Culinary Knowledge and Sustainability: Chef-Led Food Waste Management in Serbia’s Hospitality Sector

Nikola Vuksanović (), Dunja Demirović Bajrami, Goran Perić, Nataša Perović and Marija Bojić
Additional contact information
Nikola Vuksanović: Department of Agricultural and Food Studies, Toplica Academy of Applied Studies, 18400 Prokuplje, Serbia
Dunja Demirović Bajrami: Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić” SASA—Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Goran Perić: Department of Business Studies, Toplica Academy of Applied Studies, 18420 Blace, Serbia
Nataša Perović: Faculty of Business Economics and Law, “Adriatic” University of Bar, 85000 Bar, Montenegro
Marija Bojić: Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 18, 1-28

Abstract: The challenge of food waste poses significant economic, environmental, and ethical concerns worldwide, with the hospitality sector being particularly affected. This study explores food waste prevention and management practices in five-star hotels in Serbia, focusing on the knowledge, attitudes, and resourcefulness of head chefs as key actors in implementing sustainable solutions. A qualitative exploratory design was applied, combining semi-structured interviews with eight head chefs and hotel managers, in-kitchen field observations, and food waste audits conducted in eight luxury hotels in Belgrade. The food waste hierarchy framework was used to assess how head chefs understand and act upon food waste issues. Findings reveal that while food waste policies vary across hotels, head chefs demonstrate varying levels of awareness and resourcefulness, often shaped by corporate policies, training, and personal experience. Despite limitations in policy enforcement, many head chefs apply practical strategies such as FIFO stock rotation, local sourcing, and creative reuse of ingredients. This study advances the theoretical understanding of food waste management in hospitality by linking practice theory with culinary knowledge and corporate influence. It also provides practical implications for training, policy development, and sustainable hospitality operations in transitional economies.

Keywords: chef-led food waste management; sustainable hospitality; resourceful cooking; five-star hotels; Serbia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/18/8497/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/18/8497/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:18:p:8497-:d:1755119

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().