In honor of World Food Day 2018 on Tuesday, October 16, AccorHotels North & Central America will host a series of sustainable culinary activations in hotels in the region that showcase its commitment to reducing food waste. This year, the hotels will emphasize the Group’s focus on generating as little food waste as possible with properties creating ‘zero food waste’ recipes as well as other initiatives and events to show their enthusiasm for sustainability.
In keeping with its Planet 21 commitments worldwide, AccorHotels’ focus on food and beverage sustainability is inspired by a range of concerns including that one-third of production of food intended for human consumption worldwide – nearly 1.3 billion tons – is lost or wasted each year. If that weren’t cause for concern enough, consider that less than one-quarter of this wasted food would be sufficient to end world hunger, which affects 815 million people.* This and other reasons are why AccorHotels has set a target to reduce food waste in its restaurants by 30% by 2020.
“We are proud to be taking concrete steps to reshape our current food model into a sustainable one, working actively on reducing food waste by 30% by 2020 through prevention and reduction action plans, including but not limited to, reengineered menus, food donation programs, as well as favoring local food suppliers and responsible sources,” said Marjorie Pittet, Director, Sustainable Development & Communications, AccorHotels North & Central America. “Earlier this year, we have already announced moving to a “straw upon request” commitment in the region, with the objective of minimizing waste and plastic in our North & Central American hotels.”
Among the many creative and noteworthy efforts being made by AccorHotels properties in North & Central America for World Food Day 2018:
- Fairmont Waterfront, Vancouver – Executive Chef Karen Suri has created a ‘Compost Coffee Cake’ in honor of World Food Day and is encouraging everyone to get creative with scraps before putting them in the compost or garbage. Chef Suri will be hosting a “cooking with scraps” demo in the hotel’s colleague cafeteria, featuring a salad dressing made from leftover pickle juice and the aforementioned coffee cake with ingredients including coffee grinds.
- Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, Montreal – Hotel chefs are organizing a ‘Zero-Waste Dinner’ for the public at Marché Artisans, with individual chef set to explain their preparation techniques and give tips on reducing food waste in the kitchen and in cooking. Among dishes on the menu: Mashed Potatoes Biscuits with candied carrot and potato peelings; Cauliflower Spaghetti Cacao and Pepe style with crispy marinated leaves; and Crystalized Pumpkin with Salmon and Ricotta spread in salmon and red wine demi-glace sauce.
- ibis Cancun – Putting an original spin on World Food Day 2018, the hotel’s culinary talent will be creating innovative beauty products from leftover food, including Coffee Exfoliant, Banana Shell Mask, and a Pineapple Peel Mask for hair. Other more edible contributions include Surplus Stew Burrito and Plantain Peel Tea.
- Fairmont Vancouver Airport – The hotel will offer a special lunch and dinner inspired by leftover ingredients in its colleague cafeteria, including a ‘food scrap recipe’ of Apple Cider Vinegar, and a ‘zero waste recipe’ of Baby Carrot Salad with Carrot Tops Pistou. A brochure will be placed on tables to inform colleagues on how the Culinary Team is working to decrease food waste.
- Fairmont Hotel Vancouver – The hotel plans to set up a live chef’s station in the lobby to offer a ‘zero waste’ food item to valued guests during check-in, promoting Notch8 restaurant and the hotel’s commitment to sustainability while furthering education and awareness in guests and the community. The hotel is a proud member of Ocean Wise, the Vancouver Aquarium’s conservation program created to educate and empower consumers about the issues surrounding sustainable seafood.
- ibis Monterrey Airport – The hotel’s culinary team has come up with several innovative uses for otherwise wasted food in honor of World Food Day, including using egg shells as fertilizer in the hotel garden and grinding shells to add to nail polish to strengthen nails; adding coffee grounds as fertilizer in the hotel garden; and using pineapple scraps to infuse water with flavor, while repurposing pineapple shells as molds for desserts.
- Fairmont Olympic Hotel and Fairmont Le Château Frontenac have concocted specialty cocktails for World Food Day. Fairmont Olympic fashioned a Gimlet cocktail with Gin, Kümmel and fruit cordial made from scraps. Fairmont Le Château Frontenac has created a Second Chance Cocktail with vanilla infused milk from potato skin peels, coffee espuma made from recycled coffee and vodka.
“Our hotels have come up with many creative ‘zero food waste’ food and beverage recipes that we have created a recipe book that serves as an internal best practices tool so that teams can learn from one another and further minimize food waste at their properties,” said Marjorie Pittet.
The Planet 21 initiative puts the Group’s strong sense of responsibility to the Earth and its people into action by engaging guests with sustainable hotel experiences through innovation, inclusivity, employee engagement, and work with local communities to create a positive impact.
World Food Day was created in 1945 in recognition of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Find out more about AccorHotels’ food charter here.