New Leaf for Sustainability.
New Leaf eatery is a social enterprise based in Siem Reap. It gives back to the local community through donating a percentage of its profits to two local charities. The founder of New Leaf, Ian Croft, was influenced by his time in Cambodia as a volunteer and felt that he needed “to do more”. Ian then opened New Leaf eatery in 2013 with the aim to “provide longer term support to the local community by donating its profits”.
New Leaf Eatery poster on display.
In total New Leaf gives away fifty percent of its profits. Thirty percent of the profits go to SeeBeyondBorders and PEPY Empowering Youth which are charities dedicated to improving education in Cambodia. For Ian, “Education is critical to Cambodia’s future development and is critical in breaking the cycle of poverty”. Ian chose to work with these organisations because “they are highly focused and do not expand focus simply because there is money to do that. They reflect deeply on the work that they do and share lessons they learn from their work publicly. They are transparent and adopt best practices in terms of reporting and governance”. New Leaf works in partnership with SeeBeyondBorders and PEPY Empowering Youth in seeking to achieve Sustainable Development Goals four and seventeen. Goal seventeen highlights the importance of creating partnerships which commit a long term dedication to fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals. New Leaf does not just give money to these organisations but also provides them a space and platform to hold events and in turn staff from SeeBeyondBorders and PEPY speak to the staff in New Leaf on their mission and vision and what New Leaf’s support means in real terms.
An infographic display of the SDGs in New Leaf.
In addition to providing support to local charities, New Leaf is also environmentally conscious and is continuously looking to improve their environmental impact. New Leaf requires their food suppliers to use crates or reusable bags for food deliveries and they strive to source products locally such as water, beer and coffee. They also have a small shop that sells reusable bottles and bamboo toothbrushes so customers can continue to be environmentally conscious after they’ve left the café. This is to mention just a few of the many steps taken by New Leaf to reduce their plastic usage and carbon footprint.
Environmentally friendly products on sale in New Leaf.
All of these social and ethical responsibilities doesn’t distract New Leaf from serving great food. One of the most popular dishes at New Leaf is the Vegan Fry-up. For $5 you get a delicious mushroom and Corn pancake, vegetable curry balls, potato rosti, sautéed mushrooms, spinach, cherry tomatoes, baked beans and scrambled tofu. If vegan isn’t your style then you should try the Smoked Chilli Cashew Chicken which is another favourite dish served in New Leaf. Good tasting food for a good cause.
One Response to “New Leaf for Sustainability.”
Lots of businesses claim to be socially enterprises in Siem Reap. New Leaf is one. The best lime sodas and chicken salads in town too.