Grand Buffet Meal Deals

I recently saw an advertisement for a `Grand Buffet Lunch` with over 100 mouth watering dishes from a 4-star hotel and another news item in TOI which talked about how `Grand Buffet Meal Deals` by Hotels are contributing to wastage of food.

 

Do you know that the Grand Buffet Lunches at an irresistible low price offered on Sundays by many Star Hotels consist of all left over items of the week before?  Pulled out from the Deep freezer, reheated or served cold depending on the dish. This secret was revealed to me by   the General Manager of a star hotel in Pune, whose advertising business I was handling . He also told me that whatever was left over after the Grand Buffet lunch was consigned to the waste bin. I understand that this practice still persists in many hotels.

Even the mind boggling number of dishes served in an abundant `all-you-can-eat` buffet served  by hotels on special occasions or  at Society weddings hugely contribute  to the wastage of food. According to the TOI report  `the guests ate less than half of the food put out on such occasions. Besides stringent Food Safety regulations allow only 10 to 15% of the left-over food to be donated or repurposed resulting in wastage of food. The sizeable waste generated by coffee, juices and other liquids add to the conundrum`

A few weeks ago I was at a wedding in the family of a well-known businessman. The ‘Who`s who’ of Chennai were in attendance. The buffet dinner consisted of  over 100 items classified  into   North Indian, South Indian , Chinese and Continental besides separate counters for Chaats and Salads. The Dessert section alone featured 14 varieties. It was mind boggling. The very sight of such a variety filled up my stomach. Though there were a few youngsters and gluttons in the crowd who were having a field day, my own guess is that most of the guests would not have picked up more  than 15 items. 

In some of the typical South Indian weddings where `Elai Sappadu` (meals served on banana leaves) is served, I find  the habit of pre-serving the items even before the guests are seated abhorring. Apart from the food becoming cold, it does not give an opportunity for the guest to refuse items which he doesn`t like from being served on his plate. . Resulting in a huge quantity of left-over food on the banana leaf at the end of every `Pandhi`. What a waste of food in a country where millions  still don`t get one square meal.

A solution to this problem has been attempted by a community in North India. They have banned their community members from serving more than a certain number of items at weddings and other festive occasions. Those who break the rule are punished. I am told in Germany, guests who order more than what they need in restaurants and waste food are penalized. 

Will it help if the government introduces a  law restricting people from serving more than a certain number of items at marriages? More than any law what will work is self-discipline. I remember a well-known educationist who served only a tasty Biryani with a side dish and a dessert for dinner at the wedding reception of his daughter. At a personal level I do not take more than what I  can eat on my plate. I believe wasting food at home or on social occasions is criminal!