Baobab Labis the story of a catering company unlike any other. When Salim Lahlou founded his business, it was essential that it be consistent with his values:commitment and respect for the planet. Baobab Lab is a creative and eco-responsible caterer that offers its customers original cuisine that is as "zero waste" as possible. CASTALIE proud to support Salim and his entire team in this highly virtuous endeavor!
Why choose CASTALIE How does Baobab Lab reconcile water fountains and catering services? What initiatives are in place to minimize their environmental impact? Salim Lahlou and Elora Charasson, Communications Manager, answered our questions. 🍽 🌎
What water solution did you offer before choosing CASTALIE
When we started in 2017, we made the decision to go green in every aspect of our business. Whether it's drinking a glass of water, eating from a glass jar, using stainless steel cutlery, or a bamboo tray... The idea was tohave as few disposables as possible. At the time, we worked with a brand of mineral water and sparkling water, buying returnable glass bottles in packs of 12, each containing 75 centiliters. Sometimes, certain customers demanded plastic bottles because they found them more convenient... Today, with the deposit system, there are return costs because we charge for both delivery and return. So in terms of delivery, we are less competitive than a traditional caterer and less committed, because we have equipment to collect. But in terms of price, we are roughly in line with the market, with higher quality products.
How many bottles of water did you consume per month?
We easily consumed 200 to 300 bottles per month. Today, we consume roughly the same amount with CASTALIE it's certainly an investment, but it's a profitable investment. We also have the option of offering commercial gestures thanks to this, such as offering water, so that's good.
How does that work in terms of logistics?
For us, it's a great solution, internally on the one hand, for employees because it's very easy for them to fill a bottle at the fountain and put it in the kitchen lab. You can also serve yourself by the glass, which is great.
On the customer side, we fill our bottles as soon as we receive requests. Sometimes the day before, in the case of still water, and it works very well, we're very happy! When we're at a customer event, people often ask about the bottle, so it's a conversation starter, it's a good conversation starter where we can talk about our shared commitments.
Why did you choose CASTALIE
There are other players on the market, but I operate largely on feel. When implementing the project, I saw CASTALIE as CASTALIE organization that would go the extra mile in its commitments, and not just a service providing water coolers for rent and maintenance. There is a closeness, attentiveness, responsiveness, and support that is top-notch... As soon as we have a problem, we can get help over the phone to perform simple tasks, so it's a complete package! The entire service aspect is very convincing.
How many water coolers do you have, and what types of containers do you offer?
We have the large Casta with still water (chilled and room temperature) and sparkling water. As for containers, we use customized CASTALIE glass bottles .
CASTALIE the CASTALIE solution CASTALIE your business challenges?
Yes, first of all because internally, it's friendly : we gather around the water cooler to drink a glass of water, it's a meeting place ! For the catering side of things, we have to readjust our logistics and implementation because we have to anticipate when the bottles need refilling, but ultimately, we have a very different .
A buffet with plastic or glass bottles of mineral water does not have the same effect as a buffet with bottles branded Boabab Lab, with a story and commitments. When we discuss this with customers, they recognize that it is a good thing to do and creates a very positive dynamic ! So beyond the operational side, there is the result, and the result is very good.
Have you implemented other initiatives to develop your CSR approach?
As part of our CSR approach, we have launched a new offering: the connected canteen, and we offer connected refrigerators. We have developed technology to make refrigerators smart.
How does this work in practice? We install our refrigerators in companies and deliver starters, main courses, and desserts from Monday to Friday. Employees have access to them 24/7 in a very smooth and intuitive way. For our part, we have remote access to the refrigerator in real time to manage supplies, temperature, use-by dates, etc. It's very comprehensive. In fact, we do the same thing as everyone else: we provide refrigerators and fill them, but the big difference is that we cook all the meals and, secondly, we have a partnership with Phénix, Europe's leading anti-waste organization. This helps employees avoid waste, for example by sending notifications when expiry dates are approaching. To avoid unnecessary trips and CO2 emissions, we encourage employees to fight waste within their own company.
We offer all our dishes in returnable containers, such as glass jars, which we collect at the end of the week. It's a zero-waste approach, as if employees were bringing their own containers.
We try to be as consistent as possible and to be part of a circular dynamic rather than a linear one, which is very destructive.
Do you have any other projects underway at Baobab Lab?
Yes, the transition to electric vehicle ! But that will be a huge investment for us. It's in our plans. We also want to share our kitchens with other players to share infrastructure costs and benefit people who need a fully equipped workplace. Instead of building lots of small labs, we prefer to have one large one with a great community inside!
We also plan to create a small vegetable garden in our lab, as we have a small garden. And then, continue to recycle our bio-waste. For example, last year, we created more than 800 kilograms of natural fertilizer !
Text: Jeanne Favas Credits: Baobab Lab
