An Interview with Anthony Hart, Senior Head Chef

With Stop Food Waste Day coming up on 29 April, we caught up with Anthony Hart, our Senior Head Chef, to talk about how our kitchen works everyday to minimise waste and make the most of Scotland’s incredible produce.

What are the key strategies you use in the kitchen to minimise food waste on a daily basis?

One of the most important things we focus on in cross-utilising ingredients. The same produce used across multiple dishes, which means nothing is brought in for just one purpose.  Every recipe is supported by clear specifications, and the team are fully trained to follow them. This ensures consistency in portioning and helps control waste.

Planning is also key. Making sure we’re ordering the right products, in the right quantities, at the right time plays a huge role, particularly when developing and launching new seasonal menus.

How do seasonality and customer preferences influence your menus?

Seasonality plays a huge role in how we build our menus. We focus on using ingredients when they are at their best – not just in terms of quality, but also availability and value. When produce is in season, it naturally tastes better and allows us to create dishes that feel more balanced and considered.

At the same time, we always keep a close eye on what our guests enjoy. There are certain dishes and flavours that people come back for time and time again, so it’s about finding the right balance between consistency and change.

We use seasonality to evolve the menu, rather than completely reinvent it. That might mean adjusting garnishes, sides, or cooking styles to reflect the time of year, while still keeping dishes familiar and appealing.

The goal is always the same, serve food that feels right for the moment, but still delivers what our guests expect when they come to Howies.

How do you work with your team to ensure everyone understands and contributes to reducing food waste?

We actively monitor wastage across all sections of the kitchen, with clear standards in place for each area.

Communication is critical – not just within one kitchen, but across all three sites. If one site has excess stock, we look at how it can be used elsewhere. Often, this feeds directly into dishes like our Catch of the Day.

We also focus on the finer details. Small improvements in how ingredients are prepared, trimmed, and used can have a significant impact on overall waste levels.

Is there a dish that really showcases this approach?

Our Catch of the Day is a great example. We work closely with our supplier, Welch Fishmongers, keeping in constant contact about what’s in abundance and at its best in terms of quality and freshness.

From there, we build dishes that use ingredients thoughtfully, for example, asparagus trimmings or cauliflower stemsmight be turned into purées or garnishes.

It’s a dish that changes regularly, and many of our guests come in specifically to see what’s on,  which is exactly what we want.

A tip from Anthony for reducing food waste at home

Before throwing anything away, take a moment to ask yourself how it could be used differently. Vegetable trimmings, for example, make excellent stocks, purées or soups. Storing food properly and labelling leftovers with dates can also make a big difference, you will be surprised how much waste you can avoid simply by knowing what needs used first.