CSR and Sustainability

🍴 New York, January 22, 2025 – The James Beard Foundation announced the semifinalists for the 35th annual James Beard Awards, presented by Capital One. The 2025 Restaurant and Chef Award semifinalists list is available on their website. Renowned for recognizing exceptional talent in the culinary and food media industries, the Foundation introduced three new award categories this year: Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service. In the past two years, 66% of semifinalists reported a significant increase in business following their nomination. Award nominees will be revealed on April 2, 2025, with the winners celebrated at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on June 16, 2025.

🌱 "Discover 10+ practical ways to make hotels eco-friendly" aligns with eco-conscious travelers’ demands. Tips include saving energy and reducing waste. Authored by Manveen Kaur, the article from Hotelogix Blog was published on January 21, 2025. It suggests steps for sustainability in the hospitality industry.

🏝 European travel and tourism representatives met in Rhodes, Greece, to sign a declaration for sustainable travel and tourism. It establishes a roadmap for collaboration and sustainability goals, emphasizing decarbonisation and policy engagement. Ahead of the EU elections, the declaration advocates for sustainable tourism budget lines and policy support. It reinforces decarbonisation pledges from the Glasgow and Toulouse Declarations, promotes industry awareness, supports SMEs, and encourages education and training. Regular stakeholder meetings will assess progress. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and South Aegean Governor George Hatzimarkos endorsed the event. Organizations involved include A4E, ACI Europe, CLIA, ECTAA, EEIA, ERA, HOTREC, IAAPA, IRU, and Ruraltour.

🍕 Restaurant Pine announces SecondBite 2025 charity event on July 6th at Wylam Brewery, Palace of Arts, Newcastle to support Cancer Research UK. The event aims to surpass last year's £82,063 fundraising total with 20 UK Michelin-starred chefs creating street food dishes, with 500 portions of each available. Entry is free; dish tokens cost £10. Notable chefs include Gareth Ward of Ynyshir, Tom Shepherd of Restaurant Upstairs, and Ian Waller of Restaurant Pine. Proceeds support over 4,000 Cancer Research UK professionals.

🎨 INNSiDE Liverpool collaborates with dot-art for art classes starting from 2nd March with Botanical Collage, 23rd March features Recycled Liver Bird, concluding with Bookmark Weaving on 27th April 2024. Classes at £45 each include a drink and are held at the hotel's Sky Bar with panoramic city views. An overnight stay is offered from £99, plus a 10% discount on in-house dining. The hotel, located at Old Hall Street, Liverpool L3 9LQ, hosts quarterly art exhibitions featuring local talent.

🔥 Wildfires in Los Angeles' Palisades and Eaton areas since Tuesday morning have burned over 27 square miles, claimed at least five lives, caused hundreds of thousands to evacuate, and destroyed several eateries, including Reel Inn, Cholada Thai Cuisine, Rosenthal Wine Bar & Patio, and a McDonald’s. Reel Inn, operating for 36 years, launched a GoFundMe for staff. Other closed restaurants listed on Eater include Rancho Bar, Side Pie, and Fox’s. The blaze is now LA’s deadliest fire, with expectations of a rising death toll.

🌍 Sustainable events prioritize their impact on the economy, society, and environment, involving digital alternatives to paper, encouraging eco-friendly transportation, using data analytics for improvement, partnering with green tech vendors, and fostering a culture of sustainability. Event professionals are transitioning to digital floorplans and immersive walkthroughs, reducing travel emissions with digital twins, and promoting public transit, carpooling, or electric vehicles. Analytics help track and refine energy and waste reduction strategies, while collaboration with eco-focused vendors and a sustainability-centric culture attract talent and guests.

🎓 Spanish-American chef José Andrés received the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Jan. 4 for his humanitarian work with World Central Kitchen (WCK), presented by President Joe Biden at the White House. Andrés founded WCK after the 2010 Haiti earthquake, and the organization has since served over 450 million meals globally to communities impacted by disasters. WCK operates in locations such as Gaza, Lebanon, Ukraine, Spain, Mayotte, and North Carolina. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Andrés converted his restaurants and the Nationals Park stadium into soup kitchens. In 2022, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

🍴 The Food Made Good Standard, designed for foodservice businesses, focuses on sustainability across three pillars: Sourcing, Society, and Environment. It addresses the foodservice industry's environmental impact, which includes significant food waste, water use, and carbon emissions. The standard also considers social implications due to the industry's extensive employment reach. As of now, 22 UK universities have achieved this certification, with expectations to expand in 2025.

🌎 Amid worsening climate and biodiversity crises, with growing customer concern and stricter global environmental legislation, businesses are increasingly recognizing the importance of codifying sustainability in governance and policies, encompassing both environmental and social impacts.