The opening panel at Sustainable Gastronomy Day 2026, taking place at Mercato Mayfair and organised by Women in the Food Industry, challenged some of the most common assumptions about sustainability in food and hospitality. While topics such as sourcing, climate change and procurement all featured in the discussion, the overriding message was clear: sustainable change is ultimately driven by people.

Bringing together voices from across hospitality, food systems, sustainability and entrepreneurship, the session explored how culture, leadership and human behaviour are shaping the future of food.

One of the strongest themes to emerge was the importance of understanding what motivates people to change. Executive coach Ceri Gott argued that behavioural change cannot be achieved through instruction alone.

"People don't change by being told what to do. If you can connect people to what they care about, that can lead to sustainable change," she said.

Angela Malik, hospitality and food systems specialist, echoed this sentiment, arguing that sustainability initiatives only succeed when they answer a fundamental question.

"Until you can nail the 'what's in it for me', you're never going to change behaviour," she said. "You can make a business more profitable by embedding sustainability into the operating model, but it requires leadership to believe in it."

This link between sustainability and commercial success was a recurring theme throughout the discussion. Juliane Caillouette Noble, CEO of the Sustainable Restaurant Association, highlighted the growing connection between sustainability, employee retention and business performance.

"The reasons people come to restaurants are complex and the quality of the food is very important," she said. "People might not choose a brand for its sustainability credentials, but they will walk away from a brand not living up to their expectations."

Caillouette Noble argued that businesses often underestimate how much sustainability matters to employees. At a time when labour shortages and staff retention remain major challenges across hospitality, she suggested that creating values-driven workplaces can deliver both social and commercial benefits.

The panel also challenged the perception that sustainability is defined by sacrifice. Niki Behjou, founder of gluten-free bakery business Niki's Bakery, argued that sustainability should not be viewed as restriction.

"There's a perception that sustainability is about sacrifice, but that's not true. It's not about having less," she said.

Food expert Sue Couter similarly pushed back against the idea that sustainable eating is only accessible to those with higher incomes, describing affordability as one of the most important challenges the sector must continue to address.

The conversation also explored the future of sustainability recognition within hospitality, prompted by discussion around Michelin's decision to retire its Green Star programme. Caillouette Noble suggested the move reflects a broader shift towards greater accountability and transparency.

"The flaw of the Green Star from the beginning was a lack of transparency regarding what it was for," she said. "You need to give businesses the road and the actions to take to get that recognition."

She linked the decision to growing anti-greenwashing legislation in Europe, which is placing greater scrutiny on sustainability claims and the frameworks used to assess them.

Beyond regulation and recognition schemes, the discussion repeatedly returned to culture. Malik argued that many of the solutions needed for a more sustainable future already exist within traditional food cultures and heritage cuisines.

"When you look at how cultures have eaten for millennia there is no new knowledge," she said.

Her comments highlighted a broader belief that the future of sustainable gastronomy may be less about invention and more about rediscovering practices that have long existed within communities around the world.

The role of younger generations was another important theme. Several speakers pointed to growing consumer expectations around transparency, ethics and wellbeing, with Behjou noting that Gen Z increasingly wants to understand where food comes from and how businesses operate.

Couter highlighted the work of youth-led campaign group Bite Back and argued that younger voices must be included in decision-making processes if meaningful progress is to be achieved.

Practicality was never far from the conversation. Discussing how to encourage more sustainable purchasing decisions, Couter identified visibility, convenience and affordability as key drivers of consumer behaviour. She also advocated for stronger education around food and greater use of techniques such as in-store sampling to encourage engagement with sustainable products.

Technology's role in shaping the future of food also came under scrutiny. Malik suggested artificial intelligence could support more personalised and nutritionally appropriate food provision, particularly in settings such as schools. However, she warned that technology should enhance rather than replace human connection.

"What concerns me is the potential of losing the human connection," she said. "We have to design our food experiences and journeys with humans in mind."

The session concluded with a discussion around leadership, workplace culture and wellbeing. Gott argued that burnout is often the result of excessive workload combined with a lack of rest and autonomy, emphasising the importance of fairness, values and trust in building sustainable organisations.

Taken together, the discussion painted a picture of sustainability that extends far beyond environmental targets and procurement policies. Instead, the panel suggested that the future of sustainable gastronomy will be shaped by leadership, culture, community and human connection as much as by technology or regulation.

If there was one takeaway from the opening session, it was that sustainable food systems are ultimately built by people, and understanding what motivates those people may be the industry's most important challenge.