Sodexo Live!’s Regenerative Farm Is Helping To Feed Brighton & Hove Albion Fans More Sustainably
The food waste is then used to help grow future crops and produce that are sent back and used in the club’s kitchens.
Sodexo Live! has had 1.5 acres of exclusive farmland at Full Circle Farms, in West Hoathly, for several years, which uses fully regenerative methods to grow crops and produce. Since working with the farm more than three tonnes of organic vegetables, the equivalent weight to more than 7,600 Premier League footballs, has been used across venues and events where Sodexo Live! operates.
Since August food waste from the American Express Stadium has joined this process and in turn is helping to feed the thousands of fans and guests that visit each week more sustainably.
Once received the food waste is composted on‑site, in Full Circle Farm’s mobile composting systems, and once the compost has been at a temperature of 75 to 80 degrees for a minimum of two weeks, the machines are then emptied, and the compost is delivered to the farm to feed the soil to help grow the next set of crops. These will include cucumbers, kale, courgettes and onions.
In order to deliver fruit and vegetables to sites within hours of being picked, the produce is harvested in the early morning when the weather is at its coolest, loaded directly into crates, and driven to its destination, arriving at sites by about 8:00 am. The farm delivers the seasonal produce within a 1.5‑hour radius, eliminating the need for a refrigerated van, which reduces energy use.
No fertilisers, herbicides or pesticides are used on the farm. Instead, Farmer Tom Morphew, CEO of Full Circle Farms, and his team, build soil fertility using organic compost and manures. This helps improve all ecosystem processes, such as the water cycle and mineral cycle availability. In a highly natural process, animals are also used to manage the land and help restore the soil. For example, a pig will support the turning of the soil and mixing‑in of green renewers. This process feeds the nutrients back into the soil to help produce vegetables.
As well as helping to feed fans more sustainably, Sodexo Live!’s partnership with Full Circle Farms also helps to work towards its own CSR aims and objectives. Its target is to be carbon neutral for its own direct operations by 2025, and to reach Net Zero by 2040. Growing the regenerative farm offering will allow Sodexo Live! to achieve these aims and bolsters its Appetite for Action campaign to further reduce food waste.
Paul Barber OBE, Brighton & Hove Albion deputy chairman & chief executive, said: “Brighton & Hove Albion is committed to becoming a truly sustainable venue, and excellent initiatives like this from our venue partner Sodexo Live!, will help us to achieve this. Not only does this help our food waste credentials, but it also helps to create many delicious dishes that our fans and guests love each time they visit the American Express Stadium.”
David Trotter, Divisional Managing Director (Sports & Stadia) at Sodexo Live! UK & Ireland, said: “Sodexo Live! is the global leader in the live industry, for good reason. We serve tens of thousands of customers each week, and we lead from the front by prioritising sustainability, food provenance, and education in everything we do. One of the best examples of this is through our partnership with Full Circle Farms. This is just the beginning at Brighton & Hove Albion, and we look forward to providing fresh fruit and vegetables in a more sustainable way to more venues and events across the UK.”
Tom Morphew, CEO of Full Circle Farms, added: “Our aim is to reduce and re‑think food waste while supplying these venues, like Brighton & Hove Albion with an amazing range of seasonal, and sustainable, fruit and vegetables from the farm. Regenerative farming has numerous advantages, including educating people about where their favourite ingredients come from and how being part of nature benefits people’s health and wellbeing.”
