Sustainability in the Gastronomy World

As effects of climate change become more visible, it is hard to dispute that it will go away soon or can be resolved easily. And while people are looking for more effective solutions, greater attention has been directed to the food sector. Being such an integral part of our lives, the food industry unfortunately, has not had the cleanest history when it comes to helping the environment.

Peter Knipp, founder of the World Gourmet Summit, heard the call and decided to take action. This move has been strongly embraced by his partners and the public, as it is evident that the F&B industry is one of the main culprits of climate change due to poor practices of production and consumption.

World Gourmet Summit Singapore 2019

Labelled as Southeast Asia’s premier haute cuisine festival, the World Gourmet Summit (WGS) returns for its 23rd year in 2019 with the theme: Sustainability in the Gastronomy World.

A press conference for the upcoming Summit was held at Arbora – a scenic restaurant perched atop Faber Peak Singapore, surrounded by lush rainforest and stunning views of Sentosa Island and the harbour in the background – in a setting that resounds with this year’s theme. Peter said WGS 2019 will accentuate on the movement towards food waste management and plastic-free environment, and it will feature chefs and restaurant partners that are known for “pushing boundaries of eco-friendliness”. And for the first time, a WGS Sustainability Forum will be held this year, where a panel of industry experts will discuss issues surrounding sustainability in the gastronomy world.

Notwithstanding, the programme for WGS 2019 will continue to showcase a diversified list of culinary stars across Asia, Eastern and Central Europe, as well as North and South America, each presenting the best of the world’s exciting cuisines. Among the culinary personalities are Adi Hadean, a television personality and former judge on the Romanian edition of cooking show MasterChef; Soma Oroszki, head chef of Enjoy! by La Parilla at Iberostar Grand Budapest hotel; and Martin Rebaudino, executive chef of Roux in Argentina. Singapore’s own MasterChef Zander Ng is also part of the line-up, along with participating restaurants including Morsels, Whitegrass, Nouri, Forlino, Fat Cow, Shisen Hanten and Summer Palace.

WGS 2019 will also introduce young and aspiring chefs through the World Gourmet Awards. Formerly known as the Awards of Excellence, these are conferred on individuals and organisations who make significant contributions to the development of the F&B and hospitality industries. There will be 38 awardees announced on April 22.

Another popular event, the Gastro-Market Place, will also be returning for its third year. Open to the public (S$10 per entry), visitors can sample produce from local farmers and growers, as well as food and drinks from homegrown brands at the market. Part of the sale proceeds will be donated to WGS’s beneficiary, the Singapore Children’s Society.

The WGS 2019 runs from 1 April to 12 May 2019. For more information, visit www.worldgourmetsummit.com.

WGS 2019 focuses on sustainable fine dining with this year’s theme of Sustainability in the Gastronomy World.

One highlight of the press conference included a panel discussion with key F&B partners: (from left to right) Kenny Eng, Director of Gardenasia and President of Kranji Countryside Association; Sheryl Torres-Wu, Program Director, Southeast Asia and Hong Kong at Marine Stewardship Council; Dalilah Ghazalay, Regional Director, Southeast Asia Marketing, Programs and Operations at U.S. Dairy Export Council; and Roderic Proniewski, Wine Specialist and Director of Asia Wine Network. The panel was led by Peter Knipp (in the middle), CEO of Peter Knipp Holdings, the umbrella company for the World Gourmet Summit and the World Gourmet Awards.