If you’ve ever wondered what our Waste Less Sourdough is all about or what is it that makes our Almond Croissant so rich and moreish, it all comes back to our desire as bakers to use all of what we have and therefore, waste less.
What started with breaking down unsold loaves at the end of the day to create re-freshly baked loaves for the following day has become something of a small revolution in our bakeries. An award winning, sustainable baking revolution, known as our Waste Not range. From bread to babka, come join us as we get closer to zero food waste, one bite at a time.
FOOD WASTE NO MORE
Global food waste is at an all-time high.
Over a third of our food ends up in the bin and of that, bread is the second most wasted food on the planet. 44% of all bread is thrown away which equates to 1 million loaves or 24 million slices every day. Every day. And that’s just bread.
From the food we eat to the way it’s grown and how it gets to our tables, our food system has the single biggest impact on the climate. And whilst we are part of the move to create systemic change within that system, it’s the small steps we each take in our communities that will collectively, make a real difference.
SUSTAINABLE BAKING
As bakers, we spend a lot of time thinking about how we can reduce waste, reuse what we can and be as sustainable as possible.
The great thing about baking is that it’s the perfect way to give good food and great ingredients a second life. Wasting less requires more craft, more innovative practices and the ability to think outside the baking tray.
We take the old, the off cuts and the odd shaped, add a large measure of creativity, some skilful hand shaping and the magic of an oven and voilà - you’ve got a whole new baked delight.
EMBRACING THE DISCARDED
When we bake, we use surplus ingredients like cheese rinds, wonky fruit and unused dough to create delicious new recipes. And it’s from this humble approach that our Waste Not Range came to be.
Not only do the recipes in this range give our products a second life, they also add a deeper layer of flavour and texture.
OUR WASTE NOT RANGE
Our Waste Not range now includes some of our all-time favourites:
Almond Croissant
Worthy of any morning ritual, our Almond Croissant is made using twice baked, surplus croissants from the day before. We soak them in syrup, fill them with almond cream and frangipane, top them a generous sprinkling of flaked almonds and bake to a deep golden brown.
Waste-Less Sourdough
We make our Waste-Less Sourdough from the surplus bread in our bakeries. Each batch turns out slightly differently depending on how much surplus we have that day. But don’t worry. It still has those delicious sour, creamy notes with a malty, roasted depth of flavour that have won it not one but two Great Taste Awards.
Chocolate Babka
For our award winning Chocolate Babka, we swirl croissant dough offcuts in with chocolate custard, chocolate chunks and cocoa powder and then bake them all into a rich loaf. A firm family favourite, it’s perfect for an afternoon tea treat.
Ham & Cheese Croissant
When it comes to lunch, there is little that is more satisfying than a ham and cheese croissant. We fill yesterday’s surplus croissants with rich béchamel sauce, Hepburn’s ham and Lincolnshire Poacher cheese to create what we think might be one of the best lunch decisions ever.
Cheddar Cheese Crackers
Our crispy Cheddar Cheese Crackers are everything a cracker should be and more. Made with buttermilk and then topped with grated Quicke’s mature clothbound cheddar off-cuts, they’re a fine addition to any smorgasbord, spread or snack occasion that requires that little something extra.
Chocolate & Almond Croissant
Made using yesterday’s twice-baked, pain au chocolat, we then add creamy almond frangipane and top with flaked almonds to create something that is even more flaky, buttery and delicious. Why have one pastry when you can have two-in-one?
ZERO FOOD WASTE MISSION
Our Waste Not mission doesn’t just stop in the bakery. Whilst we do our best not to overbake, there are times when we do have surplus food at the end of a day. As part of our efforts to achieve zero food waste, we donate our surplus food and bread to local community projects and charities we work with.
Our aim is make sure 100% of any surplus is given to these local charitable causes and we’re proud to support 95 organisations in the neighbourhoods that we have our bakeries. This is good food, doing good.
