Hotels, Sustainability & Coffee: This Week’s Top Stories
Liverpool FC stands as one of football's most influential clubs around the world, having become the most-watched Premier League team in the 2024-25 season with a cumulative audience of 133.8 million viewers.
Beyond its sporting influence, the club is driving positive environmental change and support communities across Liverpool and further afield.
Liverpool FC has become the first football club to achieve the Food Made Good Standard across its entire food and beverage operation.
Anheuser-Busch Companies has doubled its previously announced manufacturing investment from £222m (US$300m) to to £445m(US$600m), marking a significant commitment to US operations and workforce development that could offer lessons for food and drink industry leaders navigating similar strategic decisions around domestic manufacturing capabilities.
The manufacturer of brands including Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob Ultra and Busch Light is deploying the funds across 2025 and 2026 to strengthen its brewing facilities, establish technical training infrastructure and expand its veteran hiring initiatives.
The scale of investment reflects growing industry focus on operational resilience and workforce sustainability.
For C-suite executives in the food and drink sector, the move highlights the increasing strategic importance of balancing capital investment in physical infrastructure with human capital development, particularly as manufacturers face ongoing challenges in attracting and retaining skilled technical workers.
Whitney Mayer, Head of Global Sustainability at The Hershey Company, has detailed a refreshed sustainability approach at the company.
She explains how the confectionery manufacturer plans to integrate environmental and social priorities with commercial expansion across the next 10 years.
The company is working to align growth targets with operational resilience and supply chain stability.
Hershey operates across multiple geographies and sources ingredients from regions exposed to different climate and ecosystem pressures.
These pressures include shifting weather patterns, soil degradation and resource availability challenges that could affect long-term ingredient security.
The company has acknowledged that maintaining consistent supply requires investment in the agricultural communities and ecosystems where raw materials originate.
Coffee giant, Starbucks, is set to transform its payment structure for US-based hourly workers from August, introducing weekly wages as part of a broader strategy to reinvigorate the brand and improve operational efficiency in its coffeehouses.
The weekly payment initiative forms a key pillar of the 'Back to Starbucks' programme led by CEO, Brian Niccol, which aims to address operational challenges while enhancing both customer and employee satisfaction across its US locations.
Sara Kelly, Chief Partner Officer of Starbucks, and Mike Grams, Chief Operating Officer, say in a joint statement that the decision was made to "help hourly partners have more ways to share in the success of Back to Starbucks".
"Every day, you bring the Starbucks experience to life in our coffeehouses, from the way you welcome customers to how you support one another on shift," says Sara and Mike.
"Those small 'I've got you' moments are the heart of our coffeehouses. Your hard work is paying off. We are gaining momentum and the shine is back on the Starbucks brand."
The hospitality sector faces mounting pressure to address sustainability challenges, with plastic waste and carbon emissions emerging as critical priorities for hotels and food service operations.
According to the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (SHA), more than half of plastic production annually is destined for a single-use product.
Hotels partnering with major tour operators are at the forefront of implementing sustainable practices that could reshape industry standards.
easyJet Holidays has expanded its sustainability initiatives across Mediterranean destinations, working directly with accommodation providers to reduce single-use plastics and lower carbon footprints throughout the guest experience.
