How Prince Khaled and Matthew Kenney Are Turning The World Cup Vegan
This Fall, the World Cup is expected to attract 1.7 million people to Qatar – a country that typically draws in 500,000 tourists during its busiest seasons. But with so many tourists, the country will have to accommodate thousands of hungry stomachs and cater to a wide range of diets. Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed – the Saudi Arabian prince who operates the investment firm KBW Venture – and vegan chef Matthew Kenney just announced they will help Qatar prepare for kick-off by launching the plant-based menu concept Foila at the Four Seasons Hotel in Doha.
As one of the host cities, Doha is expected to attract large crowds for the month-long competition, so Kenney and Prince Khaled have decided to bring the vegan concept to the hotel’s Apres Spa Cafe. The sustainable menu will showcase some of Kenney’s signature vegan dishes along with several locally-inspired dishes. Four Seasons guests and visitors to Apres will be able to ask for the Foila menu when they dine at the hotel’s signature restaurant.
“It is fitting that Folia, crafted to appeal to palates that have eaten the finest in healthy cuisine, is being presented at Four Seasons Doha now that Qatar is preparing to welcome the world for one of the biggest sporting events in history,” Prince Khaled said. “I look forward to seeing the Qatari plant-based dining scene elevated with Chef Kenney’s inspired dishes.”
The Folia menu will feature an impressive selection of vegan dishes including ravioli alfredo filled with roasted butternut squash and vegan parmesan; truffle pizza layered with cashew cream, mushrooms, kale, and lemon vinaigrette, and a green papaya salad with spinach, cilantro, basil, shredded carrots, and topped with a cashew dressing.
“We are pleased to be presenting such flourishing food creations collaborated by the world-class chef, Matthew Kenney, and the energetic regional investor, Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed, to celebrate every Four Seasons visitor with a special international plant-based cuisine infused with a local touch to enjoy throughout the summer,” General Manager of Four Seasons Doha Shadi Suleman said.
This menu concept will follow successful launches in Beverly Hills, Kuwait, Dubai, Bahrain, and Riyadh. The menu will be well established by the time the World Cup begins on November 21, which will mark the first time that a Middle Eastern has hosted the international sporting event. The Four Seasons Doha is located in the middle of the nation's capital and will receive thousands of guests during the month-long event.
“We are thrilled to expand the Folia brand and our partnership with the Four Seasons in Doha,” Kenney told VegNews. “We strive to connect classic dishes and techniques with local ingredients and culture, and it is our intention for guests to experience the Folia menu through this lens. As we expand into six new concepts this month alone, the sky is the limit and our expansion into Doha is a poignant part of our growth.”
Qatar’s Sustainable Food Efforts
Last September, the Qatari government started the process of passing regulatory approval for sustainable, lab-grown meats. The Qatar Free Zones Authority (QFZA) and the country’s Ministry of Public Health released an intent to grant regulatory approval for GOOD Meat – the cultured meat branch of California-based food tech brand Eat Just. The announcement signifies that Qatar is working to become the world’s second country to approve cultured meat’s commercialization.
Since then, Eat Just has worked with the QFZA and Doha Venture Capital to begin building the first cultured meat production facility in the Middle East. The company intends to help Qatar stop relying as heavily on exports and facilitate and sustainable food system within the region.
Prince Khaled Bets Big on Plant-Based
Prince Khaled is determined to introduce sustainable food systems to the Middle East. The environmental activist intends to promote companies and projects that educate consumers in the Middle East to shop and eat for the planet. The prince discussed the dangers of animal agriculture at the Middle East Agri-Food Summit last September and continues to invest in companies that aim to promote plant-based eating.
Recently, the eco-conscious entrepreneur joined the plant-based investment company Eat Well Investment Group as a strategic advisor. Eat Well and KBW Vetnrues prioritize a commitment to the plant-based sector. For example, KBW has invested in plant-based startups such as Plant Power Fast Food, helping grow the vegan fast-food brand in the last few years. Now, partnering with Kenney, Prince Khaled is advancing this plant-based mission in Qatar with the hopes of helping push the Middle East in a sustainable direction.
“I want the wider Middle East, including the GCC, and the world for that matter, to move toward a sustainable approach. All roads lead to Rome in this case: No matter your preference regarding plant-based proteins or cell cultivated proteins, there are alternative solutions,” Prince Khaled told The Beet.
“It is vital we begin adopting these technologies, some are already scalable. For the food tech solutions that are still too expensive for scale, investors need to continue backing research that can bring costs down. I realize there is still a lot of education required around what food tech is trying to achieve. We are trying to feed the world, with as little harm as possible, and that includes environmental harm.”
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Sandra Oh and 20 Others It Might Surprise You to Learn Are Plant-Based
1. Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney is no stranger to a meat-free life as he's been vegetarian for 45 years. He initially went vegetarian in 1975 with his first wife Linda McCartney and began his advocacy for animal rights.
2. Sia
If you find yourself constantly singing along to the song The Greatest, then you're already a Sia fan. Sia tweeted that she is "fully vegan now" back in 2014 and stays true to her word
3. Sandra Oh
Way back at the start of Grey's Anatomy, Sandra Oh took the cast out for a plant-based lunch at Truly Vegan in Hollywood. In her effort to inspire contemporaries to eat vegan, the TV star is known to invite her friends for vegan meals that are delicious. She adopted the vegan lifestyle years ago and continues to quietly live a cruelty-free life.
