When? December 7, 2022

Where? The Sky Lounge at The Upper House

Who? Steen Puggaard, Gavin Chin and Heidi Spurrell

Here’s what you missed:

This edition of the series, moderated by Tatler’s senior dining editor Gavin Yeung, dived into what Hong Kong’s dining industry will look like post-pandemic.

The panel featured three experts in the food and beverage industry, who spoke about their experiences and hopes for the future of Hong Kong’s dining scene: Steen Puggaard, CEO of the Pirata Group, which operates 27 venues across Hong Kong and mainland China, including the popular Pici chain; Gavin Chin, chef and founder of soon-to-open restaurant Culture and ex-head chef of Brut! in Sai Ying Pun; and Heidi Spurrell, CEO of Future Green, formerly known as Food Made Good Hong Kong, a food sustainability consultancy.

Each speaker took turns exploring the effect the pandemic has had on labour, the changes in the food supply chain and ongoing border and social restrictions on the local dining culture.

“The pandemic has raised awareness around the challenges that we face in food sustainability and the food supply chains,” says Spurrell. “[It’s forced us to] learn about the complexity [of the food system] and learn to adapt and be flexible. Businesses now want to learn how to be involved in the solution, and not the problem. Businesses can either get on board now [and learn to operate more sustainably], or scramble later because they aren’t prepared.”      

The panel spoke of other major disruptions to the supply chain, including the 2021 obstruction of the Suez Canal, inflation, and the war in Ukraine, which has caused rising food prices and malnutrition. Puggaard said: “The war is causing long-lasting effects because crops have failed and supply chains have been disrupted. The question is, do we pass the problem on to our consumers? My philosophy is that my business’s problem should not be my guest’s problem. Businesses have to think of creative ways to mitigate these impacts on customers.”                

Creativity in terms of diversification of food that is served and a move away from mono-cropped sourcing has been the way forward for many chefs, says Spurrell. “Chefs are getting creative, not just in terms of what they are putting on the menu, but also in terms of speaking more closely with suppliers and figuring out what to do if they can’t get the crops they were used to getting,” she said.

Chin, who is opening his new restaurant next year, is learning to adapt to the ebbs and flows of the market: “It’s about creativity and innovation. [Being more fluid] with my menu and having a fusion cuisine allows me to create a comparable experience if [a certain ingredient isn’t available]. We can’t be so rigid with our menus. If one day we can’t get beef, maybe we can make a really similar carrot steak. It forces chefs to think on their feet,” he said.

Spurrell is adamant about all restaurants, both small and large, to get cracking on their sustainability practices: “Sustainability is accessible—Future Green has proven that. We work with large restaurants, like Aqua and Arcane, but we also work closely with smaller ones like Bedu and Uma Nota. We have proven that you can serve delicious food, remain profitable—and be sustainable. Even a small café can do the right thing, so there is no excuse. Also, Gen Z don’t want to give their money to a place that isn’t [sustainable] or encourages unethical practices.  No restaurant is perfect—it’s a journey. It’s about taking the time to ask [the important] questions.”      

Other topics included the current state of the labour market in Hong Kong, adapting business practices to benefit job seeker demands, the importance of company culture, changing consumer behaviour—especially with the rise of home deliveries —and new trends, like carbon labelling.  As for the future, Puggaard is confident that the dining industry will recover, but that the onus is on the industry to play their part: “It’s up to each of us, as operators, to be more creative.”