September saw Zero Waste Week, and we have been so excited to see all the innovations, ideas and recipes everyone has been sharing with us. UK businesses generate over 41 million tonnes of commercial waste every year, so anything we can do to reduce this number will help to ease the ever-growing strain on the environment.
If you are aware of Ruby’s already, you know that we’re always looking for ways to innovate, particularly if it can help to reduce our carbon footprint.
Our Zero Waste Kitchen
A study in 2017 found that food waste makes up 8% of total greenhouse gas emissions. That might not seem like much, but it’s a huge amount of food going to waste.
Not only are we passionate about cutting down food waste, but we’re also passionate about making our meals and snacks with home-grown UK products which cuts down food miles and fuel emissions.
As passionate innovators, we’re always trying new techniques to revolutionise our cooking and practises. One of our absolute favourite ways we do this is by using a technique called “Root-to-Stem” cooking.
Root-To-Stem
For those of you who might not be familiar, root-to-stem cooking is a growing trend among commercial kitchens and forward-thinking homes alike. Ordinary kitchens often discard certain parts of fruits and vegetables, even when they are entirely edible. Traditionally the offcuts from produce are the parts you can imagine – the ends, the peels, root-to-stem means using literally all of the fruits and vegetables that go into your recipes. This makes use of all of the fresh ingredients!
Root-to-stem cooking doesn’t only mean cutting down on waste. Using more of what we have reduces our production costs, so when you buy a meal from Ruby’s or Elakkia you can be sure you’re always getting great value.
Bold, expressive flavour is one of the hallmarks of Sri Lankan cuisine, and this particular cooking practice delivers it in heaps! All of our fresh vegetables go into the stocks, broths & sauces that make our ready made meals so unique. Best of all, they’re packed with nutrients and goodness, so you’ll be sure you’re supplying satisfying, healthy food to your customers.
What Else Are We Doing To Help?
Did you know that one of the best things we can do to reduce waste is encouraging others to adopt a more plant-based diet? Sri Lankan cuisine is already among the most vegetarian in the world, and with 17 vegan curries in our arsenal, we are well and truly flying the plant-based flag.
We also stock delicious chicken and mutton based dishes as we understand the importance of giving your customers choice.
If you’d like to find out more about our white label food products and the zero food waste practises behind the recipes, get in touch with us today.
