The Sustainable Restaurant Association

[Turning 'Waste' into Wonders on #InternationalDayOfZeroWaste]   On this meaningful day that promotes sustainable consumption and waste management, The Sustainable Restaurant Association invited us to share how we're tackling food waste at JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong. We believe the best way to cut food waste is to stop it before it happens.   Our culinary team, led by Executive Chef Tony Wong, is dedicated not only to providing an exceptional dining experience but also to creatively utilising every part of each ingredient. A prime example is Fish Bar's 'Fish Bone Fettuccine', where sustainability merges with comforting flavours. Grouper fish bones are pulverised and mixed with gluten-free flour to create a delicious, high-calcium pasta. In addition to crafting innovative menus, we implement regular practices such as responsible sourcing, inventory management, portion control, plate tracking, donation and recycling to reduce waste.   Discover the magical transformation from bones to bliss.

With Hong Kong’s municipal waste legislation still in limbo, some hospitality businesses are pushing ahead regardless — reducing both costs and environmental impact through strategic food waste reductions. The city generates around 3,400 tonnes of food waste every day. While the Government focuses on public education and infrastructure ahead of the delayed Municipal Solid Waste Charging Scheme, chefs and restaurants are already taking matters into their own hands. We spoke to leaders at JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong, EAST Hotel (Swire Properties), Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, Sha Tin and CHOMP about the strategies making a real difference — from better inventory management and sourcing local ingredients to offering flexible portion sizes and finding creative uses for by-products (like fish bone fettuccine and whole-lemon lemonade). As CHOMP’s Carla Martinesi (she/her) puts it: “More needs to be done by everyone to reduce these figures and, ultimately, to make more space in Hong Kong’s landfills – only two of the city’s 15 landfills still have space available.” Read the full article to see how hospitality is stepping up: https://lnkd.in/dkP99fGy Graham Long Tony Hk Wong Karen Finnerty Samantha de Mello GREEN Hospitality Eric Chiu Macy Chung Steven Lo

“Everything starts with menu development; that is the most impactful moment in the entire process because it holds the most influence over what ultimately gets prepared in the kitchen. You can't blame chefs de partie for creating waste if you are the person who wrote the menu.”   – Vojtech Vegh, plant-based zero waste chef.    This month, we’ve been taking a deep dive into successful strategies for preventing food waste, exploring how this can create smarter, more creative ways of working and highlighting its very real impact on the bottom line. In this newsletter, you’ll find real examples of how hospitality businesses in our network — including hotels, restaurants and universities from the UK to Hong Kong and Cambodia — have found novel ways of reducing food waste throughout the supply chain, from farm gate to plate.  

In this month’s Real Talk, our MD Juliane Caillouette Noble sits down with James Sherwin from Wild Shropshire (Whitchurch, UK) to unpack how his restaurant is tackling waste at every stage — from their farm and lab to how they order meat and work with suppliers. James is clear about the challenge: “Restaurants are entertainment. We need to look at our impact and minimise it.” Wild Shropshire grows its own produce, composts all food waste, and even ferments excess veg in their on-site lab. “It’s not just for flavour,” says James. “It means nothing is wasted.” From challenging cut choices with their butcher to calculating guest travel emissions, their approach is full-circle. His advice for other restaurants? Sit down with your team, map out every process, assign responsibility and make a plan. “You have to rebuild the whole business from the ground up. It’s not easy. It’s a complete mindset shift.” 🎧 Listen to the full conversation on our YouTube channel. https://lnkd.in/diXT6m32

“Working with The SRA and assessing ourselves against the Food Made Good Standard has been a great experience. We’ve made progress on complex topics and gained clarity on what ‘good’ looks like for our business. While taking the plunge into formal assessment can feel daunting, the support has guided us every step of the way. Achieving a one-star accreditation on our first attempt was the icing on the cake - and now we’ve got a clear direction for ongoing improvement.” – Jon Mead, Innovation Manager, Hall & Woodhouse Ltd Hall & Woodhouse has achieved a one-star rating in The Sustainable Restaurant Association’s Food Made Good Standard, reflecting clear action to reduce impact and run a more responsible business. From sourcing quality ingredients and supporting staff to cutting energy use and reducing waste, real change is underway. Transparent policies, fair tip-sharing and strong training ensure teams are well supported. At the same time, energy use is falling - electricity by 7% and gas by 12% - thanks to solar panels and a shift to induction hobs. A £1m investment is planned for 2025 to go even further. Water-saving systems are in place, while automated food waste tracking helps flag and reduce excess. New sites and refurbishments are designed with sustainability and biodiversity in mind—creating spaces that work for both people and planet. With strong foundations in place, the next step is expanding impact: bringing suppliers into the conversation, strengthening policies and extending action beyond their own sites.

Locavore NXT in Ubud wins the Sustainable Restaurant Award 2025 at Asia's The World's 50 Best Restaurants. Set in the lush rice paddies of Bali, Locavore NXT has become a leader in sustainability and innovation in the culinary world. Co-owned by chefs Eelke Plasmeijer and Ray Adriansyah, Locavore NXT is continuing to shape Bali’s dining and food production scene. Locavore NXT builds on the success of the original Locavore in Ubud, taking the concept further by focusing on local and sustainable practices. The restaurant offers more than just a meal, incorporating a philosophy that goes beyond traditional dining. https://lnkd.in/dAvEsjte

Our first Food Made Good-certified business in Cambodia, Rosewood Phnom Penh, received an incredible three stars in their first evaluation. They particularly excelled in the Waste No Food category, achieving top marks for their significant strides in food waste reduction. By introducing clear policies, innovative initiatives and measurable results, theyc have made a real impact. They recognise that a successful waste reduction strategy is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. It requires continuous tracking, monitoring and evaluation, along with ongoing engagement from associates. Team members are actively encouraged to participate in new initiatives, ensuring long-term success. Read the full interview with Seyha IN, Impact and Sustainability Manager at Rosewood Phnom Penh, to learn more about the challenges and successes of their Waste No Food approach — now available on our News & Insights page. https://lnkd.in/djhMY8un

Offering a breakfast buffet has become a staple of the hotel experience - but these buffets are notoriously wasteful. In fact, buffet-style breakfasts typically generate more than twice as much food waste per customer as plated meals! Check out our suggestions for designing a breakfast offering that minimises waste while keeping your customers happy. https://lnkd.in/gUjcuzts

Real Talk: Taking a Completely New Approach to Food Waste    Vojtech Vegh is a plant-based zero waste chef who opened a zero waste vegan restaurant in Cambodia in 2018. With a focus on educating other kitchen professionals on ways to prevent food waste, he wrote a book called ‘Surplus: The Food Waste Guide for Chefs’ and has recently created a food waste training course for chefs.     In this interview with our Head of Marketing & Communications, Jocelyn Doyle, Vojtech shares how chefs can prevent waste from occurring in the first place, rather than constantly looking for ways to upcycle parts of ingredients. https://lnkd.in/evjCCkmG

In The Sustainable Dish this week… 🍽️ Read our latest piece about why embracing sustainability can support businesses through times of economic pressure - even helping to build stronger operations in the long run. 🌎 Check out our article in Hospitality Net’s Hotel Yearbook where we highlight the technological innovations that are making sustainability more accessible for F&B businesses. 🍽️ Watch one of our founders, Mark Sainsbury, explore environmentally-friendly winemaking. 🌎  Learn about the London university tackling food waste in clever ways. 🍽️  Meet our third Food Made Good-certified business in Italy. And, as usual, find some dates for your diary and some relevant news bites from the cross-section of environment, hospitality and food!