Hawksmoor - 2024 impact report review
Apparently billy goats wee on their beard to impress the does. That’s something I wasn’t expecting to learn from the Hawksmoor impact report! And it leaves me wondering … how?!
This could be a bit of a controversial B Corp as it’s a business built around eating beef. So I was curious to read this report and learn more about them…
👍🏻 Three things I like:
1. THE COW IN THE ROOM
I love that they are totally transparent about the huge negative impact of beef, which is central to their business.
There is a section of the report called “The Cow in the Room” which they say will be in every impact report, sharing what they are doing, working closely with farmers to reduce the impact of the meat in their restaurants. They are exploring whether they can ever claim to be a “genuinely sustainable restaurant group”.
2. USE OF DATA
They transparently share their key Board KPIs showing historic and current year data.
And they talking about using data to understand and reduce food and water waste.
3. APPROACH TO CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
Lots of their volunteering activities and charitable donations are food-related – i.e. connected to their core business model.
For example, they are a long term supporter of Action Against Hunger – “spending our days surrounded by abundant food and drink, it seemed only right to support a charity battling war zones, natural disasters and famines to get these life necessities to people when they most desperately need them.”
❓Three questions it raises:
1. CAN THEIR BUSINESS BE PART OF THE FUTURE ECONOMY?
Their aim is to create “something special” for their various stakeholders. While I can see the positive impact of this on one level, is it a necessity or a nice-to-have?
The British Academy’s report on the Future of the Corporation defines the purpose of business as:
“To create profitable solutions for the problems of people and planet, while not profiting from creating problems for either.”
I wonder if a restaurant built around beef can continue to thrive in the economy of the future?
A build on that question – will Hawksmoor continue to focus on beef or might they move away from that in future?
2. ARE THEY PAYING REAL LIVING WAGE?
Are they paying the real living wage? Or London living wage? I know many hospitality businesses struggle to do this and be financially sustainable so I was curious as it wasn’t mentioned.
3. HOW TRICKY IS A FULLY ELECTRIC RESTAURANT?
They talk about their fully electric restaurants. How unusual is this in the industry? How hard is it to do?
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You can read the report for yourself here and let me know what you think.
If you’re preparing to write your own impact report, you might find my FREE Impact Reporting Roadmap helpful: