The Americas:
Pete Wells signs off from The New York Times
The well-known and highly respected restaurant critic for The New York Times, Pete Wells, has announced that he has written his last review. Often surprising, sometimes controversial, Wells has been a prolific writer for the newspaper in the last 12 years. Though he insists he continues to love the job, health concerns have prompted him to stop. A relentless schedule of lunches and dinners every day has taken its toll on his body and when a recent medical check up revealed a litany of issues, he knew it was time to stop. Over the course of the years, Wells has garnered attention for some bold takedowns, among them a brutal review of the Michelin-starred Per Se, but he has also used his platform to shine a light on many unknown neighborhood restaurants.
Chick-fil-A no longer America’s favorite
After a decade in the top spot, Chick-fil-A has slipped down the ranking of America’s favorite fast food restaurants. USA Today’s reader-ranked survey of the nation’s most popular fast food outlets has revealed a new number one for 2024: Del Taco, which has clinched the top spot for its selection of Mexican favorites, including tacos, burritos and quesadillas. KFC came second in the survey, followed by the former favorite Chick-fil-A, which also finished down the ranking of best fast food chicken where it came seventh, a category topped by Filipino chin Jollibees. Del Taco also came top in the category for best fast food fries.
Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA):
Healthier food to power Olympians in Paris
The starting gun is being fired on the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris this week and athletes from across the world have gathered in the French capital and a foodservice operation that is famously extensive and wide-ranging. It is effectively the world’s biggest restaurant for the duration of the Olympic and Paralympic Games – organizers expect to serve over two million meals for the competitors alone. The standard of food has been elevated for these Games; menus are healthier and more sustainable than in previous years. Chicken nuggets are off the menu, replaced with plant-based alternatives. In all, 30% of the food will be plant-based. And while 20% of athlete’s meals at London 2012 came from McDonald’s, in Paris the fast food giant will not have a presence.
Noma chef fronts Omnivore on Apple TV
Rene Redzepi, the chef behind the Noma the three-Michelin starred Copenhagen restaurant, five times named the world’s best, is famous for pioneering a new style of Nordic cuisine which has made it mark on restaurants globally. Now he has teamed up with collaborator Matt Goulding to produce a show about the origin of foods we eat and what it means for humanity. Omnivore, a series of eight episodes, each delving into one ingredient and the culture surrounding them. The ingredients were chosen, not just for their importance to human survival but the impact on our psyche. As Redzepi said in an interview with The LA Times: “We need wheat to stay alive, but we need chile to feel alive.”
Omnivore is available on Apple TV+ now.
Asia Pacific:
Report finds Australia’s food companies are failing nature
The Future of Food report, published by The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF), evaluated 20 major food companies on more than 35 differentiators, including pollution, transparency and governance. The ACF found that the companies are not setting meaningful targets to reduce their impact on the environment; none of the 20 assessed companies had carried out a risk assessment and none had targets focused on elements such as water use or freshwater pollution. “There’s a huge opportunity for companies to position themselves as industry leaders,” concluded the report.
Chinese food delivery giant set to expand to Saudi Arabia
Among the most successful food delivery operator in mainland China and Hong Kong, Meituan is getting ready to launch its overseas platform KeeTa in the booming market of Saudi Arabia this Fall. In what is the Chinese company’s first foray into markets outside China and Hong Kong, KeeTa will be finding itself competing against existing operators Jahez and HungerStation who together account for 70% of the delivery market in Saudi Arabia. KeeTa was introduced to Hong Kong in May 2023 and has become the second most popular food-delivery service there.
Tina Nielsen
