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The chefs at a leading hotel are ensuring any left-over food does not go to waste and are helping a charity continue its community endeavours to ensure the kingdom’s low-paid labourers and struggling families do not go hungry.
The Swiss-Belhotel Seef Bahrain team members - from the GM to the restaurant waitresses - are fully supportive of the initiative, grabbing gloves to help pack the parcels with tasty cuisine.
The containers are then placed in Feed the Need’s fridge in Saar Mall as part of its Zero Hunger - Zero Waste project.
Herve Peyre, the hotel’s general manager, said: “There is concern around the island that too much left-over food from hotel and restaurant buffets gets thrown away.
“On the occasions we are left with any surplus Feed the Need allows us to share it with the organisation to benefit those in need. This avoids waste and fits perfectly in the spirit of our company vision.”
To ensure dishes supplied are safe and can be easily reheated, the chefs put together meals with chicken or beef and vegetables and avoid anything with cream, seafood and mayonnaise, for example.
Herve and colleagues at the four star hotel often spend Monday afternoons together preparing the food in aluminum boxes before delivering it to the mall. Packages are also delivered on Friday or Saturday if there is a surplus of buffet fare. They also fill the fridge with soft drinks and bottles of water. On special occasions such as Eid, its Swiss-Café restaurant even cooks up celebratory dishes to be shared.
“We hope that by participating in this noble action, it will encourage other hotels and restaurants to do the same, which will have a greater impact on the people in need,” the GM added.
Michelle Bailey, the founder of the charity programme, is thrilled to have the hotel taking part. She said: “Swiss-Belhotel Seef Bahrain is a fine example of what great leadership and community support can achieve.
“Bahrain currently wastes an average of 400 tonnes of food per day. It is estimated that each household throws away between BD150-BD250 worth of food annually. Every ton of food waste diverted from the landfill would also save the environment five tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
“We hope everyone will join us in this waste prevention exercise which, of course, really helps those in need. Two other hotels have also supported us with donations of food and raising awareness.”
Since it started in 2014, Feed the Need has installed 19 fridges around Bahrain as part of the initiative. Supporters fill the fridges with rice, milk, cheese, bread, fresh fruit, plus other supplies.
With the support of 11,000 community members the charity has been able to provide more than 20,000 cooked meals and five tonnes of grocery items to those in need in Bahrain.
Michelle added: “Feed the Need is a community project started two-and-half years ago dedicated to both giving food to those in need and raising awareness about food wastage.
“With Bahrain’s love of family and community we have the opportunity to become a world leader in this campaign. Let’s take action against hunger and come together to declare our commitment to eradicate it in our lifetime. When it comes to hunger, the only acceptable number in the world is zero.”
Feed the Need is now developing a more formal structure and operational model with a goal of providing 100,000 meals per day. Michelle said: “During this phase, it’s essential that we map what already exists so we don’t duplicate efforts. We want to hear from all individuals, societies, charities, businesses and anyone who is doing anything around hunger and diverting surplus food, through our social media channels.”
To join the charity food crusade, contact Michelle Bailey on 39627883 or email mbailey@feedtheneedbahrain.com
