– JONATHAN CASTLEMAN, GLOBAL HEAD OF BRAND AND BRAND PARTNERSHIPS AT HSBC
minimal waste management by repurposing all trimmings and discards, and compost our scraps on‑site to circulate nutrients back to our farms and garden. We also use biodegradable packaging and practise recycling as much as possible.”
OFC isn’t the only restaurant on the island that has sustainability on its mind. Hearteningly, there is an increasing number of local F&B establishments offering mindful meals, including Brewerkz, Café Iguana, Cultivate Cafe and Origin Grill, all of which are working with HSBC in its mission to take care of Mother Earth.
This is in part due to chefs, who, understanding their responsibility to help foster a culture of waste prevention, serve up menus that
“From what we consume to how it arrives on our plate, we can all take simple steps that help make a difference”
use locally sourced produce and ingredients that, among other things, reduce wastage and environmental pollution. Diners, too, play a role in moving sustainability from the sidelines to being at the heart of Singapore’s mission and food culture. “As customers become more educated and a new generation takes the economic reins, they make decisions based on their value systems, which are increasingly based on environmental and ethical concerns,” says Jutras.
Origin Grill’s chef de cuisine Nathan Griffin agrees. “As diners these days become more environmentally and socially conscious, prioritising eco‑friendly food sourcing and reducing food waste is essential,” he emphasises. Which is why Origin Grill focuses on the provenance of its ingredients, sourcing, as much as possible, from local suppliers and adopting local organic produce. “We use a lot of
local vegetables and barramundi farmed in Singapore,” he shares. “Highlights on our menu include our roasted cauliflower, the catch of the day, and roasted tomato soup.”
Likewise, Brewerkz and Café Iguana, both operated by The Brewerkz Company, make a conscientious effort to source for local ingredients to reduce their carbon footprint. Additionally, both establishments use non‑aesthetic vegetables to create dishes such as burratina gazpacho, stocks, stews and puree. Their menus also include more vegetarian and plant‑based alternatives to encourage cleaner eating as a whole.
Seow Tzi Qin, group executive chef of The Brewerkz Company, ensures sustainability in other ways as well, such as through the use of special techniques like curing, and substituting avruga—a product made from herring meat, lemon juice, sea salt and squid ink—for sturgeon caviar, helping to maintain a healthy supply of sturgeon.
Meanwhile, plant‑based and gluten‑free restaurant Cultivate Cafe packs its menu with a variety of dishes that are 100 per cent organic. “We promote clean eating, and seek to inspire a shift towards a healthy and sustainable diet through high vibration foods made from plant‑based, organic and Gmo‑free ingredients,” says Satinder Garcha, chairman of The Garcha Group, which owns the cafe.
Beyond promoting sustainable dining habits by partnering with these restaurants, HSBC Singapore is continuously looking at ways to make a greater impact through lifestyle and investment choices. Alice Fok, HSBC Singapore’s head of customer, international & marketing, states: “Increasingly, societies around the world expect banks to help nudge new behaviours among consumers. Central to this would be to give our customers a suite of financial solutions and lifestyle benefits that reflects their desire to live and invest sustainably. Bringing more sustainable dining options to our customers is just one of the many initiatives that we have put in place to drive change.”