Drivers of chefs' purchasing behaviour towards eco-labelled seafood in the hospitality sector

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the factors influencing restaurant chefs' purchasing decisions regarding eco-labelled seafood in Taiwan's hotel sector, an underexplored area compared to household consumer behaviour.Design/methodology/approachA structured questionnaire survey was conducted among 30 chefs working in northern Taiwan. Factor analysis and binary logistic regression were used to examine the relationships between chefs' cognition, access to information, hotel star ratings, and their purchasing behaviour.FindingsTwo key factors - Function of eco-labelling schemes" and "Information of eco-labelled products" - were significantly associated with chefs' purchasing decisions. Hotel star rating also showed a positive association with chefs in five-star hotels more likely to purchase eco-labelled seafood.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the sample size is limited the purposive selection of chefs with procurement responsibilities ensures insights from decision-makers directly influencing seafood sourcing practices. Future research could expand geographic scope include other hospitality segments and assess the impact of sustainability training on purchasing behaviour.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest the need to integrate eco-labelling and sustainability education into culinary training and provide targeted information for chefs to enhance eco-labelled seafood adoption in the hospitality sector.Social implicationsChefs serve as opinion leaders within the foodservice industry. Promoting their awareness and capacity to source eco-labelled seafood may amplify sustainable consumption patterns and reinforce consumer education on responsible seafood choices.Originality/valueThis study offers new insights into industrial consumers' (chefs') roles in promoting sustainable seafood highlighting the importance of institutional factors and access to actionable information-areas often overlooked in existing eco-labelling research."