At the recent FHA – Food & Beverage which took place in April, we spoke with Jaeeun Jung, Assistant Vice President, F&B (Southeast Asia and Australasia) from Shangri-La Group. In her role, Jaeeun oversees F&B operations for 26 hotels in SEAA across 10 countries. Currently, one of her focus is to drive F&B operations in a sustainable way from an environmental-friendly and ecosystem approach. In a panel discussion on “Aiming for zero carbon footprint in the F&B industry”, Jaeeun shared about Shangri-La Group’s zero waste initiatives such as the Conscious Cookie, made of various cookie trims and ingredients that did not make the (measuring) cup.
In this short interview, Jaeeun shared with us about her experience at FHA – Food & Beverage and the main challenge her hotel faces in implementing sustainability measures.
Jaeeun Jung from Shangri-La Group, Preston Wong from treatsure, and Angelica Wong from CRUST Group Singapore shared what their companies are doing to reduce food waste. The panel was moderated by Oliver Truesdale-Jutras from Open Farm Community.
Q: How was your experience with FHA – F&B 2023?
As someone who is very passionate about F&B, my experience at FHA has been incredibly rewarding. Having the opportunity to meet over 1000 exhibitors and industry experts and discover new and innovative products can take our F&B offering to the next level, so it’s very valuable.
Q: What new products are you looking for?
I’m looking forward to seeing more high quality products that are sustainable and can enhance our guest experience while protecting our ecosystem.
Q: What is the most valuable aspect of being here at FHA?
It’s the opportunity to connect with people from all over the world and learn about similar products that are produced in different ways. This exposure helps us to look at different approaches to the same topic and enhances our knowledge within the industry, driving innovative changes.
Q: What is one big trend that you have observed in the F&B industry?
“There is also a focus on promoting sustainability through sourcing local products and supporting homegrown producers.”
I have noticed growth in the ‘zero’ approach – zero plastic, zero wastage, zero sugar. There is also a focus on promoting sustainability through sourcing local products and supporting homegrown producers.
What is the main challenge that your hotel is facing in implementing sustainability measures?
“One of the biggest challenge is the limited availability of sustainable products, which makes it difficult to balance between costs and the resources needed to adopt such measures.”
One of the biggest challenge is the limited availability of sustainable products, which makes it difficult to balance between costs and the resources needed to adopt such measures. Therefore, an exhibition like FHA is incredibly valuable to us as they showcase sustainable products from all around the world, helping us in our sourcing and enabling us to make progress in our sustainability efforts.
Looking to expand your business into the Asian market?
FHA – Food and Beverage returns next year on 23-26 April 2024 at Singapore Expo. With a line-up of leading global suppliers, industry professionals can anticipate the most extensive showcase of trending F&B and hospitality products and solutions, cutting-edge technologies for food & drinks manufacturing, and more at the mega event. Contact us to get involved.
