Chiang Mai Hotel educates and trains university students on sustainability

Thailand hotel, Meliá Chiang Mai, is collaborating with three universities to educate and train upcoming generations of hospitality professionals about sustainable farming, culinary and waste management practices.

Under its ‘360º Cuisine’ program, the hotel works closely with local farmers to help improve sustainability and encourage ethical production to make the overall food system more resilient. The hotel sources vegetables, fruit, herbs, cage-free eggs, sterilised fresh milk, artisanal cheese, honey and more from a network of nearby ethical and chemical-free suppliers such as gourmet organic farms Seed and Rong Khum, as well as Jartisann’s Original Thai Cheese and Supha Bee Farm.

Designed to reduce the hotel’s carbon footprint and promote healthy eating, the ‘360° Cuisine’ program is spearheaded by Meliá Chiang Mai’s executive chef Suksant (Billy) Chutinthratip. Chef Billy and his team harvest as many ‘farm to plate’ ingredients as possible – roots, leaves, stems, stalks and more – in a ‘thoughtful cooking process’ before food waste returns to the farms as fertilizer.

Since the 360° Cuisine program’s inception in 2022 until July this year, the hotel has processed more than 5590kg of leftover food as compost and fertilizer and more than 1820 kg of cooking oil as a biodiesel fuel.

“Witnessing the younger generation engage with our concept is incredibly rewarding; the students appreciate the hard work behind our sustainability efforts, and the universities value real-world learning experiences,” Chef Billy said. “The students hold the key to long-term changes benefitting the health of our guests, community and environment.”

As part of their studies, students visit Seed and Rong Khum to learn about sustainable agriculture and spend time at the hotel’s kitchens to see the 360° Cuisine program in action and cook the concept’s dishes. Chef Billy provides case studies for students as part of their culinary art curriculum and participates in guest speaker sessions.

Meliá Chiang Mai has hired some of the students upon graduation who, according to Chef Billy “share our passion for sustainability”.

Chiang Mai University graduate Thodsapol Chaimongkol shared "I had the invaluable opportunity to serve as a kitchen trainee at Meliá Chiang Mai, where I learned numerous sustainability practices, including managing kitchen waste through a 360-degree approach, directing it to an organic farm for composting.

“My university instructor and Chef Billy supported me in an experimental project that explored the use of locally grown kale in pizza dough. This experience enriched my culinary skills and paved the way for me to be selected as a permanent staff member upon graduation, marking a major milestone in my career."

Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna Tak graduate Chanika Thongtecha added "after completing my internship program with Meliá Chiang Mai, I am so proud to be a member of the culinary team.

 “I had the opportunity to learn extensively during my time here and, with the support of Chef Billy and the team, I implemented a project using surplus tomatoes from local farms to create jelly for our buffet sections and coffee breaks. This experience has been rewarding and educational, and I’m excited to continue contributing to the team."

For more information on  Meliá Chiang Mai