As we head into 2021 we thought we’d share some top tips for the coming year.
Food Made Good Top Ten Tips for 2021 in collaboration with the SRA.
Saving the planet starts with people
Numerous studies suggest that employees will be more loyal to and engaged with an employer that helps them positively contribute to the social and environmental issues they care about. Start by giving one member of the team time in their calendar to focus on building a more sustainable business and involve the whole team in the journey towards meeting that goal. These ambassadors will be your passport to the future.
Not just a salad
Plant-based and vegetarian options are often conceived as less flavourful, filling and nutritious. Highlight your most sustainable dish and prove how plant-based food is more than just a salad. Create visually exciting menus, and make it fun by engaging your customers through activity sheets for kids or “guess all the ingredients, and get your meal free” tactics.
Make every menu change a restorative one
Menus are the best tool to restore climate, nature and diners, as food accounts for more than a quarter of all greenhouse gases. Next time you’re looking at a menu change, consider swapping out a meat dish in favour of a plant-based one. Simply replace some of the meat in the dish. Hong Kong has one of the world’s largest meat consumption per capita in the world, equivalent to two pieces of 10-oz steak per person. Each piece of 10-oz meat is estimated to emit 20kgs of CO2. Reducing the amount of meat offered in a dish, or swapping a dish for a plant-based one is lighter on the pocket and the planet.
Leaves & Liberty by Beef & Liberty Hong Kong
Go Loco for LocalWith 90% of Hong Kong’s food being imported and meat imports responsible for 62% of total food emissions, selecting local produce and supporting local farms can significantly move you a step closer to reducing your business’s impact on the environment and create emerging markets and employment opportunities.
Rooftop Garden at Rooftop Republic, Hong Kong
Surplus to donationsFood businesses contribute to the 3662 tonnes of food waste that is produced per day in Hong Kong. Turn your surplus food into donations for your local underprivileged community and help support the people that support you. Hong Kong NGOs like FoodLink can help you direct your food waste into nutritious wellness.
Share your sustainability success
An essential part of serving sustainable is to ensure healthy food specific to customer needs and showcasing that you do so. Take a look at Locofama’s food options that cover vegan, dairy-free, nut-free, and pescetarian dishes, with “swappable options” like gluten-free pasta. Be proud of being an inclusive foodservice, share your sustainability success and show your diners that they are eating their way to a climate solution.
Sustainable food options at Locofama, Hong Kong
Switch on to green energy and designOne source of emissions that is often overlooked is electricity consumption. Flame at Towngas Avenue, TST deploys energy-saving appliances enabling them to save expenditure and the planet. Moreover, energy consumption can be tackled in more ways than one may think – design spaces for natural lighting and ventilation to reduce your dependence on electric lights and Air Conditioners.
Assess where you’re at
Take the Food Made Good 50 Survey today that helps you manage your progress over big and small impactful initiatives. We will help you promote your achievements, plan your sustainability agenda, and prioritise the challenges you face, so you can serve food that’s better for the people and the planet.
Become a Food Made Good HK Member
By joining our team of members you not only get to understand how to steer your business towards a consistent and sustainably-minded approach to operations, but you also get to meet, network and expand your reach as a business with like-minded future-ready food businesses.
Click here for the Chinese version.
Sources:
https://www.hku.hk/press/news_detail_17940.html#:~:text=Emissions%20in%20international%20imports%20contributed,Mt%20CO2%2De).&text=The%20HKU%20research%20shows%20that,of%2010%2Doz%20steak).
