Feast Fairly: uncovering hidden value in the food supply chain — and sharing it with all.
You’ve probably heard the term #zerofoodwaste recently. ‘Food waste’ is the buzzword of the moment, and rightly so. Currently, ⅓ of all food produced globally is going to waste, whilst 9.1 million people die of hunger. Most people are in agreement that these statistics are unacceptable.
You’ve probably heard the term #zerofoodwaste recently. ‘Food waste’ is the buzzword of the moment… With Feast Fairly, the time of awareness building is over.
With Feast Fairly, the time of awareness building is over. This campaign addresses these issues with direct impact, creating sustainable, lasting changes to the food supply chain. Underused ingredients are celebrated, not wasted, and value is distributed equally.
In just one month since launching, with Doug Mcmaster of Silo spearheading the campaign, over 50 restaurants, bars and cafés have joined the Feast Fairly movement. Each of these establishments have designed a menu item around surplus ingredients, by-products which are undervalued and discarded by the mainstream food industry. Profit gained from each Feast Fairly dish is donated to a charity fighting for social justice, last month Feast Fairly has been raising money for Refettorio Felix.
Feast Fairly co-founder, and CEO of Foodchain, Richard Murray says,
“We need to eliminate the word ‘waste’ from our dictionary: it gives the impression of worthless ingredients, but our point here is that these ingredients have this incredible value that we are not taking advantage of.”
Feast Fairly chefs see a feast amongst foods that have long been overlooked. Co-founder Natasha Bunzl says,
“This is the story of a potato that is too small for the mainstream market; we are highlighting this potato for its worth and, in doing so, generating new income for farmers, offering chefs new inspiration and raising money for charities fighting hunger.”
You may have heard of the negatively named ‘spent hen’, which recently, thanks to Feast Fairly and Foodchain, has achieved a little of the spotlight it deserves. Since the introduction of industrial scale poultry farming, ex-egg laying hens are typically turned into dog food or astonishingly, incinerated. But not too long ago these hens were revered for their flavour. Through Foodchain, (the food market network which chefs use to connect, order and discover suppliers) chefs can access these hens directly. We are encouraging chefs to create a dish showcasing the incredible potential of this meat; in the hopes that once again soon, these will be a staple to the U.K diet.
Taste Tradition, the family run farm and butchery, have been offering lambs liver, lamb heart, pigs liver and pigs heart to Feast Fairly chefs at a considerably discounted price. Through Foodchain, chefs can access these ingredients directly from Taste Tradition’s farm in Yorkshire .
When chefs buy these ingredients, they are generating new sources of income for farmers, encouraging diversity on our plates and allowing diners to eat more sustainably.
This is ‘nose to tail’ eating at its most accessible. Pedler Peckham’s head chef Gareth Crosby created a lambs liver dish cooked in a smokey tomato BBQ sauce with pickled red cabbage. On their menu is the Feast Fairly symbol, in which customers recognise that when choosing this dish, £1 of the proceeds will be donated to a charity providing food for people in need.
Pullet eggs are another example of a readily available food source that is not used to its obvious potential. Pullet eggs are produced in the first few months of a hens egg-laying career. Albeit small, they are perfectly formed, and arguably more delicious than their larger counterpart due to their unique richness. However, these eggs which make up to 10% of every egg farmer’s stock, are thrown away. Farmers Paddy (of Cacklebean Farm in Gloucestershire) and Ben (of Fluffets near Fordingbridge) are now selling their Pullet eggs to Foodchain chefs at a significantly low cost. The Ledbury, Corner Room, Electric House, Cub, Core and more are showcasing the pullet eggs as a food source to be celebrated. Each establishments Feast Fairly dish, adds value to the food supply chain, supports farmers, and raises money to provide nutritious food for people in need.
In its first month, Feast Fairly have raised over £4,000 for Refettorio Felix at St. Cuthberts, a non-profit organisation created by Chef Massimo Bottura’s organisation Food for Soul, that turns donated surplus food into healthy delicious meals for homeless, vulnerable and isolated people.
We believe that in order to impact and reduce the number of people experiencing hunger, creating equitable access to nutrient-dense food is essential. Our aim is to create a market for the misused and unappreciated food that is abundant to us, and allow consumers the opportunity to contribute to creating a fairer food supply chain.
Please follow Instagram @feastfairly for our campaign progress.
If you want to join our community of farmers, restaurants and charities fighting hunger, giving everyone the chance to feast fairly, get in touch.
