TL;DR: The Singapore MICE Sustainability Certification (MSC) is a national certification developed by SACEOS with support from the Singapore Tourism Board, assessing businesses across the MICE supply chain against eight sustainability criteria. Shiok Kitchen Catering is the first caterer in Singapore to be awarded MSC Gold, the certification's highest tier. For corporate clients booking buffet catering, this means working with a caterer whose sustainability practices have been independently assessed and verified, not just self-reported.
Sustainability claims in event catering are easy to make and hard to verify. The Singapore MICE Sustainability Certification exists precisely to close that gap, giving corporate clients a way to check a caterer's environmental credentials against a recognised national standard rather than taking marketing copy at face value. Shiok Kitchen Catering being awarded MSC Gold – as the first caterer in Singapore to reach that tier – is worth unpacking properly, especially for teams responsible for choosing a corporate buffet partner or planning a MICE event.
What Is the Singapore MICE Sustainability Certification?
The MSC was developed by the Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (SACEOS), with support from the Singapore Tourism Board and input from industry players, and launched on 24 January 2024. It was built to raise sustainability standards across Singapore's Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions (MICE) industry, applying to the full supply chain – event organisers, venues, stand builders, food and beverage caterers, transport operators, freight forwarders, and event technology providers.
In November 2024, the Singapore MSC Framework gained GSTC-Recognized Standard status from the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, meaning it's now formally recognised as equivalent to international GSTC MICE sustainability criteria. That's a meaningful detail for corporate clients with international stakeholders or global ESG frameworks to answer to, since it means the certification isn't just a local badge but one aligned with globally accepted sustainability benchmarks.
How the Certification Actually Works
Businesses are assessed against eight criteria: management approach, carbon, waste, energy, water management, social impact, human resource competency, and procurement. Certification is awarded across three tiers:
- Bronze – demonstrates commitment and implementation of sustainability targets
- Silver – shows implementation plus the establishment of internal sustainability initiatives
- Gold – reserved for companies running external sustainability initiatives, with full reporting on energy, water, and waste
Gold is the certification's highest tier, and it isn't handed out for good intentions – it requires the kind of measurable, reported sustainability performance that a business has to actually build into its operations, not just describe in a mission statement.
Shiok Kitchen Catering's Path to MSC Gold
This wasn't an overnight achievement. Shiok Kitchen publicly set its sights on the Silver tier of the MSC back in 2024, sending team members through SACEOS's Certified Event Sustainability course to build the internal capability needed to work towards it. That groundwork – alongside the broader carbon measurement and reduction work detailed on the Carbon Neutral Catering page and Sustainability Pledge – has since carried the company all the way to Gold, making Shiok Kitchen the first caterer in Singapore to hold the MSC's top tier.
Why This Actually Matters for Corporate Buffet Catering Clients
For companies booking a corporate buffet, an institutional catering contract, or catering for a larger MICE event, this certification changes the nature of the conversation. Instead of asking a caterer to describe their sustainability practices and hoping it holds up, procurement and sustainability teams can point to an independently assessed, nationally recognised Gold certification that covers exactly the areas most companies need to report on: carbon, waste, energy, and water management.
It also simplifies vendor due diligence considerably. A company with its own ESG commitments doesn't need to build a separate audit process for its catering supplier when that supplier already holds the highest tier of a certification assessed against comparable criteria.
How MSC Gold Fits Into Shiok Kitchen Catering's Broader Sustainability Work
The MSC Gold certification doesn't sit in isolation. It reflects the same underlying work behind Shiok Kitchen Catering's carbon measurement methodology, its food waste redistribution partnerships, its shift towards biodegradable packaging, and its progress on the LowCarbonSG Logo. For a corporate client, that consistency matters more than any single badge – it suggests a caterer whose sustainability credentials are built on operational substance rather than assembled for a single certification cycle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Shiok Kitchen really the only caterer in Singapore with MSC Gold, or just among the first?
Shiok Kitchen Catering is the first caterer in Singapore to be awarded MSC Gold, the certification's highest tier under the Singapore MICE Sustainability Certification framework developed by SACEOS.
Does MSC Gold certification apply to all of Shiok Kitchen Catering's services, or just MICE events specifically?
While the MSC framework was developed for the MICE industry, the sustainability practices behind Shiok Kitchen Catering's certification – carbon measurement, waste management, energy efficiency – are built into the company's operations broadly, covering everything from corporate buffets to weddings and mini buffets.
What's the actual difference between MSC Silver and MSC Gold?
Silver tier reflects implementation of internal sustainability initiatives, while Gold tier is reserved for companies with external sustainability initiatives and full reporting on energy, water, and waste. Gold represents a materially higher bar for measurable, verified performance.
Can I request documentation of Shiok Kitchen Catering's MSC Gold certification for my company's own ESG or vendor compliance reporting?
Our team can provide relevant certification details to support your internal reporting requirements – get in touch through the contact page when placing your enquiry.
Does booking with an MSC Gold-certified caterer cost more than a standard buffet order?
Sustainable practices are built into how Shiok Kitchen operates day to day rather than priced as a separate premium. For an accurate quote based on your event size and menu, our team can talk you through pricing directly.
About Shiok Kitchen Catering
Shiok Kitchen Catering has been part of Singapore's catering scene since 2004, growing from its roots serving Thai food into a caterer offering everything from local favourites to Chinese cuisine and Western gourmet dishes. Backed by a well-trained catering team and a culinary direction led by Culinary Director Chef Immanuel Tee and Executive Chef Kenny, the company is MUIS halal-certified and ISO accredited, with a client list that includes DBS, OCBC, JP Morgan, Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley, KPMG, PwC, EY, NUS, NTU, SMU, Changi Airport Group, and the Esplanade.
Shiok Kitchen is the first caterer in Singapore to be awarded the Singapore MICE Sustainability Certification (MSC) Gold, and also holds the LowCarbonSG Logo and an ESBN Green Badge – accreditations that sit alongside the measurable emissions reductions and food waste initiatives detailed in the Sustainability Pledge and full Sustainability Report 2025.
To enquire about MSC Gold-certified catering for your next corporate event, contact the team at sales@skcatering.com, call 6411 4994, or reach out through the contact page.