4. Gisele Bündchen
Giselle revealed that when she was at the peak of her modeling career, her diet consisted of "cigarettes, wine, and mocha Frappuccinos," according to an interview in People Magazine. Now 39 and the mother of two children, Gisele eats a "mostly" plant-based diet to nourish her body and stay fueled.
5. Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin has made a bigger commitment to plant-based eating since he was first told by doctors that he was pre-diabetic and needed to change his diet. That was decades ago. But, over the last few years, he's been vocal about the benefits not only to his health but also the impact plant-based eating has on the environment.
7. Pamela Anderson
We all remember Pamela Anderson as the curvaceous blonde in the hit series Baywatch as she played Casey Jean in the red one-piece swimsuit that brought her world-class fame. She is a life-long active animal rights advocate and teamed up with PETA to join the Animal Protection Organization.
8. Kristen Stewart
"We shouldn't eat as much meat guys," Kristen Stewart told GQ in an interview in January. The Twilight star has made a full 180 from vampire to vegan. When she appeared on the game show "Hot Ones" she chose to skip the wings and instead compete by eating increasing spicier sauce on vegan cauliflower wings.
9. Jared Leto
This award-winning actor eats a high-protein diet consisting of only plants. Leto, who has been plant-based for 20 years, says it keeps him "shredded" in an interview. Now, 48, Leto looks half his age.
10. Jaden Smith
Jaden Smith switched up his diet from vegan to vegetarian, meaning that he doesn't eat meat but does eat dairy from time to time. In a recent article by Plant Based News, Smith admits he skipped meals and was not getting the proper nutrition when he was vegan, but this hasn't stopped him from espousing the plant-based life.
11. Meghan Markle
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex has never admitted to being fully vegan, but sources say, she eats a plant-based diet most days during the week. She is teaching Prince Harry vegan cooking and in a Plant-Based News article, Markle explained how she hopes to raise baby Archie on a mostly vegan diet.
12. Serena Williams
As a professional athlete, fueling the body is a key factor to Willaim's successes. In a Bon Appetite article, she explained that she adopted a plant-based diet back in 2012, she was eating a lot "healthier" for her sister, Venus, who eats a strict vegan diet for health reasons.
13. John Mackey
The popular grocery store, Whole Foods Market sells vegan products and nonvegan products which arises black lash from ethical vegans as CEO John Mackey follows a strict vegan diet. The successful businessman grew up in Houston Texas and told Business Insider that he would traditionally eat processed foods for dinner while watching TV with his family. Now, Mackey steers clear from the processed isle and eats a clean vegan diet and feels amazing at the age of 65.
14. Jason Mraz
Jason Mraz, singer of the popular song, I'm Yours, committed to a vegan diet to support his friend diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Mraz says he eats mostly raw food and told magazine sources his favorite vegan dish is "Chocomole, a mixture of avocados, dates, cacao, agave nectar, and coconut oil."
15. Leona Lewis
Long time vegan, Leona Lewis grew up in a vegan household and continues to eat a plant-based diet. Lewis first adopted the diet at 12 when she learned about the health risks of eating animal products but told Women's Health Magazine she occasionally eats an omelet. She also mentioned her 2:30 lunch is normally a kale salad topped with dried cranberries and she loves a veggie stir-fry for dinner.
16. Hannah Teter
Hannah Teter changed her diet after watching the documentary, Earthlings when she discovered how "horrible" factory farming is. After a strict vegetarian diet, Teter liked the way she performed as an athlete and believes that her diet helped her win gold at the 2006 games.
17. Maggie Q,
You may recognize Maggie Q as the star of the Nikita series, but in the plant-based world, she's well-known for her heroic activism. Maggie Q has followed a strict vegan diet for 19 years, making her a true veteran of the lifestyle. She made the plant-based diet transition because she felt sluggish and had low energy, she has said. The famous actress keeps in shape by eating veggies and plant-based protein and working out with a passion.
18. Madelaine Petsch,
Winner of the first Masterchef vegan cook-off with Gordon Ramsay, Madelaine Petsch was raised vegetarian and went completely vegan at age 14. She claims that she started this diet before it was "trendy" and shot a campaign for PETA last year wearing a dress made of bok choy. Petsch says her vegan diet allows her to feel "healthier" and not "lethargic."
19. Millie Bobbi Brown
After doing a little sleuthing on her social media platforms we think Millie Bobbi Brown qualifies as plant-based. Whether or not she is actually skipping all meat and dairy, one thing is for sure: She eats mostly salads, vegetables and grains and lives a predominantly plant-based lifestyle full of healthy foods.
20. Chloe and Halle Bailey
The grammy-nominated sisters went vegan for a week with their mom but liked it so much they decided to stick with it. For one thing, it helps keep their "voices in shape" by eating a vegan diet and they emphasize the fact that dairy helps to limit extra mucus build-up, according to a PETA interview.
21. Hilary Duff
Best known for her role as Lizzie Mcguire in the long-running series, Hilary Duff is a recent vegan advocate and entrepreneur. She recently launched the vegan and cruelty-free eyeshadow palette, "Day Dreamer" and changed her diet to plant-based last fall.