Approaches to Sustainability in the Kitchen: Comparing Chefs’ Perceptions

ABSTRACT

This study investigates how chefs operating in Australia and Vietnam perceive sustainability within their c ontext, how sustainability could be enhanced, and challenges limiting stronger sustainable practices. Data were gathered through in-depth, semi-structured face-to-face and online interviews with 69 chefs (34 in Australia, 35 in Vietnam). The analysis revealed 11 key dimensions, similarities, and clear differences in how chefs perceive sustainable practices. For instance, while both groups strongly perceived the need to work with the supply chain as a means to enhance sustainability, they clearly differed concerning reducing food-related wastage or being more open to sustainability-related discussions.

KEYWORDS:

• Chefs
• sustainability
• cross-national study
• triple bottom line
• diffusion of innovation theory
• inductive analysis

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest and no funding was reported by the authors.