Slow Food Convivium Society (Singapore)

The Slow Food Convivium Society of Singapore (“SFCSS”) was registered as a society with the Registrar of Societies in late 1999, and held its Inaugural Event at Ristorante Bologna, at the Meritus Mandarin in October 1999. In April 2006, the SFCSS shall be holding its 65th Tasting Event at L’Aigle d’Or, where the Pro-Tem SFCSS Committee held many meetings prior to its registration.

The Founding Chairman, Mr. Jen Shek Voon, has long espoused the unique position of the SFCSS, which is part of an international organization dedicated to the enjoyment of fine dining and good company. Dedicated members also have the opportunity to travel worldwide to enjoy other aspects of the movement. As a global city, Singapore has no agric, aqua or viticulture produce in abundance, but we are at the confluence where we see all variety of produce at our crossroads, and, where superb chefs parley their very best to meet their clients’ expectations, and Singaporeans truly love to eat their food.

What the SFCSS is aiming to achieve, in addition to finding for its members the restaurants where there are a superb blending of cuisines and wines, is also to have a great ambience where members and guests are able to have fantastic conviviality. The SFCSS website is at www.slowfood.org.sg.

As part of the Opening Address at the Inaugural Event in October 1999, Mr Jen remarked, “That without any sexual intercourse, there is no life, and without convivial intercourse, there is no fun in life!”.

The Slow Food movement is a response to the overwhelming presence of fast food in popular culture and the general harried pace of modern day living. The Slow Food International website describes the movement as follows:

“Founded by Carlo Petrini in Italy in 1986, Slow Food is an international association that promotes food and wine culture, but also defends food and agricultural biodiversity worldwide. (see our History Section)It opposes the standardization of taste, defends the need for consumer information, protects cultural identities tied to food and gastronomic traditions, safeguards foods and cultivation and processing techniques inherited from tradition and defend domestic and wild animal and vegetable species. (see our Mission Section). Slow Food boasts 83,000 members worldwide and offices (in order of creation) in Italy, Germany, Switzerland, the USA, France, Japan, and Great Britain.” http://www.slowfood.com/eng/sf

In Singapore, the Slow Food chapter has 75 members, and meets every last Saturday of the month for lunch. Events consist of multi-course meals at different restaurants drawn from a diverse range of cuisines. Slow Food lunches typically begin at 12.30pm, and can end as late as 5 or 6pm. At the standard pricing of S$120 nett per pax for food, wine and great company, and, an annual subscription fee of S$120 per year, of which S$100 goes to the International Office in Bra, Italy, for the payment of dues and the subscription of 3 issues per year of the Slow Food International magazine, Slow, which must be one of the best kept secrets in town in the wine and dine, and food scene.

Not all Slow Food events are held at fine-dining establishments. The chapter leadership strives to offer a broad array of interesting dining experiences while maintaining a jovial, convivial atmosphere for each event.

The SFCSS welcomes all to join us, and there are no gender, age or any barriers whatsoever, besides a commitment to the right to pleasure, the need to reject all standardization in the food chain, and the right to enjoy it in the slowness of time.