Power Healthy Relationships with Food in Your Home and Community

London/Hong Kong, 13th July 2023 - This month, The Sustainable Restaurant Association (The SRA) together with HSBC will launch a global awareness campaign to promote social sustainability in the hospitality industry and beyond. The ‘Power of Food’ campaign will showcase the importance of food as a medium of connection and will highlight the ways in which global chefs and restaurateurs are using food to make a difference with their local communities, families, schools and under-served populations. Household names like Georgina Hayden (UK), Ben Yeo (SG), Chetna Makan (UK), Christian Yang (HK) and Melissa Thompson (UK) will take the reins and lead the campaign by sharing the ways in which ‘breaking bread’ in their families and through their communities makes a difference every day. This two-part campaign mirrors some of the themes in The SRA’s Food Made Good Framework, the holistic sustainability accreditation for the global hospitality industry. ‘Feed People Well’ and ‘Support the Community’ are key components of the Framework under its ‘Society’ pillar, which reflects the broader connections that any sustainable business needs to foster. 

Food and Family will be the focus of the campaign in July, focusing on the importance of taking the time to cook and eat with family. This is crucial for strengthening familial relationships, sharing valuable knowledge on nutrition, flavour and food sourcing and teaching essential, real-world life skills. Studies* show that involving kids in cooking is associated with more positive food choices. Early education is paramount to the next generation’s relationship with food and their understanding on how nutrition fits into a healthy lifestyle.  

Throughout the campaign, well-known food faces will share a variety of ideas across social media that can be genuinely useful for families. This will range from simple recipes that kids can help cook to tips that teach them about growing produce, forming new connections with the origins of their food.  

Food and Community will be the focus of the campaign in August, demonstrating the integral role that food plays in building connections within local communities. Derived from The SRA’s Food Made Good Standard**, this campaign celebrates everyone’s right to access good, nutritious food and showcases ways to support each other through this powerful medium. The SRA will be championing chef-led initiatives around the world, highlighting how they are contributing to the communities around them in meaningful ways – this could be providing access to nutritious meals, creating jobs and/or supporting people who have experienced social disadvantage. There are some fantastic participants confirmed for this initiative, ranging from major players in the scene to those quietly going about their important work: Luminary Bakery (UK), Food Angel (Hong Kong), Young’s Pubs (UK) and Open Farm Community (Singapore) to name just a few. 

The Power of Food campaign has been produced as part of a wider partnership between The SRA and HSBC. Earlier this year, the two organisations partnered on More Taste, Less Waste, a series of short films showcasing how restaurants around the world are utilising some of our most wasted food ingredients to reduce waste in kitchens. In its totality, the partnership aims to highlight the fundamental role food has in our lives: for our environment, for our societies and for our collective futures. 

Juliane Caillouette Noble, Managing Director of The SRA, said: “The Power of Food is something that we at The SRA are incredibly passionate about, and we’re proud to be working with HSBC to harness a powerful, global voice as a valuable resource and contribution to our cause. Society is an area that many people might not consider when they talk about sustainability, but its impact is huge – that’s why it’s a key pillar of our Food Made Good Standard. Food’s role within family and community life is a wonderful and powerful thing – nothing can bring people together like food does. It’s our responsibility and mission to champion this around the world, and it contributes to our greater cause of sustainability within food. Education and knowledge are paramount in this. 

“A table is a table; whether in a house, on the side of a road, in a restaurant or otherwise, and we want to encourage everyone to have a seat at it, to be inspired and comforted by the power of food – emotionally as well as physically and nutritionally.” 

The SRA works in partnership with HSBC to build thought-provoking campaigns that explore sustainability issues around the world. This partnership allows The SRA to incorporate holistic sustainability criteria and messaging across HSBC’s considerable food and drink platform, creating opportunities to have a meaningful impact and effect positive change on a global scale. 

Jon Lane, Global Head of Brand Partnerships at HSBC, said: “At HSBC, we believe that food opens up a world of opportunity by bringing people and cultures together. We are proud to support The Sustainable Restaurant Association in its mission to use food to drive connection, and further encourage our understanding of sustainability initiatives for the industry. The Power of Food campaign truly captures the important role which food plays in our lives; both with families and across communities.” 

More participants will be announced as the campaigns go live.