HOTEL FOOD + BEVERAGE, ESG GOALS + CULTURAL SENSITIVITY
I TALK TO INDUSTRY COMMENTATOR + CONSULTANT MALLIKA BASU, ABOUT HOW CREATING UNIQUE, CULTURALLY RICH RESTAURANTS AND BARS CAN HELP HOTELS DO BETTER_
Restaurants, bars, public spaces and culinary programming are key drivers for consumers when choosing where to stay, whilst it’s imperative that hotels integrate real and measurable environmental and social goals into every part of their commercial thinking.
Somewhere in the middle is a win-win scenario. One that’s not only full of opportunities, but potential challenges too.
Operators want to share authentic, original food stories and flavours from underrepresented countries, regions and individuals to help create points of difference and attract guests. But doing so respectfully is no mean feat.
Examples of cultural appropriation are rightly being called out by experts and an increasingly sensitive audience. And we all have a duty to get this stuff right.
Here’s what Mallika and I we talked about.
Can you offer a brief overview for anyone who works in food, drink and hospitality and wants to be cultural sensitive, but unsure of where to start?
We live in a morally and socially responsible world, with people increasingly more aware than ever of discrimination and injustice.
While this is often negatively described as being "woke", it is very much part of the culture today, and how we live.
Organisations and people in positions of authority and influence are expected to minimise the negative outcomes of their actions, and make a positive contribution to people and the planet.
From a food and drink perspective, this means being aware of the impact you’re having. Treating what you put on your menu and in your mouth as more than just what you eat.
Food and drink are important cultural artefacts. Rooted in history, heritage, communities, society and people. Therefore, they must be treated with respect, care and caution.
What are the top three things to be conscious of when embarking on a new restaurant or bar concept that seeks to draw inspiration from other cuisines and cultures?
People often mistakenly believe that being culturally sensitive implies you're expected not to draw inspiration from other cuisines and cultures. However, this couldn't be further from the truth.
Our palates, high streets and home kitchens have benefited greatly from cultural inspiration. It's not about what you do, it about how you do it.
The top three things to be conscious of are,
1. Whether you've done your research and are coming from a place of deep knowledge
2. How the community or culture you're inspired by feel about what you’re doing
3. What’s built in to your business that ensures you're giving something back to them
There tends to be a food hierarchy where the food of some cultures has elevated status. I always ask my offending clients if they would commit a similar crime with French food and the response is often no, never. The same respect and status should apply to all cuisines.
We all saw the Great British Bake-off Mexico week introduction, and the Ivy Asia Brasserie promo video? Why were these was so bad, and why does this matter?
Both of those were textbook cultural appropriation, which is about commercialising a culture that is not your own and then mistreating and mishandling it without duly acknowledging, platforming or benefitting the culture you’re extracting from.
It almost always implies a dominant culture stealing, snatching, or taking by force from those that have been subjected to colonisation, extraction, economic subjugation, and enslavement.
In every case of this there will be evidence of poor research, which doesn't involve, platform or champion genuine experts or people from that community or culture.
They also resort to – and reinforce – negative and harmful stereotypes that are reductive and get in the way of true exploration and understanding.
It's bad enough when all of Mexico is reduced to sombreros and tequila, let alone squashing some 48 countries into the culture collective that is Asia.
Regarding Ivy Asia Brasserie, is the concept inherently wrong, or is it the way it was communicated in the video specifically?
I think it's a bit of both. I am from India originally, where there is a great love for the flavour profile that is broadly termed “Asian-inspired”.
We have a historic and long-term love affair with the ingredients of East and South East Asia. The challenge with this is that the nuances of the cuisines get lost along the way.
I don't know a single person from the ESEA food writing community that is a fan of this approach, but it's popular with diners.
Why not engage the community and get it right? Address some of the lack of understanding, engage, and educate?
The problem is bigger than the video. It's the mindset that leads to the video and how things like this get the go-ahead without anyone stopping to say ‘how can this be right?’
What does authenticity mean for you?
The word authentic - when applied to food - is incredibly hard to frame. It tends to signpost heritage and tradition. While recipes, ingredients and flavours have origin and a home, these can - and often do - change from region to region, community to community and even family to family.
In a globalised world with much movement and myriad influences, the boundaries are more fluid. When you add interracial unions, immigration, and global lifestyles to the mix the concept of authenticity suddenly becomes murkier. Amidst this fluidity, anyone is free to experiment with flavour.
To me, the word authentic is about being true. Having integrity about the origin of ingredients, flavour, techniques and recipes, while also being honest about the changes you have made - from a place of knowledge or heritage - to them. Attaching words to denote provenance to recipes or dishes and give them faux authenticity is a big no no, but it happens all the time.
Hotels and restaurants can be a powerful platform to champion local and diverse food and drink personalities and brands. What advice can you offer when it comes to developing sensitive strategic partnerships?
The starting point must be to see a partnership as a truly mutually beneficial exercise - a two-way street. The industry needs to get out of the mindset of power where it exists mostly to extract and not put something back.
It also needs to factor proper commercial gain for both parties. To listen and to learn.
In a difficult economic climate, fresh thinking and a partnership approach can be truly powerful for players and help further their ESG, purpose and impact goals and drive commercial success if done properly.
Are there any examples of people or businesses that are getting this right?
I like the work Thomasina Myers has done with Wahaca. I also think Samyukta Nair has an interesting model here she pairs her vision with a chef with deep expertise of a particular cuisine.
To get it right, however, requires a successful marriage of all the factors outlined above and not everyone nails this.
So, for instance, there are chefs who do their research but don't engage the community in their thinking or promotional activity. Worse still, they don't raise their heads above the parapet to support them.
This was the case for many restaurants who commercialise the food of ESEA, who didn't step up to speak about Stop Asian Hate or support community ventures.
Not everyone is an activist, but it perpetuates the notion of taking and taking, but not putting back.
Others mimic the food but remain impervious to cultural nuances. I've been to an Indian restaurant where my heavily pregnant friend and I were forced to sit on counter stools because all the unreserved empty tables were being held back for groups of four or more.
That would never happen in India, where pregnant women are treated with the utmost of care in hospitality settings.
Is there anything else you think should be mentioned?
One of the great challenges with this sort of thinking is that diners mostly don't care.
Restaurants that are culturally insensitive at best, racist and misogynist at worst, continue to fill up with punters after the initial storm about their wrongdoings has passed.
However, this is no excuse to carry on as usual. Being purpose- and impact-led is not a passing phase. These behaviours are here to stay. While the commercial imperative may not be immediately obvious, they do carry reputational points.
Those who don't stay ahead of the way the world is moving will inevitably get left behind in every sector. And food, drink and hospitality is no different. For a sector that is under a lot of pressure currently, being culturally sensitive should be part of how it does differently and better in the future.
About Mallika
Mallika Basu is a communications and strategy advisor, with over two decades in the corporate world alongside nearly 20 years as a writer, commentator and consultant on food and culture.
She helps organisations and individuals navigate and engage with a culturally-rich and diverse world, protect their reputation, and celebrate all that is good.
Mallika's clients include Borough Market, Dishoom, the Sustainable Restaurant Association, Waitrose and The Jamie Oliver Group.
HOW CAN I HELP?
Whether you’re new to hospitality, an independent operator, a global brand or a developer, I collaborate with people just like you to create brands and concepts that move our industry forward.
Working with a network of talented collaborators, we specialise in projects that seek to achieve a meaningful impact in destination locations.
If you’d like to discuss how we can bring your bold vision to life, or give your existing business a completely new point of view, please book a call with me here.
Ed
