General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal, Christian Hoehn, speaks to Team Yalla on its latest green offering
The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal is on the up in more ways than one and helping to save the planet in the process.
Along with a plethora of green initiatives, the hotel has now added its very own vertical hydroponic farm that is providing the freshest, most nutritious produce possible, grown on-site and hand-delivered, near the hotel’s restaurants and special events.
And it tastes oh so good!
In an exclusive interview, we speak to Christian Hoehn, the General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal, to find out more about the vertical hydroponic farm that the hotel has now installed, and what other green plans are in the pipeline.
According to Christian, after re-entering a post-pandemic world, the drive on sustainability once again has taken a front seat.
“We [the hotel] always had a focus on less plastic and out-of-the-box thinking on how we can support the environment,” he says, adding how in 2020 when the hotel was looking for green partners, the idea of a vertical farm arose.
“We have seen it with our sister hotel in Dubai, the Ritz Carlton. We received phenomenal feedback.’
The exciting addition of the vertical hydroponic farm aims to reinforce the hotel’s commitment towards sustainability while maintaining the high quality and freshness that diners expect from the hotel’s restaurants.
Diners at the hotel are in for a green treat as the vertical hydroponic farm harvests a whopping 10 kilograms of produce daily within a 41 square metre footprint, thus eliminating the need for transportation that results in zero spoilage.
And without the use of pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides, you are guaranteed amplified flavours and nutrition at the hotel’s restaurants, which, we think, can only be described as truly a green win-win.
The new vertical farm is just one (important) part of The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal’s sustainability portfolio that is helping to reduce the hotel’s environmental impact.
The hotel also recently implemented a variety of key initiatives that have made an immediate impact on operations, such as a new recycling service glove for their Ladies & Gentlemen and replacing plastic bottle usage within the resort with their own glass bottle programme.
A unique aspect of the vertical farm is that rather than hidden from view, it is laid bare in the Olive Garden for diners to see the lush plants being grown, and being harvested to create, for example, a rather delightful pesto sauce and salads, among other tasty pleasures.
Exclusively to Yalla Abu Dhabi, Christian let us into a secret that promises even more fresh goodness for those frequenting the hotel’s restaurants.
A second phase is in sight
“We are looking to extend our homegrown offering,” he says. “In the pipeline, we have plans to inaugurate our very own outdoor vegetable patch, where we can grow and harvest for at least eight months of the year. This will be our second phase.”
Christian describes the concept as challenging but hopes it will pan out in a way that is like going to pick freshly harvested products at a farm shop, for example.
“This was we can really provide farm to table products for all our restaurants and extend it to our banquet offerings,” he says.
The hotel is also focusing on food waste, which Christian believes ‘bespoke harvesting’ can have a positive impact on. “The outdoor vegetable patch will also serve as a springboard for kids to learn more about micro crops and introduce them to this concept.”
For more information about the hotel or for bookings, visit ritzcarlton.com
For more stories on sustainable living in the capital, visit Yalla Abu Dhabi
