Their hotel kitchens observe an “Earth Day” every day – April 22
BEIJING, April 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- To celebrate the implementation of its new sustainable cuisine program “Naturally Yours,” Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts launched a month-long global promotional campaign this April. From small-scale farmers in the Maldives to fishing villages in Malaysia, hotels under the Shangri-La brand will take concrete action to support and thank local farmers, fishermen, and herders whose efforts make Shangri-La’s dishes not only delicious but also environmentally friendly.
The promotional activities centered around “Naturally Yours” will be rolled out progressively across all Shangri-La and Traders brand hotels, highlighting sustainably sourced produce, fish, and meat products. The initiative aims to recognize the hardworking local merchants who provide chefs with the highest quality ingredients while ensuring the sustainable development of land and marine resources. The featured dishes will include herbs and vegetables grown in the hotels’ own gardens, locally purchased organic fruits and vegetables, seafood caught according to regulations, free-range poultry products, and honey produced by the hotels themselves.
In Malaysian Borneo, guests at Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort can enjoy oyster mushrooms farmed by visually impaired individuals from a nearby non-profit organization. These locally grown, delicious oyster mushrooms will be served at the hotel’s Coffee Terrace restaurant.
In the bustling capital of the Philippines, Manila, Meliomar supplies yellowfin tuna to the chefs at Makati Shangri-La, Manila, which is caught strictly in accordance with standards certified by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. Meliomar works directly with local fishing companies, involving over 1,000 small fishing boats operated by more than 3,000 fishermen. Guests can enjoy dishes made with this sustainably caught tuna, such as grilled tuna and tuna sashimi, at the Circles Event Café.
In the hometown of the Terracotta Army – Xi’an, Xi’an Shangri-La Hotel sources apples from fruit farmers in Chunhua County, the first area in China to receive Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification. The mountainous regions of Shaanxi provide an ideal environment for apple cultivation, but the remote location has been a major barrier for local farmers trying to reach markets. By purchasing apples from small family orchards in the region, the hotel’s pastry chefs are able to create their signature apple strudels and tarts using the finest apples, which guests can enjoy at The Garden Café.
Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto, serves Canadian specialty dishes at its popular Bosk restaurant. Chef Damon Campbell ’s signature creative dish, the caviar donut, uses premium caviar produced by a West Coast Canadian fisheries company. This caviar has been certified by a Canadian marine conservation organization, making it the first organic-certified caviar brand in Canada and the only one in the world to be certified hormone-free, antibiotic-free, pesticide-free, and GMO-free.
Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa in the Maldives, the first luxury resort on the beautiful Addu Atoll, has partnered with farmers on Meedhoo Island to establish a cooperative that ensures a steady supply of locally sourced, sustainable agricultural products for the resort’s restaurants. Throughout April, the resort’s Fashala Restaurant will feature watermelons, basil, tomatoes from the cooperative and the hotel garden, as well as lobsters and other seafood caught by local fishermen.
Although Hong Kong is not typically known for its organic agriculture, both Kowloon Shangri-La and Island Shangri-La have found high-quality local organic ingredients for their chefs. Farm 616, located in the New Territories, is an organic farm certified by the Hong Kong Organic Resource Centre. It supplies the two hotels with vegetables year-round, including bok choy, beetroot, water spinach, celery, and tomatoes. Guests can enjoy these dishes at Café Too at Island Shangri-La and Café Kool at Kowloon Shangri-La.
About“Naturally Yours”
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts currently operates 89 luxury hotels and resorts worldwide. In 2014, the “Naturally Yours” program was introduced across the group’s properties, aiming to support responsible sourcing of local products and support for local businesses. From Hong Kong to Paris, from Tokyo to Sydney, or from Sabah to Guilin, the distinctive characteristics of each location where the group operates allow the program to leverage local advantages and bring sustainable flavors to restaurant menus. Guests can identifythe sprout-logomarked “Naturally Yours” dishes, available in all-day dining restaurants and select specialty outlets. The “Naturally Yours” label indicates that the main ingredients of the dish meet one or more of five criteria.
The Group’s Director of Food and Beverage Peter Finnegan said: “Shangri-La has always been committed to providing our guests with traceable, high-quality ingredients, collaborating with local providers of sustainable produce to ensure greater transparency in our sourcing. We have set a target to increase our supply of sustainable ingredients by 75% by 2020 compared to 2014 levels. Through the ‘Naturally Yours’ program, we hope to encourage more guests to join us in supporting sustainable ingredients through their actions and to personally experience the benefits they bring.”
The five criteria for ingredient selection under the “Naturally Yours” program are:
- Products sourced from local farms and fisheries
- Locally produced, chemical-free and pesticide-free products
- Poultry, livestock, and eggs raised humanely in free-range conditions
- Seafood from sustainable sources and caught using humane methods
- Organic ingredients, and fair trade products certified by national or local food safety authorities
More information about the “Naturally Yours” program can be found through the following channels:
- Facebook.com/shangrila
- @ShangriLaHotels
- @ShangriLaHotels
- LinkedIn.com/company/shangri-la-hotels-and-resorts
- +ShangriLa
- @ShangriLaHotels
- #RootedInNature