Ireland, originally targeted for livestock feed. Chef Conor’s advocacy helped redirect large volumes of domestically grown beans (like fava beans) towards human consumption, promoting national sustainability and agricultural resilience.
Conclusion & Learnings
Chef Conor’s innovative approach highlights essential strategies for integrating beans successfully through:
- Inclusive menu language to encourage broader adoption.
- Strategic customer engagement, focusing on taste and gradual education.
- Transparent and accessible recipe sharing for sustained impact.
By integrating beans deliciously and subtly into everyday dining, FoodSpace effectively demonstrates how sustainable food practices can align with commercial success, environmental stewardship, and consumer satisfaction.
