Mitchells & Butlers (M&B), which runs pubs, bars and restaurants across the UK, plans to overhaul its kitchen operations to reduce carbon emissions and operating costs.

According to a report by the Food Service Equipment Journal, this initiative will see the pub and restaurant operator invest £7m ($8.9m) in installing grease removal units at its sites and scale back its menu offering.

In view of increasing energy costs in the country, M&B aims to remove gas from its businesses and focus on the electrification of kitchens across all its venues.

It is also planning to trial onsite renewable energy generation.

M&B, the owner of Harvester and Toby Carvery, is said to be working on energy reduction projects such as the installation of voltage optimisers that reduce electricity consumption, as well as trialled internet-connected control devices to lower electricity and gas consumption.

The restaurant company is said to have carried out two menu trials that “significantly reduced emissions,” as food emissions are the group’s largest contributor to its carbon footprint.

Last week, The Times reported that M&B was the frontrunner in the race to acquire Whitbread’s 250 pub-restaurants in the UK.

However, The Caterer website reported that M&B later ‘rowed back’ on this news.