F&B is a common abbreviation in the United States and Commonwealth countries, including Hong Kong. F&B is typically the widely accepted abbreviation for “Food and Beverage,” which is the sector/industry that specializes in the conceptualization, the making of, and delivery of foods. The largest section of F&B employees are in restaurants and bars, including hotels, resorts, and casinos. For more information reference “Food and Beverage Underground”, or Hotel F&B magazine,

The Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the Commonwealth and previously as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-three independent member states. Most of them were formerly part of the British Empire. They co-operate within a framework of common values and goals as outlined in the Singapore Declaration. These include the promotion of democracy, human rights, good governance, the rule of law, individual liberty, egalitarianism, free trade, multilateralism and world peace.

The Commonwealth traces its origins to the Statute of Westminster 1931. It is not a political union, but an intergovernmental organisation through which countries with diverse social, political and economic backgrounds are regarded as equal in status. Its activities are carried out through the permanent Commonwealth Secretariat, headed by the Secretary-General; biennial Meetings between Commonwealth Heads of Government; and the Commonwealth Foundation, which facilitates activities of non-governmental organisations in the so-called ‘Commonwealth Family’. The symbol of this free association is the Head of the Commonwealth, which is a ceremonial position currently held by Queen Elizabeth II.

Elizabeth II is also the monarch, separately, of sixteen members of the Commonwealth, informally called the Commonwealth realms. As each realm is an independent kingdom, the Queen, as monarch, holds a distinct title for each, though, by a Meeting of Commonwealth Prime Ministers in 1952, all include the style Head of the Commonwealth at the end; for example: Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Australia and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth. Beyond the realms, the majority of the members of the Commonwealth have separate heads of state: thirty-two members are republics, and five members have distinct monarchs: the Sultan of Brunei; the King of Lesotho; the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (or King) of Malaysia; the King of Swaziland; and the King of Tonga.

Hong Kong, officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory of the People’s Republic of China, facing Guangdong to the north and the South China Sea to the east, west and south. Hong Kong is a global metropolis and international financial centre with a highly developed capitalist economy. Under the “one country, two systems” policy and according to Basic Law, it has a “high degree of autonomy” in all areas except foreign affairs and defence, which are the responsibility of the PRC Government. Hong Kong maintains its own currency, legal system, political system, immigration control, rule of the road and other aspects that concern its way of life, many of which are distinct from mainland China.

Beginning as a trading port, Hong Kong became a crown colony of the United Kingdom in 1842. It was reclassified as a British dependent territory in 1983 until the transfer of sovereignty to the People’s Republic of China in 1997. Renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour, its identity as a cosmopolitan centre where the East meets the West is reflected in its cuisine, cinema, music and traditions. The city’s population is 95% Han ethnicity and 5% other. With a population of 7 million people and a land area of 1,054 km2 (407 sq mi), Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.

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