Food Angel Jockey Club Food Production Centre opens with expanded meal capacity and community reach

The Food Angel Jockey Club Food Production Centre officially opens today (15 October) in Sha Tin. As Hong Kong’s first large-scale facility dedicated to food rescue and meal production, its construction and a related elderly soft meal programme have been supported by a total approved donation of over HK$335 million from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust to the Bo Charity Foundation, which launched Food Angel. Once fully operational, the centre will annually recover over 660 metric tonnes of surplus food that is still safe for consumption, transforming it with care into over 11 million regular meals and soft meals annually, benefiting 45,000 people in need while promoting environmental sustainability.

The Food Angel Jockey Club Food Production Centre is Hong Kong’s first large-scale facility dedicated to food rescue and meal production.

Officiating guests at today’s opening ceremony included Cheuk Wing-hing, Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR Government; Jackson Woo, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; David Lam, Under Secretary for Development of the HKSAR Government; Antony Leung, Chairman of Food Angel; Gigi Tung, Founder of Food Angel; Rex Auyeung, Chairman of the Food Angel Jockey Club Food Production Centre Steering Committee and Board Member of Food Angel; and Gilbert Tsang, Member of the Food Angel Jockey Club Food Production Centre Steering Committee.

Cheuk Wing-hing, Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR Government (centre); Jackson Woo, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (3rd right); David Lam, Under Secretary for Development of the HKSAR Government (2nd left); Antony Leung, Chairman of Food Angel (3rd left); Gigi Tung, Founder of Food Angel (1st right); Rex Auyeung, Chairman of the Food Angel Jockey Club Food Production Centre Steering Committee and Board Member of Food Angel (1st left); and Gilbert Tsang, Member of the Food Angel Jockey Club Food Production Centre Steering Committee (2nd right), officiate at the opening ceremony of the Food Angel Jockey Club Food Production Centre.

Club Steward Jackson Woo said: “Since 2013, The Hong Kong Jockey Club has worked hand in hand with Food Angel to respond to pressing social needs. The opening of the Food Angel Jockey Club Food Production Centre marks a new milestone in this partnership. The collaboration exemplifies the Club’s support for Older Adults, a strategic focus of the Charities Trust, enhancing seniors’ quality of life through cross-sector collaboration and innovative thinking. Looking ahead, the Club will continue to deepen interdisciplinary cooperation and expand the impact of its charitable initiatives across society.”

ackson Woo, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, delivers a speech at the opening ceremony.

The three-storey Food Angel Jockey Club Food Production Centre is equipped with automated production lines and employs smart supply chain management systems. It integrates centralised food production and storage, helping to bridge service gaps in meal support services and specialised dietary needs. Apart from expanding capacity to increase the number of hot meals, frozen meals and meat packs currently produced, the new centre is also equipped to prepare a variety of soft meals meeting the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI)’s standard to cater to diverse dietary needs.

Jackson Woo, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (centre); Antony Leung, Chairman of Food Angel (left) and Gigi Tung, Founder of Food Angel (right), pose for a photo at the Food Angel Jockey Club Food Production Centre.

In addition, the three-year Food Angel Jockey Club Soft Meal Programme for Elderly with Swallowing Difficulties initiative will be rolled out. With the aim of producing approximately 3.3 million soft meals for around 15,000 underprivileged elderly individuals during the period, it will help beneficiaries overcome swallowing difficulties and enjoy their later years with dignity. The programme will also host cooking classes for family caregivers and NGO staff to promote community involvement in soft meal production. Over 32,000 community volunteers will be mobilised to assist with food preparation, and 100 guided tours or workshops will be organised for over 3,000 participants for them to gain deeper understanding of soft meals and food waste.

Guests tour the Food Angel Jockey Club Food Production Centre.

The Club has been working closely with Food Angel since 2013. This includes contributing to the operating costs of its edible food collection and producing nutritious meals for the underprivileged, run in collaboration with other NGOs, and supporting the establishment of its Sham Shui Po kitchen. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Club partnered with Food Angel to launch cook-chill meals, providing timely food assistance to people in need.

