Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, a famous chain of luxury hotels around the world, reported that it had removed shark fin dishes from all of its hotel menus across Asia. This was done because of the new sustainable seafood policy. The announcement has been already taken to action. This move also concerns global culinary operations of the hotelier and is the consequence of Fairmont’s desire to help precious marine species.
According to Jean Michel Offe, food & beverage vice president of Fairmont, they are proud of this step. Fairmont hotels have always tried to “green” their accommodations and provide meals that is good and healthy not only for visitors, but also for the planet. He thinks modern hotels must be more ethical about the food they serve. Fairmont has already removed rare species that are at risk and continues consulting with reputable seafood watch organizations.
Initially Fairmont presented its Sustainable Seafood program in 2009. At that time shark fin was removed from the menu of Fairmont hotel in Singapore. The menu of the hotel’s restaurant offers many replacements that are as sumptuous and delicious – a mud crab, green lipped mussels and oysters. Later the same rule was applied to Fairmont hotel in Beijing – the first Fairmont accommodation in China. This was a huge step forward – almost flavorless shark fin has a great cultural significance for Asian countries. Now all Fairmont hotels in Asia – Fairmont Singapore, Fairmont Peace hotel in Shanghai, Fairmont Beijing, and Fairmont Yangcheng – do not serve shark fin.
In order to find an equal replacement and make dishes similar to shark fin, chefs of Fairmont work with taste and flavour of dishes, offering various alternatives like crab, lobster and scallops. These dishes have received many positive feedbacks from visitors.
Shark fin is not the only ingredient removed from menu. Earlier the hotelier removed Bluefin Tuna and Chilean Sea Bass from menus of all Fairmont hotels around the world. All purchases of seafood for Fairmont hotels are made with the guidance of seafood watch organizations.