| 123 Rescued Kitchen COMMUNITY Find Out More (09) 967 3090 | customerservice.akn@bidbood.co.nz | www.bidfood.co.nz Proud To Support Rescued Kitchen By partnering with organsations like them, we’re doing our part to combat food waste in NZ T T Sue Russell Good food kept from the landfill Co-founded by Diane Stanbra and chef Royce Bold, Rescued Kitchen is a business focused on transforming surplus food and commercial byproducts, which would otherwise go to waste. “We’re very proud of where we’re at. We inhabit a pioneering space, and the energy that goes with that is very unique and exciting to feel.” An Auckland company intent on making the world a better place for people and the planet has a simple philosophy – perfectly good food should never be wasted. Co-founded by Diane Stanbra and chef Royce Bold, Rescued Kitchen is a business focused on transforming surplus food and commercial by-products, which would otherwise go to waste, into long shelf-life baking mixes and ingredients, and to achieve this within a circular economy model, delivering environmental, economic and societal benefits through each part of the process. Products made from surplus bread and produce are transformed into a range of value-added foods, including baking mixes, tomato chutney, rescued bread flour, and breadcrumbs Breadcrumbs, Diane says, are a perfect example of the ‘world gone wrong’. “On the one hand we import breadcrumbs, while here in New Zealand perfectly good bread is wasted. We’ve interrupted that model by creating the process at scale where bread we rescue is repurposed into breadcrumbs.” Diane says there’s a feeling that they have only scratched the surface of what the business can repurpose. “It’s certainly been a bit of a whirlwind journey to this point, and we’re very excited about what we’ve achieved to date, and what innovations are just around the corner. Especially, it’s wonderful to think that we’re taking perfectly good food, loaded with nutrition, and giving it a new life for people to enjoy.” Rescued Kitchen clearly articulates its founding goals, constantly scrutinising progress towards their achievement. It’s a healthy, self-reflection process that adds character and depth to the operation. These goals include achieving 100% happy customers and crew – tick, growing customers and collaborators and expanding internationally – tick, making positive environmental, economic and social impact each day – tick, attaining B Corp Certification – tick, and obtaining Upcycled Food certification for Rescued Bread Flour. For Diane, achieving these goals is concrete confirmation of doing things right and not letting go of standards and the why. “We’re very proud of where we’re at. We inhabit a pioneering space, and the energy that goes with that is very unique and exciting to feel. It’s what keeps us motivated and moving forward. “While we’re proud of the recognition we’ve received, we couldn’t achieve any of it without our customers. Every person who chooses a Rescued Kitchen product is helping keep good food in the food system and making our impact possible.” The striving and solid results achieved to date have been recognised, with Rescued Kitchen taking out the prized Business Innovation award at the New Zealand Food Awards, an achievement, Diane says, that is very much valued by the team. Rescued Kitchen’s industry recognition doesn’t end there, with it being named winner of this year’s WasteMINZ + ALGA Awards Waste Reduction and Product Redesign category. Judges noted that, since 2022, the business has diverted more than 200 tonnes of edible surplus from landfill, in the process avoiding over 85,000kg of carbon emissions. ‘Products such as Rescued Bread Flour replace virgin ingredients while delivering significantly lower environmental impacts’, was shared on the awards website. For Diane, Royce and the close-knit team, it’s deeply personal. “I have the attitude that you just need to start doing,” says Diane. “Figure out what you can do to reduce waste and save food, and make a start. Don’t look too far ahead at the big picture as it can be overwhelming, and if you do this, then great things are possible.” The power-house of production is the factory, based in Onehunga. On the face of it, it’s a simple model – capture food that still has plenty of good life left in it, develop processes to preserve the product, which traditionally have been either dehydrating, cooking or freezing, and keep the food in the food system “We’re simply taking perfectly good food that for many reasons isn’t staying in our food system and doing something positive with it,” Diane says. While the opportunity to pause and reflect on the journey to date is of value, Diane says an exciting future of possibilities is just beginning to open. “I think that’s what’s most satisfying for me. That we’re discovering many people want to support our products and purpose. It’s very motivating and exciting for us.”
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