Henderson Land Group proactively helps its F&B tenants adopt sustainability via Food Made Good HK’s bespoke ‘Landlord-Tenant Engagement Programme’. We spoke to two of them who warmly welcome this support – The Mira Hong Kong (one of the hotel brands under Miramar Group – a member of Henderson Land Group), a stylish hotel with MICHELIN-recommended dining; and Flame at Towngas Avenue, an award-winning restaurant where sustainability is high on the menu.
MOVING GREENER AT THE MIRA HONG KONG
Named “Hong Kong’s Leading Lifestyle Hotel” in the 27th annual World Travel Awards and with two restaurants as a “Recommended Restaurant, Michelin Guide Hong Kong & Macau”, Chef Sheldon Fonseca from The Mira Hong Kong said that they were finalising their sustainability plans for 2022.
Miramar Group has a strong focus on minimizing and recycling food waste, where there is a food decomposer machine installed to collect food waste at the hotel.
Numerous initiatives have been identified such as eliminating plastic water bottles and replacing individual plastic soap dispensers in rooms with refillable options.
The Mira Hong Kong is also increasing vegetarian options across all outlets, using more cage-free eggs and reviewing its entire beverage programme to be more sustainable. Fully embracing Henderson Land Group’s sustainability engagement programme, the hotel wants to achieve a 3-star Food Made Good HK Sustainability Rating which shows its absolute commitment to being more eco-friendly.
A HELPING HAND FROM HENDERSON LAND GROUP
Henderson Land Group wholeheartedly supports The Mira’s sustainability initiatives which is in line with their vision. “We’ve shared all the information in our ESG report and they’re fully on board with our goals,” said Chef Fonseca.
“We’ve started using several new suppliers who grow food locally and are organically-certified. Knowing the source of ingredients is getting ever more critical as guests are becoming increasingly conscious of what they eat.”
To reduce its carbon footprint, The Mira Hong Kong is carefully monitoring gas and electricity usage and constantly looking for any inefficiencies. Changing all light bulbs to LED was just one of many improvements made by the ISO 14001-certified hotel which sets new and reviews its environmental objectives every season, ever since 2013.
SUSTAINABILITY BURNING BRIGHT AT FLAME AT TOWNGAS AVENUE
Flame at Towngas Avenue is an award-winning establishment, proud of winning a silver in 2017 and a gold in 2018 in the restaurant sector at the Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence (HKAEE).
Catherine Wong of Flame at Towngas Avenue is aiming to offer an even more creative, green and healthy menu throughout the year.
“We’re closely following Henderson’s ESG guidelines to reduce our environmental footprint. They’re always there to offer help and guidance and we push ourselves to constantly improve every year.”
GOING GREEN AT EVERY LEVEL
Influenced by Henderson Land Group’s sustainability goals, Flame at Towngas Avenue is keen to promote a green lifestyle. It is therefore working more closely with sustainability-minded organisations such as Green Monday, EatSmart, Vegetable Marketing Organization, and the Fish Marketing Organization to put sustainability at the forefront of its business.
The restaurant has a rigorous green purchasing policy with preference given to suppliers with environmental certifications. It only purchases seafood that’s certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and procures vegetables from retailers accredited by the Vegetable Management Office.
The recently launched Green Kids Racer vegetarian menu encourages healthier eating among children. To instil environmental responsibility, kids who finish their dish receive a ‘blooming paper’ containing seeds that will grow into a surprise plant! The Green Afternoon Tea Set has also been warmly welcomed by customers. Plant-based meat, OmniPork and Beyond Meat now feature heavily on its takeaway menu, all demonstrating the company’s commitment to sustainability.
WASTING LESS, A VIRTUOUS CYCLE
Actively seeking to reduce waste, composters are used to turn food waste into organic compost. This then helps fertilise a garden where herbs are grown that are used in the restaurant – creating a virtuous circle.
“We recycle coffee grounds into eco-friendly water cups that we give to customers and all takeaway containers and cutlery are made from biodegradable materials. We also give a $10 discount on takeaway orders if customers bring their own containers” said Catherine Wong.
Recognising that food production is one of the largest sources of carbon emissions and greenhouse gases, Henderson Land Group will continue helping its F&B tenants to keep reducing their carbon footprint.
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To learn more about Henderson Land Group’s overall Sustainability Work, read their 2021 report: https://www.hld.com/en/csr/sustainability.shtml
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