Australian and Thai Chefs collaborate to create a tasty fusion food waste menu for Bangkok's first-ever Think.Eat.Save event

Thailand Think.Eat.Save event: Thursday, December 3

EVENT: ‘Think.Eat.Save’
WHEN: Thursday, 3 December 2015
TIME: 12pm-2pm
LOCATION: Parc Paragon, Siam Paragon

OzHarvest as the official Australian partner of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) will be hosting their first ever international Think.Eat.Save event in Thailand, feeding 2000 in Bangkok’s Parc Paragon on Thursday, 3 December from 12 noon until 2pm. It marks a series of global COP21 events to take action on climate change.

To support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, which aims to halve global food waste and reduce food losses along the production and supply chains by 2030, UNEP & OzHarvest have partnered with some of Australia and Bangkok's most recognised chefs who will serve 2000 members of the public a free, delicious, hot lunch made from rescued ingredients that would have ended up in the landfill. While the meals are being served, an expert panel discussion on the issues of food waste, food security and food sustainability will inspire thought, debate and action.

OzHarvest is bringing some Aussie flare to the event with a bevy of high profile Aussie-Thai chefs including Marion Grasby, Dylan and Bo of Bo.Ian restaurant together with a team of chefs from Aussie David Thompson’s nahm restaurant, including Chris Miller (full list below). Along with the high profile chefs, The Australian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand, His Excellency Mr Paul Robilliard as well as influential Wonderfruit Festival Co-Founder Pete Phornprapha and Dusit International's Siradej Donavanik, will unite with UN delegates and policymakers to fight food waste.

The menu of the day reflects the creativity of the booming Thai industry, including The Grand Hyatt Erawan’s chefs who will serve more than 400 “repurposed” beef burgers made from saved beef trimmings with a som tum relish and Coconut and Pandan rice with caramelised banana produced by Glow and nahm (menu below).

The Think.Eat.Save campaign of the Save Food Initiative to reduce food loss and waste is a partnership between UNEP, the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations and Messe Düsseldorf, in support of the UN Secretary-General’s Zero Hunger Challenge. The lunch is modelled on OzHarvest’s annual ‘Think.Eat.Save’ events, which have fed thousands of people across Australia over the last five years while raising awareness about global food waste.

Widespread support was garnered across all industries including from Siam Paragon as Venue Partner. Thai chefs, the food industry and the fast growing sustainability sector were also quick to get on board the global movement including renowned Dusit Thani College, Singha Water, Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, Plaza Athénée Bangkok, A Royal Méridien Hotel, Chateaux de Bangkok, Metropolitan by Como, Jagota, Raita Organics, organisers of the Wonderfruit Festival movement, Sasin Centre for Sustainability, chefs from Nahm, La Monita, Osito and Oyster Bar as well as food companies such as Kim Chua Group, Thai Shing Ye, Marion’s Kitchen and many more.

Founder and CEO of OzHarvest, Ronni Kahn, said the aim behind the Think. Eat. Save Bangkok event is to globally help raise awareness about the disturbing amount of food wasted around in Asia and the world, where roughly one third of food produced for human consumption (approx. 1.3 billion tonnes) gets lost or wasted¹..

“Food waste is a huge challenge that needs to be addressed locally and internationally. Our challenge is to create a sustainable food culture that can be shared by all. It’s a paradox that we produce enough food to feed all seven billion of us, yet so many in this world go hungry,” Kahn said.

“The aim of this event is to educate our global community – producers, consumers and businesses alike. We should not buy into the fact that fruit and veg needs to be cosmetically beautiful before we’ll buy it, because for every bendy or blemished carrot that is thrown out – we throw away embedded water, energy and fuel,” she said.

Marion Grasby - Think Eat Save Ambassador

Marion Grasby from Marion’s Kitchen expressed her excitement to be involved in OzHarvest’s Think.Eat.Save in her hometown, Bangkok.

“I’m passionate about all things food and that includes raising awareness about food waste and how we can be more mindful about our food habits. Just a little more thought about how we cook and eat can have a massive effect on helping to reduce landfill and protecting our environment for the future,” she said.

“OzHarvest is the leading campaigner against food waste in Australia and I’m so pleased to be able to help spread their important work in Asia and in particular, my hometown, Bangkok,” Marion continued.

The menu on the day will include:

• Fish cake with green mango relish on ciabatta roll by Dylan Jones/Dusit Thani College
• Spiced beef with som tum and chilli relish on ciabatta roll by Ryan Dunn The Grand Hyatt Erawan/Daniel Bucher El Osito
• Coconut and Pandan rice with caramelised banana by Glow/Nahm (Metropolitan)
• Bamboo and Pineapple curry, broken rice Dusit Thani Bread and Butter pudding by The Grand Hyatt Erawan
  
  

Special Guest: Marion Grasby Marion’s Kitchen

¹ Global Food Losses and Food Waste - FAO, 2011

² http://www.trust.org/item/20130829154039-47okt/

Source: OzHarvest, 27^th November 2015