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Doug McMaster
Rethink sustainability and circular innovation with Doug McMaster, founder of the world's first zero-waste restaurant. Doug shares insights on circular economy strategy, regenerative dining, and sustainable innovation. Michelin Green Star recipient and TIME 100 Climate honouree recognised in the list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Doug McMaster is the chef and founder behind Silo, the world's first zero-waste restaurant, and a leading voice on sustainability, innovation, and business model transformation.
Doug opened Silo in London in 2014 after training at St. John, The Fat Duck, and Noma. He holds a Michelin Green Star and has been recognised by The World's 50 Best Restaurants as a hospitality pioneer. His book, The Zero Waste Blueprint, was shortlisted for the Guild of Food Writers Award in 2020. In 2024, he launched Flux Fermentation Factory, applying circular food innovation beyond Silo's walls.
Silo is the proof of concept behind Doug's thinking - a functioning business that eliminated waste not by offsetting it, but by redesigning the system that produces it. That experience translates directly to how organisations across sectors can think about resource use, supply chain design, and the gap between sustainability ambition and systems-level change.
Doug shares practical lessons on designing waste out of our systems, building ethical supplier relationships, and creating commercially viable sustainability strategies that genuinely change behaviour.
Book Doug to gain a clearer understanding of regenerative business practices, sustainable innovation, and how constraints can drive creativity.
Topics, sessions and talks
Douglas McMaster, a leader in zero-waste dining, presents innovative strategies for creating a completely waste-free food system. Drawing on his experience at Silo, the first zero-waste restaurant, he offers practical insights for chefs, producers, and policymakers to transform food systems from soil to plate. Attendees will learn actionable methods to rethink their approach to food and contribute to a sustainable future.
In this session, Douglas McMaster explores the hidden costs of food waste and its vital connection to the climate crisis. Emphasising circular design, regenerative thinking, and culinary innovation, Doug will share practical solutions to integrate sustainability into everyday kitchen practices and supply chains. Attendees will learn how to transform their approach to food waste, making sustainability an achievable and essential part of their operations.
In his keynote, Douglas McMaster envisions future food systems grounded in ecology, design, and ethics. He combines philosophical insights with practical approaches, advocating for a shift from industrial reliance to regenerative independence. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of sustainable practices and innovative strategies that can transform our food systems for a more hopeful and resilient future.
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frequently asked questions
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To book Doug McMaster, email doug.mcmaster@getapeptalk.com or call PepTalk on +44 20 3835 2929 (UK) or +1 737 888 5112 (US), and one of our speaker agents will contact you within hours to confirm Doug's availability and speaking fee. If you can, please include your budget upfront – it helps us fast-track your request. It’s also helpful to know the date, format (virtual or in-person), location, and about your audience.
No. PepTalk adds no booking fee, so you pay the speaker's fee and nothing beyond it. The service, from shortlist through to contracts and event-day logistics, is included. For repeat or multi-event bookings, PepTalk can agree preferential rates with your procurement team.
Share your event date, audience, format, objectives and budget, and PepTalk sends a hand-picked shortlist within 24 hours. Each suggestion comes with a profile, a fee and a recommendation on the strongest fit. Once you choose, PepTalk handles contracts, travel and logistics through to event day.
The typical fee range is the speaker's standard in-person fee in their home market, shown in their local currency. It moves with format, location, date and session length: virtual sessions and shorter slots usually cost less, while international travel and peak dates cost more. Send your brief to PepTalk and the team will confirm the exact fee in your currency.
Not all of them, and it makes no difference to your booking. PepTalk's network of 15,000+ speakers covers talent the team works with directly alongside speakers represented by agents and agencies worldwide. PepTalk approaches the speaker, negotiates the fee and handles contracting either way.
Three to six months ahead is comfortable for most events, and 12 months is better for large conferences, peak-season dates or one specific in-demand speaker. Shorter timelines are workable, and PepTalk regularly fills last-minute and replacement bookings within days. Availability is the constraint, so get in touch as soon as you have a date.
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