Description
Within TLBG, we first took a critical look at our current efforts to gain a better understanding of the needs and areas of waste in order to increase proactive engagement, then, set short-term goals to make changes towards sustainability while working towards long-term solutions.
Staff - We continue to educate staff and encourage making small practices into habits, e.g. using unused water from lunch shifts in EVP to clean the floors.
Customers - Reduced churn-and-burn menus in favour of longer use materials and as much as possible, use only recyclable and biodegradable materials for takeaway/ delivery packaging.
Wider community – We opened the Straits Clan Community Kitchen that prepared over 10,000 meals for migrant workers in dorms in need of dire food support over Circuit Breaker. See below for media coverage. The group also has a long-standing partnership with Charity: Water and donate corkage fees from Le Bon Funk, Straits Clan and Esora.
Suppliers and the supply chain (procurement) - Many ingredients used are locally sourced and sustainable (e.g. Freedom Range eggs, Brandt, Lombok line caught seafood). By asking for more sustainable/traceable products, it creates demand which will increase suppliers’ awareness and understanding on these better practices. Some venues also offer menu items using Impossible Food products to increase demand and availability of meat alternatives for sustainable food supply. Ongoing partnership with Ugly Food means we actively reduce waste of imperfect and surplus produce. Extra bread from a couple of our venues also gets donated to Food From The Heart to reduce food waste and contribute to community efforts.
Other initiatives
We formed TLBG Sustainability Committee to foster sustainable practices within the group, share best practices from one venue to another and collectively work on group initiatives. Our short term goal for the committee is to replicate what has worked well in one venue to others. As a group, we are also free of plastic straw use.
Examples:
Use of social-media channels to increase engagement (to provide links)
Straits Clan Instagram (1) n Straits Clan Community Kitchen
Straits Clan Instagram (2) on Straits Clan Community Kitchen
Extra Virgin Pizza Instagram on Impossible Meats
Media received (print, radio, digital, social media)
Straits Clan Community Kitchen Media Coverage: CNA Lifestyle, Yahoo, Michelin Guide, Michelin Guide (2), Today Online, The Honeycombers, What Are You Doing SG, Tatler, We Will Rise Again SG Facebook
Mentorship in 2 ways within the group – members of TLBG Sustainability Committee range in seniority and experience, fostering a learning environment. Second, decisions from senior leadership from operations to production and procurement set the tone for other team members to learn and adopt principles of sustainability.
