China To Host World’s First Foodservice Industry Sustainability Summit

China is set to host the global foodservice industry’s first-ever summit dedicated to sustainability. Organised by ProVeg International, the global nonprofit advocating for food system change, the upcoming New Cuisine summit is set to take place in the city of Hangzhou and will feature Michelin-starred chefs and restaurateurs. 

New Cuisine, the world’s first foodservice industry sustainability summit, will be taking place in November in the Chinese city of Hangzhou. Hosted by ProVeg International in partnership with global chef network Worldchefs and the Hangzhou Vegetarian Association, the conference will be attended by more than 300 restaurateurs and chefs from around the world.

Sustainable foodservice

The upcoming event will be the first time that a global foodservice conference will be entirely dedicated to sustainability, as the environmental footprint of food becomes increasingly top-of-mind in the F&B world. 

Driven by changing consumer preferences for healthier and more eco-friendly choices, restaurants across the F&B spectrum, from fast-food giants such as McDonald’s to Michelin-starred fine dining establishments like Eleven Madison Park have embraced plant-based dishes in recent months. 

New Cuisine, which will also be live-streamed in English and Chinese for online attendees, aims to provide industry stakeholders with the tools, skills and knowledge to keep up with sustainability and plant-based trends. 

“New Cuisine is the first event of its kind. It will not only focus on vegetarians and vegans but will also bring together chefs from all over the world to talk about their food culture and how they innovate in terms of plant-based meals,” shared ProVeg Asia managing director Shirley Lu. 

Bringing global culinary traditions together

New Cuisine will feature insights from foodservice professionals from around the world, including five Michelin-Starred chefs and three Michelin-Starred restaurateurs. Through panel discussions and best-practice workshops, attendees will dive into various topics such as the basics of plant-based nutrition and health, vegan culinary creativity, and sustainable cooking.

Talks will also centre on food innovation across Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Mediterranean cuisines, with the aim to bring together different culinary traditions and cultures with the common goal of making food service more sustainable. 

“We all live in the same world and embracing its different cultures and styles is fundamental to better and more informed food choices,” explained Lu. “We dream of creating new styles of cuisine that mix global cultures in a way that benefits both people and the planet.”

Some of the speakers set to share their expertise include Chef Frank Fol of Michelin-starred Sire Pynnock fame, El Doncel hotel and restaurant founder Enrique Pérez, and Asia dessert cooking champion Istanbul Ma. 

Lead image courtesy of Cauldron Foods.