Hotpot chain brand leads search for good ingredients for menu

Domestic hotpot chain restaurant Panda Coming gathered food suppliers and experts and invited them on a search for good ingredients for its menu at a launch meeting in Beijing on Thursday.

The program received support and recognition from the China Cuisine Association and the China Chain-Store & Franchise Association.

It aims to satisfy the rising consumers' demands for quality, healthy, diverse and sustainable ingredients.

Panda Coming was established in 2015 and has established tomato plantation in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and helped grow bamboo in the high-altitude mountainous areas in Sichuan province.

The pristine environment has not only ensured the quality of the food ingredients but helped local farmers increase income.

Yang Liu, president of the China Culinary Association, says the search for good ingredients is not only the foundation for the hotpot industry but also for the entire food service sector to provide high-quality products and services to consumers.

"Good ingredients not only bring unique flavors and textures to dishes but also ensure health and safety for consumers," Yang says.

Wang Hongtao, secretary-general of the China Chain-Store & Franchise Association, says Panda Coming's move has set a good benchmark for the restaurant industry.

Wang calls for more restaurant enterprises to actively participate in the program.

The hotpot brand has expanded to more than 300 restaurants across the country. It plans to increase the number to 500 in the next two years.