Hilton Launches Eat Naturally Catering in Southern CA

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. October 14, 2008

BEVERLY HILLS, CA, December 17, 2007. Building on the demands of a new wave of desire to gain wider access to organic cuisine, selected Hilton and Doubletree hotels in Southern California today have launched Eat Naturally, an innovative new catering program focused exclusively on delivering menu items that are fresh, local, organic and sustainable to its catering clientele. Hilton will roll out new creative catering menus at seven hotels in Southern California , including the Hilton Anaheim; Hilton Costa Mesa; Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines; Doubletree Orange; Doubletree Golf Resort, Doubletree Doheny Beach in Dana Point and Doubletree Mission Valley in San Diego. The pioneering program is the first of its kind to be introduced in the hotel industry, advocating a new definition of hospitality through offerings of fresh, organic and sustainable culinary practices.

Leading the charge for the initial roll-out of Eat Naturally is award-winning chef Fred Mensinga, Executive Chef, Hilton Anaheim, Hilton's largest Southern California property. Based on the seasonal availability of local ingredients, Chef Mensinga collaborated with six other Hilton Family chefs to create new catering menus showcasing the finest all-natural and organic ingredients available from local and regional purveyors. "Rather than letting recipes determine our shopping lists," said Chef Mensinga, "we let the fresh, local, available ingredients inspire our seasonal menus."

The heart of the Eat Naturally program is dedicated to procuring foods grown in conditions that do not deplete natural resources and do not use harmful, artificial substances that accumulate in the environment. While the participating hotels will continue to offer their conventional catering menus, the Eat Naturally catering initiative offers a fresh alternative for meeting, convention and social gatherings. In addition to organic and all-natural cuisine, the program will feature refreshment breaks featuring organic wines, coffees, teas, and other natural beverages and healthy snacks.

"As consumers become more aware and educated, their expectations also rise. Our catering clients are asking for healthy menu options with organic produce and hormone-free meats on our menus," Chef Mensinga stated. "It will be a wonderful opportunity for us to instill a measure of flexibility and excitement in both our clients and our kitchen teams." Chef Mensinga continued. "When you're planning menus in November for a convention next May, you don't always know what ingredients will be readily available," Chef Mensinga explained. "But ultimately, for the consumer it means you're enjoying a world-class meal, prepared with the finest, freshest ingredients available picked at the peak of the harvest, and you're supporting small, local farmers and the environment," said Chef Mensinga. "Eat Naturally offers something to enjoy and feel good about enjoying."

Eat Naturally is the brain child of Joseph Kruvi, Hilton's Area Vice President, Southern California and Managing Director. "My grandfather had a small orchard in Israel where we spent many early dawns picking fruits and vegetables at their peak condition, preparing them to be sent to the local market fresh from the harvest," said Kruvi. "Memories of the earthy sweetness of my grandfather's sun-drenched tomatoes, unmatched by today's store-bought varieties, inspired me to bring the same flavor, aroma and freshness from my childhood into Hilton's catering operation."

California's consistently ripe environment to produce cutting edge cuisine, promoting fresh, healthy dining options, creates the perfect landscape for the launch of Eat Naturally. "Our goal is to be the first to market in bringing a new catering alternative to our meeting planners and social clientele who have shown so much interest in the local foods, wines and natural food samplings," Kruvi said.

"It makes good business sense responding to the need of our clientele, in addition to supporting our local farmers."

Building upon the rich heritage and strength of Hilton, Eat Naturally will help create a more sustainable future by connecting its catering clientele with fresh, local cuisine through implementation of the following practices at participating properties:

o All ingredients served will be fresh, seasonal and organic, when possible, sourced and procured from local purveyors utilizing sustainable farming practices. No frozen ingredients, ever.

o Ingredients containing added Trans fats will be eliminated from recipe preparation, including oils for deep frying.

o All eggs served will be organic from cage-free hens.

o All proteins including beef, pork, poultry and lamb will be all natural or organic, when available, from animals that have never been administered hormones or antibiotics and are allowed to engage in natural behaviors.

o All seafood will come from sustainable sources, harvested in a manner that does not harm the environment. Seafood selections will be guided by the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program.

As the global leader in hospitality, Hilton's Eat Naturally program is a natural extension of the company's policy to promote business practices that help preserve the environment. As the first company in the hotel industry to earn the Energy Star award from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy, the Hilton brand has shown an unwavering commitment to making a substantial and favorable impact on our environment through its water conservation, electrical energy conservation, and recycling programs.