Local food businesses, project donors and stakeholders gathered on 3rd March to celebrate the launch of a new B2B app designed to rescue food waste and repurpose edible food for those in need. The celebration took place over a 3-course feast, created using surplus food and underlining the ethos behind the new app.
Held at Monkshill Refectory in Faversham, the gathering was hosted by Produced in Kent, through the No Food Wasted Forum, where the idea to develop the Food Loop app was born.
Guests enjoyed a 3-course menu prepared by The Wasted Kitchen made up entirely of surplus food – some of which was donated by the businesses attending the lunch. Starting with Beetroot Carpaccio, Yoghurt Labneh, Focaccia and salad. Followed by a selection of Vegetable Filo Crowns, Kedgeree Stuffed Peppers, Roast Cauliflower Wedges and Bombay Roasties. Finally, to complete the feast, coffee was served with bites of Spiced Orange Cake, Caramel Apple Cake and Beetroot Brownie.
“Wasted Kitchen are about encouraging people to reconnect with what they eat and think more sustainably about food – and showing that running a food business in this way can be done on a commercial basis. We are excited to have the chance to showcase what we do as part of the Food Loop Launch,” says Katy Newton of Wasted Kitchen.
Following eight months of fundraising to turn an idea into reality; businesses, charities and community initiatives dealing with surplus food can now register (free for the first 12 months) at www.foodloop.app to take part in a pilot project.
Produced in Kent Chief Executive Floortje Hoette explains “Through our work with the No Food Wasted Forum, it became apparent that an enormous amount of edible food is going to waste and by linking the businesses with community initiatives we can help to reduce the amount of food wasted off and get it to those people who need it most.”
The lunch was attended by Kent’s key figures in the food and drink industry – Berry Gardens, Macknade and Thanet Earth to name but a few – as well as community initiatives working on the front line of food poverty.
During the pilot project, data will be collected at the backend of the app which will give insight into the volume of food waste being upcycled, redistributed, and recycled through Food Loop in Kent. This, in turn, will help to inform further action and policy development around food waste elimination. Northamptonshire will be the second test location for the app with Made in Northamptonshire managing the project there.
If you are a food or drink business in Kent that wants to tackle food waste, get onboard and take part in the Food Loop project by registering TODAY via: www.foodloop.app.
