Sustainability à la Carte

Times have changed since Berthold Kempinski opened his first small wine shop in Berlin. New eras bring new challenges and call for a different philosophy. Always attuned to fresh thinking, and with an eye on the future, we are taking steps towards sustainable development, working in ways that are gentler on the environment, and rediscovering the taste of yesterday’s products.

Gastronomy has always been at the core of Kempinski. Ever since we opened our themed restaurant Haus Vaterland in Berlin in the 1920s, we have taken an innovative approach to cuisine and have embodied each era. Rather than impose one style worldwide, we embrace the traditions and flavours of each destination.

We are taking this same approach to sustainable development, sharing our vision with restaurant teams then encouraging them to infuse it with their own culture and local history. In each region, the chefs share our concern for product quality and local sourcing. They know their producers better than anyone and seek out the hidden treasures of their location.

CHOOSING OUR PARTNERS

Our teams choose partners for their ethics as well as their excellence and proximity. These producers care about the environment, animal welfare and sustainable development. We champion a global ethic and want to share it without compromising product quality. For example, we strongly encourage our chefs to use only free-range eggs or to have their own kitchen garden – even in the middle of a city.

Wherever possible, the ingredients our chefs use are sourced from local producers or local markets. They pay close attention to product quality and production conditions and often visit farms to compare experiences direct with the producers.

SUSTAINABILITY AS A SOURCE FOR CULINARY CREATIVITY  

Kempinski chefs are inventive and innovative, constantly seeking new approaches while drawing on the creativity for which they are renowned. For example, the culinary team at Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea confronts the challenges of its desert location by sourcing fresh organic vegetables that give due care to scarce water resources. In many of our hotels, traditional local dishes are cleverly reinvented to make them lighter and more modern, using organic or seasonal products straight from the local farmers’ markets.

Learn more about sustainability at Kempinski in our Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) section.  

There are surprises in the Alps too, where chefs at Kempinski Palace Engelberg in Switzerland have created the Cattani Collection, an innovative menu celebrating Swiss produce. Small local producers and kitchen teams work hand-in-hand to develop quality products made at farmhouse scale which are suitable for gastronomic menus, each complemented by wine pairings from a local vineyard. These month-long collaborations position a local ingredient at the centre, and are kicked off by a masterclass wine-tasting event with the local artisan as the star of the evening.

RESPECTING LOCAL TRADITIONS

In Kempinski hotels worldwide, the history of each destination, along with its customs, is important from an ethical aspect and is also a rich source of inspiration. A million miles from the rootless recipes of an ever more uniform, globalised world, local traditions provide an open book of wonderful stories.

In Malta, the L-Istorja restaurant at Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz pays tribute to Gozo's rich past. For centuries the island was an important base for controlling the Mediterranean and its trade routes. Consequently, Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Spaniards, Italians, French, Normans, and the British, have left their mark on Maltese cuisine. 

This incredible history has left centuries-old treasures to inspire the hotel’s chef who creates unique recipes such as cuttlefish tagliatelle, in which the ‘pasta’ is made from the fish itself. The accompanying lemons and potatoes are harvested directly from the hotel’s kitchen garden – a farm-to-table approach of which the hotel is rightly proud. The cuttlefish comes from small fishing harbours on Gozo island.

HOSPITALITY MEETS FARMING 

At Kempinski Hotel Barbaros Bay Bodrum, the keen involvement of the staff has led to the creation of the Barbaros Farm. The farm is seriously committed to sustainable development, practicing natural, chemical-free agriculture on land that hadn’t been farmed for 70 years and was therefore unpolluted.

Barbaros Farm uses only local and ecological seeds, and practices permaculture, combining crops of different species that benefit each other when grown together. Hotel guests are encouraged to visit the farm where they can help with the harvest or enjoy artistic, musical and gastronomic events.

With the enthusiastic commitment and creativity of our teams around the world, we are combining responsibility with new experiences and fresh discoveries that will delight our guests. 

If you enjoyed this, why not discover more Kempinski culinary experiences in this Live Local feature?