As part of Food Waste Action Week (March 7-13) – an initiative by WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) aiming to halve food waste by 2030 – a North East-based expert has highlighted three local businesses doing their part of reduce food waste.
Around a third of the food produced globally is lost or wasted, contributing 8-10% of total manmade greenhouse gas emissions. Food Waste Action Week is highlighting what you can do to reduce waste while for those in the North East who want to do their bit to reduce food waste, Kevin Quigley, commercial director of food waste recycling firm Warrens, has highlighted three of the region’s restaurants and cafés doing their bit.
Kevin is also calling on more businesses in the hospitality sector to put steps in place to limit food waste. “To reach the UK’s net zero ambitions, food waste is one of the problems that needs to be tackled and we all have a part to play,” he said. “There are a couple of cafés and restaurants in the region who are leading the way and working hard to create delicious menus either using surplus food or setting themselves ambitious zero waste goals. For businesses who don’t already have food waste reduction plans in place this is something Warrens can support them to develop.”
Food waste champions
The Magic Hat Café
The Magic Hat rescues surplus food destined for landfill and is a not-for-profit run by BIND – a food waste hub that promotes positive, creative approaches to reduce food waste and drive behaviour change. Magic Hat’s mission is to show customers that this food should never have been wasted, and with a little love it can instead be transformed into fresh, colourful, and delicious meals and drinks. They have a kitchen, market, online shop, and offer catering for events.
3-5, Higham House, Higham Place, Newcastle, NE1 8AF
Refuse Durham
The vision for Refuse is to show the value in things, places and people that are unjustly wasted or overlooked. Each month they intercept around 12 tonnes of food that would otherwise go to waste, from retailers around the North East. They then redistribute it to people, through their Pay As You Feel community cafe and restaurant in Chester-le-Street, their private catering brand Conscious Kitchen, partnerships with other charities and through their Waste-Not Box delivery scheme.
143b Front Street, Chester-le-Street, DH3 3AU
The Green Bean Café
The Green Bean Café sells homecooked food that is as fresh and local as possible, prepared on site daily, for an affordable price. They believe fresh food tastes better, is more nutritious, and better value.
They also aim to be as zero waste as possible in their approach, by minimising their use of single use plastic, avoiding pre-prepared food packaged in plastic where possible, composting leftovers, recycling what they can and sending zero waste to landfill. They offer a discount for bringing your own takeaway containers to fill, and party pack hire in place of single use products.
Southwick Green, Sunderland, SR5 2HT
