These are dark times, and Singapore's food and beverage industry has been one of the worst-hit by the disruptions caused by COVID-19. Yet, in darkness, we will find those shining a light. To help frontline workers at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), local restaurants are doing their all to keep them fresh and fed.
Spearheading this initiative is Labyrinth, a one-Michelin-starred restaurant at Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay helm by chef-owner Han Li Guang. Labyrinth is donating $20 per dinner customer, $80 for every bottle of corkage charged and $40 for every bottle of wine sold to purchase food from zi char restaurant Keng Eng Kee and Pezzo Group for members of the NCID.
"At the end of the day, it's about raising morale," says Li Guang. "We can still give back to society. No matter how bad things can be, we can always make a difference."
Keng Eng Kee has made an upfront donation of $2,000 to purchase Halal from Pezzo Group for frontline staff of the NCID while Pezzo Group is offering a one for one deal on all food orders from participating restaurants across its brands. All NCID staff also get 20 percent off lunch and dinner when they dine at Labyrinth.
Other partners involved in this project include Jam at Siri House, which is donating 50 percent of its sales from ist Jam and Toast dessert and 30 percent from its recently launched lounge cocktails; as well as Sanity Coffee, which is offering a 20 percent discount to all NCID staff and is also donating cups of coffee to NCID on a regular basis. If you want to get involved, email info@labyrinth.com.sg to donate.
"Why I'm doing as a consortium with my friends is because I realise that a $20 donation from every dinner customer might not make a big enough dent," explains Li Guang. "By working with Pezzo Group, who is matching our donation with a one for one offer, Keng Eng Kee with an upfront donation, Diya from Sanity Coffee and Meng from Jam at Siri House, suddenly my $1 becomes $2 and $3. We are giving every single cent to the beneficiaries, the medical professionals, cleaners, nurses and doctors at the hospitals."
Separately, other restaurants in Singapore are also providing meals to healthcare workers. This Alma by Juan Amador at Goodwood Park Hotel. It is donating a total of 800 lunch boxes of Tuesdays and Thursdays for the next six weeks. The World Gourmet Summit has also corralled 20 fine dining restaurants to prepare a lunch treat for 1,000 healthcare workers at Sengkang General Hospital. It plans on delivering 200 meals to the hospital from March 30 to April 3.
During this time of adversity, it is inspiring to see the community come together. Please continue to support our local restaurants, bars and hawkers through this difficult time too. Read our piece on how you can lend a hand.