Latest news with #Winnow
Trade Arabia
16-04-2025
- Business
- Trade Arabia
Novotel Deira Creekside launches NOVO25 campaign
Novotel Deira Creekside and Novotel Suites Mall Avenue are launching their NOVO25 campaign, inspired by President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan's declaration of 2025 as the Year of Community in the UAE. The yearlong campaign aims to foster connections, create positive change, and strengthen family ties. The hotels are collaborating with Project REEFRAME, led by FREESTYLE DIVERS, to restore and rebalance ocean and coral reef ecosystems, contributing to marine biodiversity preservation and raising awareness about ocean conservation. 'We're incredibly excited to launch NOVO25 and invite our guests to join us in a year of meaningful experiences designed to help families and friends unwind, bond, and create lasting memories,' said Nishan Silva, Regional General Manager, Dubai & Emirates North, UAE 'This campaign reflects our deep passion for sustainability in hospitality and our unwavering commitment to fostering a sense of community. NOVO25 goes beyond offering fun and surprises; it is about nurturing relationships, championing sustainable practices, and playing our part in shaping a brighter, more sustainable future for both our guests and the world around us.' 'Project REEFrame has been a community project from the outset', said Darryl Owen, CEO of Freestyle Divers and founder of Project REEFrame. 'By educating and training people of all ages, including corporate teams, families, children, students, divers, and citizen scientists, we have not only been able to create awareness about the challenges facing the coastal marine ecosystems in the UAE, we also are providing concrete opportunities for the community to create genuine impact on our projects. Our coral reef project in Dibba Fujairah is a shining example of what can be achieved when we bring passionate people together. Every week our science and conservation team is working with our sponsors, partners, and the public to create measurably positive environmental impact'. To further their commitment to sustainability, the hotels recently hosted 15 young minds and sustainability champions from various schools for an insightful field trip across both properties. The students saw how food waste is converted into compost for agricultural use and learned how the hotels are leveraging innovative AI systems like Winnow to minimize food waste, reduce carbon footprint, and enhance sustainable operations. The Balance the Ocean Art Exhibition will showcase local artists' creative talents, inspiring guests to reflect on the importance of preserving our oceans and reinforcing the hotels' dedication to artistic expression and sustainability. Novotel's Tea Cooking Classes offer guests the opportunity to learn the culinary potential of tea, from marinated meats to flavorful sauces. To build lasting family memories, children celebrating their birthdays on the 25th of any month can win a fun-filled celebration at one of the hotels. Parents can join in the fun by following the hotels on social media.
Khaleej Times
26-03-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
GCC food waste 14% above global average: How UAE is tackling the crisis
Food waste in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region average 150kg per capita annually which is 14 per cent higher than the global average of 132 kg. A recent paper titled Tackling Food Waste In The GCC Grocery Market by Oliver Wyman highlighted that food waste levels in the GCC surpass those of many developed economies, exceeding European Union (EU) figures by 38 per cent and nearly doubling Japan's per capita waste. While retail food waste typically accounts for only five per cent to 15 per cent of total waste in most countries, the GCC's retail sector sees 38 per cent more waste than the global average. The paper also revealed that the retail sector in the GCC wasted approximately 1.3 million tonnes of food in 2022. This corresponds to an annual loss of approximately $4-7 billion, which is enough to provide an iftar meal for 70 per cent of all Muslims around the world throughout Ramadan. Given the GCC's heavy reliance on imported food, excessive waste further strains resources and intensifies sustainability challenges. How UAE is tackling the crisis Despite the statistics, the UAE remains committed to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 by reducing food loss and waste by 50 per cent by 2030 and beyond. It continues to lead the regional movement for change through the collaborative efforts of ne'ma, the National Food Loss and Waste Initiative. Ne'ma is partnering with Taste of Dubai to enhance food waste reduction efforts within the UAE's event industry. Building on the success of their initial collaboration at Taste of Abu Dhabi 2024, ne'ma helped divert 310kg of food waste from landfills, prevented 775kg of CO2e emissions, and generated 62 kg of compost. When Khaleej Times reached out to food business operators in the UAE to understand what waste reduction strategies are implemented in their establishments, several proprietors highlighted that restaurants here systematically 'track food waste data' through digital monitoring tools and staff logs. Thomas Schmelter, Area General Manager, IHG Hotels at Dubai Festival City said, 'We actively track and analyse food waste using the Winnow system, which allows us to measure waste by value and weight. Through this, we've observed that targeted improvements — such as adjusting portion sizes and reducing overproduction — significantly lessen waste volumes. These insights have enabled our teams to make smarter decisions daily.' Schmelter noted that the hotel also works closely with local charities to donate surplus to support the community rather than going to waste. Culinary teams creatively transforms leftover or surplus items into new menu components. Abdulla Al Abdulla, chief operating officer and general manager of Central Hotels and Resorts, said: 'We have a structured system for repurposing surplus ingredients into new dishes. The final destination for waste is a new 'waste-to-energy' facility introduced by the Dubai Municipality. With the help of our service partner, we systematically track food waste data through digital monitoring tools and staff logs. Trends observed include higher waste during peak seasons and buffet setups, allowing us to refine menu planning and optimize food preparation accordingly.' Tracking data, optimising portion, refining menu Based on data analysis and guest feedback, restaurants also optimise portion sizes and refined menu offerings to minimise waste, while maintaining guest satisfaction. 'Our à la carte menu includes flexible portion options, and we use seasonal ingredients to avoid excess inventory. We proactively manage ingredients nearing expiration by repurposing them into soups, sauces, and special dishes. Additionally, we donate safe and consumable food to local charities and ensure that unavoidable waste is composted or sustainably disposed of,' added Abdulla. Meanwhile, the paper also focused that finding the right balance between availability and food waste is one of the key challenges in food retail. Sagar Khanna, Operations Head, Querida, a Mexican restaurant said, 'We have done specials in the menu when we have surplus ingredients: flautas, enfrijoladas, empanadas, rice. We can make new dishes for the day and offer to our guests more variety of food. When something like this happens, we stop ordering from another dish so we can finish our surplus and not having wastage in the restaurant.' He added: 'In case it is an ingredient that we cannot work out in the menu we have a lot of nationalities in our restaurant and they for sure can make something for staff meal and we can all enjoy the delicious options from different parts of the world.' Select items across restaurants are batch-cooked and frozen for future use as well. Additionally, F&B owners pointed out that menu flexibility allows restaurants to respond to consumption trends while keeping waste low. Isheeta Sharma, Founder, Daftar DIFC said, 'We follow FIFO (first in, first out) protocols, label ingredients for accurate tracking, and design our menu to utilise common ingredients across multiple dishes. This ensures optimal usage and reduces the likelihood of spoilage or discard. Near-expiry items are repurposed into daily specials.'
