ECHO 2016 COLLEGE MAGAZINE

creative writers
towel and Linen reuse programs
being the hotels first initiatives
f o l l o w e d b y e f f i c i e n t e n e r g y
management systems through room
key cards which enables auto power
shut off in rooms when guests leave
the room.
• To enhance customer loyalty –
Responsible guests choose green
hotels which reduce their carbon foot
prints in its services and processes.
This builds up loyalty as well.
• To minimize red tapism on our industry
by adhering to the regulatory
compliances for waste, water, GHG
emissions and energy use.
• To minimize environmental risks
r e l a t i n g t o w a t e r a n d l a n d
contamination, pollution, green Supply
chain management practices, waste
management and so on.
• To benefit from financially appealing
taxation policies by switching to green
energy sources such as solar & wind
power, bio fuels, geo thermal energy
etc.
• Above all because “It is the right thing
to do” – CSR initiatives in the Hotel
industry focuses on Human resource
development, care for the local
community through environmental
initiatives. These initiatives impart
the brand knowledge to a different
type of audiences to gain on employee
retention and increased societal
values.
Studies on ROI on sustainability indicate
about 55% of consumers are willing to pay
more for sustainable products and services
Shocking? There’s more: the same
measure was 10% lower just three years
ago. Younger generations with better
purchasing power are ecologically
conscious.
Green Washing - Greenwashing can be
defined as “The act of misleading
consumers regarding the environmental
p r a c t i c e s o f a c o m p a n y o r t h e
environmental benefits of a product or
service”. It’s becoming a Norm in the
industry. The actual cost savings and the
pay back period diminish the zeal in
investors to opt for sustainable initiatives.
Eventually hotels end up practicing
“Green washing”.
There are many signs the guest can read.
P r a c t i c e s s u c h a s p r o m o t i n g a
linen/towel reuse program but not
p r o m o t i n g / u s i n g r e c y c l e b i n s ,
discarding half used plastic toiletry
containers, excessive use of plastics for
ease of maintenance are all observed by
the guests and makes him skeptical and
unlikely to participate.
The Appraisal of Taste
here’s a local cafe that I frequent,
Tm o r e f o r t h e i r “ I r a n i
Chai”(Hyderabad’s special tea) than
their food. It’s one of those quiet
neighborhood places, small, and cozy. I
have my usual seat at the Cafe. The food
is average but as I’ve stated, that’s not
why I’m there. A peaceful cup of tea after
work, with my friends who sometimes
Cyril Solman Raj
Sr. Faculty, Food Production
accompany me, is more satisfying than
the occasional food I order there.
One day sitting at my usual seat and
sipping my Irani Chai, I was privy to a
conversation between a man and a
woman sitting next to me. Each was
espousing the merits of the food in this
establishment. Meanwhile, as I finished
my tea with “Osmania biscuit” (another
speciality from Hyderabad). I was struck
b y t h e c o n t r a r i e t y b e t w e e n m y
experiences and their opinions.
Likewise, I’ve periodically dined with
friends at restaurants they’ve chosen
a n d p r a i s e d o n l y t o b e b a d l y
disappointed, sometimes by repulsively
poor food.
One might point out that I am a Chef and
thus, maintain a higher standard of
quality when it comes to food. Yes and
that exemplifies the point of this article:
That for a variety of reasons, there
exists, a great disparity amongst
individuals when it comes to assessing
food quality. Each person’s unique
characteristics and experiences
influence their perception of quality,
Genetic variations in taste, childhood
experiences, culture, and all sorts of
superstitious ideas about certain foods
can impact individual food choices.
Although related, what I’m trying to get
at currently is not why our tastes differ,
but why our Appraisal of food quality
does. Why do some people think
Domino’s pizza is good while a past
friend of mine quipped that it was “better
to eat the box”?
I think the foremost issue is how we
define quality. Naturally a trained
culinary professional embraces
standards that the lay person may not
even be aware of. Much like someone
devoid of construction knowledge
admires a charming house while his
professional counterpart sees the flaws
in design. But for the purposes of the
present discussion let’s just stick with
how the layman defines quality. Most
people equate quality with taste. If the
food tastes good, then it’s good food.
Many chefs would retreat at this onesided
definition of quality. Nevertheless,
this solitary dimension does carry a lot of
weight. Who cares how fresh, perfectly
cultivated, flawlessly cooked, or artfully
presented any food is if you don’t like the
taste? Conversely, who cares how
simplistic a food is or how casually it is
prepared if you love the taste?
A second fact to the definition of quality is
the food’s physical attributes. Just like
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