Kuwaiti diners have spoken out against the idea of being fined for leaving large amounts of food waste at the end of a meal, saying it is custom in the Middle Eastern tradition to order plentifully in restaurants.
The outcry comes as international chefs and restaurant bodies put pressure on restaurants worldwide to reduce food waste, including suggestions they charge diners for food they leave at the end of a meal.
Talking to the Kuwait Times, Eric Fontaine, F&B director of the Crowne Plaza hotel, said that introducing charges for eating habits considered wasteful is not an option in Kuwait: “We’d get a lot of complaints if we introduced such charges because it’s not in line with the culture, and would be perceived as an insult,” he said.
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“Middle Eastern culture is very much about sharing and hospitality, so usually a variety of dishes are ordered. People eat with their eyes, and a table full of food is very appealing.”
A Kuwaiti student, Fajer, told the paper: “The restaurants here are incredibly successful because we enjoy eating and we’re generous when we order.”
Fajer, who is currently planning to set up her own restaurant, added, “It’s traditional for us to be as hospitable as possible. You don’t order a plate for yourself, you order for all to enjoy together. I think that’s a wonderful thing. I would never even consider incorporating such charges into my restaurant.”
Atul Kocchar, the Indian born British chef who has opened the Zafran restaurants in Kuwait and Dubai with Foodmark, told Caterer: “In Britain, up to 20 million tonnes of food waste is created each year. Even the Japanese manage to waste US $101.6 billion of food a year. With nearly a billion undernourished people in the world there is a big discrepancy between where the food is going and why it is not being used.
“Restaurants should be making a strong effort to reduce their wastage, whether this is done in-house with the initiative being taken on by staff, or whether the restaurant works closely with an organisation such as The Sustainable Restaurant Association, which encourages sustainability globally
"Recently Marmar restaurant in Saudi Arabia has made the news because of a charge for food wastage. The restaurant has decided to charge their customers for ordering too much food. The more food you leave on your plate the more you are charged by the restaurant."
He went on to add: “Guests can also make an effort to reduce wastage when dining out. This means ordering less or smaller portions.”
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