In Partnership With
HSBC
The culinary maestros partnering with HSBC on its sustainability mission are offering eco-friendly menus that are better for the planet
Here is the sad reality: humanitarian organisation World Food Programme (WFP) reported in 2020 that approximately 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted globally every year—about a third of all food produced for human consumption worldwide. Moreover, this wastage is responsible for roughly 8 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, with 28 per cent of it stemming from F&B businesses such as restaurants and grocery stores. Throw in the social implications of such astronomical food waste, and it’s all the more imperative that both businesses—within and beyond the F&B sector—and the public step up their sustainability efforts.
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This is why financial institution HSBC has teamed up with Hong Kong‑based sustainability consultancy Food Made Good HK to bring One Planet Plate to our shores. This campaign by non‑profit organisation Sustainable Restaurant Association promotes sustainable food to diners and educates consumers on how to cook more sustainably at home. Sustainability is the prevailing ethos at HSBC and this food campaign, shares Jonathan Castleman, its global head of brand and brand partnerships, opens up a world of opportunity by bringing people and cultures across the globe together, enabling borderless action around the need for awareness, engagement and change. “Our partnership with Food Made Good HK,” he says, “provides a platform to reach our customers and communities, and inspire positive change by encouraging sustainable dining habits.”
An international campaign that already has the support of 31 restaurants on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, One Planet Plate was launched in Singapore and the UK on February 8 this year, with Hong Kong due to launch in the coming months. So far, 8,798 restaurants have jumped on board globally with representation from 37 countries, and this includes local restaurants such as Open Farm Community (OFC), Quick Greens and Terra Madre.
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Fitting in nicely with the Singapore Green Plan 2030, which includes a “30 by 30” goal of producing 30 per cent of the nation’s nutritional needs locally by 2030 and a Zero Waste master plan, One Planet Plate showcases the delectable sustainable offerings on participating restaurants’ menus to encourage more planet‑friendly decisions among diners. Through this campaign, chefs can demonstrate how they are contributing to a more viable food future and in turn galvanise diners into considering and acting upon their own food choices.
“Since day one, OFC has [had] a strong focus on creating a deeper understanding for food sources and developing the bond between consumers and what they eat. For us, sustainability is important because we love food, and want good, responsible and healthy food to be available to everyone,” says OFC’s executive chef Oliver Truesdale Jutras on the restaurant’s participation in the campaign.
Among OFC’s sustainable offerings are its pesticide‑ and fertiliser‑free eggplant—grown on premise, no less—and dishes that utilise milk from dairy farm Hay Dairies, the only local source of goat milk. Jutras adds: “We practise minimal waste management by repurposing all trimmings and discards, and compost our scraps on‑site to circulate nutrients back to our farms and garden. We also use biodegradable packaging and practise recycling as much as possible.”
OFC isn’t the only restaurant on the island that has sustainability on its mind. Hearteningly, there is an increasing number of local F&B establishments offering mindful meals, including Brewerkz, Café Iguana, Cultivate Cafe and Origin Grill, all of which are working with HSBC in its mission to take care of Mother Earth.
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