Nutrition comes first as Grassroots Pantry returns to its culinary roots

Peggy Chan, the owner of Grassroots Pantry in Sai Ying Pun, always knew where her interests lay. "Throughout business school most of my essays were about food, food systems and sustainable agriculture. I just knew this was something I wanted to fight for," she says.

Her priorities are to create delicious wholesome food and create awareness of where food comes from. Chan, 28, opened Grassroots last year, and it quickly became a place for those interested in sustainable food production to host workshops.

"There is nothing more rewarding than educating the community to create a more sustainable world," she says. "I want Grassroots Pantry to be a source of information for people; where they can learn what organic vegetarian food is, how to cook it, and how to grow their own vegetables. Food production has been corrupted over the past four decades."

Terrence Tsang, a former director of food and beverage at the Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong, reckons Chan is doing groundbreaking work.

"I would say that she is one of the pioneers of a new food movement. I think it might even stick," says Tsang.

"Sustainable eating and the focus on overall health - not just being a vegetarian - have been around in Western countries for a while now.