SINGAPORE—Banyan Tree Group announces an F&B partnership with Grassroots Pantry, a pioneering brand in Hong Kong which is at the fore of plant-based cuisine in Asia’s fine dining scene. Grounded on the passion for a sustainable future through food, this partnership leverages the post-COVID quest for better health and wellbeing, where food choices and nutrition are ranked as the top areas for change. It aims to lead the curve in elevating sustainable food sourcing and plant-based cuisine for living and eating well.
Bringing personal wellbeing experiences and the greater good for the planet to another level, a capsule menu based on plant-based, immunity-boosting foods and sustainable kitchen practices, will be launched in the later part of this year at Banyan Tree’s hotels. Curated by Grassroots Pantry, the plant-based cooking is technique-driven with an added dose of mindfulness, bringing out textures and depth of flavor in vegetables and legumes. The menu will debut in its Phuket properties followed by a roll-out in all its hotels internationally.
Activist and Founder-chef Peggy Chan said: “Having been recognized by the UNDP and the Basque Culinary World Prize and working at this for the last decade, I am encouraged that there is an increasing movement for more sustainable kitchens and menus. By introducing techniques and combining ingredients that are not often used in commercial kitchens, Grassroots Pantry can help pave the way for more inventive and health supportive concoctions across Banyan Tree hotels in the near future. I am honored and look forward to working with Asia’s foremost hospitality brand, recognized for its sustainability stewardship, to push for greater industry change.”
Chan opened Grassroots Pantry in Hong Kong with the mission to raise awareness on the benefits of plant-based cuisine. Sourcing unprocessed and sustainable local ingredients, the award-winning restaurant earned praise for its inventive, flavorful dishes and set new standards in healthy eating. In 2019, Chan transitioned Grassroots Pantry into Nectar, a high-end fine-dining concept featuring a seasonal tasting menu of locally-sourced ingredients. Grassroots Initiatives is developed to generate change and encourage food service professionals to rethink operational decisions from sourcing, menu development, nutrition, to waste management, and how those decisions affect the planet and its ecosystems. An alumni of World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Hong Kong, she has emerged as the region’s authoritative voice on organic sourcing and sustainable food systems.
Ms. Ho Renyung, VP, Brand HQ of Banyan Tree Holdings, said: “As a global leader in sustainability and wellbeing, Banyan Tree Group is committed in driving a sustainable future through food. Embarking on purpose-driven collaborations in different areas of the food value chain, we are delighted to collaborate with Grassroots Pantry as our value-aligned F&B partner to leverage and deepen our wellbeing experiences for our guests. Our ambition is not to be the largest, but to be here the longest, and that means being stewards for our shared future. #17 of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals is Partnerships—as a brand that values ecosystem thinking and diversity, these initiatives will further our primary mission to create sanctuaries of living well.”
