The First-of-its-Kind Culinary Solution Addresses Environmental, Economic, and Health Challenges Facing the Food Industry
NEW YORK, Dec. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --When it comes to culinary excellence coupled with sustainability, The Spare Food Co. stands by its motto: More Ways to Use More. Building on their reputation as leaders in the upcycled food movement, the culinary innovation company - creators behind the award-winning, functional beverage Spare Tonic - are introducing Spare Starter. This unparalleled, chef-crafted, 6-crop nutritious culinary shortcut, which was birthed from a profound recognition of the potential of unused farm produce, has been meticulously refined in select large-scale food service kitchens over the past year. As a testament to its innovative approach, early adopters of Spare Starter - the pioneering collegiate food service company Harvest Table Culinary Group - have recognized the product's vast potential, and are expanding their previous partnership with the brand to include their entire network of colleges, heralding a new era in culinary sustainability.
Transcending cuisine classifications, Spare Starter, intentionally created as a solution for food service kitchens, is the brainchild of The Spare Food Co.'s mindful changemakers: co-founders Adam Kaye (Blue Hill, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, wastED) and his brother Jeremy (Patagonia, Nike). The brothers grew up in a family of culinary entrepreneurs, a legacy that goes back at least four generations, and have combined their culinary expertise with that of their innate social consciousness to create food and beverage products that aim to fix the broken food system which views overlooked ingredients as food waste, versus what they really are: wasted food.
Reflecting on the product, Adam Kaye says, "Spare Starter's genesis is rooted in my firsthand experience with what is wasted on farms, along with the inefficiencies and waste issues that arise in kitchens. Our aim isn't merely to add another product to the market; it's to introduce a groundbreaking solution environmentally and economically. Spare Starter optimizes kitchen operations by reducing labor and time, and promotes a plant-forward diet, all while measurably reducing food waste."
Jeremy Kaye further explains: "From the very beginning, we have had a close collaboration with the culinary leadership at Harvest Table. With our partnership growing, we hope to show the rest of the food industry how Spare Starter offers a tangible solution towards a sustainable and equitable food system and a proactive way to help achieve the sustainability goals of food service operators, their corporate clients, and their diners."
Spare Starter is made using surplus farm produce - where there is an alarming volume of edible, quality produce that never makes it to our plates - and turns it into a versatile value-add culinary ingredient. Made with six vegetables and a proprietary spice blend, Spare Starter utilizes much more of the individual vegetables, including leaves, stalks, and other parts which are extremely nutritious but more typically trimmed and discarded.
The category-defining culinary shortcut is more than a nod to sustainability. It is a multifaceted approach that addresses a multitude of pivotal concerns in today's culinary landscape: curbing food waste, combating labor shortages, saving time, reducing food costs and promoting a plant-forward menu that doesn't compromise on taste. Versatile, vegan, fat-free, allergen-free and gluten-free, Spare Starter offers a world of culinary opportunities for chefs. Best described as "cuisine agnostic" (given its extremely adaptable flavor palette), chefs can get creative and develop applications across any cuisine or culinary tradition while saving time and waste in their individual kitchens. Spare Starter has endless possibilities. It can be used to create sauces, braises and soups; fillings for tacos and wraps; to make veggie burgers and as toppings for pizzas, and so much more. Nowhere is its culinary versatility and climate friendly attributes more compelling than when it is blended as a replacement for a portion of animal protein in burgers, meatballs and chillies.
Its introduction comes at a crucial juncture, as companies strive to meet sustainability goals. Many are pledging to cut food waste by notable margins, with some targeting a 50% reduction by 2030, but there are very few food products available to these companies that can actually deliver on that promise of reducing waste, at a scale needed to truly make a positive impact. Spare Starter provides one practical option for companies looking to meet those goals.
Harvest Table Culinary Group is an early supporter of The Spare Food Co., and specifically of Spare Starter, identifying the innovative product's tremendous potential and realizing its ability to save time and labor, and deliver exceptional flavor while simultaneously helping minimize waste in their kitchens and driving plant-forward and lower carbon menus. The early adoption and invaluable feedback The Spare Food Co. has received from culinary leadership and esteemed chefs at Harvest Table colleges such as Brandeis University and the University of Rochester, have played an instrumental role in refining Spare Starter's appeal. Testimonials from these institutions, as well as other corporate kitchens already utilizing Spare Starter have indicated an overwhelming positive response, with chefs and their patrons enthusiastically embracing the delicious plant-forward dining experience that Spare Starter offers.
Chef Matthew Thompson, Chief Culinary Officer at Harvest Table remarks:"Our culinary teams are really pleased with Spare Starter and feel it's a game-changer, both in addressing the issue of food waste and in streamlining our kitchen processes."
As a beacon of this groundbreaking partnership, Spare Starter is set to become a fundamental component across all of Harvest Table's establishments - including Wake Forest and Elon University, among others.
The Spare Food Co.'s first-ever plant-based food product builds on the resounding success of the company's signature beverage, Spare Tonic, a probiotic sparkling tonic made with upcycled whey, that has captivated a broad base of consumers. Together the two serve as a testament to the larger brand ethos and mission of The Spare Food Co. – creating food and beverage options made from clean ingredients that are better for both people and the planet, and can contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change.
The Spare Food Co. Mission:
It is well documented that around 1/3 of all food that is produced is wasted, and that reducing food waste is shown to be the #1 way that we can reverse the effects of climate change. Where others see waste, The Spare Food Co. sees overlooked ingredients and untapped goodness. Their mission is to prevent food from being wasted by shifting the collective perspective to making the overlooked essential. They are finding more ways to use more surplus produce, overlooked parts of plants purchased directly from farms, and edible ingredients that are produced as co-product or by-product from other food manufacturing processes. In addition to Spare Tonic, The Spare Food Co. is developing a growing number upcycled food and beverage offerings - stepping stones toward the goals of feeding the world while reversing the effects of climate change.
For more information, visit sparefood.com, and for inspiration and recipes, follow The Spare Food Co. on Instagram or Facebook.
Media Contact
Sarah Usher, The Spare Food Co., 1 4433504900, [email protected], https://www.sparefood.com/
SOURCE The Spare Food Co.
Share this article