Tomorrow we celebrate “Sustainable Gastronomy Day”, which was launched by the UN. For us, sustainability is an important topic in all areas of life — as well as for our Green Pearls® partner hotels. Our hoteliers understand the importance of agriculture and food for the sustainable development of this world. This week, you will find articles about sustainable gastronomy and food here on our blog, in the newsletter (if you haven’t signed up yet, fill out the form in the right sidebar here) and on Facebook and Instagram. Tell us about your experiences, we can’t wait to get to know your feedback.

Did you know that in Germany around 11 million tons of food are wasted every year? Food is lost, spoiled or discarded on its way from the field to consumption and even at home often times food ends up in the garbage instead of our stomachs. The gastronomy plays an important role in this context, as numerous studies demonstrate. The sustainability initiatives United Against Waste (UAW) and Futouris e.V. installed the project “Avoiding food waste” in three countries for 55 weeks. Seven hotels and eleven restaurants were part of the project and the result: Most of the food waste in hotels originates from overproduction and food that is left on the guests’ plates. Especially at breakfast guests fill their plates too liberally.

Catering for the kitchen means planning carefully while maintaining flexibility

Fortunately, our Green Pearls® partner hotels are all aware of the issue of food waste and want to promote it with their guests. That’s why hotel owner and Haubenkoch Hannes founded the project “Generation Awareness“ at Genießerhotel Die Forelle. He is aiming for “Import Autarkheit“ and the evening menu is 99% free from imported goods which implies that only things that are available according to region and season are cooked, for example, no fresh fruit in winter instead a variety of root vegetables.

When it comes to food waste, you have to be creative. The employees at Die Forelle are instructed to question “the throw away processes” over and over again and to consider potential applications. Thus, fruit and vegetable peels which before ended up in the organic waste, today find a new use on the breakfast buffet dried and powdered and the guests love it.

Open & clear communication strategy

At the HUBERTUS unplugged, the philosophy of sustainability is communicated transparently, so that guests don’t get the impression that the restaurant kitchen is stingy with food. The Hubertus has reduced its portion sizes and asks its guests to choose the food at the buffet consciously. And when the served amount of food is not sufficient it is possible to get a supplement, but experience shows that when guests are involved in this process complaints are rare and guests are happy to be an active part of the good cause.

The Inkaterra Hotels in Peru are also committed to a transparent communication strategy especially when it comes to gastronomy. Dishes served are prepared from regional products, Of course, every guest gets enough food, but the focus lies on avoiding an oversupply. And let’s face it, a full stomach does not comply with an exploration of the Andean highlands. During the guided tours travelers get valuable information on cultivation conditions and local products. And within the “Earth to Table” concept at the Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba guests are invited to take an active part in the harvest on the 10-acre organic farm. This is an excellent way to create an understanding of the food process.

Be creative!

Despite all care and attention it is not possible to completely avoid producing food waste. Therefore, the disposal and recycling of the leftovers is all the more important. At the Reethi Beach Resort on the Maldives, about half of the daily food waste is collected for the biogas plant. The produced gas is used for cooking; Water and mud are used for irrigation and as fertilizer.

The Tongsai Bay on Koh Samui demonstrates that food scraps can be reused. The coffee ground from breakfast is used in the spa as body scrub and making the skin smooth. Fermented pineapple shells are a great cleaning agent. Trays and remains of other fruits and vegetables, used lemongrass straws and fishbones are also fermented and then used as fertilizer in the organic garden. The food leftovers, which cannot be reused are provided to a pig farm and a dog and cat rescue on Koh Samui.

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