World Gourmet Awards Overseas Development Programme Recipients Share their Experiences.
The World Gourmet Awards, in partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board, took the opportunity to showcase the experiences of 3 of 11 promising homegrown chefs, sommeliers and F&B Managers who were awarded overseas attachments thanks to the World Gourmet Awards Overseas Development Programme (ODP).
“In recent years, we are seeing greater growth in the culinary scene. To truly be a hub where people come together to savour diverse and sophisticated cuisines, we need to empower budding talents in the F&B industry to be bold and adventurous in experimenting so that they are equipped to create the next frontier for the industry,” said Peter Knipp, CEO of Peter Knipp Holdings Pte Ltd, who manages and curates the annual WGS and WGA.
Three awardees took the opportunity to share their experiences with invited guests who included partners, chefs, and members of the industry, sharing how their attachments gave them the chance to explore job attachments overseas and learn how their counterparts would work overseas as well as any takeaways from their days abroad.
“I think it’s good to see what’s happening outside the country and it really opens up our minds to get inspired, change our ways and make Singapore a better place,” says Sujatha Asokan, Head Chef at Botanico, who was the recipient of the Wellbilt Rising Female Chef of the Year. She was one of three recipients who were invited to share her ODP experiences with the group invited.
It also got these chefs to see the methods of sustainability and eco-friendly ways people overseas implemented in their own restaurants, including Mohamed Yazid, F&B Manager at the One Faber Group and one of the ODP award recipients. He shares that he and his team are planning to add a waste-management program, thanks to his experiences overseas which has given him many ideas on what the team can work with. “This is where we can work closely with the chefs to use ingredients woth less wastage and use them for appetizers and desserts to reduce wastage,” he explains. “We’re also looking into reducing plastic ware in our outlets even for takeaway. We are looking into using recyclable items or chinaware.”
In its fourth year running, the ODP seeks to inspire promising individuals in Singapore's F&B industry by offering them unique culinary experiences from around the world. Since 2016, the annual programme has offered international exposure to 32 local talents in the F&B industry.
This year, the WGA ODP session also included a pertinent discussion of sustainability in the panel discussion, with guests like Tim Ryan of Meat and Livestock Australia and Jasnitha Nair of Samadhi Retreats taking the opportunity to share their views about reducing food waste. “It starts with thinking about what we are putting out,” says Ms Nair, Marketing Manager at Samadhi Retreats based in Kuala Lumpur. “Our menus are all portioned and created to be shared.” It’s one way of getting different flavour profiles without wasting food. Another method they are doing so is through cutting out buffets at their retreats. “ Buffets appeal to gluttony,” she says. “There’s so much wastage that gets thrown out after buffets. These are just some ways hospitality places can think off to reduce wastage.”
