Continuing Education Main Headline

Culinary professionals get sustainability insights from IFTM Educational Restaurant General Manager

中文摘要 / Summary in Chinese
The General Manager of the IFTM Educational Restaurant recently presented a masterclass on sustainable gastronomy for industry professionals. Mr. Hans Lee Rasmussen discussed the practices that have made the Institute’s restaurant the first in Macao to be awarded a Michelin Green Star for commitment to sustainable gastronomy

Cook more intelligently, use locally-sourced ingredients, and waste less. That was the advice shared by Mr. Hans Lee Rasmussen of IFTM with an audience of hospitality industry professionals. His insight came during a masterclass on sustainable gastronomy presented through his role as General Manager of the Institute’s Educational Restaurant. Also taking part in the talk were high-school students with an interest in the food and beverage sector.

The event took place on September 19, as the final session of the “2023 Macao • Creative City of Gastronomy” Sustainable Gastronomy Masterclass Series. It ran from June to September at the Wynn Palace integrated resort, and was jointly organised by the Macao Government Tourism Office, integrated resort operator Wynn Resorts (Macau), S.A., and IFTM.

Four masterclasses were held this year. Other topics included organic wine in sustainable gastronomy, production of kombucha tea, and farming and harvesting of seafood using sustainable practices.

“The main thing about the series is education, to help participants become more aware about what is going on, and what is happening in Macao and around the world,” says Mr. David Wong, Executive Director of the Wynn Food & Beverage Academy, the educational arm of Wynn Resorts (Macau). 

During his masterclass, the General Manager of the IFTM Educational Restaurant discussed the selection and use of ingredients produced sustainably, which he said was an essential step in sustainable gastronomy.

For the Educational Restaurant, that process starts at the IFTM Mong-Há Campus itself. Herbs and other edible leaves are grown in gardens on the site. IFTM also has a policy of opting for regional produce.

These measures, as well as its food waste and environmental management systems, contributed to the Educational Restaurant becoming the first Macao outlet to be awarded in 2021 a Green Star by the prestigious Michelin guide, for commitment to sustainable gastronomy.

Mr. Rasmussen stresses that the focus on sustainable practices in no way means compromise in the quality of food served. The same Michelin guide has consistently awarded ‘Bib Gourmand’ status to the Educational Restaurant, highlighting its offering of “good quality, good value cooking”. Only six other restaurants in Macao currently have that accolade.

During the masterclass, he also delivered a presentation on how to prepare a fig syrup lemonade, as well as a vegan “minchi”, a sustainable twist on a beloved Macanese dish. For the demonstration, he utilised some ingredients produced in-house at the Educational Restaurant, using raw materials sourced from the IFTM gardens.