7 minute read
Fresh Cuts
WASTE NOT
Local food rescue initiatives slowly but surely chipping away at Hong Kong’s insatiable waste habit. By Aarohi Narain
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GreenPrice
Around 3,600 tonnes of food waste gets added to Hong Kong’s mounting landfills - that’s the equivalent of 275 double-decker buses or 16,500,000 mooncakes - every single day! In a bid to reduce our city’s dizzying food waste problem, these local initiatives are stepping up, from redistributing baked goods to rescuing snacks, pantry staples, condiments and more. Here’s how you can support them:
Feeding HK
Feeding HK
Feeding HK
Hong Kong may be known as a world-class dining destination, but too many in our city still struggle to afford three meals a day. Sadly, the pandemic has only worsened that situation. Since 2009, volunteers with Feeding HK have been saving surplus food from various F&B partners, and delivering it to frontline charities, including shelters and crisis centres. This established nonprofit frequently works with corporate partners and schools to broaden its community and impact, and they are always in need of volunteers to help drive vans to and from food rescue locations, manage inventory at their warehouse, and coordinate food rescue runs.
feedinghk.org
Breadline
Bread and pastries have a notoriously short shelf life, making it difficult to rescue and repurpose. That’s why they deserve an app that’s all their own! Breadline saves end-of-the-day bread -and redistributes it to Hong Kong’s most vulnerable communities. How it works: volunteers go on “bread runs” to cafes and bakeries across the city, collect several bags’ worth of bread, and deliver them to grassroots partners who will hand them out to those in need. Breadline’s handy app updates in real time, so volunteers and partners can easily coordinate their exchanges to maximise food saved. Breadline is currently looking for volunteers, so reach out directly if you’re keen to be part of their mission.
breadline.hk/welcome
CHOMP
Spice up your next meal with a Mystery Box from food-saving app CHOMP! Launched earlier this year, CHOMP’s intuitive platform
CHOMP Phenix ECPAL
lets customers purchase a box of unsold goods or items with a short shelf life from F&B businesses like restaurants, grocery stores and bakeries. Dim sum, tea, chocolate and more are all up for grabs from participating vendors, such as beloved bulk grocery chains like Live Zero and Slowood to plantpowered eateries like Root Vegan, 404plant, Protein & Plants, and Le Fromage by Ma. Each purchase is paired with a brief description of what your box will contain, as well as practical allergen info. The team is constantly adding new vendors. We also recommend following CHOMP’s Instagram (@chompfoodwaste), which regularly shares clever tips and tricks for reducing your food waste at home.
chomphk.com/home
GreenPrice
Did you know that a “best before” date is not the same thing as an expiration date? Products that are past their best before date are still completely safe to eat - it’s more of a suggestion from the brand on how to experience the optimal quality of their products. Asia’s first shortdated goods retailer GreenPrice is on a mission to raise awareness of this practice, and reduce food waste associated with it. Partnering with retailers across the city, GreenPrice stocks its shelves with surplus foods that are past their “best before” date at deep discounts. It’s a great place to stock up on beloved brands, or discover new snacks, supplements, and more that you may not have tried otherwise. Reducing waste while saving money - we love a good deal!
99 Wellington St., Central; Shop G28, G/F, OP Mall, 100 Tai Ho Rd., Tsuen Wan, greenprice.com
Phenix
Created by the folks behind discount fashion concept OnTheList, Phenix is another food-rescue app. This one allows consumers to purchase baskets of food from major F&B retailers - think Pret A Manger, KALE, and Feather & Bone - at compellingly low prices. Simply download the app, browse the various stores on offer, and make your purchase! There’s an element of surprise to each basket, but that’s half the fun. Think of it as a great way to get out of a food rut and support local business, while reducing your food waste footprint.