Guests tour the Food Angel Jockey Club Food Production Centre.

The Club’s support for these programmes, like all its charity and community donations, is made possible by its unique integrated business model through which racing and responsible sports wagering generate substantial tax contributions, charity support and employment opportunities for Hong Kong.

Guests tour the Food Angel Jockey Club Food Production Centre.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club-supported Harmonious Horse International Exhibition Tour, part of the Club’s Year of the Horse campaign, held its Tsim Sha Tsui Community Exhibition Launch Ceremony today (16 May) at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza. The exhibition showcases horse sculptures created by renowned artist Simon Ma and the works are on a year-long tour of Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, symbolising unity between the Club and the community.

Horse sculptures created by renowned artist Simon Ma, are on show at the piazza of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre from today until 21 May.

Guests in attendance at the launch ceremony included Chris Sun, HKSAR Government Secretary for Labour and Welfare; Winfried Engelbrecht‑Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; and artist Simon Ma.

Chris Sun, HKSAR Government Secretary for Labour and Welfare (3rd right); Winfried Engelbrecht Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (3rd left); renowned artist Simon Ma (2nd right); Eric Lee, Yau Tsim Mong District Officer (1st right); Wong Kwok Hing, Commissioner of Correctional Services (2nd left) at the Harmonious Horse International Exhibition Tour Tsim Sha Tsui Community Exhibition Launch Ceremony as part of the Club’s Year of the Horse campaign.

The Tsim Sha Tsui Community Exhibition at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza runs from today until 21 May. The exhibition will then tour Tamar Park in Admiralty, as well as Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and other locations. Through art and community engagement, it offers more citizens the opportunity to experience the unique charm of horse culture combined with contemporary art. The exhibition also features a nighttime horse-themed light show, highlighting the dynamic movement and power of galloping horses.

Guests joined hands to paint mini horse sculptures at the launch ceremony.

Guests joined hands to paint mini horse sculptures at the launch ceremony.

Guests joined hands to paint mini horse sculptures at the launch ceremony.

Today’s launch ceremony also saw the announcement of the winners of the “Horse With You” Art Competition, launched by the Club in conjunction with Ma. A renowned interdisciplinary artist from Hong Kong, Ma is dedicated to promoting cultural and artistic exchange between East and West, with the horse serving as a significant creative symbol representing strength, unity and the spirit of heritage. As part of the Club’s 140th anniversary celebrations, thousands of young people - from kindergarten to university level – created artworks for the competition, drawing inspiration from the equine paintings of pioneering Chinese artist Xu Beihong. The competition comprised ten categories, with 30 winners or winning teams selected.

Winfried Engelbrecht Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (7th right) presented awards to winners of the “Horse With You” Art Competition.

Almost 100 (TBC) award-winning students from the “Horse With You” Art Competition - launched by the Club in conjunction with Simon Ma – together with mentees of the HKSAR Government’s Strive and Rise Programme and underprivileged students, joined hands to paint mini horse sculptures at the launch ceremony.

Almost 100 (TBC) award-winning students from the “Horse With You” Art Competition - launched by the Club in conjunction with Simon Ma – together with mentees of the HKSAR Government’s Strive and Rise Programme and underprivileged students, joined hands to paint mini horse sculptures at the launch ceremony.

The Club’s Year of the Horse campaign is a year-long celebration of the close bond between horses and humans and the contribution racing makes to Hong Kong. It also promotes tourism as well as equine and sports development. Racing is not only the city’s favourite pastime, but also a symbol of its “can-do” spirit and stability under One Country, Two Systems. Through the success of Hong Kong horses on the international stage, the sport also brings pride to the community and global recognition to our city. None of this would be possible without the horse. For more information, please visit https://hkjc.com/YOTH.

Guests posed a group photo with winners of the “Horse With You” Art Competition.