S3E9: Don't overcomplicate your waste with Natalie Bolt
In this episode of Food Waste Matters, host Jayne Gallagher sits down with hospitality veteran Natalie Bolt, whose 17+ year global career—from Europe to Asia—took a transformative turn in Indonesia.
What began with a drive to cut costs evolved into a passionate crusade against food waste after witnessing stark contrasts between abundance and hunger, and environmental degradation.
Natalie shares how her company, Table Food Consultants, helps food service businesses design sustainability into daily operations—not as an afterthought, but as a foundational strategy. She walks us through their three-step framework: conducting simple food waste audits, engineering menusthat account for potential waste, and delivering hands-on workshops that empower teams to turn trimmings into treasure.
From turning watermelon rinds into curries to transforming lettuce into dressings, Natalie proves that creativity can cut waste and boost profits. Her philosophy is grounded in the triple bottom line: people, planet, and profit—and she insists that real sustainability must consider all three.
We also dive into the bigger picture: how systemic change in education and a sector-specific sustainability framework could transform the future of hospitality. Natalie advocates embedding sustainability training into core hospitality curriculums—so the next generation enters the industry already thinking sustainably.
Whether you're a hospitality pro or just sustainability-curious, this episode is packed with insight, practical steps, and inspiration.
As always, if you have questions, feedback, or a story about how you’re reducing food waste, we’d love to hearfrom you.
Drop us an email at foodwastematters@honeyandfox.com.au.
And if you want to check out all our previous head to your favourite podcast channel and search for Food Waste Matters.
More about Natalie
Natalie Bolt is a hospitality professional with 17 years of experience working across the Middle East, Asia and Europe. While she was always aware of food waste in kitchens, a pivotal moment in Indonesia changed everything. Seeing food thrown out while people starved, followed by plastic-filled oceans and bleached coral, pushed her to take action. A food waste campaign she led reduced costs by 3% and marked the start of her journey into sustainability.
Years later, after facing burnout, Natalie recognised that true sustainability in hospitality must balance people, planet and profit. That realisation led her to launch The Table Food Consultants, a consultancy helping businesses make practical, achievable changes that work in real kitchens and real teams.
Natalie is known for bridging the gap between sustainability theory and daily hospitality operations, always with a focus on impact over fluff.
Links
https://www.thetablefoodconsultants.com.au/
https://www.thetablefoodconsultants.com.au/resources/https://www.honeyandfox.com.au/https://thegreatunwaste.com.au/https://endfoodwaste.com.au/
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YouTube
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