Conor Spacey is the Executive Chef with FoodSpace based in Dublin, and this week he is London-bound for the launch of the first Chefs Manifesto Action Hub, a geographically located and focused space for driving action among the catering industry.
Conor joined FoodSpace in February 2016 and has been fundamental in building their ethos around putting fresh, seasonal and responsibly sourced ingredients at the centre of every plate we serve. Conor hand picks every single one of their chefs and encourages each of them to marry great ingredients with their own personal inspiration and food experiences to create their menus.
"Food tastes better when it’s made fresh. All our chefs understand this. They’re foodies. They get excited at the thought of wowing people with real food made from scratch and creating long-lasting memories for every customer," said Conor.
The Action Hub will launch with a week of activities and events from the 18th to 22nd of June at Omved Gardens in Highgate, London. Coinciding with World Sustainable Food Day, these events will push forward ideas on sustainable food development with wide-ranging content.
Conor will be cooking over three days with different guest chefs from around the world. As part of the program, Spacey will be speaking around sustainability, how it is achievable and the FoodSpace journey in Ireland and what has been implemented at each FoodSpace location to make real change.
“Being part of Chefs Manifesto is an incredible honour but also so important as it links in with our FoodSpace ethos. One of the highlights will be on the Wednesday when we are cooking with refugees, 12 in total for National refugee Day and hosting workshops throughout the gardens,” explained Conor.
“As chefs we have a responsibility to purchase the best produce because in turn this leads to a higher quality of dish created and enjoyed. It is no longer about just food, we have to look across all sections and realise the impact we have on our environments both socially, physically and ecology. It all starts with local and you build from there,” said Conor.
The Chefs Manifesto is made up of 100+ chefs from 36 countries with a main focus of tackling issues such as protection of biodiversity and improved animal welfare, investment in sustainable agriculture and farmer livelihoods, no food loss or waste, celebration of local, seasonal food, A focus on plant-based ingredients and education on food safety, healthy diets and nutritious cooking.
Chefs are already leading a lot of great activity around food issues. Through the Chefs Manifesto (SDG2 Advocacy Hub) community, they also want to profile some of this work, share learnings and best practice and empower chefs everywhere to be (United Nations SDG Action Campaign) advocates.
“We have been delivering Food Services as part of the wider Apleona HSG Facility Management Service family since 1974. During this time, we have worked closely with our clients, forming strong relationships that have developed and grown over time. Our success is based on our ability to develop a clear understanding of the needs and what’s important in the daily operation of a client organisation. Sustainability is a key pillar for most businesses today," said Conor.
“Cooking for large numbers of people across all of our locations daily through sustainable and ethical practices is the driving force behind why this company is growing. The culture is one where our chefs have the freedom to create food that is alive with great flavour and nutrition, prepared from scratch using authentic ingredients. All of the FoodSpace team has a genuine passion for local and seasonal produce and ingredients,” he added.
FoodSpace have worked hard to put brilliant food and sustainably sourced ingredients at the heart of this vibrant business. FoodSpace are ambitious to grow the business where they can work with like-minded clients and customers. Currently FoodSpace employs 140 in dedicated catering roles. Check out the FoodSpace Website Here.
You can sign up to the Chefs Manifesto group Here. For updates from Chefs Manifesto see their Twitter page @SDG2AdvocacyHub and website at www.chefsmanifesto.com
And, you can Follow Chef Conor Spacey on Twitter @SpaceyChef
What a great idea!
Zack
