Hyatt Hotels Corp. on Wednesday announced the launch of “Food. Thoughtfully Sourced. Carefully Served,” a global philosophy focused on sourcing and providing food and beverage options that are good for Hyatt guests and associates, good for the planet and good for local communities.
HOTELS has an exclusive story about Hyatt’s new F&B initiative in its May issue. You can read the digital version of the story here.
Hyatt Hotels Corp., Chicago, claims it is the first global hospitality brand to a make a commitment of this magnitude. This philosophy will guide food and beverage planning at Hyatt properties from the operational level to the guest experience. With this new global identity, Hyatt properties will work to anticipate and satisfy the evolving preferences of its guests, ensuring travelers have more options to fit their lifestyles while staying in Hyatt hotels around the world.
Driven by insights and in-depth research, “Food. Thoughtfully Sourced. Carefully Served” is grounded in three pillars:
- The first pillar is focused on healthy people by offering portion control, balanced offerings and natural ingredients prepared with nutrient-preserving cooking techniques. Examples include gluten-free and vegetarian options, organic produce, natural meat without supplemental growth hormones or antibiotics, reduced sodium, reduced additives, beverages with all-natural sweeteners such as agave nectar, hormone-free milk and real fruit juice.
- The second pillar is focused on a healthy planet by implementing sustainable practices that will improve the long-term health of people and the planet. Examples include sourcing sustainable seafood, naturally raised beef and pork, planting on-property gardens, recycling programs and new to-go containers and packaging.
- The final pillar is intended to support healthy communities by sourcing from local suppliers as well as sharing knowledge and actively supporting farmers’ markets and other community events. Examples include serving at least five local ingredients on menus, partnerships with schools and local community groups, empowering Hyatt associates through education, and sponsoring local culinary schools to participate in competitions.
“At Hyatt, we want to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising what’s best for future generations. We believe we have a responsibility to ensure that every one of our dishes is thoughtfully sourced and carefully served,” said Susan Santiago, vice president of food and beverage, North America operations, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. “This philosophy, which began implementation in the U.S. in mid-2011, is an effort to support the health of our guests, planet and the local community and is at the core of every food and beverage decision that is made at Hyatt properties. We are evolving the way food is purchased and served at Hyatt hotels. We believe it is what our guests deserve.”
“Our goal is to continue to drive change in our industry for the benefit of our guests, associates and our communities,” said Achim Lenders, vice president of food and beverage, international operations, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. “This new direction for food and beverage operations will enable and challenge Hyatt hotels to explore new opportunities with local suppliers, reinvigorate how our guests are served and challenge everyone to do what’s best.”
“Food. Thoughtfully Sourced. Carefully Served” is a key component of the health and wellness pillar of Hyatt Thrive, Hyatt’s global corporate responsibility platform.
Hyatt will continue to work with local community groups and organize volunteer efforts and fund-raising support to improve the economic future of the people and businesses in the communities where Hyatt hotels are located. From providing cooking skills courses in local schools to supporting and hosting farmers markets, Hyatt will also continue to make an effort to support the health of guests, associates and people in the local community.
To further demonstrate its dedication to “Food. Thoughtfully Sourced. Carefully Served”, Hyatt has joined forces with Partnership for Healthier America, which will hold Hyatt accountable for continuously improving the nutritional profile of food menus at full-service managed Hyatt properties across the United States over the next 10 years. This pledge marks the first of its kind by a hospitality company to Partnership for Healthier America.