Collectif TRESS: a collective and committed experiment

 

INTERVIEW | TRESS is an agency that brings together a collective of caterers and foodtrucks committed to sustainable food. Since 2021, the agency has been supporting event organisers by offering a wide range of catering options, with the aim of helping to change practices in the event catering sector. Meet Fabien Piro, co-founder.

 

"The TRESS collective is the voice of caterers committed to transforming the events industry."
 

The TRESS collective was formed in Lyon in 2020 during the Covid crisis. Hard hit by the crisis, a number of small businesses involved in eco-responsible catering decided to take advantage of the time available to them to exchange ideas, share best practice, think about ways of pooling their efforts and, ultimately, get organised with the aim of promoting eco-responsible practices to drive the industry forward. The TRESS collective was born.

The collective is federated by an agency that supports its structuring, development and influence. Fabien explains: "The agency takes care of coordination: event organisers have a single point of contact, a single quote, a single invoice, and then we mobilise the caterers according to the specifications". This way of working allows the agency to respond to requests for large-scale events (up to 3,500 people) while guaranteeing a local catering offer, with a maximum of organic and artisanal products from small local businesses.

Today, the collective brings together nine caterers (seven in Lyon and two in Grenoble) and other partners (cooperative-type producers and processors), with the aim of further developing the number of caterers in Grenoble. Fabien explains: "The ideal is to find small structures and support them to help them grow: the TRESS collective really has this structuring capacity". To join the collective, caterers must have a certain production capacity and be able to collaborate on a human level, but also share a common vision and commit to respecting the collective's charter of values.
 

"The DNA of the project is to bring organic-local alternatives to a world that is struggling to change - the world of events."

Limiting food waste, creating outlets for local producers, planting vegetation on plates, adding flavour through demanding and committed cuisine... all the caterers with whom the collective works are committed to respecting a demanding charter of values on responsible eating and the principles of the social economy. The charter is based on three main pillars

• supplies: minimum 50% organic products, minimum 70% local products (less than 200km from the production laboratory), 0 ultra-processed products, drinks in returnable bottles, etc. ;
• kitchen practices: aiming for 0 waste, greening plates, reducing food wastage, recovering bio-waste, using environmentally-friendly household products, etc. ;
• the ecosystem of the social and solidarity economy: working within a local area, giving priority to local partners, having the most horizontal mode of governance possible, a balanced pay scale, thinking about the structure of businesses, etc.

 

 

"In Grenoble, customers are sensitive to environmental issues and are looking for more responsible and sustainable solutions, a market in which the TRESS collective has carved out a niche."

 

Overall, the TRESS collective is receiving more and more requests for eco-responsible approaches. According to Fabien, this trend has been accelerated by the Covid epidemic, which has made people more aware of the importance of local food. He adds: ‘Companies are also under increasing pressure to adapt to the challenges of preserving the environment, and catering is one of the first levers being used because it's something that's visible, fairly quick to implement and relatively affordable compared with longer-term commitments to reducing carbon impact.

Fabien explains: "There is a general trend towards more CSR demands in all areas, but Grenoble is ahead of the game overall on these issues, thanks to its highly scientific, university and medical economy, with a population that is aware of these issues, and also because it is a city affected by climate change, with visible changes for residents.' In his view, in Grenoble, the CSR approach is more a question of will and conviction than of constraint, as is the case in other regions. In Grenoble, the TRESS collective works with a scholarly clientele, at scientific and medical conferences and with universities that are aware of the environmental issues and the cost of CSR commitments. The TRESS collective can also act as an advisor, because it has experience and expertise in sustainable food: ‘It's great to have a customer who is receptive to these approaches and to our feedback, and who can adapt".

 

"The first obstacle to the spread of eco-responsible practices is the difficulty of the catering trade"

 

According to Fabien, the main obstacle to the adoption of CSR practices in the industry lies in the complexity of the catering business: restrictive working hours, physical work, with a large logistics component. This makes it even more difficult to put in place CSR practices, particularly in the areas of zero waste, soft mobility and social inclusion.

He adds: "If a small organisation that has just been set up sets itself too many constraints, trying to do everything perfectly, it runs the risk of not being able to survive in the long term: for organisations that are just starting out, you need to go gradually and get help."  For Fabien, what makes the difference are the solid human associations at the base. Then there's the need to be intelligent about the market and adaptable: the idea is to start small and build up gradually. The strength of the collective lies in this dynamic of evolution and mutual support.

 

"The group dynamic is one of the collective's strengths, providing a forum for overcoming difficulties, sharing ideas and implementing practical solutions."

Each member benefits from the support and experience of the other caterers in the collective. Fabien emphasises: "The strength of the collective is that you can see that you're not alone in wanting to commit to more sustainable practices or in encountering a particular problem, and that you can benefit from the expertise of the partners and all the other caterers: it works like a forum where people can discuss very concrete and varied subjects."

 

"Our aim is clear: to move the entire events industry towards more responsible practices."

In 2025 and beyond, the TRESS collective intends to consolidate its presence in Lyon and Grenoble, while expanding into other areas of the Rhône-Alpes region. With projects in Valence, Chambéry and Annecy, the aim is to become a regional hub capable of meeting the growing demand for eco-responsible solutions in the events sector. The group also wants to develop its support services for events, taking care of furniture logistics and the organisation of more global events. Fabien concludes: "The TRESS collective's aim is to continue its drive to move the entire event industry, and not just the food sector, towards more responsible practices."