Slow Food Sri Lanka going greener as authentic Sri Lankan cuisine night takes centre stage on the 32nd Slow Food night

“Slow Food works to defend biodiversity in our food supply, spread taste education and connect producers of excellent foods with co-producers through events and initiatives,” avers Mr Anura Dewapura, General Manager at Mount Lavinia Hotel the initiator of the Slow Food Chapter in Sri Lanka.

Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the vanishing of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat where it originates from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world. With this taken into perspective Slow Food brings together pleasure and responsibility, and makes them inseparable.

Today, over 100,000 members in 132 countries that support Slow Food and Sri Lanka is amongst them now endorsing that eco-gastronomy is the best way to move forward in the culinary world. The Sri Lankan movement borne at Mount Lavinia Hotel is founded upon this concept of eco-gastronomy and totally endorses that there is a strong link between plate and planet.”

Hence, the initiative very appropriately known farm to table was instilled at Mount Lavinia Hotel. The Slow Food concept which rides on the farm to table motto, offers the freshest dishes prepared from local ingredients found within the destination. The culinary team at Mount Lavinia Hotel makes you experience good, genuine global cuisine however especially when it’s locally sourced, creatively presented, and enjoyed in a casual ambiance.

The General Manager, Mr Anura Dewapura states, “Our concept for each last Saturday of the month differs and it ranges from global cuisine to seasonal favourites. Hence the mixture of shared cultures brings out the best in culinary excellence.” He also confirms that, “The experience and various backgrounds of our Chefs and guest chefs who are in give us the unique ability to recreate signature dishes that are synonymous to Mount Lavinia Hotel.”

He further states, “We’re proud of our new cooking initiative which is now making its way to the 32nd successful night and the fact that we’re leaving a smaller environmental footprint while working closely with our own local growers endorses our commitment to the planet.” And he continues to state, “Above all, we’re focused on preparing a delicious meal and indeed a delighted guest.”

Slow Food nights in order have been homecooked delicacies, Florribbean cuisine, Cuban wonders, Indian delicacies, Swiss, Swedish, Japanese, Italian, Argentinean, Christmas, Dutch, Danish, Italian, are just a few to mention. Mount Lavinia Hotel works with Saaraketha: an organically certified entity that supports all organic efforts at MLH.” Saaraketha supports all promotions at MLH as it is a catalyst that empowers rural small holder farmers to embrace sustainable methods of production. Their faith in sustainable growth; that man and nature can co-exist in harmony, fuels the passion to empower the local farming communities by transferring knowledge, entrepreneurship and facilitating access to technology to bring about dignity to the vocation of farming.