Sustainability & Ethical Sourcing To Dominate Restaurant Industry in 2026

A new restaurant industry survey from Toast in association with Expert Market, has revealed that 80% of UK restaurant owners are focusing on sustainable and ethical sourcing in 2026.

While the shift towards greener practices has been simmering for several years, a clear change in consumer preferences is now coming to the boil — pushing sustainability to centre stage, even ahead of traditional crowd-pleasers like wallet-friendly comfort foods and health-driven menu trends.

As more customers show a willingness to pay a sustainability premium for meals that align with their values, ethical sourcing has become a practical business decision rather than a purely values-led one.

We’ve taken a deep dive into what’s driving that shift, as well as how restaurants can respond, whether by working more closely with local suppliers or adopting lower-waste approaches such as nose-to-tail and root-to-stem cooking.

UK Restaurants Are Putting Sustainability First

Toast surveyed 400 UK restaurant owners to understand how sustainability will shape their plans for 2026. When asked whether they would be focusing on sustainable and ethical sourcing in the coming year, 80% said yes, while just 20% said they would make no additional effort. 

This overwhelming consensus highlights just how mainstream sustainability has become within hospitality. What was once associated with high-end, experimental, or values-driven operators is now firmly embedded in the restaurant market — from independents to multi-site groups.

This shift is particularly evident among larger UK restaurant groups, with chains like Pizza Pilgrims and Wahaca publicly committing to sourcing more responsibly, and creating lower-waste menus.

At the independent end of the market, London’s Silo, often cited as the UK’s first zero-waste restaurant, has built its model around closed-loop sourcing and in-house production, while Liverpool-based Maray has emphasised seasonal ingredients as part of its sustainability-led development.

Ethical Sourcing Can Improve Margins, Not Just Reputation

As consumers grow increasingly climate-conscious, many are willing to pay a “sustainability premium” of around 10% for meals that align with their environmental and ethical values. In a challenging trading environment, this premium represents a rare opportunity for restaurants to protect margins while doing the right thing.

The financial benefits of sustainability go beyond menu pricing alone. Ethical sourcing can shorten supply chains, reducing exposure to volatile global markets and fluctuating import costs, while practices such as nose-to-tail and root-to-stem cooking — where kitchens extract maximum value from every ingredient — can significantly cut food waste and improve cost efficiency.

Monetary incentives aside, restaurants that source locally are more likely to reinvest in their communities, building stronger relationships with nearby producers and suppliers. In this sense, sustainability goes beyond an ethical stance or a pricing strategy, representing a practical way to build a more resilient, efficient, and community-anchored business model.

Intersecting Sustainable Sourcing With Other Restaurant Trends

Outside of the report, data from our wider Toast survey suggests that sustainability is not a standalone trend, but one that increasingly underpins how other menu trends are taking shape.

Specifically, when survey respondents were asked which trends would most influence menus in 2026, “local and sustainable sourcing” came out on top, cited by 34% of restaurant owners. It ranked above value-for-money comfort foods at 26%, health-driven dishes (21%), and global fusion cuisine (18%).

Clearly, value-for-money comfort foods remain important, particularly as households continue to feel the squeeze of high living costs. Health-driven and functional foods — such as high-protein, plant-forward, or allergen-friendly dishes — also continue to grow. However, rather than existing in isolation, sustainability is increasingly intersecting with all of these trends. 

Comfort food, for example, is being re-imagined using local ingredients and seasonal produce. Health-focused menus are leaning into organic, ethically sourced, and minimally processed foods, while global cuisines are being adapted using locally available alternatives to imported ingredients.

In other words, sustainability isn’t simply replacing these trends — it’s reshaping how they’re delivered.

How to Put Sustainability Into Practice, One Ingredient At a Time

For many restaurants, improving sustainability doesn’t require a complete overhaul of their business model. Making a major difference often starts with small, practical changes.

One of the simplest ways to become more sustainable is through seasonal menu planning. Designing menus around locally available, in-season ingredients reduces food miles and makes sourcing more predictable, while also helping restaurants clearly signal sustainability to customers.

Restaurants can further reduce their environmental impact by sourcing locally through farmers’ markets, online producer directories, and regional food hubs. This farm-to-table approach shortens supply chains, improves traceability, and keeps more spending within local communities.

In the kitchen, nose-to-tail and root-to-stem cooking help minimise waste and improve margins by ensuring every ingredient is fully utilised. These methods reduce disposal costs and support more ethical sourcing practices.

Technology can also play a key role. POS platforms like Toast offer inventory management features that go far beyond basic till functions, including real-time stock updates, waste tracking modules, and data-driven demand forecasting. Together, these tools help restaurants cut waste, control costs, and make sustainability easier to manage day to day.