phenixbyonthelist.com
We all know composting helps cut down on harmful carbon emissions, but it can be a tall order to find space for a compost bin in space-starved Hong Kong. Here to improve our city’s composting infrastructure is the Eco Community Promotion Association Limited (ECPAL), who operate a network of community composting bins across Hong Kong. How does it work? Fill out a form for your preferred location, pay a nominal monthly subscription fee, and start dropping your saved food scraps into your closest compost. The collected food waste goes to O·PARK1 on Lantau Island, Hong Kong’s first organic resources recovery centre, where anaerobic digestion technology transforms smelly scraps into useful biogas.
ecpal.org
FOOD NEWS
LOW-WASTE COCKTAIL MENU RETURNS TO ROSEWOOD
Rosewood Hong Kong is partnering with Singapore-based startup ecoSPIRITS to offer sustainably-made cocktails, mocktails and liqueurs for the second year running. The world’s first closed-loop spirits technology, ecoSPIRITS aims to reduce the carbon impact of the bar industry by up to 80 percent by eliminating single-use glass bottles through the use of reusable tote containers. To keep your next tipple low-waste, you can order off the “ecoCOCKTAILS II” menu at DarkSide, Rosewood’s jazz bar and lounge. From a pina colada with low-waste dark rum and infused with leftover salted lime cordial, to an espresso martini made with recycled coffee grounds and clarified orange stock rescued from leftover oranges, the offerings are tasty, heady, and best of all, won’t add to the landfill.
L2, 18 Salisbury Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, darkside.hk
TERRACE BY LQV OPENS IN STANLEY
Just in time for the highly anticipated fall weather, outdoor wine bar Terrace by LQV is now open! With an enviable vantage point over Stanley Bay, this al fresco terrace is one of the best in the city. The wine menu has been curated to feature rose, whites and sparkling wines that are easy to drink outdoors with friends. And the food menu showcases lighter French classics that highlight fresh veggies, grilled seafood, and artisanal producers. A delightful spot to kick back and pretend that we’re on the French Riviera for the afternoon.
23 Carmel Rd., Shop 505, Stanley Plaza, Stanley, terracebylqv.com
MA… AND THE SEEDS OF LIFE CELEBRATES SECOND ANNIVERSARY
One of our favourite healthy restaurants in town is about to turn two - it’s time to celebrate! In honour of the occasion, Ma…And The Seeds of Life is launching a new lunch menu, showcasing some of its signature plant-based dishes. From chia-based caviar with cashew sour cream to a fully loaded flax crepe stuffed with tender mushrooms and vegan parmesan, the four-course set (including the restaurant’s iconic cheese board) is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser and excellent value for money.
H18 CONET, Shop 11, 1/F, 23 Graham St., Central, marestaurant.com.hk
TEST-DRIVE
Liv checks out the newest workouts and wellness trends
FITNESS
RE/BUILD AT RE/NATION
The Buzz: As the new kid on Hong Kong’s fitness block, Re/Nation boasts a strength and conditioning room, a cycling studio, and a dedicated space for rehab and recovery. We booked in for one of their strength training sessions, Re/Build, to see how this newest addition stacks up. The Class: Our trainer, Mason, meets us outside the studio to introduce himself, before taking us in to explain and demo the workout. The group training studio itself isn’t huge, but that’s actually quite nice; our trainer is able to watch and correct the form of everyone in the room. All of the equipment is top of the line, and in no time we’re squatting and lunging against the clock, with Mason giving useful feedback where needed. We complete a heavy lift section, followed by some accessory work, then an abfocussed finisher, before collapsing on the floor in a sweaty, satisfied puddle. Leg day done right! The Verdict: A really solid offering to Hong Kong’s fitness community! We loved how passionate and informed the team was, from the desk staff who offered us free apple juice and protein cookies, to the cleaners who explained the lockers to us and keep everything sparkling. Our trainer was also super friendly and personable, and made the whole workout fun-filled and never a slog. With an in-house smoothie bar and a prime Central location, this is a strong contender for our next favourite gym. Cost: $350 per class, with discounts on class packs available
teamrenation.com
