Counterpart and Beelman’s are teaming up with tech startup Choco for an anti-food waste pop-up taking place from November 19th-21st.
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Food waste is a massive problem in the US. Approximately 40% of all food produced goes uneaten, making up 133 billion pounds in landfills and totaling $161 billion of food disposed per year. While the problem occurs at every stage from farm to table, food suppliers and restaurants carry a heavy part of the responsibility.
Choco is a new app that provides free order management technology to restaurants and food suppliers in efforts to transition the world to sustainable food systems. The company joined forces with three popular LA restaurants to host an anti-waste pop-up, Waste is Gold.
The restaurants have all created new dishes or repurposed existing menu items to utilize food waste ingredients. Two of the three participating restaurants are vegan—Counterpart and Beelman’s. The Beelman’s team is serving a tomato soup made with leftover vegetables. Chef Mimi Williams of Counterpart Vegan crafted a farmers market ratatouille with handmade spaghetti and various parts of squash, including those typically discarded. “Our team is focused on sustainability and that includes utilizing as much of our produce as possible. Specifically in creating the ratatouille, I considered how versatile squash is and thought of different ways to implement it into the dish. The squash is not only one of the key featured ingredients on the plate but is also repurposed in the sauce,” shared Williams.
The limited-edition menu items can be ordered for outdoor dining or takeout from November 19th through the 21st. For more information, visit my.choco.com/wasteisgold.
Not able to make it to the pop-up? When asked how we as consumers can aid the fight against food waste, Mimi Williams told us, “to support restaurants that practice sustainability. At home, I urge everyone to think twice before throwing away vegetable and fruit scraps. You never know what can be repurposed into a sauce, spread, or creative garnish.”
