Fairmont Says No to Shark Fin

Fairmont has formally removed shark fin from all of its hotel menus in Asia.

As part of hotel brand’s Sustainable Seafood initiative, which was launched in 2009, Fairmont's hotels in Asia - Fairmont Singapore, Fairmont Beijing, Fairmont Yangcheng Lake and the iconic Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai - will no longer feature shark fin on hotel menus including restaurant, in-room and banquet service meals.

The move also spans the luxury hotel brand’s global culinary operations.

“We're proud to be at the forefront of the movement to stop serving shark fin. It's a logical step for Fairmont, given our decades long work in greening our hotels and our focus on providing guests with meals that are not only good for them, but also good for the planet,” said Jean Michel Offe, Fairmont's vice-president, food & beverage. “Our hotels are constantly seeking ways to be more ethical in their menu choices and have removed other at risk species under the guidance of reputable seafood watch organizations. Simply put, it's the right thing to do.”

Fairmont Singapore, which removed shark fin soup from its menus in 2009, has used the World Wildlife Fund's Singapore Seafood Guide as a directive when selecting seafood products. The hotel's menus feature other soups, including mud crab, or dishes like oysters and green lipped mussels.

Looking to put its best ‘green’ foot forward, Fairmont Beijing also took a progressive stance when it became Fairmont’s first hotel in China to remove shark fin, an ingredient that is mostly flavorless but has deep cultural and traditional significance, from its menus.

To achieve texture and consistency characteristics similar to shark fin, while also enhancing the flavor of dishes, Chinese Chefs at Fairmont are using alternatives like lobster, crab and scallops.

In 2009, Fairmont removed two at-risk species, Bluefin Tuna and Chilean Sea Bass, from all hotel menus worldwide.

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