VISIT BELFAST “CHANGE THE MENU” INITIATIVE

WHAT IS THE “CHANGE THE MENU FOR GOOD” INITIATIVE?

The sustainable tourism focused 'Changing the Menu. For Good' project enlists venues, caterers and event organisers to directly raise funds for local food banks, including The People’s Kitchen.

A variety of ways to donate are in place to allow event organisers to choose a method that suits their event, with four headline options; donating the financial equivalent of a fourth course, donating a proportion of catering costs incurred during an event, rounding up delegate or catering fees or donating directly.

The scheme is designed to drive more responsible and sustainable events, to promote social impact and legacy within local Belfast communities, in addition to the economic benefit tourism already generates.

Like elsewhere in the UK and Ireland, demand for food banks is growing in Belfast, in the last five years, the need for food banks has increased by 128% and organisations including The Trussell Trust, which manages 14 food banks across the city, and the independently run The People’s Kitchen which tackle food poverty and homelessness, need more support than ever before.

The ‘Changing the Menu For Good’ initiative is already supported by a group of founding partners in the event industry; Hastings Hotels, Titanic Belfast, Hospitality Belfast/Yellow Door, Food NI, Conference Partners International, Crowne Plaza Belfast, Event-ful and Queen's University Belfast.

LEAVING A LASTING LEGACY OF THE BELMAS CONFERENCE…

BELMAS has donated the cost of all of its morning pastries to The People’s Kitchen, which will support local people and leaving a legacy of the BELMAS Conference.

Ryan Beasley, Executive Officer at BELMAS said, “We have been working hard on our sustainability efforts for the BELMAS conference this year. Given Visit Belfast’s international reputation for being a sustainable destination, we wanted to use the conference to start our own journey, and what better way than to reduce food wastage and give back to the communities who are welcoming us”.

“We actually have pastries available at breakfast, which over the weekend is available between 7:00am and 11:00am, and since we have lunch shortly after, it seemed greedy to have more pastries in our conference communal area”.

“I am delighted to be part of making a small, but significant difference”.