The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai, JBRis partnering with Green Container Advanced Farming (GCAF) to strengthen its commitment to fresh, sustainable living with the launch of its very own hyper-local on-site hydroponic farm, one of the first-ever vertical farms in the city.
Renowned for providing the highest quality and most innovative dining experiences, The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai strives to serve guests mouthwatering cuisine, prepared with locally grown produce for a delicious taste. By harvesting a variety of herbs, microgreens, lettuce and other ingredients at their own hydroponic facility, just a few short steps away from the kitchen, the hotel promises daily delivery of the most nutritious ingredientsin dishes served across their numerous award-winning restaurants.
With a focus on food security and regenerative farming practices, the city’s latest vertical farm at The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai is approximately 40 square meters in size and completely sealed to ensure it is totally pesticide and herbicide free. The dynamic farm grows crops year-round with daily harvests of up to ten kilograms of produce. The freshly-grown selection of herbs includes Italian basil, Thai basil, and rosemary, amongst others, while coast-line lettuce, salanova mix and kale will also be grown.The produce will enhance the skillfully prepared dishes served at the distinct dining establishments such as Blue Jade, Splendido, Amaseena and more.
As the first Marriott property in the region to establish a vertical farm, The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai has reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability, whilesupporting the UAE’s ambitious food security goals. The hydroponic technique employed by the resort eliminates the need for soil to grow crops and reduced the amount of water needed for by close to 90% when compared with traditional farming techniques. By having the farm located on the property, the carbon footprint is greatly reduced since logistics in bringing the produce to the hotel are eliminated while also enhancing the quality of freshness.
Jeroen Elmendorp, General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai, commented, “ At The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai, we are proud to be one of the first hotels in the region to provide our guests with sustainably grown, local producefrom our innovative vertical farm, across our diverse F&B offerings. The significance of this launch is twofold; we are firstly supporting the UAEon its journey to increasing sustainability, while also enabling our guests to eat locally grown produce, which of course, is more environmentally friendly, but also superior in quality, taste and freshness.”
“Looking forward, we aim to boost responsible operations,which involves placing sustainability at the heart of all that we do. I am confident the launch of our very own hydroponic facility will provide our guests with an incredible culinary experience, as we prepare tantalizing cuisine bursting with flavour.”
“GCAF LLC is proud to be partnering with Ritz Carlton JBR on this project and look forward to a long relationship in providing the highest quality produce possible.”- Maan Said, CEO, GCAF – Green Container Advanced Farming