The Clean Business
Sustainability can seem like a buzzword at times in our industry but that doesn’t mean that members in the industry aren’t trying their best to incorporate their own way of doing so. But what does this mean in the long run? How do chefs incorporate sustainability within their core DNA?
For LeVeL33, it means becoming more ingredient-based and focusing on sustainable product-driven dishes. While most would remember the establishment as the world’s highest urban microbrewery, Chef ArChan Chan's experimentation into becoming more sustainable and making use of the best of local produce is quickly making a name for for the restaurant as a place where you can get a delicious menu based on beer related ingredients. For other dishes, the team works hard to go go local. “We source whatever we can, with the best quality possible, and ask ourselves how we can make the ingredient shine,” she explains.
The Loco Group, a restaurant group that has restaurants like Super Loco and Chico Loco under their hat, has recognized the importance of the rising need for sustainability. Having adopted the Little Green Steps programme as set by Asia’s online social consciousness movement Green Is The New Black (GITNB) in 2018, The Loco Group have been consciously working towards sustainability in all areas under The Loco Group purview. These moves include purchasing verifiable carbon credits generated from a Congo forestry project “The North Pikounda REDD+ Project” with Carbon Conservation to offset 100% of any carbon emissions.
"When it comes to sustainability,” Chef Randy Torres of Super Loco explains, “It’s more of an environmental issue. It’s about doing our part to try and help the environment and educate the community, and diners about the benefits of going green. Sometimes, it’s not always cheaper and not always best for the business , but I feel it’s really important for us as a human race.”
This story has been summarised from its original story The Clean Business, located in Jan/Feb 2020's edition of Cuisine & Wine Asia under the column Chef + Cuisine. To read more, please get your copy at Kinokuniya and MPH bookstores, or subscribe via Magzter.
